Northern Soul was a British phenomenon in the late 60s/early 70s when clubs in the north played beat-driven American soul for pilled-up patrons of venues like the famous Wigan Casino, the subject of a terrific doco by Tony Palmer. The music was rarely from mainstream labels like Motown and much of it came on long-lost or deleted singles. A decade ago the archive label Rhino trawled the vaults of labels like Atco, Loma and Atlantic and , with the help of former British record importer and soul DJ Richard Searling, produced three separate discs of these rare grooves.
Here all three are pulled together in a gatefold pack of 75 songs and, with a few exceptions (Ike and Tina Turner, Bobby Womack, Esther Phillips, Patti LaBelle, the Pointer Sisters), there is barely a household name among them. And when the familiar names appear they surprise, like Ella Fitzgerald ripping into the Smokey Robinson/Temptations hit Get Ready. But it is the wealth of lesser-known if not obscure songs here which make this a treasure box of shoulda-been hits and a chance to discover greats like singer-guitarist Barbara Lynn (now 69). This is the music which inspired Soft Cell, Dexy's Midnight Runners and more recently Plan B.
Good time listening, horn-driven party music mostly, and the stepping stone to that remarkable Palmer doco.
Stars: 5/5
Verdict: Stonking soul grooves over three crammed discs
- TimeOut / elsewhere.co.nz
