Jem Britttin

Have to politely disagree with a lot of that, music is music! Beats, rhythms, chord structures etc. haven't really changed much in 60 years! The way it is presented may have with the advent of electronica. Listen to any stuff recorded by current artists like Ed Sheeran (not that many people on here will going by some of the replies) and nothing much has changed at all...whether people think he is a 'ginger prick' or not is irrelevant he sells millions to people all over the world...I quite like some of his stuff

Sorry if this is confusing it's not meant to be. I am just asking people to think 'out of the box' for a moment! Ok for instance... George Gershwin wrote 'Summertime' in 1933 it was actually for a play called Porgy & Bess. However it went on to be covered by countless artists over the years and still is today even 'Billy Stewart' did a 'pepped up version' in the 60s, point being it is classed as an 'iconic' song now..Whether people like it or not is irrelevant..I am not asking for opinions on that. Let's take the example I opened with 'Linda Jones - I Just Can't Live My Life' When George Kerr penned it, do people honestly think he wrote it with us in mind? A bunch of a few thousand people predominately in the UK that might share a few hundred second hand copies of it around, with other like minded people at some point hopefully? Answer most definitely is NO! Like all songwriters he was hoping for great things for it, whether Linda Jones or anyone else for that matter recorded it. In my opinion this song had the qualities to do what the authors, performers and record publishers (Warner Brothers) hoped for.. major success. I don't know why it didn't achieve it and I am sure they were all disappointed as well. So let's reset the thread and ask if you have any similar nominee's ? forget who may have recorded it then or now or whether you personally like it, that is irrelevant..I personally don't like 'Hey Jude' by the Beatles but it doesn't detract from the fact that it is an iconic tune

Not sure whether this has been done before or in this way? I know most of us view the records from a totally different perspective as they fall into our Northern Soul world. However most of the records that were cut by artists were an attempt to gain chart or commercial success, they certainly would never have envisaged them being classed in the future as a Northern Soul record. We often say about some records "can't understand why this never got anywhere" and whilst it is true some of that was down to poor promotion or not getting picked up on radio for airplay. It is also true that some were probably deemed as not very good! We embrace them all and have formed our own opinions. As we are now all older (well most off us) and obviously music lovers: I thought it would be interesting to take an objective and honest view. Some records are classed as iconic by artists like The Beatles for instance, not my cup of tea but I can appreciate why, great arrangements lyrics etc. My question is: given better exposure what records that we class as Northern Soul would you nominate to have gone on to gain wider acclaim or respect and why? I will start the ball rolling: Linda Jones 'I just can't live my life' fantastic musical arrangement, haunting vocals superb lyrics. If Adele was to slow it down to a ballad today and release it. I bet it would sell! over to you!