Soul Source

Northern Soul is a term attributed to a music scene that originated in the North of England. Although the term was first used by a journalist in Blues and Soul magazine in 1970, the movement itself originated not in the press, but in the clubs.

Northern Soul emerged off the back of the Mod scene, and first became popular in the late 1960’s. Clubbers at the time favoured a brand of American Black Soul Music characterised by a heavy beat, fast tempo, and soulful vocals. Essentially it was a Motown inspired sound, with records sourced from Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, and America’s West Coast. But this was really an ‘underground’ music movement.

Northern Soul fans were known as some of the most loyal and devoted music fans of the time, though they were particular with what songs they accepted onto the dance floor. When Motown became a mainstream hit maker, they looked to DJ’s to source less commercial releases. This led to rare, collectable, unheard of, and in some cased unreleased (at least in the UK) soul songs making the playlists at soul clubs, and popular all-nighter events. It’s this penchant for playing obscure records that best represents what the Northern Soul scene was all about, and ultimately led to one of the first networks of DJ’s, dealers, clubs, and record collectors in the UK.

This clamour for obscure soul records also saw the early beginnings of the celebrity DJ culture, with some of the best known and most influential DJ’s being those with the best collections. Club DJ Roger Eagle was one of the early pioneers, who managed to source records that even the Americans had seen little of. Another notable name was DJ Ian Levine. His record collection was often described as ‘dance floor gold’, as he uncovered epic songs like ‘Our Love Is In The Picket’ by JJ Barnes, ‘Hit And Run’ by Rose Batiste, and ‘No One To Love’ by Pat Lewis.

Ian Levine’s record collection was linked to the Blackpool Mecca, and Twisted Wheel, while other popular Northern Soul venues included The Wigan Casino, The Golden Torch in Stoke, and the Mojo Club in Sheffield. On display every club night, were the latest Northern Soul fashions, dance moves, and the clenched fist. This Northern Soul symbol was adopted from The Black Power Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s.

In the 1960’s and 70’s, many Northern Soul venues came and went, and eventually those associated with the scene moved on with life, so there was a decline. But there was a revival in the 1990’s, and now many people revisit the songs they enjoyed in their youth. The genre also continues to attract many new fans. Notable among these are music stars Soft Cell, who charted with two Northern Soul covers, namely ‘Tainted Love’ (originally by Gloria Jones), and ‘What’ (originally by Judy Street). Eagle eyed fans may have also spotted a mock-up of the Wigan Casino in Molokos video for ‘Familiar’, and presenter Terry Christian championing the genre in various media articles. It seems what goes around, comes around, and as long as there are music fans, there will be a place for Northern Soul in the heart of Northern England.