NORTHERN

By 1970 the Detroit Sound had moved on to the psychedelic soul of the Temptations. The funk sound of James Brown and co had become the trendy music in the South of England, but in the north, time was standing still. The DJs at the Twisted Wheel All-Nighter in Manchester were seeking out 60s Soul records (some 70s in the style of the 60s) which never made it. Due to its geographical base in the North of England, this phenomenon became known as Northern Soul. Clubs such as the Twisted Wheel and the Torch paved the way to other clubs like the Catacomb's Club, the Blackpool Mecca and probably the most well known venue of them all, the Wigan Casino, which took the Northern Soul scene through it's most popular period of the mid 1970's.

Today most of those original Northern Soul clubs have since closed, to be replaced by others. The 100 Club Allnighter in London's Oxford Street is still going today and is the longest running Northern Soul club in country.

Coast to Coast started in the west end of London in 1999. The Northern Soul scene would play big a part at the Cask & Glass, Marble Arch, where the night was situated. I would invite established Northern Soul DJs who could play a bit of ska & reggae and Dj Marco, my old team mate, and myself would be the Ska, Reggae Djs that could play a bit of Northern. Packed out with all types from traditional Skinheads, Mods, Northern Soulies and some from the general public, the result was electric, great atmosphere and great music. When the 100 Club was on at the same night, the Northern Soulies would come to mine and then move on to the Allnighter. There was so much going on in those days, they were really great times!

You can still hear the occasional Northern Soul record in todays Coast to Coast. Tracks such as , "Dynamite Exploded" Honey & The Bees, "Easy Baby" The Adventures, "Girl I Love You" The Temptones, "What's Wrong With My Baby" The Invitations, "If You Can't Be True" Marva Lee, "I Need Your Love" The Dynamics, "Live is Love" Sam Cox, "My Love Is Getting Stronger" Cliff Nobles, "Baby, What's Happened to Our Love" The Ringleaders, "I Say Yeah" The Pets, "Say You'll be Mine" The Rosebuds, "The Magic Is Gone" The Marvels and 'Ain't too bad to beg' by The Mighty Vikings (The Jamaican soul cut to the Temptations) could get a spin.

MUSIC