The Northern Soul Podcast

British Soul: The Forgotten Sound
Before Northern Soul became a movement, there was British soul.During the sixties, British singers and musicians were absorbing the sounds coming from Detroit, Chicago, Memphis and Philadelphia, taking those influences and creating something with a character of its own.In this episode, we dig deeper than the familiar names and explore the records that deserve another listen — obscure singles, forgotten B-sides, rare dancers and artists who never received the recognition they deserved.From Helen Shapiro and Barry St. John to The Chants, Herbie Goins, Jimmy Thomas and more, these are the voices and records that helped shape the sound of the British soul scene.Some were hits. Some disappeared without trace.But years later, Northern Soul DJs and collectors would rediscover them and give them a new life on the dance floor.This is British soul — before Northern Soul.

track list to follow

The Last Night at the Twisted Wheel
Saturday, 30 January 1971. Manchester.
Tonight, we step through the doors of the legendary Twisted Wheel for one final all-nighter.
From its beginnings on Brazennose Street, through the move to Whitworth Street, the Wheel became a meeting place for dancers, record collectors and young soul fans searching for something different.
But this episode is really about the music
The records that made the floor explode. The obscure American soul, the rare imports, the forgotten artists and the sounds that could only be discovered inside those dark, hot and crowded rooms.
We’ll follow the night from the queue outside, through the dance floor and DJ booth, right through to the final hours as morning approaches.
The doors would close, but the music wouldn’t.
The Twisted Wheel was gone. Its influence was only just beginning.

Tracks ...
George pepp -the feeling is real
Eddie billups -ask my heart
little Eddie Taylor -i had a good time
magic night -if you and I had never met
the puzzles -my sweet baby
the wall of sound-hang on
jerry cook -i hurt on the other side
Freddy Houston -if I had known
the prophets -if I had one gold piece
the magnificent men -i've got news

British Soul — The British Side of Northern Soul of the 1960s.This episode takes us back to the 1960s, when British singers and groups were discovering, absorbing and putting their own stamp on American soul.From forgotten recordings and overlooked releases to records that would later find a new audience on Northern Soul dance floors, this is a journey through the British side of the soul story.Featuring artists including Kenny Bernard, A Band of Angels, The Chants, Kenny Lynch, Helen Shapiro, Lorraine Silver, Long John Baldry, and Chapter 5 .Some were hits, many were not — but all played their part in the story of British Soul.Turn it up and discover the soul power of the 1960s — British style.

Lost & Forgotten Soul: The American Cities — Part 1 of this two-part journey,
we go deep into the lost, rare and forgotten side of 1960s American soul.Forget the obvious hits and familiar names. This episode is about the artists, groups and records that slipped through the cracks — small labels, obscure releases, little-known singers and fantastic 45s that never received the recognition they deserved.We travel through the great American soul cities, including Philadelphia and Chicago, discovering the sounds that were being created long before many of these records found a second life on Britain's Northern Soul scene.From the developing Philadelphia sound to the energetic Chicago dancers, these are records full of character, emotion and mystery — some commercially released, others incredibly rare, and some discovered decades after they were recorded.These forgotten records tell another story of American soul: the story of the artists who never became household names, but whose music survived because somebody, somewhere, kept the faith and kept the record.This is Lost & Forgotten Soul: The American Cities — Part 1.And remember, there are always more records waiting to be discovered.

Tracklist will follow ....

Lost & Forgotten Soul: The American Cities —
Part one of this two-part journey, we go deep into the lost, rare and forgotten side of 1960s American soul.Forget the obvious hits and familiar names. This episode is about the artists, groups and records that slipped through the cracks — small labels, obscure releases, little-known singers and fantastic 45s that never received the recognition they deserved.We travel through the great American soul cities, including Philadelphia and Chicago, discovering the sounds that were being created long before many of these records found a second life on Britain's Northern Soul scene.From the developing Philadelphia sound to the energetic Chicago dancers, these are records full of character, emotion and mystery — some commercially released, others incredibly rare, and some discovered decades after they were recorded.These forgotten records tell another story of American soul: the story of the artists who never became household names, but whose music survived because somebody, somewhere, kept the faith and kept the record.
This is Lost & Forgotten Soul: The American Cities — Part 1.
And remember, there are always more records waiting to be discovered.