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This Is Northern Soul — Various Artists

 

    
Year Released: 1999

Label: Crimson Records

Year Bought: 2011


I bought this CD off a market stall in Braintree in 2011 (for £6 it seems) and have never listened to it. I got it because I had a cool light blue jacket with the Northern Soul fist logo on it so thought I better get into the scene a bit. Was probably too busy listening to the Manics to actually do it.

Ok this took a long time to get through. It's 24 tracks, which is a lot in one sitting.

A compilation released in 1999 by Crimson Records, to cash in on the "revival" seen in the 90s, according to the liner noters, this is a pretty good entry point to the genre.

There's a load of tunes on here I admit I didn't know, which was the point of a lot of Northern Soul: find obscure 45s.

The opening track is one that everyone knows, 'Move On Up' by Curtis Mayfield. However, I'd never heard the full, almost 9-minute long version. Even with the extension, it still feels like it's over too soon. What a track.

The CD keeps the tempo up — as is the Northern Soul remit — as it bounces along. Dobie Gray's 'Out In The Floor' is a particular highlight, with a relentless bass that just holds it all down while everything bounces above it.

There's a couple of covers on here. Johnny Jones & The King Casuals do a good version of 'Purple Haze', and 'Under My Thumb' gets a makeover by Wayne Gibson.

The tempo drops with 'Time is Tight' by Booker T & The MCs and then the end of the CD goes a bit weird.

A 1997 remix by Ian Levine (a big player in the UK Northern Soul scene) of 'Reaching for the Best' by The Exciters is pretty ropey. It sounds like it was done on a toy keyboard with an awful brass sound. 

Next up is '24 Hours A Day' by Barbara Pennington, another song with Ian Levine's prints on it. He's down as a co-writer and this sounds less like northern soul and more like early disco. Either way, it's not great.

It's hard to know if this is truly a good representation of the Northern Soul as I don't know enough about it. I know there's some big tunes missing, like 'Tainted Love', so I guess this really is some deep cuts.

It's good. Would put again. Probably won't though.


7/10

Full track listing

1 Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up

2 Little Anthony & The Imperials - Better Use Your Head

3 Jackie Wilson - I've Lost You

4 Dobie Gray - Out On The Floor

5 Erma Franklin - (I Get The) Sweetest Feeling

6 Al Wilson - The Snake

7 Darrell Banks - Our Love (Is In The Pocket)

8 Johnny Jones & The King Casuals - Purple Haze

9 Lavern Baker - Wrapped, Tied And Tangled

10 Javells, The featuring Nosmo King - Goodbye Nothing To Say

11 Wayne Gibson - Under My Thumb

12 Father's Angels - Bok To Bach

13 The Artistics - Girl I Need You

14 Bob Relf - Blowing My Mind To Pieces

15 Barbara Acklin - Just Ain't No Love

16 Booker T & The MG's - Time Is Tight

17 Evelyn Thomas - Weak Spot

18 The Exciters - Reaching For The Best

19 Barbara Pennington - 24 Hours A Day

20 Adam's Apples - Don't Take It Out On This World

21 Judy Street - What

22 Jack Montgomery - Dearly Beloved

23 Just Brothers - Sliced Tomatoes

24 Jimmy Radcliffe - Long After Tonight Is All Over

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