This may go against every instinct of a northern soul fan so bare with me.

I'm currently researching for a book and I'm looking for an example of a common/easily found northern soul record around the early 70s (particularly 1973).

If you were trawling the country's record shops at the time and any titles spring to mind, I'd love to hear them!

I'm thinking singles that showed up in every collection. Tracks you couldn't escape from. Doubles you could never get rid of because everyone and their mam had a copy...

I wasnt collecting soul in 73, I was 5 years old....   but Freda Payne - Band Of Gold, was released in that year, so may work for you...

also Jackie Moore - Both Ends Against The Middle...  S.O.U.L - This Time Around, both, in fact all new releases in 73...  I think they were all noticed!!

Edited January 25, 20232 yr by Mal C

1 hour ago, headtripp said:

This may go against every instinct of a northern soul fan so bare with me.

I'm currently researching for a book and I'm looking for an example of a common/easily found northern soul record around the early 70s (particularly 1973).

If you were trawling the country's record shops at the time and any titles spring to mind, I'd love to hear them!

I'm thinking singles that showed up in every collection. Tracks you couldn't escape from. Doubles you could never get rid of because everyone and their mam had a copy...

The shops that stocked northern records would have to order from the specialised wholesalers so not the likes of Woolworths, WH Smith, Boots etc. However, there were all sorts of strange places that you would find records for sale. These could be petrol stations, newsagents, corner shops and funfairs up and down the country who would have got a job lot from Bostock's in Bradford. These would include lots of MGM/Verve singles and always had copies of Spyder Turner - I Can't Make It Anymore on MGM. It was everywhere around 73/74 but is a great record that everyone would own , especially as it would cost around 25 - 50p .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34WLRnyMLiw

 

Thanks so much for your suggestions, I will have a look into these tracks! I will likely find a place for them all along the way 🤗

How about Edwin Starr on Ric-Tic? Stop her on sight or Agent-OO-Soul.

Early 70’s Robert Thomas salvation think everyone I knew had one and they showed up all the time. Mainly market stalls, ringleaders was a 2 to 3 pound tune, Manchester was a great place lots of markets and wholesale shops as well as specialists

The black UK Action issue of the Showmen seemed to be everywhere too This would be '75 so maybe a bit later than you want, but they were probably there earlier.

On 26/01/2023 at 11:03, Mick Holdsworth said:

The black UK Action issue of the Showmen seemed to be everywhere too This would be '75 so maybe a bit later than you want, but they were probably there earlier.

I remember at least 20 copies of The Showmen on our local market Mick 

11 hours ago, Eddie Hubbard said:

I remember at least 20 copies of The Showmen on our local market Mick 

Yes Eddie, I think it was common across the land, much like Spyder Turner.

Bobby Hebb Love, Love, Love with the picture sleeve was another that was around in quantity. £1.25 everywhere

Great record, still like it despite it being overplayed a bit 👍

19 minutes ago, Mick Holdsworth said:

Yes Eddie, I think it was common across the land, much like Spyder Turner.

Yes those Spyder Turners were everywhere along with picture sleeve Kim Weston’s and Dee Dee Sharp - Standing in the need of love 

Just now, Eddie Hubbard said:

Yes those Spyder Turners were everywhere along with picture sleeve Kim Weston’s and Dee Dee Sharp - Standing in the need of love 

Ooh, I'd forgotten the Kim Westons.

I was told in the 8ts, that all the Spyder Turners' came over as balast on ships into ports such as Liverpool... Highly untrue, but a nice story... and that this was a million seller,  it couldnt have been could it?

 

Edited January 30, 20232 yr by Mal C

Loads of Jackie WIlson records, seem to recall Feeling, Who Who, Lost You etc being everywhere on US, also Gene Chandler Time on same label plus lots of Dells on Chess such as Wear It, Believe Me etc

 

On 30/01/2023 at 11:46, Mal C said:

I was told in the 8ts, that all the Spyder Turners' came over as balast on ships into ports such as Liverpool... Highly untrue, but a nice story... and that this was a million seller,  it couldnt have been could it?

 

Mal, Yes records as ballast totally untrue , NS myth number 5.

Spyder Turner's first MGM record -Stand By Me got to number three RnB and twelve on Pop Billboard charts so could have sold near or over a million. I Can't Make It Anymore only made it to 95. I don't remember Stand By Me in the Bradford market stock. Quite often the record labels would press up loads of a follow up record and then have thousands left over when it didn't sell as many as they hoped.

10 hours ago, Stevecee said:

Loads of Jackie WIlson records, seem to recall Feeling, Who Who, Lost You etc being everywhere on US, also Gene Chandler Time on same label plus lots of Dells on Chess such as Wear It, Believe Me etc

 

Yes loads of Chess ,Cadet etc on our local market plus lots of King ,Federal etc 

On 31/01/2023 at 14:33, Rick Cooper said:

Spyder Turner's first MGM record -Stand By Me got to number three RnB and twelve on Pop Billboard charts so could have sold near or over a million. I Can't Make It Anymore only made it to 95. I don't remember Stand By Me in the Bradford market stock. Quite often the record labels would press up loads of a follow up record and then have thousands left over when it didn't sell as many as they hoped.

That's also my understanding. And would explain the 1.000's of old stock issues of Spyder Turner and very low number of DJ copies.