What is Northern Soul?

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  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    there are still records that were not known in the scene's heyday that could be called northern

    it is somewhat objective, despite having a murky definition

    not very important in the scheme of things unless you are actually part of the northern scene

    because if you are not, the primary classifications one should use are "good" and "bad"

    Records still seem to be introduced on the Northern scene today and go from $5 to $70 overnight.

    Right, and despite the misinformed posts to the contrary there is a "sound"

    Is there a "look"?

    And does it involve dagger sideburns?

    That Marco Hammond does hang out a lot with the "soulies" and "punters"...

  • crazypoprockcrazypoprock 1,037 Posts


    That Marco Hammond does hang out a lot with the "soulies" and "punters"...

    yes! that's what i'm talking about. fookin' brilliant use of the language.

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    What did someone say in the last thread about this? Something like - 'Northern Soul is like a motown record you've never heard but with something out of tune'. I thought that was pretty cool.

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    I've really changed my opinion of Northern soul since moving to Detroit. There is an incredible quantity of great soul music that could accurately be described as 'Northern', you just need to be pointed in the right direction. Here are some groups/artists I like:

    Jackie Wilson
    The Artistics
    Steve Mancha
    Major Lance
    Tan Geers
    Gino Washington
    The Four Voices
    The Precisions
    Sam Fletcher
    Bobby Reed
    Johnnie Mae Matthews
    Johnny Hampton (as heard last night for the first time. )

    among many others.

    If soulhawk weren't too busy picking up unknown funk 45s, he'd sort us all out.

  • high_chigh_c 1,384 Posts
    The Four Voices


    send "we live in the ghetto" & "your love is growing stronger" south plaese. such good shit.

  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts

    Gino Washington

    What Can A Man Do followed/preceded by Donnie Elbert's What Can I Do? - yikes!

  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    What Can A Man Do

    The song with this title (though I don't
    think the same song) by The Showstoppers,
    the flipside of Ain't Nothin' but a House
    Party
    , is one of my all-time favorite
    unhyped tracks. Amazing & heartbreaking uptempo
    sweet soul group vocal. And a good example
    of a song I've never heard of as "Northern" but
    that definitely has a "Northern sound"

  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    Northern soul is a British dude, yelling on a microphone ,like a pro wrestler telling you the next song will blow your fuckin' nuts off and make you shit blood and that it was a real "corker" back in the days of the wigan Casino, and its a "real rare one innit" and then the record drops and it sounds like some weak-ass poor man's Smokey Robinson with an ass load of strings....


    but the Volcanos and Van Dykes are cool

  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    Northern soul is a British dude, yelling on a microphone ,like a pro wrestler telling you the next song will blow your fuckin' nuts off and make you shit blood and that it was a real "corker" back in the days of the wigan Casino, and its a "real rare one innit" and then the record drops and it sounds like some weak-ass poor man's Smokey Robinson with an ass load of strings....


    but the Volcanos and Van Dykes are cool


    Ha! Let's see you say that on the soul boards...




  • SoulhawkSoulhawk 3,197 Posts
    Northern soul is a British dude, yelling on a microphone ,like a pro wrestler telling you the next song will blow your fuckin' nuts off and make you shit blood and that it was a real "corker" back in the days of the wigan Casino, and its a "real rare one innit" and then the record drops and it sounds like some weak-ass poor man's Smokey Robinson with an ass load of strings....


    but the Volcanos and Van Dykes are cool


    Ha! Let's see you say that on the soul boards...




    I'm sure some of the dyed-in-the-wool funkers on fryers board would agree with him re 'norman' soul actually...

    I personally think he is just underinformed.

    some soul music classified as 'northern' is surely amongst the worlds best, regardless of rarity.


  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    Northern soul is like some weak-ass poor man's Smokey Robinson with an ass load of strings....

    Sounds like it should be on Motown, but it isnt.

  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts


    some soul music classified as 'northern' is surely amongst the worlds best, regardless of rarity.


    I rarely use this graemlin, but

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts


    some soul music classified as 'northern' is surely amongst the worlds best, regardless of rarity.


    I rarely use this graemlin, but

    Yep, told y'all.

  • crazypoprockcrazypoprock 1,037 Posts


    some soul music classified as 'northern' is surely amongst the worlds best, regardless of rarity.


    I rarely use this graemlin, but

    and some of it is amongst the world's worst regardless of rarity...the problem is this term "northern" which has nothing to do with the music but rather with a certain location and point in time...the game continues.

  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts


    some soul music classified as 'northern' is surely amongst the worlds best, regardless of rarity.


    I rarely use this graemlin, but

    and some of it is amongst the world's worst regardless of rarity...the problem is this term "northern" which has nothing to do with the music but rather with a certain location and point in time...the game continues.

    Naw dude, as been said repeatedly, it is a SPECIFIC sound...

  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts


    Naw dude, as been said repeatedly, it is a SPECIFIC sound...


    I wouldn't come so hardcore with that - the only true constant
    with Northern is that it is uptempo, often 4/4.

    Southern records can be Northern soul, tracks with lush strings
    might be Northern, but there are raw guitar-bass-drum tracks that
    are Northern classics ("Carlena" by Just Brothers, anyone?) - it's
    true many many Northern records have a similar sound, but there is
    no one defined Northern "sound" IMO.

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts


    some soul music classified as 'northern' is surely amongst the worlds best, regardless of rarity.


    I rarely use this graemlin, but

    and some of it is amongst the world's worst regardless of rarity...the problem is this term "northern" which has nothing to do with the music but rather with a certain location and point in time...the game continues.

    This is patently untrue. If it were true, you wouldn't be able to identify anything as Northern without knowing the complete history of the scene. There also wouldn't be any new discoveries, which, in the case of northern, is actually meaningful because the music was being listened to and collected as it was coming out.

  • meatyogremeatyogre 2,080 Posts
    One thing I like about England is they have these buses that pick up a big group of party goers, at night, take you to these clubs that go on til 6 or 7 AM, and take you back to the city or whereever you live. You can get your drink and smoke on in most of these buses as well, so the party never stops.


    If Darrow Fletcher - What Have I Got Now is Northern Soul, I'm sold.

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts


    Naw dude, as been said repeatedly, it is a SPECIFIC sound...


    ... there is
    no one defined Northern "sound" IMO.

    I'd wager you could make this argument with just about any sub-genre of music.

  • SoulhawkSoulhawk 3,197 Posts
    One thing I like about England is they have these buses that pick up a big group of party goers, at night, take you to these clubs that go on til 6 or 7 AM, and take you back to the city or whereever you live. You can get your drink and smoke on in most of these buses as well, so the party never stops.


    If Darrow Fletcher - What Have I Got Now is Northern Soul, I'm sold.

    I like 'What Good Am I Without You', but I guess that's just some sissy garbage cause it's got strings.

    fuckin' rockists.




  • If Darrow Fletcher - My Young Misery is Northern Soul, I'm sold.

  • What Can A Man Do

    The song with this title (though I don't
    think the same song) by The Showstoppers,
    the flipside of Ain't Nothin' but a House
    Party
    , is one of my all-time favorite
    unhyped tracks. Amazing & heartbreaking uptempo
    sweet soul group vocal. And a good example
    of a song I've never heard of as "Northern" but
    that definitely has a "Northern sound"


    Huge cosign. The Showstoppers had a couple of very nice b-sides. There are tons of great Northern style records out of Philly, including the Volcanos, Ethics, Intruders (early stuff like 'Check Yourself') Formations, Four Larks, Lee Garrett, Larry Clinton, Eddie Holman and a bunch of others.
    Those that are dismissing Northern Soul as poor imitations of Motown haven't heard enough of it. There are countless amazing records, as well as a bunch of crap, but that can be said of ANY genre discussed on this board.
    Keep in mind too, that although the Northern scene is by and large a 70's phenomenon, the groundwork for it was laid in 60's soul clubs in the UK, where US soul artists could tour successfully when they couldn't get a gig in the US (a tradition that continues today).
    The Showstoppers are a great example. 'It Ain't Nothing But A House Party' was a huge hit in the UK and they eventually moved there and recorded a few more 45s for UK labels in 69 and 70 (which are pretty good).

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts


    Naw dude, as been said repeatedly, it is a SPECIFIC sound...

    Southern records can be Northern soul...

    This sounds like you're confusing Northern England w/ Northern America. Just sayin'.

  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts


    Naw dude, as been said repeatedly, it is a SPECIFIC sound...

    Southern records can be Northern soul...

    This sounds like you're confusing Northern England w/ Northern America. Just sayin'.

    No, I'm saying all "Northern Soul" doesn't come from
    Detroit, as some people seem to think. I'm not confusing those
    two things at all, and I honestly don't know why you would
    read that into what I wrote.



  • some soul music classified as 'northern' is surely amongst the worlds best, regardless of rarity.


    I rarely use this graemlin, but

    and some of it is amongst the world's worst regardless of rarity...the problem is this term "northern" which has nothing to do with the music but rather with a certain location and point in time...the game continues.

    Incorrecto...the music is identified with a style, popularized in a specific location (hence the name), but a specific style nonetheless.

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts


    Naw dude, as been said repeatedly, it is a SPECIFIC sound...

    Southern records can be Northern soul...

    This sounds like you're confusing Northern England w/ Northern America. Just sayin'.

    No, I'm saying all "Northern Soul" doesn't come from
    Detroit, as some people seem to think. I'm not confusing those
    two things at all, and I honestly don't know why you would
    read that into what I wrote.

    "Northern Soul" got its name from being played in clubs in Northern England, not from originating in Northern America.

  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts


    Naw dude, as been said repeatedly, it is a SPECIFIC sound...

    Southern records can be Northern soul...

    This sounds like you're confusing Northern England w/ Northern America. Just sayin'.

    No, I'm saying all "Northern Soul" doesn't come from
    Detroit, as some people seem to think. I'm not confusing those
    two things at all, and I honestly don't know why you would
    read that into what I wrote.

    "Northern Soul" got its name from being played in clubs in Northern England, not from originating in Northern America.

    Are you messing with me?
    Don't you think I ALREADY KNOW THAT?
    I don't understand what I am saying that makes
    you keep implying that I don't know this

  • SoulhawkSoulhawk 3,197 Posts
    Here's a rare Detroit 45( that I grudgingly sold a month ago...) - Melvin Davis on Wheel City.

    http://s40.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0L7EKSCRLZ6QQ2EHO13JESCTHW

    ---


    ---

  • twoplytwoply Only Built 4 Manzanita Links 2,914 Posts


    Naw dude, as been said repeatedly, it is a SPECIFIC sound...

    Southern records can be Northern soul...

    This sounds like you're confusing Northern England w/ Northern America. Just sayin'.

    No, I'm saying all "Northern Soul" doesn't come from
    Detroit, as some people seem to think. I'm not confusing those
    two things at all, and I honestly don't know why you would
    read that into what I wrote.

    "Northern Soul" got its name from being played in clubs in Northern England, not from originating in Northern America.

    Are you messing with me?
    Don't you think I ALREADY KNOW THAT?
    I don't understand what I am saying that makes
    you keep implying that I don't know this


    Isn't DCastillo doing a Northern set last month? I can't wait to go.

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts


    Naw dude, as been said repeatedly, it is a SPECIFIC sound...

    Southern records can be Northern soul...

    This sounds like you're confusing Northern England w/ Northern America. Just sayin'.

    No, I'm saying all "Northern Soul" doesn't come from
    Detroit, as some people seem to think. I'm not confusing those
    two things at all, and I honestly don't know why you would
    read that into what I wrote.

    "Northern Soul" got its name from being played in clubs in Northern England, not from originating in Northern America.

    Are you messing with me?
    Don't you think I ALREADY KNOW THAT?
    I don't understand what I am saying that makes
    you keep implying that I don't know this

    Haha. Yeah, dude, I'm sure you do know that. Here's where the confusion came in:

    This thread is called 'What is Northern Soul?" and there seem to be a bunch of people with pretty substantial misconceptions of the term. When you said said "Some Northern Soul comes from the South." (i.e. not Detroit) I just wanted to point out that someone who was completely uninitiated might infer from your statement that "Northern Soul" referred to soul music from Northern America. Then when you said "I honestly don't know why you would read that into what I wrote" I thought, hell, maybe this dude is confused. Does that make any sense?
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