Monday, April 02, 2007

SPLASH 19

This programme was going to be about northern soul music, and thus called after the legendary Timi Yuro track. But I messed it up completely - one of the cds I'd brought was the wrong one, so I had to go back home and the get the right one. So the songs ended up in the wrong order and without most of the links. Because of that I've decided to go back to the good old single-mp3s-mode, to some people's satisfaction I'm sure. I've written down the stuff I was going to say here:

The Prisoners – Whenever I'm Gone
The first track is from 1985, by 60s revivalists The Prisoners. They came from Medway and did NOT take their name from the surrealistic tv series The Prisoner (starring Patrick McGoohan and shown on ITV in 1967), as you can read in the comments - but from a single by The Vapors. Next song is the b-side of a 1966 single.
Mousie & the Traps – How About You
Mouse & the Traps – Maid of Sugar – Maid of Spice
A well-known garage tune from 1966 that is on the first Nuggets box. They're completely unrelated to Mousie & the Traps that were before them with a song from the same year. The next one is another northern soul single, this one from 1965, and it fetches high prices on the collector's market. A cover of this song by the indiepop band Kicker was on an ep Fortuna Pop released two years ago. It features four covers of northern greats and the other contributors are Airport Girl, Butterflies of Love and Comet Gain. Kicker’s version is the only one that approaches the intensity of the original.
The Inticers – Since You Left
? and the Mysterians – "8" Teen
The b-side of the second single, from 1966. Before that The Inticers and "Since You Left" - a cover of that was on an ep called More Soul Than Wigan Casino and I thought I'd play two more of the original tracks that are covered on it. Comet Gain play a re-written version of "If You Ever Walk Out of My Life", and here it is as sung by Dena Barnes in 1967.
Dena Barnes - If You Ever Walk Out of My Life
Mary Wells – Two Lovers
That was two songs that were covered in 2005 for an indiepop meets northern soul ep on Fortuna Pop. The second one was Mary Wells' 1962 single "Two Lovers". The next song is from 1967 and could have been a soul song, but was actually recorded by a garage group called The Human Beinz. Beings was spelt B-E-I-N-Z on the single, much to the group's chagrin.
The Human Beinz – Nobody But Me
Yvonne Vernee – Just Like You Did Me

Another northern classic there, from 1967. While doing some research for today's programme I found the next song I'm playing both on a list of someone's favourite northern songs as well as on a list of the worst ones. If you've got a northern soul favourite you can tell us in the comments. Anyway, here is the song in question.
Muriel Day – Nine Times Out of Ten
Forest Hairston – We Go to Pieces

There are quite a few instrumentals that have been popular at northern soul clubs – a good example is "The Wigan Joker" that was often played at Wigan Casino. The song you just heard though, was "We Go to Pieces".
Levi Jackson – This Beautiful Day
Marvin L. Sims – Now I'm In Love With You
Levi Jackson followed by Marvin L. Simms who was also in The Valentinos. You heard the a-side "Now I'm In Love With You from 1966. A single that came out the next year was "The People In Me" by garage stalwarts The Music Machine. They became legendary for their impeccable sense of style and an unparalleled sound. One feature of this sound was the intertwining of guitar and farfisa melodies, and this is used to great effect on songs like "Double Yellow Line" that is on the Nuggets box. But as I said, here is their second single.
The Music Machine – The People In Me
The Seven Souls – I Still Love You
The closest thing to a northern soul label there is is probably Chicago soul purveyors Okeh, and that's mainly because many of their releases were available in the UK as well. This was a 1967 single on that label. The next song was probably good to have handy as the sun rose over an open-air all-nighter.
World Column – So Is the Sun
The Outsiders – Backwards, Upsidedown!
By Cleveland’s The Outsiders, and from their first album. Like many garage groups they're known as a one-hit wonder, but actually many of their songs are as good as the "Time Won’t Let Me" single that you can find on Nuggets. Another song that is on the first Nuggets box is The Sparkles's "No Friend of Mine" from 1967. I'll play that and one more northern soul track, the stately "I Walked Away" by Bobby Paris – and then that's the show finished for today.
The Sparkles – No Friend of Mine
Bobby Paris – I Walked Away

SPLASH 19
It'll Never Be Over For Me

3 comments:

ally. said...

well most of these are new to me so thanks for the next few days listening, and all your hard work.

i've got a tape and cd going in the post for you tomorrow.

ally

Unknown said...

Yay! I love single-mp3-mode. It's my very favourite of modes.

Anonymous said...

Nice show but FYI the Prisoners didn't get their name from the Patrick McGooan TV show, it was after the single by the Vapors. They did however nick the typeface for their logo.