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Dave Godin A Northern Soul Part 2

Dave Godin A Northern Soul Part 2 magazine cover

From the author Stephen Stevlor, a catchup all about how the release of Dave Godin A Northern Soul is going ...

Within days of being made available, (launched 15th October 2020, the 16th anniversary of Dave's passing), over a third of this limited edition 1000 print book had been mailed nationwide and throughout the world with books shipping to Norway, Finland, Holland, Italy, Spain, Australia, Canada, USA and Japan.

"I knew the book would be of interest because it wasn't just a collection of stories and anecdotes about the Northern Soul scene but concerned a specific character who, although many people in the Soul world were aware of, many of the Northern Soul foot soldiers or, as Dave would call them "the TRUE keepers of the faith!", had little or no idea of this man's importance or existence. 

This was one of the reasons the biography came about, I got the impression that he wasn't as high profile as he should have been within a scene that he'd given a specific identity to. Plus there were the other facets of his life that unless you were involved in animal rights, or civil rights or the hundreds of other causes Dave championed, you just wouldn't have been aware of. Dave Godin had many sides, to some he was a true gentleman, to others a complete tyrant. Some people loved him without reserve while others, whom I attempted to interview, hated him so much they wouldn't even take the opportunity to destroy him in print, they didn't even want to mention his name. When the book came out I had a lovely letter from a lady who knew Dave back in the day and she mentioned she actually owned a lock of his hair! I immediately imagined, maybe, some kind of romantic liason, while a DJ friend of mine commented "or maybe she just ripped it out of his head when he pissed her off!" Personally, from the impression she gave, I'm sticking with the former!"

COMMENTS FROM BOOK PURCHASES:

"A great book about the Godfather of Soul!"

"Congratulations on what is an enthralling, absorbing and thoroughly entertaining book."

"The story itself is excellent and covers all the bases of this man's extraordinary life."

"A beautiful book, congratulations".

"Should make a film about it."

"What an achievement, this book is part of Northern Soul Biblical history!"

"The Covid 19 pandemic messed up my promo plans, having to cancel signing events at all-nighters and weekenders around the country. Copies of the biography weren't going to be available in book shops and record stores until nearer Christmas so I was surprised to see it listed on well-known internet book sites offering the book for sale and ready to order when they hadn't actually approached me to discuss stocking it. Some had even taken payment in advance, so I would like to make it clear that these bookstores DO NOT have the book so don't pay them anything. Because of this I've started supplying stock to selected Independent shops in various UK towns and cities, limiting it to just one or two depending on the size of the area-

Tallbird Records  Chesterfield

Beatin' Rhythm  Manchester

Mark Windle  Leeds

Soulmine Aldershot

Stars-and-Stripes  Skegness

LP Record Store and Spinning Discs Sheffield.

Any Independent interested in stocking the book, please email me."

"A lot of people seemed surprised by the quality of the book and the production values. I think they expected pages of smudgy text on pulp paper with a few photographs thrown in. It is a very good looking book and a lot of time was spent making sure, wherever possible, that all the avenues of Dave's life were well illustrated. As somebody commented the other day, "It's a coffee table book that fits on a bookshelf!"

 

Fully featured preview article can be read here


https://www.soul-source.co.uk/articles/soul-articles/dave-godin-a-northern-soul-book-preview-r4299/

 

DAVE GODIN A NORTHERN SOUL is still available by mail  £29.99 (FREE UK POSTAGE)  

email stevlor@hotmail.co.uk for payment details.

 




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I bought and have finished the book, my initial interest stemmed from being an avid reader of Dave's column in B&S and buying quite a number of the records he recommended further proof of which emerged reading the various top tens in book. I also was also one of the many people who received a tape off him as an impressionable 17yr old after writing to ask could he recommend any records as I had recently started listening to Deep Soul, later most of the tunes on that tape made up the majority of Deep Soul Treasures Vol1. Back to the book, it is as stated above a very well produced book, great quality, plenty of pics, lots of interesting stories.

 I was initially worried that the book would be very wordy and too much concentration would be focused on his political and lifestyle views which do take up a large portion of the book but not in a preachy or academic way. I found it to be very honest, I got the impression rightly or wrongly as a long time admirer of Dave Godin the book gave such a truthful portrait of the man that in parts I found myself actively disliking him. 

   Enjoyed reading the book, learnt quite a bit, would be interested to see anyone's views who have read the book and knew Dave Godin personally, not I hasten to add due to any doubts as to the truthfulness of the book merely to hear the views of someone who knew him first hand and what they made of the book.

 Great read, would recommend.  

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