Northern Soul

I am not from England, and never heard of Northern Soul. But your question piqued my curiosity, and I found this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_soul

You learn something new every day. Thanks!

one of my favourite periods of music the Madchester scene rose from (or was derived from) the Northern Soul movement

See what you think of this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KXp5_2Xfrg&feature=fvsr

How to manual, chapter 1 more or less...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwCVDjyoMmo

As far as pretty much anyone south of Birmingham (UK) was concerned, the northern soul thing passed us by. We were too busy listening to the genuine article : Motown, Atlantic etc.
There's been a radio DJ who's recently had a "slot" in his programme where he played northern soul, and judging by the sound of it, we didn't miss that much.

It's a bit like comparing the UK's Cliff Richard with Elvis.....or bringing it more up to date, Noel and Liam Gallagher with Lennon/McCartney.

I suppose there may be one or two exceptions to the rule, but.....

From what little I can see, Northern Soul amounts more to dancing than to any sort of specific music.

And from what I have listened to, most of it seems to be emulating the Motown "sound", but you may well be right in that people who were into the whole scene were there purely to jig about, rather than judge the quality of the music as a whole.
Like I say, it never really caught on in the UK other than in one specific area that accounts for about 3 or 4% of the population.

The vast majority of the UK youngsters in the 70's tended to listen to three types of music at that time, namely Motown (and other similar American labels), Reggae (Toots, Dekker, Jimmy Cliff -that type of thing) and heavy stuff (think Floyd, Sabbath, Hawkwind etc)
There was a bit of a hangover from the 60's with quite a bit of transcendental music around - and "glam" made big inroads, followed later by punk - but if you asked 9 out of 10 kids from the 70's to make a playlist from that whole era, I would hazard a guess that Northern Soul wouldn't figure in their top 100.

It's OK I suppose, but don't think for one minute that it swept the nation off its feet in any way.

Each to their own I suppose.

I still am one of that 3 or 4% of the population,even though I'm in London ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcaBL_pWyCc
Ronnie McNeir - Sitting In My Class.
Let's start a Northern Soul radio station.....NOT! The Yanks won't understand

More:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUyQdSQWmi0&feature=related

Looks like they're all having a great time. Lovely moves going on there.

Was that filmed at Pineapple Studios?

Taken from the 2 CD set Soul Time Best Of on the Sony lable,disc 2,track 26....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfu-Sn3iEnA
Kenny Bernard - Pity My Feet.

May be preaching to the converted but look out for anything posted on Youtube by Ian Levine,master promoter of today's Northern Soul....
http://www.youtube.com/user/IanLevine
No advertising intended.

More:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7iP_DSqEOw&feature=related

Youtube is a magical application, like a window on the whole planet and **** nobody ever would have had a way of knowing about ten years ago, I mean who in the US would have had a way to know that Al Wilson's song about the snake had become the "anthem" of "Northern Soul"??

Here's THE best history book on Northern Soul....
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Soul-Survivors-Wigan-Casino-Story/dp/1861050534/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

Here in the UK we have a digital radio channel named Jazz FM.On Saturdays,between 3 and 6pm,UK time,Peter Young plays some "Mod" jazz with the last hour made up with the music you may like .Well worth checking out.Peter Young has been keeping the faith for as long as I have (strokes long white beard).

Here is Peter Young's playlist for last Saturday....
6th March 2011

Hour 1

Freddie Hubbard – Return Of The Prodigal Son (Atlantic)

Akiko feat. Corinne Drewery – Waters Of March (Verve Japan)

Tape Five feat. Iain Mackenzie – Birds Like It (Soul Unsigned)

M-Swift Presents 24 Carat – Café Bahia (Jazzmin)

Nathan Watson – Loveline (Strawberry Moon)

Aaron Tesser and The New Jazz Affair – Ride Like The Wind (Irma)

Rodney Franklin – Windy City (Columbia)

James Taylor Quartet – Home Is Where The Hatred Is (Chin Chin)

Live Tropical Fish feat. Omar – Rubber Soul (LTF)

Charles Bradley – The World Is Going Up In Flames (Daptone)

Hour 2

Joe Williams – Early In The Morning (Bluebird)

Lou Donaldson – Alligator Boogaloo (Blue Note)

Miles Davis – Human Nature (Columbia)

Ella Fitzgerald – Can’t Buy Me Love (Verve)

Professor Longhair – Go To The Mardi Gras (Ron)

Willis Jackson – Gator’s Groove (Muse)

Sade – Hang On To Your Love (Epic)

Nathan Watson – Reach Out (Strawberry Moon)

Prince Fatty feat. Little Roy – Need Some Lovin’ (Mr. Bongo)

Jonathan Jeremiah – See (It Doesn’t Bother Me) (Island)

The Wan Trio – Selvagem (Far Out)

Hour 3: ‘The Soul Cellar’

The Impressions – You Ought To Be In Heaven (Kent)

The Elgins – Heaven Must Have Sent You (Tamla Motown)

Dionne Warwick – You’ll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) (Scepter)

Fats Domino – My Blue Heaven (Imperial)

Candi Staton – Halfway To Heaven (Jazz FM)

The Meters – Look KA-PY-PY (Direction)

Ike and Tina Turner – Crazy ‘Bout You Baby (UA)

Lloyd Price – Love Music (GSF)

Etta James – Can’t Shake It (Kent)

Bobby Womack and The Valentinos – I Found A True Love (Chess)

Little Milton – Have Mercy Baby (Chess)

Freddy King – I’m Tore Down (Ace)

Little Anthony and The Imperials – I’m On The Outside Looking In (MFP)

The Five Keys – Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind (Capitol)

Jackie Edwards – Come On Home (Island)

Helen Shapiro – Not Responsible (EMI)

The Brunswick Sound – You Babe (Westside)

JTQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXvKor5SuDA

Dont 'ya just love a Hammond B3

Another version and really good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8j3IaoJxmY&feature=related

No idea who's singing...