Northern Soul August 22, 2009

We received an e mail from Bobby Hanna with an attached link. Here's what he had to say: "A friend of mine just sent me this a few moments ago...I am on a CD recently released in the U.S. called Northern Soul, which features a lot of other recording artists. I recorded this in 1970 for Decca records, the song is called " Everybody Needs Love", it brought back a lot of nice memories for me, I hope you enjoy..." Thanks Bobby.

Everybody Needs Love 1970

So what is Northern Soul?

Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consisted of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound. The recordings most prized by collectors were from lesser-known artists, which had been released only in limited numbers, often by small regional United States labels such as Ric-Tic and Golden World (Detroit), Mirwood (Los Angeles) and Shout and Okeh (New York). Initially, these were usually not recent releases, so the movement was sustained by prominent DJs discovering rare and previously overlooked records. Later on, certain clubs and DJs began to move away from the 1960s Motown sound and began to play new releases with a more contemporary sound.

Northern soul is associated with particular dance styles and fashions that grew out of the underground rhythm & soul scene of the late 1960s, at venues such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, and quickly spread to other dancehalls and nightclubs like the Catacombs (Wolverhampton), the Highland Rooms at Blackpool Mecca, Golden Torch (Stoke-on-Trent), and Wigan Casino. As the favoured beat became more uptempo and frantic, by the early 1970s, northern soul dancing became more athletic, somewhat resembling the later dance styles of disco and break dancing. Featuring spins, flips, and backdrops, club dancing styles were often inspired by the stage performances of visiting American soul acts such as Little Anthony & The Imperials and Jackie Wilson. Source Wikipedia

Todays band addition: The Jays (circa 1967)

Victoria Music Hall Of Fame

Tickets are now on sale for the 5th Annual Hall Of Fame Celebration on September 20th at Element (Formerly the Old Forge) in the Strathcona Hotel. The price, just $15. each and you can purchase them at the front desk of the Strathcona Hotel 919 Douglas St. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (250)383-7137. For more info, click on the "Hall Of Fame" tab above.

The lineup for the 15th Annual Vancouver Island Blues Bash has been announced. Check out the Victoria Jazz Society website for all the details coming up on the Labor Day Long weekend.

Vancouver Island Blues Bash