A History of Northern Soul
In the North of England during the 1960s, a music and dance scene, which was later labeled ‘Northern Soul’, emerged out of the British Mod scene and developed through communities of soul fans who frequented clubs such as The Twisted Wheel in Manchester (1963 -1971), Blackpool Mecca (1965 -1970), Catacombs, Wolverhampton (1967- 1974) and Wigan Casino (1973 -1981).
The Twisted Wheel is most commonly associated with the beginnings of the Northern Soul scene. From 1963 all night parties were promoted at the venue on Saturday nights. Roger Eagle a DJ and collector of imported American Soul, Jazz and Rhythm and blues was booked around this time and so began the clubs reputation as the place to go to hear the latest music of this genre. The music gradually became less eclectic and moved heavily towards the fast paced soul favoured by those who flocked to the wheel to dance. The Twisted wheel closed in 1971, however the scene continued as by the late 60s a number of new venues were holding soul all nighters due to the popularity of the music, dancing and lifestyle which emerged from the Wheel. As the favoured beat became more uptempo 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. The clubs attracted visitors from all over the country as fans travelled far and wide to hear their favourite music.
The music, which defined this scene, is a type of mid-tempo and up-tempo heavy-beat soul music (mainly of African American origin). As stated by Dave Haslam in Adventures on the Wheels of Steel ‘club crowds in the North had become hooked on the Motown sound, demanding uptempo beat driven stompers…there was also growing awareness of other small labels and forgotten artists…The obscurities and the commercial failures – this was the reservoir of music Northern Soul fed upon over the next decades.’ The dancers had an appetite for new sounds and DJs met the need by acquiring more and more obscure and rare tracks. As only a few versions of these tracks exist prices for original vinyl can go into the thousands of pounds. As expressed by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton in Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey 'the notoriety of DJs on the northern soul scene was enhanced by the possession of rare records, but exclusivity was not enough on its own, and the records had to conform to a certain musical style and gain acceptance on the dance floor.' Due to being played in the Northern Soul clubs many underplayed, rare and forgotten tracks from the 1960s were reissued by their original labels and became UK top 50 hits in the 1970s. Some classic soul tracks that you will hear on the radio today are there because the Northern Souls scene made them hits.
Northern Soul has an important legacy in British music and culture. In Last Night a DJ Saved My Life Brewster and Broughton celebrate Northern Soul as ‘the first rave culture’ and ‘a vitally important step in the creation of today’s club culture and the evolution of the DJ.’ Along with laying the groundwork for a whole new DJ and dance culture the Northern Soul scene is still going strong today. Promoters, DJs and fans involved in the scene in the 60s and 70s are still promoting and attending events today. Along the way young fans have continually discovered the scene allowing new generations of promoters and DJs to emerge who shall be instrumental in passing on the legacy of Northern Soul to future generations.
The above is indebted to the info provided on the Northern Soul wikipedia site. For further reading view the wikipedia page here.