CALLING ALL SOULIES!

[Isabella BP]

Hello, 

My name is Isabella and I am studying History at Northumbria University, Newcastle. 

I am currently writing my dissertation on Northern Soul and am looking to speak to some willing Soulies about their experiences on the scene and their reasons for involvement. 

If you'd be interested in answering some questions and reliving some fond memories, here's your chance! 

Thanks

[Wally Francis]

PM sent.

[Lez]

9 hours ago, Isabella BP said:

Hello, 

My name is Isabella and I am studying History at Northumbria University, Newcastle. 

I am currently writing my dissertation on Northern Soul and am looking to speak to some willing Soulies about their experiences on the scene and their reasons for involvement. 

If you'd be interested in answering some questions and reliving some fond memories, here's your chance! 

Thanks

 

[Lez]

Hi Isabella, 

I would be happy to re-live my days in the Northern Soul scene and how it influenced my social life back then and through the generations .

Best Wishes , Les.

[markmc]

Hiya Isabella,

The Northern Soul scene is a 'broad church' in terms of history and musical tastes. 

Heres a really brief history (my view may be well off the mark, I'm a relative newcomer since 1990!)

Mid 60s-late 60's. Mods in the North still wanted to dance to uptempo Soul and Motown after the Southern mods moved towards psychedelic etc.

Late 60s to 1974. Scene developed totally devoid of media attention with its own music and fashion. Astounding 60's and new release Soul records with the right beat discovered from the States by the crate.

1974 to 1979. Pop music was awful so teenagers started to discover this  allnight underground cult. Crowds surged to Wigan Casino and many other niters in old fashion and run down venues. In a bid to keep the dancefloors full with new sounds many 1960's white pop records which had nothing to do with Soul gained prominence. The availability of mass manufactured amphetamines may have been a factor in the boom. At the same time the super cool Blackpool Mecca crowd digged new releases and started to split away to start the Disco, Rare Groove and Jazz Funk scenes in the North.

1979 to early 80's. Pop music gets fun again with Punk, New Wave, 2 tone and Mod revival and Northern Soul seems a bit flarey naff as the Johnny come latelies drift away and less teenagers take their place. Attendance fall but the music quality increases as Soul fans dig out fabulous records from the Sixties to 80's new releases.

Mid to late 80's. Lots of the original 70's Northern Soulies have careers and start famillies etc. Younger generations from the Mod revival and scooter scenes come on board as the music policy goes more 60's Soul, but stays very underground.

Late 80's. House music apocalypse. If you want to stay out all night dancing why go to a small decrepid venue with a cheap sound system and aging clientele when there are exciting new House events everywhere. 

Early 90's. Turns out House music wasnt that exciting. Techno and Gabba etc left real music fans still with a thirst for staying out late to search out the Northern scene. This very much includes London now with the 100 club etc. Venues have a new burst of energy with an enthusiastic twenty something crowd keen to discover all this authentic Soul music. Modern Soulful House/Garage enters , but usually gets pushed into its own room, geographically and politically.

Mid 1990s. As the scene grows original Soul collectors return to the Niter scene eager to catch up on the music they've missed and bring on board records they've squirreled away over the past decade.

2000 onwards.  The Northern Soul revival gets out of control. However many of the returning Soulies are the mid 70's Wiganite Johnnie come latelies who want to relive the past. Promotors old and new start up huge Niters, Weekenders and Soul nights to benefit from the demand. The scene effectively splits in two with the Oldies crowd just wanting a great night out with the fantictic sounds of their youth and the "progressive" or traditional scene still searching out new discoveries from an ever diminishing pot. 

2010 (?) to Covid. Soul nights on every corner. There was only going to be one winner in the split. The Oldies scene still booms. However most punters are past all nighters and travelling long distances just for a night out. Local pubs on their knees financially seek salvation from a weekly Saturday Northern Soul and Motown disco. Everyone knows the records so anyone with a phone can DJ. Its a fun, safe and friendly night out. The over 40's precluded from todays clubbing scenes come along irrespective of historic Northern credentials. Meanwhile the tradtional Northen scene also hold pub nights and increasingly "all dayers" with a wide range of expertly scourced music from late 50's RnB, obscure ghetto and deep Funk and late 70's disco, all of which attacting a broad church of headonistic and geeky record collecting devotees.

If there is a particular era or music sub-division you are interested in let us know! There are people on Soul-Source who have lived through the lot and amazingly can still remember bits!

Hope this helps.

Mark

 

 

 

 

[Neil Austin]

21 hours ago, Isabella BP said:

Hello, 

My name is Isabella and I am studying History at Northumbria University, Newcastle. 

I am currently writing my dissertation on Northern Soul and am looking to speak to some willing Soulies about their experiences on the scene and their reasons for involvement. 

If you'd be interested in answering some questions and reliving some fond memories, here's your chance! 

Thanks

Hi Isabella 

i hope you are well , I was a member of

tge Wigan Casino for four years and went to many all nighters .

i went to all the oldies nights , was a regular in Mr Ms club, saw the marvelettes , Edwin Starr and Martha Reeves live at the club .

still have all my rare 45s

i live and work in the south and London 

with my wife and three daughters.

 

drop me a line if you think it would be 

helpful 

 

kind regards 

Neil 

[Isabella BP]

On 16/03/2021 at 22:03, markmc said:

Hiya Isabella,

The Northern Soul scene is a 'broad church' in terms of history and musical tastes. 

Heres a really brief history (my view may be well off the mark, I'm a relative newcomer since 1990!)

Mid 60s-late 60's. Mods in the North still wanted to dance to uptempo Soul and Motown after the Southern mods moved towards psychedelic etc.

Late 60s to 1974. Scene developed totally devoid of media attention with its own music and fashion. Astounding 60's and new release Soul records with the right beat discovered from the States by the crate.

1974 to 1979. Pop music was awful so teenagers started to discover this  allnight underground cult. Crowds surged to Wigan Casino and many other niters in old fashion and run down venues. In a bid to keep the dancefloors full with new sounds many 1960's white pop records which had nothing to do with Soul gained prominence. The availability of mass manufactured amphetamines may have been a factor in the boom. At the same time the super cool Blackpool Mecca crowd digged new releases and started to split away to start the Disco, Rare Groove and Jazz Funk scenes in the North.

1979 to early 80's. Pop music gets fun again with Punk, New Wave, 2 tone and Mod revival and Northern Soul seems a bit flarey naff as the Johnny come latelies drift away and less teenagers take their place. Attendance fall but the music quality increases as Soul fans dig out fabulous records from the Sixties to 80's new releases.

Mid to late 80's. Lots of the original 70's Northern Soulies have careers and start famillies etc. Younger generations from the Mod revival and scooter scenes come on board as the music policy goes more 60's Soul, but stays very underground.

Late 80's. House music apocalypse. If you want to stay out all night dancing why go to a small decrepid venue with a cheap sound system and aging clientele when there are exciting new House events everywhere. 

Early 90's. Turns out House music wasnt that exciting. Techno and Gabba etc left real music fans still with a thirst for staying out late to search out the Northern scene. This very much includes London now with the 100 club etc. Venues have a new burst of energy with an enthusiastic twenty something crowd keen to discover all this authentic Soul music. Modern Soulful House/Garage enters , but usually gets pushed into its own room, geographically and politically.

Mid 1990s. As the scene grows original Soul collectors return to the Niter scene eager to catch up on the music they've missed and bring on board records they've squirreled away over the past decade.

2000 onwards.  The Northern Soul revival gets out of control. However many of the returning Soulies are the mid 70's Wiganite Johnnie come latelies who want to relive the past. Promotors old and new start up huge Niters, Weekenders and Soul nights to benefit from the demand. The scene effectively splits in two with the Oldies crowd just wanting a great night out with the fantictic sounds of their youth and the "progressive" or traditional scene still searching out new discoveries from an ever diminishing pot. 

2010 (?) to Covid. Soul nights on every corner. There was only going to be one winner in the split. The Oldies scene still booms. However most punters are past all nighters and travelling long distances just for a night out. Local pubs on their knees financially seek salvation from a weekly Saturday Northern Soul and Motown disco. Everyone knows the records so anyone with a phone can DJ. Its a fun, safe and friendly night out. The over 40's precluded from todays clubbing scenes come along irrespective of historic Northern credentials. Meanwhile the tradtional Northen scene also hold pub nights and increasingly "all dayers" with a wide range of expertly scourced music from late 50's RnB, obscure ghetto and deep Funk and late 70's disco, all of which attacting a broad church of headonistic and geeky record collecting devotees.

If there is a particular era or music sub-division you are interested in let us know! There are people on Soul-Source who have lived through the lot and amazingly can still remember bits!

Hope this helps.

Mark

 

 

 

 

that's amazing! thanks a lot. If I have any questions I'll get back to you. 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Happy to talk to you about my involvement in the Northern scene.