I was in my local pub last night for a wedding reception and as the night went on the landlord was putting various cds etc on for anyone who wanted, the more I got relaxed the more I was getting miffed with the crap tunes so I asked him if he had any Northern in his very extensive collection, "yea" he said and went right ahead and put on some really good soul music, bits of motown and the likes I must admit I did have a little dance but it wasn't Northern. I was considering letting him know that this most certainly wasn't Northern but I fear the question, "" So what is Northern "". Does anyone have an easy answer for the un-initiated or what is the best track that everyone might have heard that can sum it p in a short way???

I was in my local pub last night for a wedding reception and as the night went on the landlord was putting various cds etc on for anyone who wanted, the more I got relaxed the more I was getting miffed with the crap tunes so I asked him if he had any Northern in his very extensive collection, "yea" he said and went right ahead and put on some really good soul music, bits of motown and the likes I must admit I did have a little dance but it wasn't Northern. I was considering letting him know that this most certainly wasn't Northern but I fear the question, "" So what is Northern "". Does anyone have an easy answer for the un-initiated or what is the best track that everyone might have heard that can sum it p in a short way???

Putting it in to words is a real difficult one, 'specially with the diversity of sounds played out now.

I reckon Len Jewell - Bettin' on Love, is as good an upbeat tune as any to show that Northern is something different and special. Not my favourite by a long shot - just reckon it fits the bill, Bill.

Kevin

Was it Pikey's dad who came up with the definitive one line answer?

Someone on here's dad.

Its that crap that nobody's ever heard of, by artists nobody's ever heard of.

What ever the written conclusive long definition is, it will never cover all the bases and please everyone, but a few have tried. It used to be a common definition on NS compilation LP notes.

The guys also have a go at it in the intro of the DVD 'The strange world of NS'.

In its originating simplest form it might be 'soulfull sounding dance music, favoured in the North'

Straight away it can be picked apart, but if its kept simple it gives a label and definition to most tracks played on the scene, good bad and ugly.

Ed