Funky Northern

[Hadrian Elephant]

As JJ brought this up in the spacey disco thread I was interested as to what he (and you) perceived as funky northern.<br /><br />Not that I know sod all about it mind you, it's just that I like funk and northern.<br /><br />Would this category include things like Night Of The Wolf and Keep On Keepin On? <br /><br />

[nohonourinhonor]

James Fountain Seven Day Lover

[RD]

bloody hell another sub genre!<br />from the more well known artists i know, maybe you mean things like...<br /><br />'i can't stop dancing' archie bell &amp; the drells<br />'move on up' mayfiled curtis <br />'ha cha cha' brass construction<br />'going home to see my baby' fatback band<br />?

[sonofstan]

<br />As JJ brought this up in the spacey disco thread I was interested as to what he (and you) perceived as funky northern.<br /><br />Not that I know sod all about it mind you, it's just that I like funk and northern.<br /><br />Would this category include things like Night Of The Wolf and Keep On Keepin On? <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I suppose the obvious ones are things like &quot;Cashing in&quot;; Flame 'n' King, &quot;Ho Happy Day&quot; ; Skull Snaps; World Column; &quot;The Bottle&quot; even All of which have a funky feel to them.<br /><br />Then there's that more dated sound, things like Snoopy Dean &quot;Shake 'n' Bump&quot; and Boby Franklin &quot;The Ladies Choice&quot;. Proably too funky to be recognised as northern these days (but not &quot;funky&quot; enough to be recognised as funk).<br /><br />That obscure (?) Afro Dimensions thing on Jayboy I showed you last Monday is a good candidate in my book - it's got a definite funky edge but with a group soul sound going on as well.

[JJ]

I was actually on about 'Northern Disco'...Ten favourites...<br /><br />1. Do It To Me - Southside Movement<br />2. You're My One Weakness Girl - Street People<br />3. I Thought You Were Mine - Natural Four<br />4. I Love You Yes I Do - The Independents<br />5. Look On The Good Side - The Invitations<br />6. Just Can't Say Goodbye - Philly Devotions<br />7. Got To Get You Back - Sons of Robin Stone<br />8. I Don't Blame You At All - Smokey Robinson &amp; The Miracles<br />9. It Really Hurts Me Girl - Carstairs<br />10. Full Time Thing - Whirlwind<br /><br />Cheers<br />JJ

[Topester]

also:<br /><br />Ann Byers - This Man Is Rated X<br />Eloise Laws - Love Factory<br />Ann Sexton- You've Been Gone Too Long<br />Velvet Hammer - Happy<br />Ace Spectrum - Don't Send Nobody Else<br />Fantastic Johnny C - Waiting For The Rain<br />Living Colour - Thank The Lord For Love<br />World's Funkiest Band - When You're Alone<br />Millie Jackson - House For Sale<br />Greg Perry - It Takes Heart<br /><br />it takes heart... to be a lawyer... to be a warrior... the most torturous rhyming couplet of our times surely?<br /><br /><br />

[Hadrian Elephant]

<br />I was actually on about 'Northern Disco'...Ten favourites...<br />JJ<br /><br /><br />Aha! I Can I lay claim to kick starting the 'funky northern' scene before it becomes the next big thing? I can just see it now &quot;Hadrian Elephants Legendary Funky Northern&quot; Doesn't trip off the tongue does it? Oh well, I'd better invent a house sub-genre instead (if there are any left to make up).<br /><br />Nice selections everyone.<br /><br />As I misconstrued and it was discoey northern that was mentioned, can I add 'Janice' by Skip Mahoney to the list?

[tee]

;D<br />now thats an interesting idea for a sub genre!!<br /><br />for what its worth<br /><br />the epitome of funky northern for me would have to be<br /><br />PRINCE GEORGE WRONG CROWD <br /><br />and for the disco northern although the two do not mix!!!! and you would be sent to the coal shed for that!<br /><br />INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT SLIPPIN AWAY ::) :-* :'( ;D

[Sean P]

What I know of the above, I wouldn't necessarily class as particularly 'funky'. But there's quite a few soulful disco/boogie tracks which seemed to have a northern flavour, Greg Perry's 'It Takes Heart' being a good example.<br /><br />A few others - <br />Skip Mahoney 'Janice (Don't Be So Blind To Love)'<br />Curtis Hairston/A High Frequency 'Summertime'<br />True Image 'Keep Me Dancing'<br />Heywood Cash 'Give It Up'<br />The Invitations 'We Don't Allow'

[sonofstan]

In that case, allow me to chip in again with a random northern disco 8:<br /><br />Pat Lundi: Party Music<br />Jobell Orchestra: Never Gonna Let You Go<br />Brothers: Are you Ready for This?<br />Bil Harris: Am I cold, Am I hot?<br />Brothers Guiding Light: Getting Together<br />Daybreak: I need love<br />Silvetti: Spring Rain<br />Hosanna: Hipit

[Topester]

Tommie Young Hit N Run Lover would definitely qualify as one from the Northern end that got played on the rare groove scene... well, a bit. Top tune anyway...<br /><br />JJ might be able to fill in the blanks but I've got a few Modern Soul compilations stuffed full of late 70s early 80s nuggets that definitely fall under the Northern disco end of things... KIng Tutt, Admiral Ice that sort of thing<br /><br />I guess when we're talking Northern disco what we mean is the Blackpool Mecca end of things, Carstairs etc. and later I guess stuff like Eddie Holman - This Will Be A Night To Remember and Crown Heights Affair - Dreamin On A Dream. Benny Troy I wanna Give You Tomorrow... mmm nice.

[sonofstan]

<br />JJ might be able to fill in the blanks but I've got a few Modern Soul compilations stuffed full of late 70s early 80s nuggets that definitely fall under the Northern disco end of things... KIng Tutt, Admiral Ice that sort of thing<br /><br />I guess when we're talking Northern disco what we mean is the Blackpool Mecca end of things, Carstairs etc. and later I guess stuff like Eddie Holman - This Will Be A Night To Remember and Crown Heights Affair - Dreamin On A Dream. Benny Troy I wanna Give You Tomorrow... mmm nice.<br /><br /><br />The Mecca (and Ritz )shaded into full on &quot;new york disco&quot; (as they called it) with more mainstream disco stuff being played. From what i understand, what you got at venues at that time were two discrete crowds - the disco lot and the fans of the trad 60s northern stompers.<br /><br />A lot of the stuff on those &quot;Modern Soul Story&quot; comps, King Tut et al, dates from a slightly later era, the emergent Modern Soul scene of the late 70s / early 80s, venues like Notts Palais, as played by the likes of Arthur Fenn and Soul Sam (ironically one of the staunchest stomper supporters during the Ritz era) <br />

[JJ]

I'm honoured, Frank, that you have such faith in me, but I'm crap at filling in blanks. P'raps a good test for what might constitute 'northern disco' is tunes (like the Carstairs) which upset the traditional northern soul DJs coz they sounded too disco, yet were not played much down south coz they were considered too northern soul. <br /><br />On the other hand, Hit n Run Lover is definitely 'funky northern', with its phat- old bass line. <br /><br />Waffle waffle, yap, yap etc etc..<br />JJ<br />

[Belson]

<br />P'raps a good test for what might constitute 'northern disco' is tunes (like the Carstairs) which upset the traditional northern soul DJs coz they sounded too disco, yet were not played much down south coz they were considered too northern soul. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Exactly - I'ld say it's particularly difficult to nail something in this fictitious sub genre cos really, one faction doesn't really 'accept' the other. Particularly the Northern brethren. Those that I've talked don't get funk as they find it to 'sexy' (a direct quote') rather than emotional.<br /><br />Some may call it 'Popcorn Northern' but I dunno if there would be something dubbed 'Funky Northern'.

[Topester]

Alice Clark 'Don't You Care' ;)<br /><br />Lovely lovely records eh?

[ladyboygrimsby]

<br /><br />P'raps a good test for what might constitute 'northern disco' is tunes (like the Carstairs) which upset the traditional northern soul DJs coz they sounded too disco, yet were not played much down south coz they were considered too northern soul. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Exactly - I'ld say it's particularly difficult to nail something in this fictitious sub genre cos really, one faction doesn't really 'accept' the other. Particularly the Northern brethren. Those that I've talked don't get funk as they find it to 'sexy' (a direct quote') rather than emotional.<br /><br />Some may call it 'Popcorn Northern' but I dunno if there would be something dubbed 'Funky Northern'.<br /><br /><br />Good point. The strange homoerotic side of northern soul (all those big strings and gay-friendly lyrics) has yet to be fully explained or explored...

[Belson]

The die-hard Northern heads still wouldn't admit to liking 'funk', even though they're picking up on tracks by Angela Davis & Leroy Clofer.

But there's definitely northern related cuts I'd play in a funk set like The Parisians 'Twinkle little star', Huns Review on Sorro, the Re-vels, Gene Toones and John Wesley on Melic.

[Martin Red]

http://www.deepfunk.org/imagesnew/rare/liliandupree.jpg
" Classic funky northern soul from Wigan casino. Still sounding fresh. "

http://www.deepfunk.org/rarerecords.htm

[Belson]

http://www.deepfunk.org/imagesnew/rare/liliandupree.jpg
" Classic funky northern soul from Wigan casino. Still sounding fresh. "

http://www.deepfunk.org/rarerecords.htm

That was written by James Trouble, who wasn't even born when Wigan was around.

A great record by Lillian Dupree, where today you'd see it for sale on Funk lists as well as Northern. Back in the Wigan days, this was classed as straight up Northern.

The barriers of what qualifies as 'Northern' are definitely starting to widen.....at long last.