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I found some fantastic new old music today, from a label named Eccentric Soul, presenting the work of the lesser known recording studios in and around 1960s Detroit.
This is particularly for you if you like searching out rare gems of music, there’s even a fantastic version of the traditional gospel song Wade in the Water – made popular by the Ramsey Lewis Trio. There is a catalogue DVD detailing the history of the songs and there are even a whole tonne of photographs of the artists taken in glorious grainy colour analogue film.
This grubbier version of Motown soul has some real kick to it. There’s also a lot of gospel too. It offers some fantastic listening though and I’d strongly recommend it.
Take a look here:
The strange world of northern soul is making an unanticipated comeback and this time it’s gripping the imagination of many, rather than the traditional ‘chosen few’.
Born out of mid 1960s African American soul music, northern soul is an up-tempo, heavy-beat style of music that was once the dance genre of choice of northern England’s club scene.
The 1960s brought rock and roll, rhythm and blues and many other traditionally African American genres to the fore – with white artists covering the music to bring it into the mainstream. Soul music was one such genre enjoying the limelight in the 60s, and a series of independent record labels churned out a plethora of wannabee soul singers – some of whom were to become chart-topping stars, whilst others would be consinged to the footnotes of history.
As the era wore on, the soul sound began to change; from a beat heavy, energetic and fresh sound to a more measured, refined and smooth genre. Many soul fans’ tastes developed with the trends of the day – though in the north of England, dancers chose to stick with the raw sounds and styles of the early soul movement.
As a result of the American soul genre’s progression to a more sophisticated plain, the northerners found their supply of uptempo music running dry – gradually forcing them to dig out rarer soul sounds from the original era, revitalising the histories of the once commercialy failing soul singers. And so it was that the strange, collectioneering world of northern soul was born.
From the mid 1960s up until the early 1980s, clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, the Blackpool Mecca, the Golden Torch in Stoke on Trent and the world famous Wigan Casino began to move to a rarer soul groove, refusing to move with the trends and prefering the original sounds – no matter how obscure.
The era was one orignal northern soul fans remember with pride, though some others of the same generation can often be found to critise the movement – with its sweat stenched dancefloors, baggy trousers, brogues and brummy bags all being memories some would love to forget.
However, northern soul is making a comeback. In spite of the older critics, a new generation are accessing the rare sounds of the 60s, and it’s not just in the north of England, but in the south and even accross the world.
In Liverpool – a city not well known for its historical role in the story of northern soul – there are a range of clubs playing the beat heavy tracks of a bygone era. These places are not however the dancefloor meccas of old – they are modern day nightclubs, looking for an edge.
It seems that, to an extent, the nightclub culture of today is tired of straight, down the line dance music – or even other popular genres such as rock and indie. Instead, many clubs are cashing in on the ambiguous soul sound – something which has an ever more proven appeal on a wide range of audiences. Clubs such as Heebiejeebies in Liverpool regularly play mainstream soul classics with great success – attracting a broad spectrum of party goers.
Though the rarer soul sounds are popular still too. Specialist clubnights can be found across the UK, though no longer in the small towns as much but in the city centres. Nights can be found across the world these days too – with specialist nights in Amsterdam, San Francisco and Sydney.
It seems now that what was once a strange, unknown world from the north of England has outgrown its original generation and location.
Today, northern soul is often found played alongside rhythm and blues, psdychedelia, beat and garage rock classics in an eclectic modish sample of the 1960s. It is enjoyed by a new younger generation of fans inspired by the music of their parents and danced to (perhaps with less aplomb than the wooden dancefloor obsessed soulsters of the 70s and 80s) in opposition to the repetitive thud of contemporary dance music.
It has ceased to be a strange, exclusive world of collecting rare records and has joined other historically alternative genres being sought en masse by a generation sick of being fed the musical endgame that is chart pop, indie, hip-hop and dance.
Northern soul is perhaps not ‘keeping the faith’ as it used to, though it is still very much alive.
It’s that day again. Time to exchange cards, gifts; love, hugs and kisses. It’s enough to make you sick. Isn’t it? Though it is a necessary distraction for many all the same.
So whether you’re into it or not, I thought I’d compile a quick selection of musical treats: songs for lovers, and songs for those out of love.
For those in love:
- Suzanne – Leonard Cohen (beautiful in every respect).
- All You Need is Love – Beatles (I had to include one… this is perhaps the most iconic. There are an absolute truck load of hits by the fab four that could’ve been on this list though).
- J’Taime Moi Non Plus – Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg (a cheesy piece of nonsense. terribly soppy, disgusting and gut wrenching. Certainly not a song to play in the bedroom – unless you anticipate laughter).
- Maybe the People Would be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale – Love (not really about the emotion, though Arthur Lee named the band after what he saw as the most powerful thing that everyone could relate to).
- Winters Love – Animal Collective
- All Shook Up – Elvis Presley
- Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space – Spiritualized
And for those out of love:
- Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division (OK, so this is a painfully obvious choice to include on this list. I’m sure a million people have cited it before. However, the truth remains, this is a brilliant song about a marriage falling to pieces).
- Come On – Chuck Berry (fantastic song whatever the situation and a great tale of a girl leaving our Chuck. Covered by the Rolling Stones for their debut single in 1963).
- She Loves You – Beatles (for the optimist: “you think you lost your love, well I saw her yesterday, it’s you she’s thinking of, and she told me what to say. She loves you, and you know that can’t be bad. Yes she loves you, and you know you should be glad”).
- The Wind Cries Mary – Jimi Hendrix (written after Hendrix had an argument with then girlfriend Kathy Etchingham. Mary was Kathy’s middle name).
- Love Sick – Bob Dylan
- Ever Fallen in Love – Buzzcocks
- 96 Tears – Question Mark & The Mysterians
Come up with some of your own! Peas and Love,
Titch x
Who decides which bands, artists, self-absorbed celebrities and talentless performing monkeys are awarded Grammys?
I don’t like Tool, though I agree with what singer Maynard James Keenan says of the awards:
I think the Grammys are nothing more than some gigantic promotional machine for the music industry. They cater to a low intellect and they feed the masses. They don’t honor the arts or the artist for what he created. It’s the music business celebrating itself. That’s basically what it’s all about.
This year saw yet another bout of self congratulatory communal back scratching, with a whole bunch of industry cash cows recieving the bulk of the accolades.
Estelle, Adele, Duffy and Lil-Wayne all big commercial names – all arguably lacking any award winning creativity – yet all picking up a clutch of shiny Grammys each.
However, the biggest piss take is Coldplay; who have yet again subjected the world to yet more insipid, luke warm, middle of the road non-music this year.
What really gets me is the way they push themselves as artists; as creative, musical revolutionaries – portraying an image of integrity.
Their latest album, Viva La Vida, is far from award winning, yet it achieved ‘rock album’ of the year status from the Grammys. The title track from Viva La Vida also won awards, as did the group’s live performances.
What is this all about?! The album is tosh: the utter dregs of musical taste and the blandest offering yet from a band whose name has for a long time been closely synonymous with the descriptions: ‘dull’, ‘boring’, ‘repetitive’, ‘emotionless’, ‘crap’ and ‘of the lowest base artistic character’.
What’s more – Coldplay seem to have taken onboard some design doublethink where meaningless symbolism actually means something. Quite what, who knows.
The band has recently been sporting a collection of badly re-hashed Sgt. Pepper style tunics – something they did apologise for at the Grammys – which look utterly ridiculous.
They have been doing this for the whole of Viva La Vida, almost in some concerted effort to communicate something – exactly what, is not clear – other than that they’re trying to find something interesting and new to do (something which they can’t do with their horrendously uninspired music) in order to sell records.
When the Beatle’s wore tunics for Sgt. Peppers, it actually meant something. It was a sign of rebellion: to debase the symbolism and pomp of institution – the most powerful incarnation and protector of institution there is: the military.
With Coldplay, this doesn’t appear to be the case. Partly as the Beatles and others, such as Jimi Hendrix, have already made this type of statement. Instead, it is perhaps an appeal to the limp wristed socialism of Coldplay’s fans, though it is more likely a result of the band having a bit of money to spare in their marketing budget for Viva La Vida, and ended up hiring some trendy young artist to ‘conceptualise’ this new look for them.
I could go on but I wont. Safe to say: the music most loved by the music industry (the world of commerce) means nothing (to the world of art); the Grammys (a vain attempt at ‘artistic recognition’) also mean nothing; Coldplay, who cleaned up at the Grammys, mean nothing too.
I recently took a visit to Liverpool’s Hard Days Night Hotel for some work related corporate hobnobbing – not entirely my favourite activity. Though it was an incredible opportunity to take a look inside Liverpool’s first Beatlemanic boutique hotel.
Opened exactly a year ago this month, this four star classic hotel in a grade II listed building sits comfortably on the corner of Matthew Street – knocking on the door of the (fake) Cavern and a whole host of other stores and bars cashing in on all things John, Paul, Ringo and George.
However, the Hard Days Night makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Is Liverpool taking its Beatles heritage too far? Is this a little too corporate for comfort?
Firstly, let’s not beat around the bush. In the Beatles’ heyday they made money by the barrowload, and surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr continue to do so to this day. So getting in a huff about ’selling out’ is pointless – after all, music is business.
However, the Beatles also stood for something. They stood for counterculture, youth and a tangible shift from traditional British austerity to a more liberal, progressive society. Surely this new Beatles themed hotel is flying in the face of all of this?
As far as cashing in on the Beatles’ name goes, the Hard Days Night Hotel is more tasteful than most. Something which can’t be said for much of the tat you can buy in memorabilia stores dotted across the city. There are photographs of the Fab Four on every wall, as well as themed bedrooms, bars and dining rooms. Some of the photographs even wouldn’t look out of place in an art gallery.
Though all this opulence is a little unnerving, particularly when you consider the clientele.
At a minimum of £85 per room per night, the Hard Days Night hotel is not cheap. At this price, the majority of the guests in the hotel are undoubtedly well heeled and perhaps not the type you’d expect to be massively into the Beatles’ countercultural message.
They are instead those who enjoy the hotel’s trappings of luxury and a highly civilised lifestyle, and perhaps just enjoy the Beatles theme as a quaint gimmick due to the importance of the bands history and the location of the hotel in the Beatles’ homeland.
And it is this which is so disturbing. The Beatles were so much more than a gimmick, and using their image to sell a hotel – just because it is in Liverpool, stinks of flagrant entrepreneurial oportunism.
The statues of John, Paul, Ringo and George on the front of the building are gut wrenchingly tacky, sickening and pointless – despite the tasteful photographs inside. We all know Liverpool is the home of the Beatles – why does big business need to trade so heavily on this?
This kind of Beatles tourism is sickening. It is diluting the meaning and purpose of the Beatles and translating it into a bland corporate product.
Where is the tangible youth and strength of feeling, where is the spirit of abandon of Lennon’s ‘bigger than Jesus’ comment, where is the world peace – where are the raucus songs, the experimental songs – where is the LSD in Buckingham Palace, the cannabis, India, religious change, drugs and dropping out – the clothes, the screaming fans, the thousands of bedrooms and dancefloors across the world shouting along to a myriad of collective favourite songs.
At the Hard Days Night Hotel, these ideas are swept under the pristine carpets in exchange for hushed discussions and anecdotes of the slightest memory of the Fab Four’s rebellion.
In this bloggers opinion, as you may have ascertained, corporate should never step too far into the world of culture.
