In a new Pub enjoying a Pint nattering to her in doors when low and behold mixed into the piped background music came out the Valentines "Breakaway".

Mixed in between other MOR fodder Abba, George Benson etc i thought this was the programmer digging a bit too deep! Ok Jackie Wilson, Erma Franklin but Valentines? a wonderful tune in its own right, but certainly obscure!!

Set me thinking of other instances i could recall of Obscure Northern in places where you wouldnt least expect.

So here's two more to get you started.

Valentino's "Sweeter than the day before" in a "Shells" Brandenton, Florida. (OK a minor USA hit in the 60's but.....)

Terry Callier "Look at me Now" on a Cruise ship in Bahamas.

I think there's a topic already open with exactly the same title and subject!

I was in Thai Restaurant a couple of months ago

and heard Tyrone Barkley : Man of Value

Asked them who"s was the tape,CD etc, couldn"t understand a word I was saying, just grinned and nodded there heads !

Fook all new there then

I was in Thai Restaurant a couple of months ago

and heard Tyrone Barkley : Man of Value

Asked them who"s was the tape,CD etc, couldn"t understand a word I was saying, just grinned and nodded there heads !

Fook all new there then

superb taste! (ptp) Obviously run by old Clifton Hall regulars, were they CHEWING and nodding

in about 1979 in the old romania, at a beach hut type bar on the juke box was "and get away" by the esquires

on a free cd from an indie music magazine mojo ? inbetween depressing guitar led things appears mary love you turned my bitter into sweet

when very pissed etc went to a bikers hells angel type party at a barn in duffield near derby about 25 years ago, after a while i noticed that the music being played had gone from rock stuff unknown to my ears to roscoe robinson, soul sisters, homer banks, i then went round all the people at the party asking who was into soul, cant remember though if i got a reply

At my daughters wedding this afternoon -----but she don't know that yet . I have 'crossed the DJ's palm with silver' and he has promised to throw a couple in

however i shall retreive said silver back if he plays Frank and Al (wilson bros)

A 5star hotel called the Flamingo in Sardinia, one night during evening dinner the piped music went from Vivaldi to The Ojays Lipstick Traces..

Sat in a backstreet pub in Scarborough about 2 years ago on a dull Sunday afternoon (you know the one -the Sunday when everybody looks like they're regrettin' the excesses of Saturday night!)

Anyway El Jukebox decides to lob out it's random play................................Whoa Williams & Watson Too Late!!!

Move them chairs quick - woke the place up a bit & the locals found a new dance style to practice!!!

Paul

After the support act played at libertines gig in Birmingham last night Bobby Kline “say something nice to me” played….

and a few other more well known soul tunes.

 

the libertines were also fantastic great gig all round.

Took my missus to Gleneagles for our 40th wedding anniversary. Sat in the bar at night and Eula Cooper blasted out. We both looked at each other thinking we had been set up. But no, just a suprise random play.

In the late 90s I was in Toys’R’Us in Romford and Linda Griner ‘Goodbye Cruel Love’ came on via the store tannoy!!!! There was a young girl up a ladder stocking the shelves singing away! I had to ask her and she said one of the store managers was a soul fan and made up tapes from them to play in store. I heard a Bobby Womack song later in too.  

Tacky max in Leeds recently playing Anne Sexton-You've been gone too long.

I think all the great music that lands on mass 'Northern' soul re issue LP's is very common place now. It's the lesser things that surprises me, I heard 'Rokk - Patience' the other week, and thought how the hell have they got hold of that?  and of course it's these SYNC license deals from labels like Numero et al.  

Always strikes me when you hear something really good in your local shop, you think, bloody heathens, these shoppers have no idea how lucky they are to get 'Rokk - Patience' on a trip to Sainsburys...

Should give em all 'Rat Race' get em moving and buying more! lol

Two Marston Pubs in Corby Northamptonshire have The Dynamics Yes I Love You Baby on their loop 

Morrisons cafe, Weymouth was playing Bobby Hebb Love, Love, Love a month or so ago.

On 09/10/2024 at 11:17, Monny1916 said:

Two Marston Pubs in Corby Northamptonshire have The Dynamics Yes I Love You Baby on their loop 

The Two Watermills in Newbury(MARSTONS)also plays The Dynamics on their loop,along with The Spinners Sweet Thing,and plenty others,including Gordon Lightfoots' version of I Can't Make It Anymore ....

Years ago I was in Marks and Spencers clothing dept and "Thank You Baby" - Matt Brown came on!

I think it's a fantastic record, and a favorite from the old Shotts Allanton allnighters up in Scotland, but it was very surreal to hear it there!

None of the normal customers took the slightest bit of notice, they just carried on browsing the tee shirts!

 

Edited December 22, 2024Dec 22 by Solidsoul

Ive also heard The Salvadors in Co-op Wareham and one Saturday afternoon around 5 years ago I walked past a Thai restaurant in Ringwood and almost broke into a dance to Tobi Legend!

 

Matt Brown is a 'modern' to y ears but a great choon

I have just moved offices at work. Each morning, I now get coffee at a new cafe. I was sitting in reading the paper when my ears pricked up. On came the pleading tones of Otis Redding - "Try  a little tenderness". OK, its not "Northern", but its also not the sort of tune you expect to hear at 08.30 in Finchley Central. The cafe owner is a nice chap so I explained I bought the Album (Dictionary of soul)  in 1967 and had never previously heard it played anywhere. The response was "Dunno mate, this is Amazon Music". Perhaps I tend to overthink things!

Hump

It is rumoured than someone once heard a northern record in my kitchen.

Peter

Major Lance in a brothel in Manila, the Philippines 😮

30 minutes ago, Chris L said:

Major Lance in a brothel in Manila, the Philippines 😮

I assume it was his first release on the quite appropriate Mercury label  ,  "I've Got A Girl / (Sy)Phyllis" ... 

Edited December 27, 2024Dec 27 by Woodbutcher

On 23/12/2024 at 18:09, Peter99 said:

It is rumoured than someone once heard a northern record in my kitchen.

Yea, but someone told me it was coming from your Microwave Oven 🤣

Around 15+ years ago I ended up on a weekend mooch up in the Lake District. In a moment of madness I felt like I might need to fit in, So I took up walking nothing major just from pub to pub to pub. I ended up walking in to a very sleepy boozer STICK TO THE ROAD BEWARE OF THE MOON KIND OF VIBE. If you know what I mean. When In the corner was a juke box so I wondered over. As I was flicking the slides over with all the usual stuff on ie  Rod Stuwart, meatloaf, ub40, I came across a slide with various on it and it was just that various radio dribble, Apart from one track sat amongst the dribble and that record was

Bobby Samson

Don’t leave 

1 pound = 5 credits YES PLEASE 🫵

I was attending a weekend festival know as 'Strummer Camp'

24 May - 26 May 2019

Oldham Rugby Union Club, Byrth Road, Oldham

..."Each year some friends of the late Joe Strummer best known for being in band  'The Clash' organise a weekend festival in his honour known as 'StrummerCamp'.                                                                                        On the Friday late afternoon/early evening the DJ played Approx 2-3hours of 'Classic Northern'(definitely vinyl 45's) i e The Velours ' I'm Gonna Change', Bobby Paris 'Night Owl', Jackie Wilson 'The Sweetest Feeling' to name a few. Nothing ultra rare or anything like that . I would may be suppose what would come under the umbrella term the 'Top 500'. It was great hearing those tunes in such an unexpected in environment , I would have thought it would have been more of a classic Punk Vibe.

4 minutes ago, NSDancer said:

I was attending a weekend festival know as 'Strummer Camp'

24 May - 26 May 2019

Oldham Rugby Union Club, Byrth Road, Oldham

..."Each year some friends of the late Joe Strummer best known for being in band  'The Clash' organise a weekend festival in his honour known as 'StrummerCamp'.                                                                                        On the Friday late afternoon/early evening the DJ played Approx 2-3hours of 'Classic Northern'(definitely vinyl 45's) i e The Velours ' I'm Gonna Change', Bobby Paris 'Night Owl', Jackie Wilson 'The Sweetest Feeling' to name a few. Nothing ultra rare or anything like that . I would may be suppose what would come under the umbrella term the 'Top 500'. It was great hearing those tunes in such an unexpected in environment , I would have thought it would have been more of a classic Punk Vibe.

Strange there wasn't a Clash!

I'll get me coat.

Peter

38 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

Strange there wasn't a Clash!

I'll get me coat.

Peter

Nice one Pete !!! your reply made me think of some of the lyrics of the Classic Gene Chandler tune  'Nothing Can Stop me '  "..get my hat I'm checking out..." =0)

A few years ago a newly qualified teacher in year 5 used to play out northern during the class morning work. His parents influenced his liking for it and I loved being his teaching assistant 😀 as a great start to the day.

Very early one morning about ten years ago, Mrs Sims and I were in Starbucks at Stansted Airport waiting for a flight. When to my surprise I hear Mel Britt - She’ll come running back.

Around the same timeframe, we were having a meal at a little pub called the Hand & Crown in a small village (High Wych). All was well enjoying the ambiance etc, when on comes the Cashmeres - Don’t let the door hit your back! 😮 

Was in a Mexican restaurant about 12 years ago in Austin TX having a beer break while at the record show & Mel Williams - Can It Be Me came on. Rest of the time it was Tex Mex stuff playing.

last week at the Priory Hotel in Bath...Fortune teller - Benny Spellman plus a load of classic Soul & jazz in the background, great playlist over the weekend.   

Not Northern but just an unexpected soul classic:

Locker room at the local gym. Background music usually horrible euro trashy house music. Suddenly, without a warning: It's alright - The Impressions. Followed again by horrible euro trashy house music.

14 minutes ago, Benji said:

Not Northern but just an unexpected soul classic:

Locker room at the local gym. Background music usually horrible euro trashy house music. Suddenly, without a warning: It's alright - The Impressions. Followed again by horrible euro trashy house music.

You will go to the gym Benji! 🤣

Tk max Denton quite a bit of rare groove and funk . 

Yeah I know it's not Northern but great soul nonetheless 😁 

Edited January 29Jan 29 by Mark S

Working at Gulfstream Aerospace, Savannah Georgia 2002 and attending the annual family appreciation day. Usually, the surprise for the day is a mini fun fair, circus or petting zoo, for some reason we must have had a new organizer that year because instead of the usual crap, these guys showed up, talk about soul in the strangest place.

 

 

Wow! they are good

Morrisons in Corby, Chuck Wood 

Every Friday night while i'm playing poker in my local casino there is northern playing in the poker room

Is there a strange place these days?  What with Soul music lovers working in just about every industry and profession?

28 minutes ago, Chalky said:

Is there a strange place these days?  What with Soul music lovers working in just about every industry and profession?

Hi there, in reply to your question ,'Is there a strange place these days'. I would say yes there is a 'strange place' to hear Norther/Rare Soul as  a opposed to 'Soul' music. Just stating the obvious with Northern/Rare Soul being a bit more niche. 

2 hours ago, Nsdancer said:

Hi there, in reply to your question ,'Is there a strange place these days'. I would say yes there is a 'strange place' to hear Norther/Rare Soul as  a opposed to 'Soul' music. Just stating the obvious with Northern/Rare Soul being a bit more niche. 

Maybe I should have said Northern Soul as those who attend venues work in just about every conceivable occupation these days.  It is commonplace in advertisements and other promotions. 

The mill on sunbridge road bradford went to a techno night there, Mainly to hear Ben sims ,anyway after his set went to the top floor where there was a chillout space no sonner had we set foot in there , On comes curtiss Blandon , in the long run!

Laura Greene , Marston's pub in Great Oakley as I type 

not northern but a bit apt at the time Old Street tube station 2002 on the way to putney soul brothers getting the tube and down in the tube station atmidnight the jam comes on we were due back at the hotel midnight we thought hilarious  

The brilliant comedy series new to Sky Max , previously shown on HBO , " Hacks " about a female stand up comedian based in Las Vegas , Series 1, episode 1 a few bars & then in episode 2 , a much longer portion of I'm sure , Popcorn Wylie " Going To A Happening" , long way from Detroit but great to hear .

Had a few days off this week , not feeling great , so binge watching & feet up , very funny 😂 so far .

Going back a few years in Swensens Taichung, Angie Stone - Wish I Didn't Miss You

 

Very random reel on FB just now ... 

 

 

 

 

According to Pat Nevin Northern soul played at half time in the Allianz Arena.

Bayern v Celtic....seems hes a fan!

 

23 minutes ago, Tobytyke said:

According to Pat Nevin Northern soul played at half time in the Allianz Arena.

Bayern v Celtic....seems hes a fan!

 

He is a music nut Djs

https://longlivevinyl.net/2017/06/01/at-home-with-pat-nevin/