Jumping The Shark

[Drewtg]

The day 21/02/2015 will go down in history as the day that Northern Soul "Jumped the shark".

That a N. Soul version of a childrens book should be contemplated, let alone go into production - apparently with support from some local soul fans - shows to what depth our music has now sunk.

Hard on the heels of a man dressed as a clown, in an advert promoting a breakfast cereal for a multi-national corporation, and many so called fans complaining about the only honest attempt so far at portraying our early "scene" to have hit the big screen.

N. Soul is now an old whore to be used and abused by anybody looking for an angle to flog their wares - aided and abetted by a seemingly inexhaustible stream of talking heads and "dancers", keen to get their fifteen minutes in.

We are being asked to fork out £80 for a collection of CD's, a "project" which could have easily been done for less than half that amount because - let's face it - we all have the tracks, it's the back story that is interesting. Any minute now I expect to see a character in Viz; Billy Baggies, He's a northern wiz 'e is.

We are mainstream, we are commercial, we are not special anymore. We have been assimilated. It was nice while it lasted but all we have now is our memories. See you in ASDA - in the N. Soul section.

[Mick Boyle]

I know where your coming from and have thought similar things myself. Let's hope it dies down and returnes to normality like it did in the late 80s. The route course we all love the scene is the music of our soul heros and as long as we stick to that we won't go far wrong.