Northern Soul Compilations

This is such a minefield, so far
the best I have found is this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Northern-Soul-All-Nighter-Ever/dp/B00005CBW6
laugh at the new price!

However this is missing loads like the Chairmen of the Board
for starters.

So what's your best compilation?

I don't think sound quality is that relevant here.

 

"Dave Goodin's Deep Soul Treasures", Volumes 1, 2, 3 & 4.
On the Kent Records label, which I believe is a part of the Ace Records re-issuing label.

I suggest if you're interested in 'Northern Soul' you search for a list of Ace's catalogue.


I realize that 'Northern Soul' is a British category for American soul of the '50s and '60s - often preferring the obscure over the obvious hits. There may be particularities of the genre for someone in the UK that I don't appreciate, but if you're interested in soul collections per se, I'd suggest the following box sets:

"Beg, Scream & Shout - The Big, Old Box of '60s Soul" (Rhino);
"Can You Dig It - The '70s Soul Experience" (Rhino);
"The Complete Stax Volt Singles 1959-1968" (Atlantic-WB);
"Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974" (Atlantic-WB);

and the "Solid Gold Soul" individual CD series (Time Life). I think it starts with the year 1966 and goes to about 1976. More pop hit focused.

 

I don't think a single one of the comps you listed contains much, if any, Northern Soul, good though they all are, certainly not the Dave Godin ones.

The All Nighter one linked to by the OP is a good overview, and can be had fairly cheap for a reasonable price used.

see also 'Out On The Floor':

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-The-Floor-Vol-Legendary/dp/B000024HDB

there's a recent series of budget CDs focused on the playlists from 4 seminal clubs which are worth a look. Here's the Twisted Wheel one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Northern-Soul-Story-Vol-1-Twisted/dp/B000RB6UUQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1379884978&sr=1-5&keywords=twisted wheel

Talcum Soul is also excellent

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Talcum-Soul-Various-Artists/dp/B00002525Q

There's nothing 'Northern' abut Chairman Of the Board, by the way - they were far too popular!

 

'Northern Soul' is not a genre as such. It's basically American soul music (but not entirely), that was popular with punters and djs at clubs in the north of Britain in the late 60s/1970s. Stylistically, it mainly falls into the kind of pounding 60s Motown dancefloor stuff. The demand for that sort of sound, when it already anachronistic, meant the ever-competitive Djs would sift through singles relelased on smaller independents and "soundalikes" on other labels, unearthing a great deal of ace music in the process. Some of it never got to the UK, was only regional hits, or never hits at all. 'Northern Soul' is therefore not a genre, it's more a patchwork. Just stuff popular on the British club scene. The series this belongs to is worth checking out, good sound and it consists of stuff popular in each of the clubs...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Northern-Soul-Story-Vol/dp/B000RB6UV0/ref=pd_sim_m_h__1

'David Godin's Deep Soul Treasures' series, is great, but is not stuff that fits into that "northern" characteristic. Most of it is slow, bluesy gospel-flavoured stuff. - more "When A Man Loves A Woman" than "Heat Wave"...Dave Godin did coin the term "Northern Soul"...he run a shop in London selling imported soul stuff, and noticed a certain sound that northern english buyers tended to favour.

All those soul box sets are highly recommended - better to attack American Soul as a whole than get pulled in by the concept of "Northern"...it's more of a social and cultural explosion than being a musical genre in itself.

 

Excellent choice and a great compilation. It's worth buying just for The Parliaments and Poets tracks

 

This is a steal at a fiver.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Shak.../tracks/B00000B7Q5/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Hits-No...888451&sr=1-1&keywords=100+hits+northern+soul

 

If you only buy one buy:

The In Crowd - The Story of Northern Soul (Castle CMEDD049).

The Goldmine CDs can be a bit hit or miss but there are some excellent ones

The Twisted Wheel Story
Out On The Floor
Northern Soul The Classics
The Wigan Casino Story
The Golden Torch Story

There is a series on Sony called Soultime, all good, Volume 1 is essential

A label called Maple St released two volumes of the ABC Paramount Story which are excellent

Turning My Heartbeat Up on BMG

Kent are experts in this field, I think there best are

Just Keep On Dancing - Chess Northern Soul
For Dancers Forever


Finally, several wonderful tracks from Cameo Parkway were unavailable for decades. You can finally get them on the superb box set from Universal - A Complete Introduction To Northern Soul (really nice package).

Lots of rare Motown fell into the Northern realm, two many CDs to mention but make sure you have Frank Wilson - Do I Love You.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I also started with the "Best Northern Soul All-Nighter... Ever", and would recommend the following as next steps:

The Northern Soul Story, Vol. 1: The Twisted Wheel
http://www.amazon.com/The-Northern-Soul-Story-Vol/dp/B000RB6UUQ/ref=pd_bxgy_m_text_z
The Northern Soul Story, Vol. 2: The Golden Torch
http://www.amazon.com/The-Northern-Soul-Story-Vol/dp/B000RB6UV0/ref=pd_bxgy_m_img_y
The Northern Soul Story, Vol. 3: Blackpool Mecca
http://www.amazon.com/The-Northern-Soul-Story-Vol/dp/B000RB6UVA/ref=pd_bxgy_m_text_z
The Northern Soul Story Vol. 4: Wigan Casino
http://www.amazon.com/The-Northern-Soul-Story-Vol/dp/B000RB6UVK/ref=pd_sim_m_3
Ian Levine Presents: Reaching for the Best - The NORTHERN SOUL of Blackpool Mecca
http://www.amazon.com/Ian-Levine-Presents-Reaching-Bes/dp/B0000C83ZL/ref=sr_1_2?s=music

I know sound quality is not the first criterion to measure Northern Soul , but as a warning, some the of the 1990s Goldmine CDs are treated with unpleasant noise reduction.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-In...=1379914781&sr=1-3&keywords=northern+soul+box


this is a good starter !

 

That's the one I mention above with the rare Cameo Parkway tracks on disc 4. It's definetely worth getting just for that stuff, but the box as a whole has far too much Motown, which kinda distorts the picture of what Northern Soul really was. Apart from that grumble it's excellent.

It has some of my favourite Northern records ever:

You Didn't Say A Word - Yvonne Baker
I'm Gonna Love You A Long Time - Patti & The Emblems
Gotta Have Your Love - The Sapphires
Seven Days Too Long - Chuck Wood
Soul Self Satisfaction - Earl Jackson
Do I Love You - Frank Wilson
Tainted Love - Gloria Jones

And it has the legendary '3 before 8' (the last three records played every week at the Wigan Casino)
Long After Tonight Is All Over - Jimmy Radcliffe
Time Will Pass You By - Tobi Legend
I'm On My Way - Dean Parrish

 

This might also interest you if you've not already seen it....

 

Yeah, great comp and starts with my favorite soul tune, Sam Dees - Lonely for You Baby

 

I watched that last night on BBC 2 - great little docu.

 

I checked out this tune on YouTube and its a killer.
My next comp purchase will include this track on it for sure.

 

Are you only looking for CDs? As noted above, Kent has put out some fantastic comps, but there's even more available if you're into vinyl. Just a fantastic array of albums came out through Kent in the '80s and many of them pop up on eBay for reasonable prices...

Gonna put one of these on right now, in fact!

 

You mention a lot of these comps being available on vinyl, could you recommend any in particular? Thanks!

 

I got interested in this genre after I heard the Beg,Scream and Shout box which has a fair amount of Northern Soul. I picked up this CD which I like quite a bit: http://www.allmusic.com/album/mojo-chess-northern-soul-mw0000770346

 

For the Chairman of The Board check out The Beach Music Anthology series on RiPete Records. There is some over lap between Beach Music and Northern Soul.

 

I was talking to a Northern DJ yesterday, who confirmed that non-soul music was also sought after, if it had the right sound and beat. The Ventures doing Hawaii Five O was big on the scene. As he put it 'tom jones has a northern soul hit. Elvis has a northern soul hit.'

 

Kent Stop Dancing and Leapers, Sleepers and Creepers are faves of mine from the 80s.
The NME and Kent did a great cassette comp at the same time, which is online here:
http://nmecassettes.wordpress.com/nme-020-feet-start-dancin-1986/

 

The best Kent vinyl LP was/is Floorshakers, KENT006 I think. The best Northern comp ever put out on vinyl imo.

 

Many thanks for the replies and opinions. I'll start looking into these Kent comps..

 

Thanks again, I just checked discogs and it looks like it's KENT007.