Northern Soul

[Tomangoes]

What was the reaction of the guys and gals of the 'pre Dave Godin' branding who had been happily listening to this special underground scene of uptempo soul style of music when it suddendly had a 'brand definition' tagged to it in the term 'Northern Soul'. Was it welcomed or unwanted?

Ed

[Guest veep1296]

What was the reaction of the guys and gals of the 'pre Dave Godin' branding who had been happily listening to this special underground scene of uptempo soul style of music when it suddendly had a 'brand definition' tagged to it in the term 'Northern Soul'. Was it welcomed or unwanted?

Ed

At the time i was a Highland Room regular pre IL , lots of 45s were "discovered " by the Southern boys Messrs Rivers, Burton, Smith, Rounce, Ellis etc. Thriving Rare Soul nights in Cambs, Surrey, West Hampstead etc were breaking records. Ive never taken to the NS tag preferring the "Rare Soul " banner every time. Just my opinion though.

Regards

David

(not to mention "The Midlands" )

[Guest]

What was the reaction of the guys and gals of the 'pre Dave Godin' branding who had been happily listening to this special underground scene of uptempo soul style of music when it suddendly had a 'brand definition' tagged to it in the term 'Northern Soul'. Was it welcomed or unwanted?

Ed

They got it right,Northern soul.........couldnt be owt else could it!!

[Guest]

At the time i was a Highland Room regular pre IL , lots of 45s were "discovered " by the Southern boys Messrs Rivers, Burton, Smith, Rounce, Ellis etc. Thriving Rare Soul nights in Cambs, Surrey, West Hampstead etc were breaking records. Ive never taken to the NS tag preferring the "Rare Soul " banner every time. Just my opinion though.

Regards

David

(not to mention "The Midlands" )

Yeh!!but none of the above can dance you suvners still dont get it.

[Modernsoulsucks]

I have no idea what it was called before NS and I was there. Not "rare soul" anyway,Dave.That was a tag given it a lot later. Wasn't it just "soul"?

ROD

[Guest veep1296]

I have no idea what it was called before NS and I was there. Not "rare soul" anyway,Dave.That was a tag given it a lot later. Wasn't it just "soul"?

ROD

"Rare Soul in The Highland Room"....Mr Locarno called it...how are you Rod ?

DF

[barney]

in the late 60s wen r werra lad we just called it soul . a mixture of motown an stax etc .top number round our way were drifters. s.n .a t.m. attended many crackin do,s mainly youth clubs n disco,s put on for us youngens in local w.m.c.s midweek.older lads n lasses who had bin to stoke n manchester started playin bangin sounds they had heard n it grew from there.remember this .the music policy was derived from the floor ,dj,s soon learned wot to n wot not to play,even back then new tunes were treat with suspicion and the cult of the dj was nonexistant.

Edited February 25, 2008 by barney

[Modernsoulsucks]

Still taller and better looking than you thank you and Im sure you''re right with that observation about how the Mecca was billed early on in say 71/72. No idea when Godin coined that term but Im with Barney and thinking of my first forays into NS which were around '69.

Not wishing to be pedantic or get involved in semantics but I'd say difference in meaning in "rare" soul with Tony Jebb or whoever and " the "rare soul" scene now referred to. What that subtle difference is....

ROD

[barney]

would also like to add,back then ,the lad behind the decks was usually some spotty spectacled youth or some tubby plonker neither of whom could dance or pull. nobody wanted to dj ,was more fun on the floor.

Edited February 25, 2008 by barney

[Guest Bernadette]

would also like to add,back then ,the lad behind the decks was usually some spotty spectacled youth or some tubby plonker neither of whom could dance or pull. nobody wanted to dj ,was more fun on the floor.

some things never change

[Ady Croasdell]

would also like to add,back then ,the lad behind the decks was usually some spotty spectacled youth or some tubby plonker neither of whom could dance or pull. nobody wanted to dj ,was more fun on the floor.

Dead right, it was very kind of the idiots to pay all their wages on buying us great records to dance to. It was bloody Wigan that started the star DJ system, the Torch guys seemed totally approachable whereas the wigan DJs sat on the stage with their hangers on and missuses thinking the sun was rising just round the back of them.

Round our way Leics, Northants, Beds it was definitely called Old Soul, not very imaginative, so I liked the term Northern as we knew that was the stronghold. The first Northern bootleg label was called Old Soul too and you needed a term for the type of music you liked as soul was still going and you needed the distinction. Godin was totally respected as the only person to give us recognition, he had great knowledge and provided many top sounds and totally got the scene He also gave us an historical background and educated us hugely. Though we did giggle a bit when we heard him talk, (more fools us) it was a much less enlightened world then.

[Ged Parker]

I don't think Dave Godin created a 'Brand' he just coigned a phrase that stuck. A brand is much more than a name, it has clearly identifiable values and traits. Unfortunatley others have sought to turn northern soul into a 'Brand' or a formulaic package that can be recognised where ever it is seen and it thoroughly consistent. I can remember working in 'New Concepts' when we developed the O'Neills Irish bar chain for Bass and we stricly controled the music policy because it was a key part of the 'brand'. Unfortunately 'Northern Soul' for some has been treated in the same way.

It is this exploitation that has ruined the scene but has made a number of people quite wealthy.

[Guest]

They were 1st known by a few of us from Burnley as "American Imports".......in 73 I worked as a wine waiter at the Reform club on Pall Mall (dont laff, it was a great time!) me and about a half dozen others from the town, I was 16 and forged my N.I card to make me 17 which was the age you had tp be. Thirteen quid a week living in and most of it was spent on these little round black things from over the pond.....there was a street market near Gt Windmill st. and a couple of the barrows were overflowing with Okeh, Ric-Tic, Gordy, G.W, Soul, Tamla, Wingate.....and most other well known (today that is) labels for about 10 pence a pop!

From here we used to bring them back Oop Naarrth and play them at the Rose Room etc and in mates bedrooms, taking orders for what to bring the next time we were calling home, a tidy side line it was too.

"What are those little drill holes for".......we had no idea at the time.

Write on brother & Keep the face!

Edited February 27, 2008 by Guest

[Guest Dirk Tiggler]

That's the term we used in the Black Country too - American Imports. This would be about 1969 / 70. My girl friend first told me the phrase NS in 1973 by which time I was more likely to listen to prog rock or David Bowie. She had been to the Torch and was telling me about her favourite records-most of which I knew anyway. I can remember saying to her "Is it called NS because the records are from the Northern States of USA rather than Stax / Atlantic from the South"? My logic was soon shot down...but I soon got some credibility back when I told her I'd seen the Impressions and she hadn't. Ade

[Ady Croasdell]

They were 1st know by a few of us from Burnley as "American Imports".......in 73 I worked as a wine waiter at the Reform club on Pall Mall (dont laff, it was a great time!) me and about a half dozen others from the town, I was 16 and forged my N.I card to make me 17 which was the age you had tp be. Thirteen quid a week living in and most of it was spent on these little round black things from over the pond.....there was a street market near Gt Windmill st. and a couple of the barrows were overflowing with Okeh, Ric-Tic, Gordy, G.W, Soul, Tamla, Wingate.....and most other well known (today that is) labels for about 10 pence a pop!

From here we used to bring them back Oop Naarrth and play them at the Rose Room etc and in mates bedrooms, taking orders for what to bring the next time we were calling home, a tidy side line it was too.

"What are those little drill holes for".......we had no idea at the time.

Write on brother & Keep the face!

That'd be the barrow me and later Tony Rounce worked on outside Cheapo Cheapo on Rupert St, you probably bought 'em off me in 73, by then Northern had been in usage for a while though. And what were you doing down Gt Windmill St young man?

[CAMBRIDGE SOUL]

some things never change

[barney]

Dead right, it was very kind of the idiots to pay all their wages on buying us great records to dance to. It was bloody Wigan that started the star DJ system, the Torch guys seemed totally approachable whereas the wigan DJs sat on the stage with their hangers on and missuses thinking the sun was rising just round the back of them

we used to take our records witrh us and ask the guy behind the decks to play them. never paid big money for any record then .got them from various places. then the 70s came.wigan . and the rest is history.vinyl junkies n furtive jocks bumped up the prices of records .money was there to be made an the scene lost its innocence.

[Guest JJMMWGDuPree]

I always just thought of it as 'Pop music'. The stuff I was buying certainly bore no relationship whatsoever to the stuff that the soul bands were playing, whereas the pop bands were covering it like mad.

Then again, as I've said before, I only found out that this music I've been collecting for what seems like a lifetime is mostly Northern soul. I don't remember having a reaction to the news. Maybe a little miffed that I'd been put into a category...

[bri phill]

I know from the late 60's I use to call it rhythm and soul because on my first record list in late 68 I put on it Rhythm and soul specialist.I know fellow DJ's at the time Farmer Carl and Bob Crocker also called it that(and none of us wore glasses or were full of spots),the other term we seem to use was deleted soul.

Talking of London I use to go down there every month and find imports on Camden,Whitechapel and other markets in 69/70,Ric Tic,Okeh,checker,ABC,and a few other labels.I also use to go to Bristol,Leeds and other parts and find a few,the prices were 5p 10p in old money plus lots of UK stuff.

Regards Brian

[Guest]

And what were you doing down Gt Windmill St young man?

There was a nice little stall with Sausage butties to die for and I used to do favours for sailors

Sewing buttons on and such!

Edited February 27, 2008 by Guest

[barney]

I know from the late 60's I use to call it rhythm and soul because on my first record list in late 68 I put on it Rhythm and soul specialist.I know fellow DJ's at the time Farmer Carl and Bob Crocker also called it that(and none of us wore glasses or were full of spots),the other term we seem to use was deleted soul.

Talking of London I use to go down there every month and find imports on Camden,Whitechapel and other markets in 69/70,Ric Tic,Okeh,checker,ABC,and a few other labels.I also use to go to Bristol,Leeds and other parts and find a few,the prices were 5p 10p in old money plus lots of UK stuff.

Regards Brian

you must have bin tubby then

[bri phill]

you must have bin tubby then

Their wern't any tubby merchants at the wheel with all them amphetamines in fact I don't remember any tubby DJ's anywhere else,we could all pull and I could even dance.Even Ian Levine wern't tubby when he use to come to our house buying records.It was handy knowing a tubby bird though she could get the pills but I don't think they let them in clubs in them days not that I've got anything against tubby birds.LOL

REGARDS BRIAN

[Guest melandthensome]

I have no idea what it was called before NS and I was there. Not "rare soul" anyway,Dave.That was a tag given it a lot later. Wasn't it just "soul"?

ROD

When I first started collecting be it at a very young age in 1970/71 it was RARE SOUL then and I still refer to it as Rare Soul........

then again Rod you are a lot lot older than me and look it.......LOL

mel

Edited February 27, 2008 by melandthensome

[Guest gordon russell]

At about the time I started to go out and about...It was to the NAGS HEAD at wollaston (northants) and my very first allnighter was the cow shed at Bletsoe. there were other great places SHADES ,THE WILBY GEORGE and of course Market Harborough. The soul music played was known as allnighter sounds or just sounds. Dave Godin was merely talking about the soul played oop North. And we now have to live with this silliest of names...NORMAN SOUL

[barney]

ok then its like rugby league n you suverners dont get it.proper northern soul lives along the M62 corridor ,just like proper rugby .u suverners have just jumped on the bandwagon ,and want to change it to suit your own poncy tastes

Edited February 27, 2008 by barney

[Guest Mart B]

When I first started collecting be it at a very young age in 1970/71 it was RARE SOUL then and I still refer to it as Rare Soul........

then again Rod you are a lot lot older than me and look it.......LOL

mel

The scene in the mid eighties in some areas has i remember lost its northern tag and was known has rare soul nites advertised.Its because we was actually hearing rare soul .

[Chris L]

What was the reaction of the guys and gals of the 'pre Dave Godin' branding who had been happily listening to this special underground scene of uptempo soul style of music when it suddendly had a 'brand definition' tagged to it in the term 'Northern Soul'. Was it welcomed or unwanted?

Ed

They didn't notice it and never gave a sh**

[Makemvinyl]

They didn't notice it and never gave a sh**

AS one of an older generation

Club Soul as we now call it. was of a type you never heard on the beeb Light programme ,we have to remember without the likes of Radio Luxemburg and the pirate radio stations playing the slighter different tunes we could only hear in the clubs and pubs we used to frequent,clubs and club rooms frequented by the youth culture of the 6ts

sorrounded by low ultraviolet lights,walls covered in matt black paint in the function room and film projectors on the walls playing silent movies like Charlie Chaplin and the keystone cop chases

and trying to match it to the music. dancing frantically to American music we used to dig out of the record shops of the area,the odd gem picked up from Valances,Syd Booth,Rediffusion,Selecta disc on Arkwright street in Nottm,

we didnt have many imports in the 6ts but some of the music (IMO) will never be surpassed,

so Northern Soul,brought to the masses in the 7ts, Was what it was, a name for the music played as Mr Godin said up north.

Northern Soul the music didnt change just how we named it.

[barney]

AS one of an older generation

Club Soul as we now call it. was of a type you never heard on the beeb Light programme ,we have to remember without the likes of Radio Luxemburg and the pirate radio stations playing the slighter different tunes we could only hear in the clubs and pubs we used to frequent,clubs and club rooms frequented by the youth culture of the 6ts

sorrounded by low ultraviolet lights,walls covered in matt black paint in the function room and film projectors on the walls playing silent movies like Charlie Chaplin and the keystone cop chases

and trying to match it to the music. dancing frantically to American music we used to dig out of the record shops of the area,the odd gem picked up from Valances,Syd Booth,Rediffusion,Selecta disc on Arkwright street in Nottm,

we didnt have many imports in the 6ts but some of the music (IMO) will never be surpassed,

so Northern Soul,brought to the masses in the 7ts, Was what it was, a name for the music played as Mr Godin said up north.

Northern Soul the music didnt change just how we named it.

thats abart r8 pal

[bri phill]

They didn't notice it and never gave a sh**

You're right Chris nobody I knew called it Northern in the early seventies or give a shit,I thought Northern was to do with them comedians on Top of the Pops prancing about with vests on.

[Guest]

That'd be the barrow me and later Tony Rounce worked on outside Cheapo Cheapo on Rupert St, you probably bought 'em off me in 73, by then Northern had been in usage for a while though. And what were you doing down Gt Windmill St young man?

I can just picture it now .......

" Nice and juicy Okehs , two fer a parrr- nnnd " ........

Malc Burton

[kathdj]

You're right Chris nobody I knew called it Northern in the early seventies or give a shit,I thought Northern was to do with them comedians on Top of the Pops prancing about with vests on.

Mojo, Twisted Wheel, Dungeon, Brit., Duke of Wellington . . . NOT Northern Soul clubs. We didn't call it anything because we didn't need to. It was just music you danced to.

[Ian Dewhirst]

Dead right, it was very kind of the idiots to pay all their wages on buying us great records to dance to. It was bloody Wigan that started the star DJ system, the Torch guys seemed totally approachable whereas the wigan DJs sat on the stage with their hangers on and missuses thinking the sun was rising just round the back of them.

Not all of us Ady! I seem to remember spending most of my time in the bar trading records! But I know what you mean - it did get a bit political at times LOL.....

Ian D

[Ady Croasdell]

There seems to be a fair few on here who reckoned they didn't call it Northern into the early 70s, in which case when did it become the universally accepted term that it now is? I would have thought it wouldn't have taken more than a year for the term to be commonplace after it's first publication in B&S but perhaps it took longer.

Ian, I'll grant you immunity from the Wigan Royalty clique. I do remember you in the record bar talking like a mere mortal to the rest of us.

[Guest SteveJohnston]

ok then its like rugby league n you suverners dont get it.proper northern soul lives along the M62 corridor ,just like proper rugby .u suverners have just jumped on the bandwagon ,and want to change it to suit your own poncy tastes

............ nice post very apt ............

[BrianB]

They were 1st known by a few of us from Burnley as "American Imports".......in 73 I worked as a wine waiter at the Reform club on Pall Mall (dont laff, it was a great time!) me and about a half dozen others from the town, I was 16 and forged my N.I card to make me 17 which was the age you had tp be. Thirteen quid a week living in and most of it was spent on these little round black things from over the pond.....there was a street market near Gt Windmill st. and a couple of the barrows were overflowing with Okeh, Ric-Tic, Gordy, G.W, Soul, Tamla, Wingate.....and most other well known (today that is) labels for about 10 pence a pop!

From here we used to bring them back Oop Naarrth and play them at the Rose Room etc and in mates bedrooms, taking orders for what to bring the next time we were calling home, a tidy side line it was too.

"What are those little drill holes for".......we had no idea at the time.

Write on brother & Keep the face!

Hi Steve,

I've been ill, but I'll get the CDs done for you.

The Reform Club! I never worked there but thinking of you, Hopper, Keith Johnson and Jimmy McDonough working where Jules Verne wrote around the World in 80 Days was unbelievable!!!!

I bought loads of records from Hopper, all originals and all for 25p each! He must have got them from the same place as you?

KJ told me how he was stood on the TV in the club, arseholed, peeing down the back of the telly singing Londons Burning, Fire Fire, Put it Out!! And to think of Hopper and Jimmy Mac waiting on, when Jimmy's next stop was Angola as a mercenary!!

Didn't John Barrow get a good whipping down there from a pro before he got sent down?

You must have earned good money, cos Hopper used to fly back to play footie for Greenbrook on Sundays. He once flew back, and Tom Norris dropped him to the subs bench, and Hopper chased him around pitch 8 while we were playing and peeing ourselves laughing. This was after watching Burnley away, going to the Mecca, coach to the Casino, had a swim afterwards, then played footy and went on the beer afterward. (We were only 21!).

We didn't call it Northern Soul til at least 75 if not later. Didn't we just call it the Mecca Soul when we first started?

ATB

Brian

[barney]

Hi Steve,

I've been ill, but I'll get the CDs done for you.

The Reform Club! I never worked there but thinking of you, Hopper, Keith Johnson and Jimmy McDonough working where Jules Verne wrote around the World in 80 Days was unbelievable!!!!

I bought loads of records from Hopper, all originals and all for 25p each! He must have got them from the same place as you?

KJ told me how he was stood on the TV in the club, arseholed, peeing down the back of the telly singing Londons Burning, Fire Fire, Put it Out!! And to think of Hopper and Jimmy Mac waiting on, when Jimmy's next stop was Angola as a mercenary!!

Didn't John Barrow get a good whipping down there from a pro before he got sent down?

You must have earned good money, cos Hopper used to fly back to play footie for Greenbrook on Sundays. He once flew back, and Tom Norris dropped him to the subs bench, and Hopper chased him around pitch 8 while we were playing and peeing ourselves laughing. This was after watching Burnley away, going to the Mecca, coach to the Casino, had a swim afterwards, then played footy and went on the beer afterward. (We were only 21!).

We didn't call it Northern Soul til at least 75 if not later. Didn't we just call it the Mecca Soul when we first started?

ATB

Brian

kinnel u must av bin on some good gear

[barney]

Hi Steve,

I've been ill, but I'll get the CDs done for you.

The Reform Club! I never worked there but thinking of you, Hopper, Keith Johnson and Jimmy McDonough working where Jules Verne wrote around the World in 80 Days was unbelievable!!!!

I bought loads of records from Hopper, all originals and all for 25p each! He must have got them from the same place as you?

KJ told me how he was stood on the TV in the club, arseholed, peeing down the back of the telly singing Londons Burning, Fire Fire, Put it Out!! And to think of Hopper and Jimmy Mac waiting on, when Jimmy's next stop was Angola as a mercenary!!

Didn't John Barrow get a good whipping down there from a pro before he got sent down?

You must have earned good money, cos Hopper used to fly back to play footie for Greenbrook on Sundays. He once flew back, and Tom Norris dropped him to the subs bench, and Hopper chased him around pitch 8 while we were playing and peeing ourselves laughing. This was after watching Burnley away, going to the Mecca, coach to the Casino, had a swim afterwards, then played footy and went on the beer afterward. (We were only 21!).

We didn't call it Northern Soul til at least 75 if not later. Didn't we just call it the Mecca Soul when we first started?

ATB

Brian

kinnel u must av bin on some good gear

Edited March 9, 2008 by barney