TEN JOYS FOR THE AUTUMN OF 2009

Some sounds that are overdue for a dusting down and a few more that are new to my box.

SATURDAY 1st AUGUST 2009

BRING THE BOYS HOME by FREDA PAYNE with lyrics as fitting today as they were back in 1971 when this single was first released. Holland-Dozier-Holland, Greg Perry, (it’s even got Steve Mancha providing some of the backing vocals,) and Freda Payne worked together to make this a dance track of the highest quality. Flip the vinyl to hear I SHALL NOT BE MOVED and enjoy another quality dance track. This single should be easy enough to find for under a tenner, and makes a worthy addition to any collection.

BRING IT ON HOME TO ME by THE THRILLS is a pleasant re-working of Sam Cooke’s 1962 song. Not particularly rare or obscure, but its feel-good familiarity hits the spot. Plenty of driving production behind the femme vocals makes this track dance-floor infectious.

MO SOUL by THE LTP’s opens with those familiar LB bongos. This one of those very collectable outings from Lou Beatty’s stable. Less played than many of its contemporaries; MO SOUL is just pure 60’s Detroit boogaloo. Guitar, organ and drums work together to produce an uncomplicated brilliance: the stuff that our Scene was built on.

I’M WRAPPED UP by TOMMY TATE was released on the Sundance logo during 1985, but without a label number. This single was one of only 500 ever pressed, making it a must for the collectors. Wrapped up in his Baby’s love, Tate was a journeyman Soulster from the South, and his outings are always worth a few spins. 

LET HER GO by OTIS SMITH was recorded during the summer of 1970, but didn’t come to light until Wigan’s peak days. Revival plays have seen this record once again rise in popularity, and its value has doubled during the past decade. A relentlessly driving beat from the beginning: I can still remember when I used to stomp, spin and back-drop.

MISS HEARTBREAKER by THE ASCOTS falsetto group harmonies from 1965. A heartbreaker she may be, but she’s gonna reap what she sowed. Complete with a brassy break, this track has all of the requisite elements, and I feel sure that prosperity will prove it to be a Scene classic.

HOW TO LOVE A WOMAN by THE MANDELLS group harmonies in the style of the Impressions. Sweet and pleasing: this Chicago outing has grown in popularity over the past twelve months and has grown from the ‘odds’ box to a 40 quid sound.

TRICK ME TREAT ME by COBBLESTONE is just pure Northern Soul to me: definitely an all-time fav. I was lucky enough to purchase my copy during the early days of Stafford, and I’ve hardly seen another copy since. I know next to nothing about Cobblestone, and I’d appreciate any information about Billy Carl, Reid Whitelaw and Richard Bell.

I DIDN’T MAKE MY MOVE TOO SOON by LYNN WHITE is something of an oddball item. Despite being a predominately Country artist, Ms White recorded in Memphis and worked alongside the likes of Willie Mitchell and Homer Banks: she was occasionally backed by The Masqueraders. This 1979 outing hardly ranks as a soul classic, but it’s infectious and very danceable.

JUST KEEP ON LOVING ME by STEVE MANCHA is a classic Detroit oldie: the type of song that I was raised on. But I haven’t heard it out and about in a while, and that’s reason enough to give it another airing. As ever, Mancha’s vocals are heartbreaking from the very first syllable.

I hope that you have found this selection both interesting and entertaining. A mixed bunch of sounds – but such is the wonderful diversity of our Scene. If you have any comments I’d be delighted to hear from you: you can e.mail me anytime at n.soulchris@hotmail.com and I promise to reply ASAP.