Solidsoul

There are Northern Soul titled CD's, LP's, Auctions, Sales lists, Books written about it, events promoting it for about 50 years, this site we are on and other web sites. A fanatical fan base, it's known all around the world, etc. What more can it do to be known as a genre?!

Genres like Rock and Roll and Country & Western are not pure music forms! They are made up of many different fragments of regional styles and types of music! They are made up of many different genres of music, just like you describe Northern Soul to be. If they can be respected music genres, when they are made up like Northern Soul of different styles, why can't Northern Soul be respected genre as well? And as I mentioned earlier, the dictionary describes a genre as "a style or category of art, music or literature". Northern Soul fits both of those requirements.

This is the dictionary meaning of genre, Genre/ ˈʒɒ̃rə,ˈ(d)ʒɒnrə/ Learn to pronounce noun 1. a style or category of art, music, or literature. "the spy thriller is a very masculine genre". Northern Soul is certainly a style and category of music!

Why can Country&Western be a genre and Northern Soul can't? When I look at a record list titled Northern Soul, even if I don't know the records, I know by the name what kind of music it will be. That's a genre to me! The mainstream music business will not recognise Northern Soul as a genre, because people on the outside never have and never will understand it!

I agree that black or white should not be differentiated against each other. It's more to do with 1960's USA culture than the colour of the writers, arrangers, producers and singers! Now Northern Soul is as much a genre of music as Rock&Roll, Country & Western, Reggae and Folk etc. These types of categories define a style of music and Northern Soul is a style of music, as well as a scene and a fraternity!

Nice find! The vinyl Nashville matrix stamped copies are originals.

That's very good and interesting, but Northern Soul had/has people from all walks of life, not only working class. I know Doctors, Accountants, Teachers, Bank Managers etc that have been a very keen part of the Northern Soul fraternity.

Someone told me there are two Walter Scotts. The Ivanhoe label "Brand New Girl" Walter Scott is a supposed different artist to the one mentioned in this post.

Yes that's true, but a lot of expensive records in recent times used to be common. I think most of Darrow Fletchers sides on Groovy and Jacklyn are well worth having. I like some of his 70's tunes as well.

I remember it from tapes in the mid 80's. Excellent record but I can't remember it played out. It has been a collectors record for many a year! I can't go through all my old Shades Of Soul mags, but think it could have had a write up and picture in one of the editions?

It is an easy way to pay for something that does not cost the buyer or seller anything. The problem I can see is, if you are not happy with what you have bought, you can't get your money back. Unless your bank will step in! Hope this helps, or have I missed something here?

I was at Southport today. There are a few shops down in Cambridge Walk under The Atkinson museum that sell records. It might interest someone to know there are 6 record boxes that hold 50 records with really top condition 60's pop records. They are all in factory paper sleeves that are in top condition. No soul records, just easy to get early 60's pop on London, Philips, Mercury, RCA, Columbia, HMV, WB, etc. £5 for 3. The thing is the great condition. Somebody's collection who bought them and looks like never played them. When I see things like this, and even though there are no rarities or soul, its a shame to think they are going to get trashed by people just looking through them! P.S. Not the shop with loads of singles for 50p, they are just a load of rubble!

It was amazing when Richard Searling first played it in Wigan Casino! "I Don't Like To Lose" - Joe Matthews. (Cover Up) Instant No1 monster sound!

Back in the 1970's you could send away for most of the monster tracks of the time, and they would come back cut onto a EMI disc. These were metal discs covered in plastic with a plain white label and emi-disc printed across the top. Are these acetates? I had a one back then with 3 tracks on each side. I'll Always Need You - Len Barry(Alt version). Send Him Back - Pointer Sisters. Wash & Wear Love - Lynn Vernado. Fickled Finger Of Fate - Bernard Purdie. You Don't Know Where etc - Dana Valery. The Stride - The Strides.

It's gonna be a bun fight whoever is selling it! I can't see it ever selling for less than four figures these days. People have been chasing it for many a year!

I'd thought about selling my Wilson Pickett - "Let Me Be Your Boy" till I played it! It was many years since I'd played it and was really pleased with how good it is! It's not going anywhere now, it's safely back into the collection.

I like Jimmy and the Entertainers and remember when Pat Brady was playing it way back, maybe Stafford T.O.T.W.? The thing is, the Accents version seems just as good a record to me. The only bizarre Northern Soul thing holding back the Accents is, it's not rare and is easily available!

Sad news about a great artist. She wrote the great Northern Soul favourite for Patti Labelle, "Loving Rules" on Atlantic records. She also worked with the Rolling Stones, among others.

I disagree. Once Wigan finished in 1981 a mass of people left the Northern scene. It was left to the dedicated and hardcore Northern soul people to carry on with allnighters in a semi secret underground subculture for nearly 20 years, all through the 80's and 90's. Then came the internet and all those people that had left, realised it was all still going on and they all came back in droves. Also a lot of newcomers became aware of the scene through the internet and wanted to come and be dj's and put on soul nights in the spare room of there local pub to do it. The internet caused it to be all commercialised again!

Also those idiots who walk and try and dance around the middle of the dance floor, carrying a pint of beer or bottles. Divvies. There all ways seems a lack of bouncers at a lot of Northern events. We don't expect a lot of trouble, but sometimes get it when tourists visit!

These are some of The Torch favourites. Late 1972 into 1973. Evergreen classic Northern Soul.

In the mid 80's and Delegates Of Soul was one of the monster sounds played at Tony's Empress Hall allnighters when Guy Hennigan ran it under the Soultown banner. I think it was Butch who was playing it. I then phoned up Soul Bowl and got a mint copy as John Anderson had several copies. The labels had no water damage. It has now joined the band of classics that just seem to be going up everytime they are listed.

Just been playing a few of my Kent singles. I've posted this just in case it's one you've missed. Both sides were unreleased in the 60's, when they were recorded. "My Life Is No Better" Dynamics - Kent Select City 038. This one is getting a few plays at the moment. I bought it for this side as it's a great male group Northern Soul sound. This you'll already know if you have heard it, but if it's one that's slipped you by, it's well worth a listen! Still easily available for around £10 at the moment. The flip is by Kenny Carter - "You Better Get Hip Girl" which is an excellent big city beat ballard. P.S. Jaibi also does an excellent version of "My Life Is No Better" on a Kent anniversary single 6t 25, but that one is hard to locate as it had a limited release.

Ronnie McCain used to be on sales tapes in the 80's and listed often for £10. I never got round to buying it, even though I did like it as a nice filler.

I believe this was because of the sound quality? I think it's a great tune, but to pay that kind of money for a record that is a modern press of a 60's unreleased track is silly to me!