Words from the Director
It’s easy to explain to people what Northern Soul is.
You tell them it’s a scene founded in the north of England in the late 60s typified by up-tempo beat-heavy soul music, mainly of African-American origin. You tell them it is also about the dancing. The spins, the flips and the backdrops that would prepare the world for disco and break-dancing. They nod, somewhat enlightened.
Then you play them ‘Tainted Love’. Not Soft Cell’s 1981 UK No.1, but the glorious original by Gloria Jones. Slowly, their eyes begin to bulge. And you play ‘Too Late’ by Larry Williams & Johnny Watson and the smile creeps across their face. By the time they’ve heard Dean Parrish’s ‘I’m On My Way’ and Yvonne Baker’s ‘You Didn’t Say A Word,’ they’re converted.
This was my experience. This has been the experience of countless others across the world since the 60s. And this is before they’ve even seen the original footage of the Wigan Casino where many memorable all-nighters played out between 1973 and 1981. If you’ve seen SOULBOY, you’ll know what I’m talking about!
For me, great music, like great films, should be a journey of discovery.
SOULBOY is such a journey for Joe McCain. This is his moment, when, like so many of us in our youth, discover a scene, a sound, a place where we finally feel we belong. That music becomes the soundtrack to the best years of our lives.
Shimmy Marcus, June 2010