So many sides of Northern Soul.

View full article

Dont know why, snoopy dean and Bobby Franklin get knocked so much, yer not the first, its a clique now, both great dance tunes in my opinion.

"Now they are between 35 and 45 years old and, while some have matured magnificently - Mel Britt and Tobi Legend spring to mind, I am certain that if people listened to them beyond pure nostalgia, more would agree that many of them sound at best passe and at worst ridiculous. "

just quoted that from the full article and not sure i agree, some of the tunes played years ago when listened to now take on a new dimension when looked at by others, when i play things like "just like the weather" to my non soul music mad mates they refer to it as a boring run of the mill soul record, however play "the gig" by raw soul and they appear interested, and a bit confused !, just played "by yourself" jd martin on a cd, very loud, it sounds awful, but years ago was the dogs, i suppose that's what makes the scene interesting, beat ballads years ago would have been put in soul packs with new release disco 70,s things,

"with not nearly enough exceptions, the discoveries of the last 35 years represent obscurity for the sake of it and/ or a celebration of the ordinary just to ensure that nobody else knows or cares about them."

I disagree, who in their right mind would play, buy, or dance to a record they didn't enjoy?

I've danced to records I didn't enjoy, just as long as there was a girl at the end of it...

From the days of Snoopy Dean et al Modern records were always played at Wigan and later Stafford with Richard, Dave and Robin.

At Wigan things like Lovelites, Flaming Emeralds, Silvetti, Eddie Holman (76,77) etc. and later the 79 invasion of things like Bobby Thurston, Roy Dawson etc. so don't think it's something that you can put into tight compartments.

if you substitute "modern" with "current" could you not argue the point that such releases have been played and accepted since day 1 ?

RE: the discoveries of the last 35 years represent obscurity for the sake of it and / or a celebration of the ordinary ....

..... Loads of great obscure sounds unearthed over the last 35 years so can't agree in the main ....

... but many 'ordinary sounds' are championed just coz they are SO RARE.......

I'm much more of a SOUL FAN than a RARE SOUL FAN ....... give me a great William Bell Stax track over a messy obscure Detroit little label cut (substitute any other US city here) any day of the week.