Modern Soul from 1994!

The following article and the Mary Love story was ripped from a great mag called Soul Underground, The winter 94 issue, I don't think the mag is still going and it seemed a waste for good articles like these to be lost. If anyone knows different please get in touch.

Mark Sergeant wrote a great article on the "case for defence for modern soul" and even though its 4 years old reckon it's a good view on a old subject.

The advent of Crossover Soul has seen a degree of acceptability finally afforded towards what is now regarded by some as 'Traditional' Modern Soul. The term 'Modern Soul' has been used and abused to describe most records played at Rare Soul Venues almost since its inception. It is generally accepted at The Blackpool Mecca Highland Room Soul Nights, under the guidance of DJ's Ian Levine and Colin Curtis and was the birthplace of the bastard child of Northern Soul, Modern Soul.

As the sixties gave us Motown commercially, so the seventies begat Philly Miami. The Underground Soul Scene drew on the Motown influences, turning up obscurities Title a similar style of sound shaping todays scene in its formative period. Parceling that simplified and generalised 'Birth of the scene in one sentence' statement, Levine and Curtis picked up on obscure soul dance tracks that were only a few years old, similar but less 'commercial' then the then fast rising in popularity gamble and huff empire of Philadelphia International Records and to a lesser degree The Miami Sound, (that would eventually become T.K. Records), was also enjoying chart success via George McRae and KC and The Sunshine Band. Early inclusions on their innovative playlists were The Carstairs - It Really Hurts Me Girl, the fantastic Johnny C - Don't Depend On Me, King Sporn - Music Maker and Bobby Franklin - It's The ladies Choice. At this particular time 1974, many regulars on the scene would first go to Blackball Mecca and then travel on to Wigan for the Allnighter. Wigan was then musically a bastion of the traditional (and Motownesque) four beats to the bar sixties style sound. Black Music Magazine 'investigated' The Northern Scene publishing in effect an expose, keeping with the best traditions of tabloid journalism 'they' sensationalised and attempted to suggest there was a massive rift because of the 'New' Soul as played at Blackpool.

As it is now on The Rare Soul Scene, not everyone likes every record played and some take longer to gain acceptance, so it was then. Obviously a major change takes time to take place and Levine and Curtis played the more modern sounding tracks along side 'Traditional' Northern Soul. Granted a few held strong uncompromising views, The Black Music Magazine feature effectively poured fuel on the fire. The following months saw the rift grow into a yawning chasm with hordes lining up behind either Levine or Wigans' Russ Winstanely. In the course of time the differences subsided, Wigan via predominately Richard Searling began to programme some of the 'less traditional' sounds. The controversial subject of Modern Soul and its validity on The Rare Soul Scene has come to a head on a number of occasions since. Jazz Funks advent, along with The Ritz Alldayers in Manchester saw the first of several fragmentations's leading to mini exodus's from The Northern Soul Scene to pastures new. Although new tolerances were purported to exist, some attitudes were still running deep. Soul Sam managed to get himself sacked from The Wigan DJ Rosta for playing Casanova by Coffee - then a new release. Elsewhere Yate and Cleethorpes had accepted 'Modern Soul' alongside Traditional Northern. The Stafford and Leicester era saw Modern Soul reach arguably its most acceptable level in the mainstream Northern Scene.

Then the mid-eighties sixties newies backlash happened, in effect attempting to drive Modern Soul Away. For a period the north east was the standard bearer for Modern Soul with Snaith, Rotherham and downstairs at Bradford consecutively keeping 'Modern Soul' Alive, although there were other venues (Rock City for instance). Weekenders in the northwest saw London Area Soul DJ's Mixing their Rare Groove and two step scenes with the Modern Soul Scene. A handful of Modern Soul Allnighters went off in Bedford. Richard Searling in the north and the likes of Bob Jones and Steve Hobbs in the south had Soul Radio Programmes which opened some more doors. Of course the voices from the shadows real soul nights in Thorne also made a significant contribution. The advent of garage saw the expanding Modern Scene fragment again. Those that choose to remain with 'tradition' modern soul instead of followings the direction they had been going turned their collective back on anything that had even, a hint of garage(or house) music, going back to the late sixties and early seventies searching out previously overlooked tracks. Collectively these sounds, the records of that particular genre, are called Crossover Soul. Collectors from the (mainly) sixties Northern Scene have also picked up on Crossover Soul.

Currently there is a tentative harmony on the scene, at least regarding the subject of Modern Soul.

So what has happened to 'traditional' modern soul expanding on the use of the term 'traditional' modern soul, I am referring to the type of modern soul that has received a degree of 'respectability' on the northern soul scene by being played at righters alongside sixties northern differentiating from the "modern' soul as played downstairs at Bradford - after the change in policy, which encompassed house and garage flavoured upfront dance tracks. Depending on the scenes mood, records that by their year of origin (after midnight 31st December 1969) are regarded as modem soul have reached a sizable level of acceptability. In both terms of demand and inclusion on playlists. During the mid seventies, Billy Woods - Let Me Make You Happy, Candi Stanton - Now You Got The Upper Hand, Anderson Brothers - I Can See Him Loving You Were, Among Others, elevated to 'monster' status packing dance floors almost everywhere. Others such as Alfie Davidson - Love is ~ Serious Business, Greg Perry - It Takes Heart and Benny Troy - I Wanna Give You Tomorrow - all modern tracks were literally played to death. Also the quality of small independent soul label material saw many modern soul DJs include a number of new release records in their set Something that also didn't sit too well with the sixties only Paternity who by that particular attitude were actually turning their back on how their scene started.New releases were played at the wheel and the torch; it was only the lack of new releases that saw DJ's and collectors searching out obscurities to satisfy the thirst for continual 'new' records back where it all began. Stafford, in the early days also provided a number of (now) classic modern soul tracks, try Jan Jones - Independent Woman, Glenda McCleod - No Stranger To Love. Garfield Fleming - Don't Send Me Away for instance.

All but the most blinkered have to admit Flat modern soul, in its "traditional" style has, like it or not, become an integral part of the scene.Of course it can be argued that the scene is built on rare sixties soul. Never mind argued, it's an unequivocal fact. The backbone and lifeblood of the scene is sixtiessoul, but there and indeed almost always have been 'other' sounds featured. R'n'B flavoured tracks have enjoyed lesser and greater amounts of needle time over the years, dependent on the musical tastes of the particular period. Also the Latin inspired numbers had a degree of popularity not too long ago, then of course the advent of the beat ballad and the upsurge of interest in mid tempo tracks have all seen popularity increase. Yet the sixties soul sound that is the scenes musical mainstay still remains, so why is there still opposition in some areas to the acceptance of 'traditional' modern soul.

The only conclusion I can reach regarding this illogical rejection of one particular contributor factor to the overall structure of the rare soul scene isthat perhaps they kisguidely assume that if modern soul is given a overall acceptance it will hijack the scene. Quite simply this is not true, the scene thrives on sixties soul and sixties soul will continue to provide else vast majority of the scenes sounds.

Modern soul in its 'traditional' guise has served its apprenticeship, has come of age, is waiting for the key to the door. Modern soul has been around since 1974, that's almost twenty years. A countless amount of classic northern soul records have arrived via modern soul, so many infect as there is almost a strong case for innovative allnighter promoters to introduce regular modern soul oldies DJ's. Not as unlikely as some may assume, as well as the in-vogue crossover soul, that has seen many barriers fall there are three eras of even 'traditional' modern soul that potential specialist Dj's could draw from. The early years of Blackpool Mecca, the late seventies early eighties period when quality (major label) soul dance track releases were available in abundance, and the most recent era where the likes of soul sam and Arthur Fenn pushed boundaries even further. The whole scene's recent (re-discovery of quality soul coupled with the general drop in tempo has made the overalI acceptance of modern soul in mainstream northern soul probably the least controversial it has ever been.

After all 'modern soul' has been around for twenty years, almost so its most definitely not going to go away. Many soul nights that are the grass roots of the scene regularly feature 'modern soul' so what's the major hold up at the majority of regular allnighters. If the time is not right now for modern souls acceptance by the scene, I doubt if it ever will be.

MARK SARGEANT 1994

Soul Underground