I guess it’s one of those musical anomalies, those little mysteries of “ how did that happen?” and there are theories but I have my own personal take which, to me, speaks of the redemptiveness of music and how it can change the world for the better.
This will not be an accurate history of the how and why of Northern Soul but a memoir of sorts but please remember , I was young, dumb and full of….well…. black bombers ( uppers) , poppers ( amyl nitrite) and cheap alcohol.
Officially, Northern Soul is:
“…..a British music and dance scene born in the early 1970s. It grew out of the mod scene's love for a specific kind of American soul music, Tamala Motown: fast tempos, strong beats (100bpm) and often obscure releases. Northern Soul dancers developed a unique athletic style to match the energetic music. The scene thrived in clubs throughout northern England and the Midlands, with venues like the Wigan Casino becoming legendary…..”
Back in the 60’s, black music, which wasn’t getting much air play on mainstream American radio was brought over to England by the maritime sailors of the British Merchant Navy, who loved the beat of it and got it played in dance clubs etc, in fact listening to Soul singers like James Brown, Ray Charles etc was one of my first introductions to dance music, as these songs gained popularity more and more obscure Motown songs were brought over and became much sought after.
The irony of black music being worshipped in Britain then being shipped back to the USA in a watered down “white boy” version ( The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals) called THE BRITISH INVASION ,that is suitable to be played on mainstream radio in America doesn’t escape me. Although this was more the delta blues, the same ethos worked for Motown which was more relatable to the working class youth of northern England and Scotland than music being played by bands like Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes etc, which came across as elitist and definitely not music you could dance too!
How popular was Northern Soul?
I was from Edinburgh, Scotland and back then (1974) it took at least four hours to drive down to Wigan.
Plan the journey….
finding someone with a car, making sure you had enough dosh for petrol , this usually involves inviting friends or friends of friends, ones you thought could afford it ( 4 being the ideal number ). So, four people , with the cash and time for a two day trip to Wigan, who loved the music, too dance, too score ( bonus if they had a Mom who was taking diet pills, the pills much sought after as they were an amphetamine ,good for keeping you awake) even then there was no guarantee you’d get into Wigan Casino for the “all nighter” which started on a Sunday morning at 2am and finished around about 8am.
but worth it. A night to remember forever.
And now, my favourite Northern Soul song…..
Do I Love You by Frank Wilson.