Paul-s

Thanks for the information...

I have just read a paper that challenges the myth that Dave Godin originated the Term Northern Soul in 1970 or 1971 as is often stated in accounts such as the one below. "The phrase "Northern soul" emanated from the record shop Soul City in Covent Garden, London, which was run by journalist Dave Godin.[3]It was first publicly used in Godin's weekly column in Blues & Soul magazine in June 1970.[4]" The article I just read says that he didn't use it until 1973 Question: Does anyone have a copy of anything before 1973 where Godin used the term Northern Soul? Thanks Paul-S

Used to buy them up and give them to mates, saying it should be sampled! Great tune....crazy prices..

Can anyone help with release dates on these: Lovations, Drifting Offshore, Cap City (later Baby flip) Jerri Jackson, I Can Almost Believe, Parallax The Illusions, Just an Illusion, Freedom Records Jonathan Capree, Gonna Build Me A Mountain, Ox Bow Campbell, Sammy I Never Thought, Queen City Sheila Wilmer, Look at Your Soul, Whole Soul, Also I used to own this, but my age is unforgiving and i cannot remember who it is, label etc? Is it the Sun Lovers? All help much appreciated..... 10 Main Street Shuffle.-wav.wav

Well, people 'used' to travel to hear dj's because those dj's had 45's that were unique and defined their unique sets. When we used to book DJ"s it was because we wanted to hear what 'they' wanted to play, share and dance to themselves', their unique sharing of 'soul'. Reading this it seems there is a 'smashy nice' type perspective where you hire a DJ (like the old school type who do weddings and funerals) and the DJ plays what the crowd wants, or rather 'know'. I guess this can be traced back to Mr Ms and oldies nights at Wigan. Still, it tends to rotate around the same menu of records that frankly become very boring, very quickly. I remember leafleting at three separate events one night and hearing the same rota of tunes in each one....like some kind of Groundhog day experience. Not for me, but some feel cosy in that environment which is fair enough. However, to pontificate on DJ-ing as a jobbing thing on the scene is i guess a sign of the times, but not a good one. Thank god Butch and a school of others still evolve and add to the scenes musical development, as a love and passion rather than as a job.

Thanks. Outstanding piece of work and one of the only people narrating the history of the post-Casino years of the underground Northern Soul scene. A period that contributed so much and is too often overlooked by lazy media researchers or deliberately forgotten by those who are economical with the historical truth about the scene in interviews and memoirs. Mind you, its often the case that they just weren't there, they had abandoned ship, so had and have no idea still. Still, no excuse for trying to wipe it from history and pretend that the scene died when the Casino closed its doors, only to re-emerge this century. Important work mate and well done.

Well, I never! I am probably way behind the commodity curve, but just spotted this wonderous item. A stocking filler for the loyal 'old guard' or new adherents! What a conundrum, the amazing world of Northern Soul just gets more mystifying by the day... Now heres a few starters for ten: "Many's the slip, twixt the cup and the ---?" What venomous reptile was duplicitous in Al Wilson's Northern Soul classic? Which of the following is correct: "Inky Winky Woggle Toggle Shoo" "Wanky Skanky Make Abuck Ortwo" or "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself"? Enjoy!

Thanks..

Hi Mate, can you link me to the actual thread please (so I can reference it) appreciated..

Thats really helpful and interesting, thanks!

Thanks, Yes, thats what I think too from watching it..

Was the music used in the documentary footage (post-edit) different to the tracks the dancers were actually dancing too in the shots?

Great posting, thanks.

Exactly as I remember it.

OK, thanks for the replies so far. Some astute ones. Can we try to avoid straying off topic, reminiscing about particular people. I am really interested in mid - Casino, say 74 onwards (and not just the Casino, as we have many other venues, St Ives, Cleethorpe's, Peterborough, Sheffield etc), and through the 80's Stafford, Tony's, Bradford and the other venues that grew the scene post Wigan. cheers.

I am reading the existing academic writing about Northern Soul and came across this statement: "The most notable change is the role that women occupy. Once a minority of dancers, they now constitute a majority. Although one must be careful as the 1970s- published photographic records of dancers tend to focus on the acrobatic dancing performed by men, the distribution of the dancing crowd supports the claim that it was men who predominated in numbers, in occupancy of space, and in the spectacle of dance." (Wall, 2006) Can I ask for responses to this please. In my memory bank, which admittedly may gets less reliable as I get older, there were loads of women dancers and I can't remember a big difference. The photos this statement about distribution relies on may have been taken at any point in a night and to particular tunes (some regarded many tunes back then as 'girly' or whatever and so the floor shift reflected that). Anyway, thoughts please, memories of the male/female balance on the NS dance floors in the 70's - 80's. Its stunning that nearly all of the accounts I am reading remain Wigan-centric (as if the scene stopped then) and miss out Stafford, Parr, Tony's and other venues and the truly underground and evolving post Casino scene! Cheers Paul

Do people seriously play this out and call it rare soul?! Im shocked.....

I am trying to track down an article in by Stuart Cosgrove called 'Long After Tonight Is All Over' from 1982 that appeared in Collusion, 2, pp 38-41 I'm hoping that with such knowledge on here, someone can point me to it or let me have PDF or something. Any help greatly appreciated Cheers Paul

You see, people have started to post up so called 'proper' dancing examples of Northern Soul. I really could not do that as the scene that I have been on for four decades has always moved in different ways on may levels, music, attitudes, venues and dancing. It has many nuances, personalities and idiosyncrasies. Defining or giving examples of 'proper dancing' by offering footage of dancers, for me, starts to homogenise and judge....the examples often seem well lit or as if the dancer is aware of the filming and of course the film maker is the judge of what gets filmed and what does not. Whereas, when it is discussed and people mention 'dancing hard' or 'being in it' or 'lost in it', it leaves room to move.......

Very useful contribution there Mr Hornet. Your ability to articulate an opinion certainly adds to the thread. Absolutely brilliant insights you offer. At least no one can call you boring with such an exciting contribution!

Or Sharon Finch?

That what people would associate with Northern Soul?

Bloody hell!

"Dancing hard"...I like it Len! In fact its great getting all these different insights from people on how they feel about the subject.

https://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-tundes-film-1973/ Terrible film, but great shots of a London now gone and of course the clothes and shoes! If you can't be bothered watching the whole thing, there is some great dancing at 5.20 in!