THE SHIRELLES - AND SHADES OF PSYCHEDELIC SOUL

Artist: THE SHIRELLES; Title: SHADES OF BLUE; Label: PYE INTERNATIONAL; 

Format: 7"; Cat. No.: 7N.25386; Year: 1966; Country: UK.

Looking today at this overlooked 1966 gem from from one my all time favourite Girl Groups of all time The Shirelles - and one of that records that reflects the changing times of this period in the mid 60's.

The A Side gives you the rather excellent "Shades Of Blue", and I suppose the easiest way to describe it as psychedleic-tinged Soul.  Which doesn't mean you'll find Shirley Owens and co backed by backwards-looped feedback guitars or droning sitars, but that sense of things of a more psyche-feel are certainly there in the arrangements and structure of the song.  And Shirley Owens herself is in particular voice on this one - and first heard by yours truly at a Northern Soul all-nighter up in Stoke many moons ago.

The flip side gives you the more standard Shirelles type sound with "When The Boys Talk About The Girls" - which in the US was the single's A Side.  It's an interesting thing that I've come across collecting Soul stuff over the years, in that the UK issue will more than often favour the more uptempo sides over the US preference for the ballady tune as the lead side for the single.  This one's good, but for me nowhere as excellent as the A Side - so top marks for the people at Pye who favoured "Shades Of Blue" as the A side for the UK market!

THE LONDON BOYS - BOWIE'S MOD CLASSIC

Artist: VARIOUS; Title: THE LONDON BOYS; Label: DECCA; Format: 7" EP; 
Cat. No.: FR 13864; Year: 1980; Country: UK

Side One: - 
David Bowie: The London Boys
Dobie Gray: The "In" Crowd

Side Two: -
Small Faces: Hey Girl
The Birds: Leaving Here

Looking today at this 1980 EP featuring 4 faves then current with the revived Mod scene from the late 70's, compiled by Gary Crowley (remember him) and a few like-minded individuals.  Just one quibble with the sleeve blub.  This has 4 tracks which makes it an EP rather than a Maxi Single, having said that it does an alittrative ring to to it.

Anyway onto the most important thing - the music!  Side One opens with the title track, Bowie's 1966 masterpiece that is 'The London Boys".  It's probably the first of Bowie's song dealing with alienation, and the fag of the Mod dream (fag being used here in the British rather the US context) where maybe it's not really all it's cracked up to be.  Next up is Dobie Gray's classic "The "In" Crowd" and of those tunes that quite happily made the transition from the Mod to the Northern Soul scene.  And rather fine it is too!

Side Two has another brace of fine tunes.  Starting off the Small Faces' rather excellent "Hey Girl" from 1966, which sees Steve Marriott and co in particularly fine form.  The proceedings are rounded off with the band that introduced the world to the talents of Ronnie - The Birds and their version of Eddie Holland's "Leaving Here".  It's one of those tracks that I'd tend to associate more with Freakbeat - but that's the great that a song can be picked on one music scene/genre whilst quite happily associated with another one at the time.  The only other example of that i can think of is The Seeds 'Pushin' Too Hard' which works both as a Psyche tune as well a Northern track!

MORE DRIFTING NORTHERN SOUL

Artist: THE DRIFTERS; Title: I'LL TAKE YOU WHERE THE MUSIC'S PLAYING; 

Label: ATLANTIC; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: 584152; Year: 1967; Country: UK

Carrying on with The Drifters' late 60's Northern Soul tunes - I'm looking at the next 2 singles released by Atlantic in the UK following on from the previous post.

First up is this stormer from 1967.  The A Side features the amazing "I'll Take You Where The Music's Playing" which has made it on CD as the title track of one Kent CDs focusing on Northern stuff released on Atlantic.  The track's written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich - and as already stated if you're not familiar with it already then I strongly urge you to go and check it out!  And (as far as I'm aware) this is the last Drifters track to feature production by Bert Berns.

 The flip side gives a Drifters classic from 1963 in the shape of the sublime "On Broadway".  Written by   Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil alongside producers Leiber & Stoller - and featuring Rudy Clark on vocals it really doesn't get any better than this!

Artist: THE DRIFTERS; Title: STILL BURNING IN MY HEART; Label: ATLANTIC;

Format: 7"; Cat.: No.: 584195; Year: 1968; Country: UK

Next up is this 1968 offering.  The A Side gives you "Still Burning In My Heart" written by Van McCoy with (I think) Sly Stone using his real name Sylvester Stewart.  It's another good one - and with a slight nod in the direction of Country, hence the use of the harmonica!  It's pretty good and well worth tracking down and having a listen to.

The flip side has the more uptempo psyche-tinged "I Need You Now" which has nod in the direction of Hendrix with it's nice bit of fuzz guitar on it.  Lead vocals on this occasion are handled by Bill Fredericks - and another slightly more obscure Drifters track that merits a listen.

SOME DRIFTING NORTHERN SOUL

Artist: THE DRIFTERS; Title: BABY WHAT I MEAN; Label: ATLANTIC; Format: 7"; 

Cat. No.: 584065; Year: 1967; Country: UK

Carrying on with the Northern Soul vibe from the previous post - looking today at this one in the genre from The Drifters.

 Released on UK Atlantic in 1967 "Baby What I Mean" is a good (and here I mean really good) uptempo offering from Johnny Moore and Co.  It's from that period of their career where the big hits of the early 60's were gone - but they were still knockout gems like this that although weren't massive sellers still did the business on the dance floor; especially those in the UK where these semi-obscure 45s suddenly got picked by the DJs in the Northern Soul clubs. And doubtless part of the reason why UK Atlantic reissued this along with a number of their other tracks in the early 70's - resulting in a lot of them getting back in to the UK charts and doing the business very nicely indeed!

The flip side gives you "Aretha", and I'm thinking pretty much one of the last things Bert Berns wrote (here alongside Jeff Barry) and produced for them before dying of a heart attack.  Song-wise it's another fine Drifters tune - more in the mid-tempo range, and although not quite in the same league as the A Side well worth a listen.  It's just a shame that both sides of this single didn't make it on to that excellent double CD compilation 'The Definitive Drifters' that Rhino issued in the early 00's, as their output from the latter half of the 60's is slightly under-represented.  Any plans out there for The Drifters - The Northern Soul Years'?

JONES THE VOICE DOES NORTHERN!

Artist: TOM JONES; Title: NEVER GIVE AWAY LOVE/STOP BREAKING MYHEART; 

Label: DECCA; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: F.12349; Year: 1966; Country: UK

Looking today at this 1966 single from Tom Jones released on Decca - which features two storming tracks that I'm quite happy to file under Northern Soul. One which is fairly well regarded in that respect, one that isn't. 

 The one that generally isn't is the single's A Side "Never Give Away Love", which prior to listening to do the post for this I'd pretty much forgotten just howgood it and Tom Jones were at this point in the mid 60's.  Written by Tom's manager Gordon Mills and produced by Peter Sullivan and it's one that's really been given the full treatment in terms of production.  And definitely well worth checking out - and one I'm more than happy to consider as blue-eyed Northern Soul.

The flip side - the excellent "Stop Breaking My Heart", is the one that has been picked for plays by the talc and spin brigade.  And rather good it is too!  First came across in the context of UK recorded Northern on the Decca Northern Soul compilation CD that Deram issued a few years ago - and it's here that Jones the Voice's contribution to the genre holds its head up with pride.  Be nice to see him dust this down and do it on The Voice perhaps!

NORTHERN SOUL ON THE GRAPEVINE

Artist: THE HAPPY CATS; Title: THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN'; 

Label: GRAPEVINE; Format: 7'; Cat.: GRP 110; Year: 1978; Country: UK

Looking today at a couple of Northern Soul released issued on Richard Searling's Grapevine label - distributed via RCA here in the UK.  One you'll know and one you may not (depending how much a talcum spin devotee you are!).

The first up is the more obscure of the two - 1978's offering from The Happy Cats.  The A Side gives you their take on the Lee Hazelwood penned "These Boots Are Made For Walkin' ".  First issued on Omack it's one of those instrumental Northern tracks that were popular in the latter half of the 70's - especially at Wigan Casino. And as in a lot of these things it's a question of whether you're a fan of the happy-clappy type/instrumental type Northern tunes - personally I'm not generally but I do like this one. Mainly in part due it being a Lee Hazelwood song who I'm a fan of, and that it's got a bit of Mod/Ramsey Lewis vibe to it.  Taste has a lot to do with I suppose.

The flip side is the rather good "Destroy That Boy" and unreleased until it's appearance here on Grapevine.  A good uptempo track that nods in the direction of Ray Charles and Margie Hendrix - especially on that intro and horn riff that almost sounds like The Genius' 'Don't Set Me Free'.  Valuewise  - this seems to worth around the £8 mark.  And thanks also to Soul Forum post on the Soul Source website for some the info here.

Artist: JUDY STREET; Title: WHAT; Label: GRAPEVINE; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: GRP 106;

Year: 1977; Country: UK

Next up is a Northern track that you should know!  Judy Street's classic "What".  Recorded and originally released in the State in 1968, the song's written and produced by H.B. Barnum.  Again it's one of the tunes that found favour at Wigan Casino - and it's also the only Northern track I know that's got a cello solo on it!  First came across the song via the Soft Cell hit version of the early 80's which then put me on to this one - and finally tracking down a copy at a stall at the first All-Nighter I went to at Stoke Town Hall.

The flip side is a cover of Melinda Marx's "You Turn Me On" - which has intended as the A Side - but getting flipped in favour of 'What' when it arrived in the UK.  Tunewise it's the slower tempo of the two sides on offer - okayish but nowhere in the same league as the A Side.

As is in a lot of these cases Judy Street was unaware of the popularity of "What" until around 2005 - as she'd never toured in the UK. The song's been ranked as being the 23rd most popular Northern Soul tune out of the 500 listed in a poll.  Thanks on this occasion to Judy Street's Wikipedia page for some of the info used here.

SOUL TANGO

Artist: Bettye Lavette; Title: LET ME DOWN EASY; Label: MOJO; Format: 7"; 

Cat. No.: 2092-030; Year: 1972; Country: UK

Today I'm featuring this 1972 3 track single from Bettye Lavette issued on Polydor's Mojo imprint.  The A Side is the searing bit of Soul that is "Let Me Down Easy".  Originally released on Calla (102) in the US in 1965 and co-written by Dee Dee Ford, the best way to drescribe the tune - a Soul-Tango.  There's a slightly longer take of this which surfaced on the rather excellent Bettye Lavette/Carol Fran set that came out on EMI's Stateside label in 2005.  There's a later version that Bettye cut for Karen in 1969 - but the version here (as far as I'm aware and playing the 7" against an LP version AND the CD version assures me that the Mojo issued version IS the original!

 

The flip side gives you two tracks.  First up is "I Feel Good (All Over)" Again originally released on Calla (104) - and a cracking bit of a Northern Soul foot-stomper that doesn't disappoint in the least.  And well worth checking for few talcum spins! The proceedings are rounded off with "What I Don't Know (Won't Hurt Me)" - another good Hammond-driven dancer, originally from the flip side of Calla 102, that like the other two tracks are well worth checking out (if you're not already familiar with them that is !).

Thanks in part to the great discography on the Soulful Kinda Music website (a must for Soul fans!) and the official Bettye Lavette website for confirming what I've got down is as right as possible.  Otherwise I'm not doing my job on this blog!

TALCUM SOUL FROM OLE GRUMPY DRAWS!

Artist: VAN MORRISON; Title: DOMINO; Label: WARNER BROS.; Format;7"; 

Cat. No.: WB 7434; Year: 1970; Country: UK

Bit of Northern Soul curio for you today - not that artist is concerned one you'll never had heard, quite the opposite in fact, but that this 1970 single from Van Morrison was picked up by the Northern Soul scene.  Although the sight of Ole Grumpy Draws doing a few talcum spins on the dance at the Wigan Casino would have been something to see!  Anyway onto the music.

The A Side gives you "Domino" the opener from Van yer Man's 'His Band And The Street Choir' LP and slad bang in the middle of his Celtic Soul period.  It's a bit of a good one - and you can see why the N. Soul crowd picked up it - something that's pretty obvious when you see the state of the labels on this copy.  You can see where it's been covered so as to make it look like it's a real obscure track (which you could get away in those pre internet days of the early 70'), rather than who it actually was.

The flip side gives you "Sweet Jannie" - again from the parent 'His Band And Street Choir' set, and again another great bit of Van-styled Blue-Eyed Soul.  And again suffering from label damage - so again I'm assuming that had been picked up for plays at the Northern nights.  Presumably when the DJ's got bored of the playing the A Side.

WHEN ERIC & THE ANIMALS WENT NORTHERN

Artist: ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS; Title: HELP ME GIRL; Label: DECCA; 

Format: 7"; Cat. No.: F 12502; Year: 1966

1966 single from Eric Burdon and the Mark II version of the Animals - in this case Eric Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins and the deliberate move away from the type of material increasing foisted on them by their producer at EMI, Mickie Most.  A year before the Animals had left EMI and signed with their US distrubution label MGM - with UK distribution switching over to Decca - but as with a lot of bands in the 60's the constant pressure of touring/promoting that you do on a worldwise basis and when you're one of the spearhead bands of The British Invasion starts to take it's toll.  Various founding members left - most noticeably Alan Price and Chas Chandler - and others only lasting a year or so.  So by the time this 1966 single is released it's pretty much Eric Burdon and whoever else was to hand.

But having said the above "Help Me Girl" is a a bit of brilliant tune - produced by Tom Wilson (who's other clients at this time included both Dylan and The Velvet Underground) - and (something I wasn't aware till I hear it at an allnighter) one of those tracks that had found favour on the Northern Soul scene.  It surprised me a bit at the time, but having listened to it again tonight while preparing this post I can easily see why. Plus with Eric Burdon being a R'n'B/Soul fan I'm fairly certain he's happy with the kudos it's got in that respect.

The flip side gives you "See See Rider (See What You've Done)" which a Blues standard which has gone under a number of slight title variations over the preceding decades, and one of those tunes that any self-respecting and aspiring blues musician knows down deep into their DNA.

 

 This single's one I've picked up a few copies of over the years - obviously the UK original on Decca, a Yugoslav copy - which has the same B Side as the UK version - labels scans included.  And the US version on MGM which doesn't.  The B Side is this case is a track called "That Ain't Where It's At" - another Blue-Eyed Soul flavoured track which like the A Side comes from the US only issued  'Eric Is Here' LP. Again well worth checking out/tracking down on that there internet and all good music retail type places!

SOUL ON FONTANA

Artist: BETTY EVERETT; Title: GETTING MIGHTY CROWDED; Label: FONTANA; Format: 7"; Cat. No.:TF 520; Year: 1965; Country: UK

Following on from the last post on Kiki Dee, I thought I'd focus on two tracks that were first issued here in the UK on Fontana.

First up is this Northern Soul classic from Betty Everett,  the Van McCoy penned "Getting Mighty Crowded".  Originally issued on Vee Jay in the States this is a wonderful track - and one of those on that still does it for me.  I first came across it via the Elvis Costello version which he'd put out as the B Side to 'High Fidelity' in 1980 - so having heard that and the original on the radio - the hunt was on to own a copy.  Firstly on one of those budget Soul/Blues double tape compilations of the early 80's (remember them?), and then finally getting hold of a copy at one of the first Northern Soul all-nighters (appropriately enough).  Togetherness at Stoke Town Hall if memory serves.)

The flip side gives you "Chained To A Memory" is the slower tempo of the two tracks - and rather wonderful too.  And as always well worth checking out.


Artist: THE MARVELETTES (feat. Marvin Gaye); Title: PLEASE MR. POSTMAN;   
Label: FONTANA; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: H.355; Year: 1961; Country: UK

 Next up is this 1961 offering from the Marvelettes - the classic "Please Mr Postman".  It's one of only a couple of Motown tracks that appeared on Fontana - the only other I can think of is The Miracles 'What So Good About Goodbye'.  Prior to that Motown's stuff had been issued on London, and after this it was Oriole, before passing to EMI; firstly on Stateside then finally the Tamla Motown imprint in 1965.  The song's downright brilliant - and again it's one I came to via a cover version, in this case The Beatles on their 'With The Beatles' LP.  The track generally only gets credited to Brian Holland  and Robert Bateman - but was originally penned by William Garrett alongside original Marvellette  Georgia Dobbins, and was then reworked by Brian Holland, Robert Bateman and Freddie Gorman Freddie Gorman.  Later Berry Gordy added his name to the writing credits. Confused?  The drummer on the track is none other than Marvin Gaye.

The flip side gives you "So Long Baby" is more in the doo-wop style and features lead vocals by   Wanda Young (who went on to be the long serving member of the group - lasting till they finally folded in 1970).  It's certainly more in the early Motown style that you hear on the early Miracles stuff from this period - i.e. rooted in R'n'B rather what than emerging Soul sound of the A Side.