Tunes like My weakness is you, Tell me its just a rumour, Six by six etc etc etc.

Just because they appear on a Motown family label, should they be classed as 'Motown' or should they be classed as' Northern Soul', or 'Rare Soul' when appropriate?

It seems that when a soul event is promoted 'Motown' is a one size fits all label.

Is it justified ??

Ed

Is it justified ??

Ed

Absolutely.

Regards,

Dave

www.theresthatbeat.com

www.hitsvillesoulclub.com

Tunes like My weakness is you, Tell me its just a rumour, Six by six etc etc etc.

Just because they appear on a Motown family label, should they be classed as 'Motown' or should they be classed as' Northern Soul', or 'Rare Soul' when appropriate?

It seems that when a soul event is promoted 'Motown' is a one size fits all label.

Is it justified ??

Ed

They are classified as Northern or Rare when appropriate aren't they

And as Detroit or club soul or crossover or girly vocals or instromentals etc etc.

Edited August 10, 200717 yr by ged parker

The problem is, if you reclassify them as Motown, you couldn't play them at a Northern Night & Vice versa. Still, it would give the soul police a job to do.

I'm more concerned about playing Edwin Star SOS etc at a Motown night. Surely that must be against the rules. And if taken off the playlist it would leave a space for Stoney & Meatloaf.

Paul

The problem is, if you reclassify them as Motown, you couldn't play them at a Northern Night & Vice versa. Still, it would give the soul police a job to do.

I'm more concerned about playing Edwin Star SOS etc at a Motown night. Surely that must be against the rules. And if taken off the playlist it would leave a space for Stoney & Meatloaf.

Paul

Never get to hear this at a Motown night though https://www.petalia.org/Songs/ineverbeentome.htm

Tunes like My weakness is you, Tell me its just a rumour, Six by six etc etc etc.

Just because they appear on a Motown family label, should they be classed as 'Motown' or should they be classed as' Northern Soul', or 'Rare Soul' when appropriate?

It seems that when a soul event is promoted 'Motown' is a one size fits all label.

Is it justified ??

Ed

My mate and I run a Motown and Northern night in Goole, basically anything goes whatever gets them on the dancefloor from Northern Motown to the commercial stuff

HOWEVER

When I have DJ'd at more Northern venues I still introduce the spot as something like "got some Motown for ya" type of thing, but play all Northern,eg. bobby Taylor Oh Ive been bless'd and other not motown but in that vein like Buster Jones "misunderstanding" etc. also seventies stuff, Bloodstone and the like, So as I get bookings as a Northern Motown DJ what can I call it except motown.

P.S. I come cheap....LOL

WESTY

We have some daft things discussed on here but this takes the biscuit, if it's on Motown it's f**King MOTOWN, Where it's played makes no difference it's still MOTOWN .

We already have far too many classifications.

Motown is Motown, Stax is Stax, soul is soul, disco is disco, pop is pop...

No other classifications are really needed apart from "good" and "bad".

Paul Mooney

We have some daft things discussed on here but this takes the biscuit, if it's on Motown it's f**King MOTOWN, Where it's played makes no difference it's still MOTOWN .

Agreed,

And it's also POPULAR! File under POPULAR, that's what I say. I like POPULAR music. It's the new underground.

Paul Mooney

We have some daft things discussed on here but this takes the biscuit, if it's on Motown it's f**King MOTOWN, Where it's played makes no difference it's still MOTOWN .

It doesn't make any difference? Then it's not northern, innit? If it's on Ric Tic, then is Ric Tic, if it's on Arctic, then it's Arctic, if it's on International Ssoulsville then it's International Soulsville.

That's silly, IMHO. If a track it's on a MOtown label and it's played at northern do's, then it's motown AND northern. If it's, for example, a Chicago recording, it's Chicago AND northern, etc...

It doesn't make any difference? Then it's not northern, innit? If it's on Ric Tic, then is Ric Tic, if it's on Arctic, then it's Arctic, if it's on International Ssoulsville then it's International Soulsville.

That's silly, IMHO. If a track it's on a MOtown label and it's played at northern do's, then it's motown AND northern. If it's, for example, a Chicago recording, it's Chicago AND northern, etc...

Agreed. It's just a label - one with a damn fine pedigree, but just a label. Some Motown is Northern, some isn't.

How many great "Northern" tunes are there which were recorded by Motown artistes or backing musicians who were moonlighting on smaller labels. How many great "Northern" tunes are there from other labels that were attempting to emulate Motown and cash in on the success of that label in the early/mid 6T's.

............HUNDREDS!

It's just a label, but sadly seems to get billed nowadays alongside Northern, as though to say "Oh, and a bit of music you'll all know, and that the girls can dance around their handbags to".

Not the Motown that I play, they can't!

Im not sure its so cut and dried as some suggest. My point is that Motowns stable holds the whole spectrum of soul music so the only thing in common is the label.

If a purely motown night was promoted then to be fair you would expect a sample of the whole range played. (Of those I have been to, its still largely 'Northern Soul' sounding records that get played.)

We dont treat other labels in the same way and of those other labels like Atlantic or Stax who also offer the same range of soul they are broken into sub labels like Northern, Funk, Ballad, Deep etc.

Its obvious a record can be classified as more than one thing but why bother? For me the label is not relevant, just the genre. I accept I may be in a minority on this point.

Ed

I have often thought that there would be a good night to be had at a purely Motown Night playing mainly 60's Motown covering the whole range from the likes of Where Did Our Love Go through to the (perhaps) lesser known LP tracks, on the other thread, maybe a coupla times a year.

Blimey, I could take the wife

Tony

.

For me the label is not relevant, just the genre.

Ed

Tunes like My weakness is you, Tell me its just a rumour, Six by six etc etc etc.

Just because they appear on a Motown family label, should they be classed as 'Motown' or should they be classed as' Northern Soul', or 'Rare Soul' when appropriate?

Ed

I class them as dance records, what else matters?

Martyn

It doesn't make any difference? Then it's not northern, innit? If it's on Ric Tic, then is Ric Tic, if it's on Arctic, then it's Arctic, if it's on International Ssoulsville then it's International Soulsville.

That's silly, IMHO. If a track it's on a MOtown label and it's played at northern do's, then it's motown AND northern. If it's, for example, a Chicago recording, it's Chicago AND northern, etc...

Just because it's played at a northern venue doesn't change the fact that it's Motown, always will be, may even be unknown to the general Motown fan but it's still Motown. And I'll have to listen a little harder for that DJ that introduces that Motown record as this is a Motown and Northern Soul record, can just see the punters thinking what the f**ks he on. Let's face it we've being attending venue's for the last 35+ years and if it's on Motown that's what's been said so why would anybody try and change it now. Motown is Motown is Motown, from a fan who migrated to the northern scene via Motown and not somebody who discovered Motown via the northern scene.

Just because it's played at a northern venue doesn't change the fact that it's Motown, always will be, may even be unknown to the general Motown fan but it's still Motown. And I'll have to listen a little harder for that DJ that introduces that Motown record as this is a Motown and Northern Soul record, can just see the punters thinking what the f**ks he on. Let's face it we've being attending venue's for the last 35+ years and if it's on Motown that's what's been said so why would anybody try and change it now. Motown is Motown is Motown, from a fan who migrated to the northern scene via Motown and not somebody who discovered Motown via the northern scene.

Never said that'll change it. Of course it remains Motown, that's why I said it's Motown AND Northern. And of course a Northern Soul deejay will introduce it as a Motown tune, but I'm pretty sure that if a Motown Dj, in a Motown night plays the same record, he will introduce it as a northern sound wouldn't him?

What I was trying to say is that, for example: Chris Clark - Love's Gone Bad can be featured in a "Northern Soul" CD and in a Motown compilation, in a Northern fanzine and a Motown mag, etc...

Oooh, aaand, by the way, I have been attending venues for just a couple of years and also think they souldn't be re-classified, but, as you said in your last phrase, it all depends upon what scene are you on, methinks.

Cheers

Dante

Edited August 13, 200717 yr by Dante

I have often thought that there would be a good night to be had at a purely Motown Night playing mainly 60's Motown covering the whole range from the likes of Where Did Our Love Go through to the (perhaps) lesser known LP tracks, on the other thread, maybe a coupla times a year.

Blimey, I could take the wife

Tony

find me a venue

and ille turn up with the equipment and nominate a couple of DJs

whom i Will support wholeheartedly

and play Motown from album 7inch and unnissued on vinyl type players (CD)

find me a venue

and ille turn up with the equipment and nominate a couple of DJs

whom i Will support wholeheartedly

and play Motown from album 7inch and unnissued on vinyl type players (CD)

"I've got plenty of time,

So keep me in mind"

If I can, I will.

It's definitely something I've had talks with Steve about.

ATB

Tony

Six by six, Theres a ghost in my house, Overture, Human zoo, The night, Going to a go go, Suspicion, Nothings too good for my baby. as examples along with hundreds more. All played as Northern Soul. All unique.

Look at the artists and musicians that 'moonlighted' on other Detroit labels, Connie (Chris) Clark - My sugar baby for example is it Motown or Northern or both?

Again I still maintain Motown is only a detail not a definintion.

Ed

motown is motown plain and simple!

BAZ A

I always thought people advertised do's as "Northern Soul & Motown" nights in order to attract normals and handbaggers - middle aged couples who think they are going to hear Jimmy Mack. We had some people like this when I helped Craig with the 44 club, advertised as soul and motown night, loads of girlies turned up and asked when we were going to play any Motown, despite loads having been already played which they didn't know (e.g. Vows, Eddie Holland, Carolyn Crawford)