The trend began in the mid-Sixties, growing out of the Mod scene, as clubbers danced to rare, upbeat Detroit-style soul that was often entirely unaffiliated with Tamla-Motown. But as the London clubs went psychedelic, the discotheques in the North of England stayed the course, which is how their favorite music came to be called "Northern Soul." That means that the phenomenon has always been less about a style of music than a geek subculture (in the best possible sense) who just couldn't get enough of their favorite music, even as time passed it by. The rest of the world eventually moved towards funk, but these dance-club denizens preferred the stomp of an earlier age.
Like the Teddy Boy phenomenon, then, Northern Soul fanatics then and now react specifically to what they see as a dearth of passion in today's music. Indeed, even today, the legacy of classic clubs like the Wigan Casino and the Blackpool Mecca lives on in new Northern Soul havens. Read on, if you haven't already been inculcated, and discover how everything old can still be new again.
The following links represent the best of the Northern Soul websites available on the web. If you think there's a site that should be here but isn't, e-mail me at oldies.guide@about.com!
- JahSonic: Northern Soul
An academic history of the phrase's, and hence the scene's, origin.
- Soul Surfin Northern Soul
An excellent mix of old and new Northern Soul scenester info: vintage badges, upcoming events, sound files, and more!
- Hannes Rosenhagen's Northern Soul Page
The net's first NS page, this bilingual site is geared towards the German Northern Soul fanatic. Audio files, fanzines, and more.
- The Night Owl Club
A great site that functions as a database for old and new NS info. Hint: Use the drop-down menu at the top to navigate.
- Northern Soul Music Audio Library
The largest collection of Northern Soul audio files available on the net. All songs in RealAudio. Over 1,000 classic tracks!
- Northern Soul Radio
One of the finest of the web's Northern Soul stations, this Live365.com webcast (located in Manchester) is 12 hours long and features only hits from the top 500 NS chart.
- How To Buy... Northern Soul
A very informative guide - with detailed CD reviews and a history of the scene - from Ace Records.
- northern-soul.com
The first place to go for modern Northern Soul events (as well as the related mod and scooterist scenes).
- Rare/Northern Soul Circle This webring hosts a number of links to other Northern Soul sites.
