Northern Soul Uk

Yes I got a 'Spellbinders' on UK CBS for 49p from a charity shop in Leeds. JM valued it at £50.

Would it be on the 'Probe' label then as that is what the album is on?

The one I have bought is on 'Motown Natural Resources Records', is that what you mean?

Just skipping through my Soul albums and came across this one that i haven't listened to for years. There are 2 tracks that stand out apart from the quite well known 'I only get this feeling', and they are 'Just a little tear' and 'I can't break away' 'Just a little tear' is an excellent Northern track, and 'I can't break away' is a little more funky, but still excellent. I also pulled out the 'Miracles' album 'City of angels', In my opinion one of the best albums ever made, so much feeling in the tunes, and the first track on the album 'Oveture' is out of this world and I'm sure it was played at the Mecca? Let me know if you have heard any of these tracks. Thanks

And there always will be. After all the 60s and 70s were the pinnacle of the UK music scene, even though a great percentage of the music played was American

Is one of them 'More drink'?

Just bought this for £2.50 on EBay, well chuffed and an absolute bargain. Brand new and still shrink wrapped too. Vinyl BTW, not CD.

Fully agree with you there Nev, There is nothing wrong with a good mixture of up and down tempo record throughout a night, it makes it all the more interesting. I also feel that a good Dj can educate a crowd by playing the odd newie here and there. It is a very delicate balancing act to keep the floor full all night and Djs that are worth their salt should be able to do it without even thinking, just watch the crowd, just by looking at them they will let you know weather you're doing a good job or not. Respect Steve

Thanks for that Ian, I knew you played it but wasn't sure where, just got a copy of both for a snip of a price. Well chuffed!!! Top tunes.

Hiya folks. I've searched the net for hours and can't find any evidence that this record came out on a 7" single. Does anyone know any better? or was it just an album track? 'The Spinners - What more could a boy ask for'

Thanks very much for your answers, I thought the Mecca, but there were so many top tunes played there that it's a bit wishy washy as to weather it was or not. Could have been Cleethorpes as I was there every week in those days. OK, what about ' Raw Soul - The Gig'? any ideas as to where that started out?

I don't recall saying anything about 'Commercial chart soul records'? and yes, of course there were new tunes slipped in inbetween classics in the pioneering days of the scene otherwise how would have the scene progressed at all? we'd still be listening to the same 200 records or so that were played when we first started going some 35 years ago for some of us. I remember at the Torch hearing stuff I had never heard before, that in time many gained classic status. I agree with you that a dj's job is to play amazing soulful tunes however rare or unknown the record is, that has always been the case and is the foremost factor in the progression of the scene. By there being so many posts and opinions in this thread, have shown that there is a division between old and new Northern. I didn't say that one style was any better than the other if you read my original post, I simply asked "why the division?' and my question has been more than answered. I also said that I had been to a few venues where most of the tunes being played I personally hadn't heard, and I put that down to me having a few years out of the scene. But by the same token, when classics were played the dancefloor filled up 90% more than when the unknowns were played, obviously you have to put that down to the fact that probably the crowd didn't know the record well enough to dance to it, or that they prefer to remain seated and nod their heads to the beat. Being a DJ for so many years, I have to put a full dancefloor down to the punters enjoying the music. If I'd have played to an empty floor for most of my djing career, I'd have been sacked off long ago, but fortunately I haven't, I always play to the floor, not myself and putting it simply, it works! I can also understand that you don't have to dance to enjoy a record, at my age I don't have much choice that to sit or stand and listen . Thank you all for your comments.

Yes I get your point, as someone said above, the industry hasn't done itself any favours. There must be a way to either slow it down or stopping it (downloading), closing down the download sites wouldn't help either, cos folks can upload onto private ftp's for people to download from. After condidering all of the above, maybe the three strikes and out policy is probably the best option, making people aware that ALL downloading is illegal, none of this 'first copy is legal' nonsense. The industry REALLY has to make a stand and very quickly, before it's completely out of control if it isn't already. Another idea would be for someone to come up with an encoded disc that stops copying, there are a few out there, but none have been too succesful, even then all you have to do is to copy it from a cd player onto a cd writer manually via cables. Where will it end?

Well, being in the music industry for so long and owning my own independant record shops for over 20 years, I can say that I saw this happening years ago. People don't realise what damage they are doing to the industry by downloading every tune that they want, usually free. can't they see that while they are getting the tunes for free, less and less money is going back into the industry and eventually, there will be no money to pay the artists, producers, pressing plants etc. The internet is slowly but surely killing the music industry. I think that the new policies that are being put into place, when people illegally downloading will be on a 'three strikes and out' policy and then their internet will be shut off, is a brilliant, but very hard to police idea. At least the first step has been taken. Where have the days gone when finding a tune that you have been after for ages is a real buzz, and the feeling the you get browsing through thousands of records in record shops, charity shops, car boot sales, when now you can just type in the record the you after and download it. Gone are the days of the DJs have a good name for the good records that he has collected and plays, now anyone and his dog can get a collection together good enough to play out within a matter of hours. The ONLY solution to the problem of downloading is to BAN BLANK CDs, Well! you cant copy a record on a pc without a blank cd can you?

Can I also add (and I may gain a few enemies for this but it needs to be said), that a Dj is paid to entertain the crowds, hence being a part of the 'Entertainment industry', they are paid to fill the dance floor or as near as dammit using his ability to please the punters. If a style of music isn't working the floor then it's the DJs job to change the syle to something that does work. I have been to so many venues that the Dj has his head down for most of his set not even looking up to see the reaction of the crowd, or playing to a couple of his mates to show off that he has a rare and underplayed tune that no one else has got, not taking any notice of the dance floor. This is not aimed at the Northern scene in general, but in all genres of the dance music scene. If DJs want to play records that only they and a few of his mates like, then he should do it at home, not at a place where he is getting paid to perform. The magic formula is to play most tunes that people know, and then slot one in now and again that they don't know, this is the simplest and most effective form of educating a crowd, eventually, the crowd will get to recognise the 'new' tune and probably dance to it, then the DJ knows that it works. Go on, iv'e got mi crash helmet on!!

Demos, Promo's, Test presses, pre releases, is the name for a small number of copies pressed up weeks or even months before the actual release of a record. These are sent out to listed DJs, Radio stations and record reviewers so that they can be tested in various medias i.e Radio, clubs or magazines. Some spurious companies use promos etc. to their own advantage by putting all released copies out as demos, because most people would rather have a demo than a released copy. So in essence Demo's etc. ARE done to test demand before or IF a record is released. When a demo, promo etc. is sent out, in most cases it would have a reaction report sheet with it for the reciever to fill in with their thoughts of the record, and send it back to the record company, so that they could judge demand or reaction with a view to either releasing the track or not depending on reactions recieved. The reason some demos have release dates on is because that is the intended release date. I have many promo records with release dates on, that never actually got released due to lack of good reactions or reviews.

Mine was 'The Spellbinders - Help me........' on UK CBS, for 49p in a charity shop in Leeds.

can anyone tell me where 'The Matta Baby - Do the pearl girl' was played in the 70s? Was it a Wigan sound or later at the Mecca? Thanks for any help.

On re-reading the question, the answer is no, not really, not at that time. I actually got the chance of jocking at a 'normal' club and they liked what i did, so it went on from there really. didn't start off doing House. it was 60s 70s Funk and Disco, moved over to House when it showed it's face.

Hi Nev and thanks for the post. No I have actually been a House DJ for 20 years, i started when it first hit the UK shores in 1988ish. I have over 12000 House records that range from the early Electro, jacking, Techno, Rave, House and Soulfull House. I also have hundreds of 60s & 70s Funk, Soul and Disco records as well as about a thousand Northern 7s and LPs. So I have done the rounds. I have Dj'd since the Northern Days without a break, so some 30 odd years, and have played with some of the biggest known House DJs in the world including Sasha, Carl Cox, Pete Tong, Roger Sanchez, David Morales etc. BUT there is NO music that hit's the spot like Northern Soul, this is why I have come back to it after all these years, it's in the blood as I am sure it is in yours, it's more than music, it's literally a life style and I love it as much as life itself, and that is the truth. Steve On re-reading the question, the answer is no, not really, not at that time. I actually got the chance of jocking at a 'normal' club and they liked what i did, so it went on from there really. didn't start off doing House. it was 60s 70s Funk and Disco, moved over to House when it showed it's face.

But some House IS played on the Northern scene, read the post above about Driza Bone, Kim English and Joi Cardwell, and also there has been a lot of Disco played on the scene too (again as mentioned above) i.e. Skip Mahoney, The Brothers, Carstairs etc. so how can you say that? And yes I do like the above track because it's uptempo AND soulfull, isn't that what Northern soul is then? I think that it has been proven in the past that Northern Soul doesn't have to be black music, and in many cases even soul music, so why draw the line at Soulfull House music? Especially when many of us have been dancing, playing and buying many records that aren't black or soul music for years that have made it on to the scene. I love the scene and always have, that's why i'm on this forum and have been into it for over 30 years, and providing that it never comes the point of Soul of some description not being played, I always will love it. I suppose as it has been said, "todays newies are tomorrows oldies". I didn't say that I didn't like the venue that played 'Rare and underplayed' tracks, I did!, the point of this post was to find out why there was such a division between oldies lovers, and newies lovers, when in the early days many people liked both frequenting both Wigan etc. and the Mecca etc and liking most tunes played at both. Well! that's how I remember it anyway.

Yes, the edited version is the same as the full version, but obviously shorter. The actual original 12" single on U.S Atlantic is worth about £100, rare as far as House tracks go. I have the UK Promo version, which has the accapella and the edited mix as well as the full version, valued at even more. CeCe Rogers also did a storming track called 'All join hands', also quite rare and an amazing record. he has one of the most soulful voices as far as house music is concerned and it wouldn't suprize me a t all if there wasn't a more northern style track by him out there somewhere. Good choice BTW. Steve

I'd like to add that nothing makes me feel and nothing can literally bring me to tears like the old Northern tunes. as it has been said, and I agree, it all comes down to where, when and who with etc. Take Tobi Legend - Time will pass you by for instance, I can't listen the tune without filling up, and I know the reason for that is where, when and who with. Saying that, there are a lot of tunes that were made in the 70's, 80s and even some in the 90s that are stunning tracks, as mentioned above some of the Disco orientated stuff and definately some of the soulful House can NEARLY have the desired effect. If you listen the track below you'll see what i mean, if the first drop doesn't make the hairs on the back of your head stand up, then you must be dead. This track is possibly the closest this to Northern that has been made by House producers as a House track. It's by 'Shaboom' and it's called 'Totally' The recording is not that brilliant cos my son's styli are knackered, but you'll get the gist. Shaboom - Totally As I say, I have been DJing House since it's introduction into the UK, I was literally the first ever person to play a House track in Leeds, so for me to have been into it for so long, thare has to be a lot of love there. Tracks like this one must stand a chance of making it onto the scene and possibly becoming classics of the future. It is good to see that many of you feel strongly about the points raised, I say, let's all strive to become one, whatever your definition of Northern soul is. Hope the link works BTW

Yes I agree, Skip Mahoney - Janice springs to mind, or 'The Brothers - Are you ready for this', there are hundreds of Disco tracks that have been accepted on the Northern scene, and the same goes for House tracks too i.e. Driza Bone - The pressure. Steve

I agree that this track (Joi Cardwell) is an excellent track, I have many of her records, she is a House music artist. There are also many other House tracks that have and could make it onto the Northern scene, after all, House is mainly the same tempo as Northern anyway 120-135ish bpm and much of it is very soulful. Take Driza Bone - Pressure, an out and out House track and produced by one of the foremost House producers, Roger Sanchez, who I have had the pleasure of DJing with on more than one occasion. I am suprized that CeCe Rogers - Someday hasn't been played on the Northern scene yet, as it is probably the most soulful House track ever, or has it? Kim English - Simply grateful, yet another House track and artist. I am pleased that these type of tunes are crossing over, I have literally hundreds of soulful House tracks that could easily be played at Northern nights. The other music that I didn't mention in the original post was House music, that is the type of music that I started to play out after the northern stuff and I've been collecting it for some 15 years so you can imagine I have a few. I have thought numerous times whan I have heard a soulful house track that it could pass as a Northern tune. Maybe this is the way forward, blending Northern oldies, newies and Soulful House tunes? Bring it on!!!