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Soulful House What Do You Think


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Guest Brian Ellis

I think we have to be really careful in 'writing off' en bloc any new material in this genre - don't we ever learn from our mistakes.

Didn't The Seven Souls get written off in the days of Wigan as being 'too slow - almost a ballad'. You could have picked it up for a quid or so then. How would Love Stormy Weather have gone down at the Casino, or Bobby Kline. What price now on these?

I think we should all be open to listening to any type of soul genre, but only making up our minds on individual records, not tarring the entire genre with the same brush because the odd record we've heard didn't come up to scratch.

Brian

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joey negro mix on "sugar"........,great shout, one of the best of last year.

New York, New Jersey, Baltimore especially knocking out class soulful tunes. On top of that there are some quality european releases too. Also check out some of the stuff on Schema, going into jazzy territory but some quality.

Personally I enjoy collecting and listening to this stuff as much as anything else.

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End of the day it's house music...so it has 'soulful' vocals, so a lot have 'real instruments', but most still have that house beat, and still have those House arrangements. They were made as House records, not as anything else, in the same way, for instance, that 'Northern Soul' records were never originally made as 'Northern Soul' records, but just soul records or R&B records or whatever. By anyone else's definition and when stripped of the 'aura' of being played in the Modern room at a Northern do for example (and thus allegedly becoming something other than house music; 'Modern Soul' if you like) it's just plain old house music, full stop. 'Soulful' maybe, yes, but House music...always.

Beats me why folk who wind up in these rooms don't just seek out do's where they can hear the same records but played at clubs advertised as 'House' nights. Actually, I know the reason for this and it partly lies in the mystique of believing that it's not actually house music but 'progressive modern soul', with all the self-congratulatory feeling of 'pushing boundaries' that goes along with that. It's also the accompanying warm feeling of satisfaction in the belief that they're part of something better than what is actually probably better by a long shot. And it's also about the freedom to be able to operate in an environment of 'music fans' as opposed to mixing with civilians: basically it's largely about enjoying house music in a traditionally non-house music environment but under (sometimes and certainly in my recent experience) the banner of 'Modern Soul', as if to somehow validate it's inclusion in the Northern Soul scheme of things and to avoid the obvious connotations that the word 'House' would bring if printed on a flyer also bearing the term 'Northern Soul'.

Think about it. Your average MAW 12" will be pressed in the thousands and distributed the world over. There are thousands of DJs playing the stuff (the same records in many cases) as nothing other than nice, anti-Judge Jules type house music. It's House music...albeit, better house music than your average chart stuff, but if a 'Modern room' at a do is going to feature hours of this stuff, it should be advertised as such...as a 'Soulful Dance' room, or a House room, or even a Soulful House room. Wasn't the Southport Soul Weekender re-named after they realised it had actually become a House and R&B event? Isn't it now called the Southport Dance Weekender? The important word missing there would be 'Soul' (?)

What is baffling is when you get a room full of people 'dancing' to a house set in the Modern Room of Northern do, only for the same people f*** off back downstairs to the Northern room once someone starts playing a 70's set. You have to sit back and wonder at the oddity of it. It just smacks of falsity, a desire to either be seen to be at the 'cutting edge' of a sub section of a larger 'scene' or safely padded in the cotton wool of memories. It also smacks of limited knowledge and a fear of the unknown, in places.

You're right, you could go to any bar and hear your Judge Jules type sound bouncing around the fuschia tinted walls and have glow sticks shoved in your face all night...you could also go somewhere where the DJs can actually put a set of Soulful House records together with some kind of direction, skill and structure, devoid of the often shambolic nature of a 'Northern Soul-esq' type presentation, with it's emphasis on presenting each record as a single entity, rather than using the whole to build up some kind of flowing, 'progressive' movement.

Having worked in a store for 5 years that took in approx 10 new releases of this type each week, there's a handful (for me personally) that actually sound, not like House records, but modern day dancefloor soul cuts in a way that brings back the inventive arranging skills of the old stuff: Groove Collective's - Everything Is Changing, MAW/James Ingram - Lean On Me (still sounds amazing) Ledisi - Good Lovin, Underground Network - Love Is The Answer, SPJE - Sugar Baby Darling (still a bit banging but got enough about it to take it out of the ordinary) to name but the few. Probably just get grumbled at for listing 'oldies' and obvious stuff. Like someone said earlier, you have to wade through tons to hear one that stands out from the rest...and for me, it was stuff that didn't sound like House music that stood out from the rest, even if it was originally made as 'House' music. I haven't touched the stuff for a few years (and might have missed some truly high calibre, distinct stuff) principally because I got bored of essentially hearing the same record over and over, using the same formula over and over. If last week was anything to go by, they still do.

Personally disagree with the consensus on the Negro mix of 'Sugar'. Housed up for mass appeal. Simple as that. The original's perfect in it's own right. But it's each to his own on these things, of course.

I suppose, looking back, this is actually more a critique of the convenient 'redefinition' of a certain strain of House music - to fit with a scene's expectations and ambitions - than about Soulful House per se. For me, it all gets a bit predictable, in the main. Just my opinion, since the question was asked.

Edited by kooga
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End of the day it's house music…so it has 'soulful' vocals, so a lot have 'real instruments', but most still have that house beat, and still have those House arrangements. They were made as House records, not as anything else, in the same way, for instance, that 'Northern Soul' records were never originally made as 'Northern Soul' records, but just soul records or R&B records or whatever. By anyone else's definition and when stripped of the 'aura' of being played in the Modern room at a Northern do for example (and thus allegedly becoming something other than house music; 'Modern Soul' if you like) it’s just plain old house music, full stop. ‘Soulful’ maybe, yes, but House music…always.

link

I'd agree with that and would never try and dress it up as anything else. I don't go to any 'Modern' or 'Y2K' Soul events, so couldn't really comment on what goes on in these places.

In fairness, some of the stuff I do like; say the MAW Nuyorican Soul comp. have a definate 70's feel to them. OK so a lot of them are remixed to give a more 'mixable' (is that a word?) format to them for DJ purposes. But I think the stuff on there such as 'It's Alright, I Feel It!' and 'Sweet Tears' could easily have been mistaken for being cut in the late 70's.

House Music is House Music, but there are always tracks that have that certain quality to 'Cross-Over' whistling.gif in my opinion. Just as a number of out-and-out 70's/80's originals scored on the Dance scene. Dan Hartman 'Relight My Fire' from about 1989/90 springs to mind, and it wasn't a remix being played, it was the original.

If it's got a good beat, and makes me want to dance, I don't give a shit what anyones calls it :P

Jamie whistling.gif

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I'd agree with that and would never try and dress it up as anything else. I don't go to any 'Modern' or 'Y2K' Soul events, so couldn't really comment on what goes on in these places.

In fairness, some of the stuff I do like; say the MAW Nuyorican Soul comp. have a definate 70's feel to them. OK so a lot of them are remixed to give a more 'mixable' (is that a word?) format to them for DJ purposes. But I think the stuff on there such as 'It's Alright, I Feel It!' and 'Sweet Tears' could easily have been mistaken for being cut in the late 70's.

House Music is House Music, but there are always tracks that have that certain quality to 'Cross-Over'  whistling.gif   in my opinion. Just as a number of out-and-out 70's/80's originals scored on the Dance scene. Dan Hartman 'Relight My Fire' from about 1989/90 springs to mind, and it wasn't a remix being played, it was the original.

If it's got a good beat, and makes me want to dance, I don't give a shit what anyones calls it  :P

Jamie  thumbsup.gif

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It's actually 'modern soul' rooms at some Northern do's I've been to recently that I was most focusing on. Don't know if it's a generally widespread phenomenon of lengthy sets of House music in these 'modern soul' rooms countrywide, but the point I was trying to make was that elsewhere (at House do's for instance) the same records played would just be acknowledged and played as House records. No more, no less. I was really just trying to figure out why house music when played in one scenario was deemed to be something other than what it actually was (as stated on a Flyer that read 'Modern Soul') if nothing but part of the mechanics of a wider ideology obsessed with examining it's own notion of progression.

That's all, really.

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It's actually 'modern soul' rooms at some Northern do's I've been to recently that I was most focusing on. Don't know if it's a generally widespread phenomenon of lengthy sets of House music in these 'modern soul' rooms countrywide, but the point I was trying to make was that elsewhere (at House do's for instance) the same records played would just be acknowledged and played as House records. No more, no less. I was really just trying to figure out why house music when played in one scenario was deemed to be something other than what it actually was (as stated on a Flyer that read 'Modern Soul') if nothing but part of the mechanics of a wider ideology obsessed with examining it's own notion of progression.

That's all, really.

link

Understand what you mean. It does seem a little odd.

I suppose historically this has always gone on. What was termed 'Newies' or 'Modern' in the 70's is now 70's Northern, and in some cases Deepfunk.

If you don't attend House nights (I rarely have for the last 5 years), then possibly you are not going to know what is the standard fayre at these events. If you got into 'Modern' Soul through 60's and then 70's 'Northern', then maybe you just haven't had the exposure to the 'House' events and as a result don't know what crosses over onto both scenes.

Maybe that could be a reason, I don't know. I suppose it's naieve of me to expect that everyone who attends a Modern soul event has never been to a House event.

I suppose the reason stops at the organisers, afterall, they put the events on and decide how to 'Window Dress' the promotion.

Jamie whistling.gif

Jamie thumbsup.gif

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I presume that most people on these forums have a northern soul background. Let's consider northern as opposed to soulful house.

NORTHERN SOUL- Uptempo soul recorded generally on small, obscure labels in the mid sixties.

SOULFUL HOUSE- Uptempo soul recorded generally on small,obscure labels in the past ten years.

SPOT the difference? ABOUT 35 YEARS!!!!!!

It is generally considered that the golden years of northern soul were 1972 - 1975. Therefore the records we danced to were not much more than 7 to 10 years old. Is Northern Soul the new rock & roll?

All you collectors out there will be peddling soulful house in the year 2035 - the new Northern Soul!!!!

link

As a loyal West Brom supporter, this causes me much pain to say, but witness a Wolves fan talking great sense!

Absolutely agree 100%. Been spouting the self same view to anyone who'll listen for the past five years at least. Soulful house could well be the new Northern Soul. Obviously not for our generation, but quite possibly the next.

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The stuff played in most clubs in Sheffield is the stuff played in the charts, cheesy commercial crap. 'Soulful House' or whatever you want to call it, is to an extent 'underground' in the way that Northern was. You've got to know where to go and which DJ's to look out for to hear the 'Real Deal' - Sound familiar??

link

Fully agree with you there, most stuff in most clubs in Sheffield is cheesy crap. Believe it or not though we do have some half decent clubs playing stuff of this type...it is a much more club orientated city than a 'soul city', therefore this gives more choice of sounds. Try getting yourself down to Niche one weekend (if its open again!)...it keeps getting closed down every time the new manager gets stabbed or punter gets shot!

WOOF!

Edited by pikeys dog
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End of the day it's house music…so it has 'soulful' vocals, so a lot have 'real instruments', but most still have that house beat, and still have those House arrangements. They were made as House records, not as anything else, in the same way, for instance, that 'Northern Soul' records were never originally made as 'Northern Soul' records, but just soul records or R&B records or whatever. By anyone else's definition and when stripped of the 'aura' of being played in the Modern room at a Northern do for example (and thus allegedly becoming something other than house music; 'Modern Soul' if you like) it’s just plain old house music, full stop. ‘Soulful’ maybe, yes, but House music…always.

Beats me why folk who wind up in these rooms don't just seek out do's where they can hear the same records but played at clubs advertised as 'House' nights. Actually, I know the reason for this and it partly lies in the mystique of believing that it's not actually house music but 'progressive modern soul', with all the self-congratulatory feeling of ‘pushing boundaries’ that goes along with that. It’s also the accompanying warm feeling of satisfaction in the belief that they're part of something better than what is actually probably better by a long shot.  And it’s also about the freedom to be able to operate in an environment of ‘music fans’ as opposed to mixing with civilians: basically it’s largely about enjoying house music in a traditionally non-house music environment but under (sometimes and certainly in my recent experience) the banner of ‘Modern Soul’, as if to somehow validate it’s inclusion in the Northern Soul scheme of things and to avoid the obvious connotations that the word ‘House’ would bring if printed on a flyer also bearing the term ‘Northern Soul’.

Think about it. Your average MAW 12" will be pressed in the thousands and distributed the world over. There are thousands of DJs playing the stuff (the same records in many cases) as nothing other than nice, anti-Judge Jules type house music. It's House music...albeit, better house music than your average chart stuff, but if a 'Modern room' at a do is going to feature hours of this stuff, it should be advertised as such...as a 'Soulful Dance' room, or a House room, or even a Soulful House room. Wasn't the Southport Soul Weekender re-named after they realised it had actually become a House and R&B event? Isn't it now called the Southport Dance Weekender? The important word missing there would be 'Soul' (?)

What is baffling is when you get a room full of people 'dancing' to a house set in the Modern Room of Northern do, only for the same people f*** off back downstairs to the Northern room once someone starts playing a 70's set. You have to sit back and wonder at the oddity of it. It just smacks of falsity, a desire to either be seen to be at the 'cutting edge' of a sub section of a larger ‘scene’ or safely padded in the cotton wool of memories. It also smacks of limited knowledge and a fear of the unknown, in places.

You're right, you could go to any bar and hear your Judge Jules type sound bouncing around the fuschia tinted walls and have glow sticks shoved in your face all night...you could also go somewhere where the DJs can actually put a set of Soulful House records together with some kind of direction, skill and structure, devoid of the often shambolic nature of a 'Northern Soul-esq' type presentation, with it's emphasis on presenting each record as a single entity, rather than using the whole to build up some kind of flowing, 'progressive' movement.

Having worked in a store for 5 years that took in approx 10 new releases of this type each week, there's a handful (for me personally) that actually sound, not like House records, but modern day dancefloor soul cuts in a way that brings back the inventive arranging skills of the old stuff: Groove Collective's - Everything Is Changing, MAW/James Ingram - Lean On Me (still sounds amazing) Ledisi - Good Lovin, Underground Network - Love Is The Answer, SPJE - Sugar Baby Darling (still a bit banging but got enough about it to take it out of the ordinary) to name but the few. Probably just get grumbled at for listing 'oldies' and obvious stuff. Like someone said earlier, you have to wade through tons to hear one that stands out from the rest...and for me, it was stuff that didn't sound like House music that stood out from the rest, even if it was originally made as ‘House’ music. I haven't touched the stuff for a few years (and might have missed some truly high calibre, distinct stuff) principally because I got bored of essentially hearing the same record over and over, using the same formula over and over. If last week was anything to go by, they still do.

Personally disagree with the consensus on the Negro mix of ‘Sugar’. Housed up for mass appeal. Simple as that. The original’s perfect in it’s own right. But it's each to his own on these things, of course.

I suppose, looking back, this is actually more a critique of the convenient ‘redefinition’ of a certain strain of House music - to fit with a scene’s expectations and ambitions - than about Soulful House per se. For me, it all gets a bit predictable, in the main. Just my opinion, since the question was asked.

link

Bloody norah - this has to be the most bigoted, odious and self righteous post I've come across on this forum and I've been on here a little while now and seen a few that turn my stomach! wink.gif For god's sake get a life. Have you heard yourself?? Who the hell are you to claim that everybody who dances to this stuff in rooms at soul do's has a "self congratulatory feeling of pushing boundaries" or in any way feels superior to other soulies - what a load of totally innaccurate narrow minded turd that is. Has it occurred to your Highness (for if anyone is coming across loud and clear as being superior to these mere mortals it is HRH The Dictator of Musical Terms) that these may be normal soulies that happen to like this music because it is just that - soulful???? Yes, oridinary soulies who may be partial to it. Like me.

People will vote with their feet. If they do not like the music, whatever you want to call it, then they will not attend these rooms and the rooms won't last very long - if there is demand then unless I'm mistaken this is a free democratic society and people will attend. And your ridiculous comment that all people who attend these rooms and then go back into the northern room "smack of falsity" and "smack of limited knowledge and a fear of the unknown" is just laughable. Listen to yourself. If you don't like this genre then don't attend the rooms - don't try and stop other people enjoying themselves because it doesn't float your boat or in any way try and rubbish soulies who may want to try it, by you claiming it would somehow "taint" their soul credibility - as I say, let the people themselves decide.

And for the record before you try and claim I'm a "dance/house" peddler, I'm first and foremost a 60s buff that also listens and plays crossover/70s and does appreciate good soulful house. I co-promote Soulsville in Leeds (with Jamie - "Soulsville" on here) and we've now got Pat Brady and John Parker as fellow residents who asked to join us, so we have to be doing something right. We don't have a "modern" room in the venue and soulful house is not played at our night as we're not massively into it. But I totally resent your bigoted thread trying to tell people what they should and shouldn't do at do's and trying to claim anyone who dances to soulful house at soul do's lacks knowledge, or feels in any way superior to the next soulie. I don't seek out Y2K nights or do's where these rooms are as I love my 60s northern, but I find your repugnant post totally nauseating. I don't know how old you are but I bet you'd have similarly labelled the newies or 70s stuff as elitist when that stuff was breaking. Christ help us if people aren't allowed to try new things. Good luck to promoters who do have the balls to do this. It's a big wide world we live in and you don't have to attend these rooms if you feel so paranoid and hostile to them. Get back in your ark and stop dictating and stereotyping other normal out and out soulies who may be partial to this form of soul music. :thumbsup:

Rich

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Bloody norah - this has to be the most bigoted, odious and self righteous post I've come across on this forum and I've been on here a little while now and seen a few that turn my stomach!  wink.gif   For god's sake get a life. Have you heard yourself?? Who the hell are you to claim that everybody who dances to this stuff in rooms at soul do's has a "self congratulatory feeling of pushing boundaries" or in any way feels superior to other soulies - what a load of totally innaccurate narrow minded turd that is. Has it occurred to your Highness (for if anyone is coming across loud and clear as being superior to these mere mortals it is HRH The Dictator of Musical Terms) that these may be normal soulies that happen to like this music because it is just that - soulful???? Yes, oridinary soulies who may be partial to it. Like me.

People will vote with their feet. If they do not like the music, whatever you want to call it, then they will not attend these rooms and the rooms won't last very long - if there is demand then unless I'm mistaken this is a free democratic society and people will attend. And your ridiculous comment that all people who attend these rooms and then go back into the northern room "smack of falsity" and "smack of limited knowledge and a fear of the unknown" is just laughable. Listen to yourself. If you don't like this genre then don't attend the rooms - don't try and stop other people enjoying themselves because it doesn't float your boat or in any way try and rubbish soulies who may want to try it, by you claiming it would somehow "taint" their soul credibility - as I say, let the people themselves decide.

And for the record before you try and claim I'm a "dance/house" peddler, I'm first and foremost a 60s buff that also listens and plays crossover/70s and does appreciate good soulful house. I co-promote Soulsville in Leeds (with Jamie - "Soulsville" on here) and we've now got Pat Brady and John Parker as fellow residents who asked to join us, so we have to be doing something right. We don't have a "modern" room in the venue and soulful house is not played at our night as we're not massively into it. But I totally resent your bigoted thread trying to tell people what they should and shouldn't do at do's and trying to claim anyone who dances to soulful house at soul do's lacks knowledge, or feels in any way superior to the next soulie. I don't seek out Y2K nights or do's where these rooms are as I love my 60s northern, but I find your repugnant post totally nauseating. I don't know how old you are but I bet you'd have similarly labelled the newies or 70s stuff as elitist when that stuff was breaking. Christ help us if people aren't allowed to try new things. Good luck to promoters who do have the balls to do this. It's a big wide world we live in and you don't have to attend these rooms if you feel so paranoid and hostile to them. Get back in your ark and stop dictating and stereotyping other normal out and out soulies who may be partial to this form of soul music.  :thumbsup:

Rich

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I have been trying all day to get time to answer Koogas post as my blood boiled more each time I read it, thankfully Rich has saved me time as he has stated much of my thoughts perfectly, only thing thats sad is if I am right Kooga is not one of old school, he doesnt even have that excuse.

It is an unbelievable genrefied arrogant disrespectful post from a disrespecftul southern twat, timing of this post is even more bizarre as one of the newest members, Barry May, along with others like Robin Salter introduced many of us to this genre of soul music, in late 80's in a modern room of a predominately oldies all nighter (Bradford) and I thank Barry eternally for that. Yes it also introduced me to House on a wider scale, but would argue that much of that,(the non cheesy stuff) is relevant to the wider black music scene in as much as jazz has been.

I am assuming when this was happening you were still contemplating your deep funk sheep path, obviously this was before your now status of soul sainthood.

This post reminds me why I left the soul scene in early nineties and went to house clubs, it also makes me wonder why the f**k I am even thinking of getting involved again.

Yours resignedly

Non Soul Jock

PS The new Frankie Knuckles LP has a great soul track on it, should I write to him to make sure he never does this again!!

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Bloody norah - this has to be the most bigoted, odious and self righteous post I've come across on this forum and I've been on here a little while now and seen a few that turn my stomach!  :lol:   For god's sake get a life. Have you heard yourself?? Who the hell are you to claim that everybody who dances to this stuff in rooms at soul do's has a "self congratulatory feeling of pushing boundaries" or in any way feels superior to other soulies - what a load of totally innaccurate narrow minded turd that is. Has it occurred to your Highness (for if anyone is coming across loud and clear as being superior to these mere mortals it is HRH The Dictator of Musical Terms) that these may be normal soulies that happen to like this music because it is just that - soulful???? Yes, oridinary soulies who may be partial to it. Like me.

People will vote with their feet. If they do not like the music, whatever you want to call it, then they will not attend these rooms and the rooms won't last very long - if there is demand then unless I'm mistaken this is a free democratic society and people will attend. And your ridiculous comment that all people who attend these rooms and then go back into the northern room "smack of falsity" and "smack of limited knowledge and a fear of the unknown" is just laughable. Listen to yourself. If you don't like this genre then don't attend the rooms - don't try and stop other people enjoying themselves because it doesn't float your boat or in any way try and rubbish soulies who may want to try it, by you claiming it would somehow "taint" their soul credibility - as I say, let the people themselves decide.

And for the record before you try and claim I'm a "dance/house" peddler, I'm first and foremost a 60s buff that also listens and plays crossover/70s and does appreciate good soulful house. I co-promote Soulsville in Leeds (with Jamie - "Soulsville" on here) and we've now got Pat Brady and John Parker as fellow residents who asked to join us, so we have to be doing something right. We don't have a "modern" room in the venue and soulful house is not played at our night as we're not massively into it. But I totally resent your bigoted thread trying to tell people what they should and shouldn't do at do's and trying to claim anyone who dances to soulful house at soul do's lacks knowledge, or feels in any way superior to the next soulie. I don't seek out Y2K nights or do's where these rooms are as I love my 60s northern, but I find your repugnant post totally nauseating. I don't know how old you are but I bet you'd have similarly labelled the newies or 70s stuff as elitist when that stuff was breaking. Christ help us if people aren't allowed to try new things. Good luck to promoters who do have the balls to do this. It's a big wide world we live in and you don't have to attend these rooms if you feel so paranoid and hostile to them. Get back in your ark and stop dictating and stereotyping other normal out and out soulies who may be partial to this form of soul music.  :lol:

Rich

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Well said that man :lol:

Personally, I like the Northern 60's and 70's stuff. Was into the 80's newies aat the time, remembering well how the dance floor cleared at the 100 club, with Keb's early 80's newie spots.

90's and into the 2000's has brought to us the soulful house, and long may it continue.

Sad part about this thread, is the fact that the Northern, "if it ain't sixties, it just ain't soul" is still alive and well.

As soulies, we need to be pulling together, not putting the blinkers on :lol:

We need more nights of Northern, modern soul and soulful house - same room, same dancefloor and this great sence of ours just might move forward another 30 years. :shades:

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I grew up on 'soulful' house and disco not much else being played in NYC clubs but now I'm already selling up the few thousand 12" I have with no regret whatsoever. Someone else mentioned there's just too much good soul music out there, house music's a waste of time and it's impossible to find it soulful after getting into real soul music.

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