Heres the challenge, if you were asked by a record company to compile 2 cds with 17 songs on each,one northern soul and one just soul which tracks would you choose?

northern OK, easy but soul music has many sub sectiona as well do you mean anthems or just the very best classy stuff

Your choice Ian ,but i would like it to be what you judge to be the best tracks no matter what.

here u are with CD 1 - soul

this is mainly soul, left out obvious disco, jazz funk etc

1. Flowers - For Real
2. The Whispers - Can't do without my love
3. Tina Marie - Portugese Love
4. Greg Diamond & The Bionic Boogie - Hot Butterfly
5. JT Taylor - FeelThe Need
6. Leroy Hutson - Get To This (You'll get To me)
7. garfield Fleming - Don't Send Me away
8. Lew Kirton - Heavan In The Afternoon
9. Collins & Collins - Top Of The Stairs
10. Jackie Moore - Lets Go Somewhere & Make Love baby
11. Tower Of Power - It Really Doesn't Matter
12. Jones Girls - Nights Over Egypt
13. AJ Brown - Making Love
14. Lamont Dozier - Why Can't We Be Lovers
15. Paris - I Choose you
16. Al Wilson - Kiss & Tell
17. Gene Chandler - Let Me Make Love To You

there is volume 1, this took 10 minutes later there will probably be 100's more to follow

Hmm; so this is a challenge... so what do we win


OK, here goes. My soul CD would be

Sheree Brown-It's A Pleasure
Jones Girls-This Feelings Killing Me
Adriana Evans-Looking For Your Love
Terry Callier-Ordinary Joe
Trinidad Oil Company-Feelin Alright
Fathers Children-Hollywood Dreaming
Shuggie Otis-Inspiration Information
The Checkmates Ltd-Got To See You Soon
Mercy Mercy-What Are We Gonna Do About It
Stevie Wonder-Golden Lady
Jon Lucien-Would You Believe In Me
Maze & Frankie Beverley-Happy Feelings
Earth, Wind & Fire-Head To The Sky/Devotion (live)
Gilberto Gil-Toda Menina Baiana
Whispers-I'm The One For You
Cameo-Love You Anyway
Michael Wycoff-Looking Up To You
Kleeer-Take Your Heart Away
Groove Collective-Lift Off
Bernard Wright-Who Do You Love

superb selection Eskie

Esk and Ian,the reason i got you two to do this is because i was asked by a mate who works for a record company to see if i could get some soul djs to put together a suggestion for a double compilation.If this happens then of course you guys get big credits on the cover!

credits .... credits

we want money

Shall mention it to them!

Chris, the track listing used here won't be commercially successful as most people will have never heard of most of the tracks, and you'd have to be very deep into soul to know any/many of them.
I'd guess that apart from Ian & I, that not many other people on here would know that many of the tracks on either of our selections? so I can't see this selling many, even though there is some absolutely fantastic music here.

Eskie,

I agree with your comments what is the best soul music, and true officianado's would love it, getting the tracks licensed would be a major problem and the market is very limited, and the Expansions label with their soul togetherness series has this market pretty much covered

Chris, If it is for commercial release, then I'm sure Eskie & I would be able to come up with a killer release that would sell bucket loads.

I'm watching this thread with interest, and have to say that as Esk and Ian both said most I have'nt heard of but a few I recognise.

But to my point.............. ok guys lets hear your killer commercial release of Northern Soul and or soul cos I for one am really interested in widening my knowledge (Just in case I ever get asked you know)

Spin

Spin, just check out the CD's Soul Survivors & Soul Survivors 2
They are the ultimate for Northern Soul, especially some of the more commercial side of it.
track listing on the 1st cd is:
1. Move on up - Mayfield, Curtis
2. SOS - Starr, Edwin
3. It takes two - Gaye, Marvin & Kim Weston
4. Needle in a haystack - Velvelettes
5. What - Street, Judy
6. Do I love you (indeed I do) - Wilson, Frank
7. This old heart of mine - Isley Brothers
8. 123 - Barry, Len
9. Backfield in motion - Mel & Tim
10. Let's wade in the water - Shaw, Marlena
11. My man a sweet man - Jackson, Millie
12. Love makes a woman - Acklin, Barbara
13. I get the sweetest feeling - Wilson, Jackie
14. You're gonna love my baby - McNair, Barbara
15. Be young be foolish be happy - Tams
16. Better use your head - Little Anthony & The Imperials
17. There's a ghost in my house - Taylor, R. Dean
18. Out on the floor - Gray, Dobie
19. Sweet soul music - Conley, Arthur
20. Bok to bach - Father's Angels
21. You know how to love me - Hyman, Phyllis
22. Queen of clubs - KC & The Sunshine Band
23. Don't take away the music - Tavares
24. Love machine - Miracles
25. Snake - Wilson, Al
26. Show me - Tex, Joe
27. Time is tight - Booker T & The MG's
28. Here I go again - Bell, Archie
29. Sweet talkin' guy - Chiffons
30. Rescue me - Bass, Fontella
31. Can't satisfy - Impressions
32. Girl (why you wanna make me blue) - Temptations
33. Green door - Frog, Wynder K.
34. I'm gonna run away from you - Lynn, Tammi
35. Zoo (the human zoo) - Commodores
36. Go go power - De Santo, Sugar Pie
37. Dearly beloved - Montgomery, Jack
38. Long after tonight is all over - Radcliffe, Jimmy
39. Time will pass you by - Legend, Tobi
40. I'm on my way - Parrish, Dean

Click here for Soul Survivors 2
They're not easy to find, but are well worth getting hold of

Thanks Eskie what a mine of information, see going through 'that' list I already have a fair proportion of them on other albums, but to group them together whereby somebody asks for Northern soul I now know what I'm looking for

Many thanks

Spin

Actually Ian & I were chatting about these albums last night, and he blew me away when he told me that the 7" of 'Do I love you (indeed I do)' by Frank Wilson recently was sold for £25,000!!!!!
Apparently only 3 pieces of the vinyl were ever pressed!

Now how to copy and press a piece of vinyl so it looks old complete with label and sleeve would be a help!! Especially worth that much !!



Spin

Eskie,

more than 3 were pressed, but only 3 I believe are known to be in existance because the original were destroyed

originally from 1965 on motown, Frank Wilson was one of the labels top producers.

Northern is a strange area of music, because even that sub set of the soul genre has many sub sets, and the best thing is if you know nothing about it leave well alone.

but the supermarkets always have cheap compilations for under a fiver.

or if you are in the north Listen to Richard Searling on Jazz FM, a northern soul legend or in the south Peter Young on Jazz FM, one of the most knowledgble people I have ever met.

both show go out at 1pm on sundays.

Just to chuck in my tuppence worth.

The Soul Survivor series are a good start, lots of Casino classics, especially aimed at the mainstream punters who knew a bit about the Northern and Motown scene.
The best mainstream compilation that I have is called The In Crowd - The Story of Northern Soul which includes some of the Soul Survivor tracks but also some others slightly harder to find but not the totally obscure.

Failing that just watch any of the ads for KFC......

Spinko

PS Richard Searle is an absolute legend amongst the Northern followers

Dan just messaged me about a new 3 cd box set of northern soul in tesco's for under £5, some tunes not northern but well worth the money, i bought it a few weeks ago it is compiled by Ian Levine top northern soul DJ & Producer so their are a lot of his tunes on there, the hi-lights are

CD1
Frank Wilson - Do I Love You 1965 (classic from the KFC add and one of the rarest tunes ever)
the four vandals - wrong side of town1972 one of the biggest of recent years
Dobie Gray - Out On The Floor 1966 (essential northern soul)
Rose Baptiste - Hit & Run 1966 (superb bouncy motown style tune)
Just Brothers - Sliced Tomatoes 1972 (sampled by fatboy slim)
Edwin Starr - S.O.S. 1966 (every northern fan loves Edwin)
Erma Franklin - I get the sweetest feeling 1970 (cover of the classic & always worth a play)
Rocq-e harrell - my heart keeps beating faster 1988 not northern, but produced by legendary Northern DJ & producer Ian Levine & recreates the whole northern thing)
Chuck Jackson - All over the world 1989 more disco/soul than northern but Ian Levine again
The showman - our love will grow 1965 a favourite of Johnny Vaghans soul patrol a really moving piece of soul


CD2
mel wynn & the rhythm aces - stop sign1968 covered by abs
smokey robinson - going to a go go1965 motown at its best
gloria jones - tainted love 1964 the original & the best play it at a party in the 60's party set they'll love it
dobie gray - the in crowd1965 what the scene is all about
the javells ft nosmo king - goodbye nothing to say1965 poppy dance bouncer that sounds so familiar
johnny bristol - man up in the sky 1989 - another one from Ian levine
freda payne - band of gold1970 one of the tunes to cross over into the pop charts from the northern scene

CD3
judy street - what1965 sound like a 60's pop standard but a huge northern shaker. Judy is now a karaoke host in dallas and only knew she was a star when she did a search of her name on the internet
chairman of the board - you've got me dangling on a string1970 the vocals of general johnson who obviously was an inspiration to kevin roland of dexy's
diana ross & the supremes - love is like an itching in my heart1966 she has release so much dross over the years but this is a slice of real soul
martha reeves - heatwaveanother to crossover overlooked by most when playing motown
wynder k frog - green door1967 - i play this at most of my mobiles & it always get a responce - a driving instrumental with some superb hammond organ
frances nero - footsteps following me1989 not northern, but Ian levine producing a northern legend, met her back then & such a lovely lady, a huge pop hit,

thats enough rambling from me

Also very enlightening to me and am definately gonna check some stuff out,but the guy said something about quality soul so i will talk to him on monday with your ideas

the trick is always to include that big tune that is huge, and not on any other compilation

Well as expected the soul compilation wont be released as they have decided that commercialy it wasnt viable,unfortunately even mowtown didnt take off in Norway so i must say its not suprising,Thank you for your efforts and i certainly learnt a fair bit from your suggestions

I have only started getting into me northen soul. I have been trying to obtain copies for ages of Sould Survivours but to no joy!

both of these CD's are becoming highly collectable, with them changing hands on ebay for in excess of £30 each.