Southern Scoot's Podcasts

More of my Favourites.

54-46 Was My Number - The Maytals

The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s when ska was hot.
Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the frontman of the group stated that he made up the number 54-46 when writing "54-46 That's My Number" about his time in jail.

Give me your Love - The Ethiopians

Essentially a mouthpiece for singer and songwriter Leonard Dillon, the Ethiopians were one of Jamaica's most influential vocal groups during their heyday. They were a ska, rocksteady, and reggae vocal group, founded by Dillon, Stephen Taylor and Aston Morris in 1966.

Hey Hey Girl - The Maytals

The consummate vocal group, the Maytals are inextricably tied to Jamaica's musical history, and their long and prolific career has seen the group at the forefront of virtually every shift in musical direction up until the ragga era.

I won't let you Go - The High Notes

Rude Rich and the High Notes are a Dutch ska collective, formed in 1998. While the band write and play their own material, they strive for an authentic Jamaican sound in their traditional ska, rocksteady and reggae music.

Israelites - Desmond Dekker & The Ages

In 1968 Dekker's "Israelites" was released, eventually topping the UK Singles Chart in April 1969 and peaking in the Top Ten of the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1969. Dekker was thus the first Jamaican artist to have a hit record in the US with a form and style that was purely Jamaican, though he never repeated the feat.

Jackpot - Pioneers

Reggae classic which inspired the Two Tone Revolution. The Pioneers were formed in 1962 by brothers Sydney and Derrick Crooks, and their friend Winston Hewitt.

Liquidator - Harry J & The All Stars

In October 1969, Harry Zephaniah Johnson met success in the UK with "The Liquidator" (number 9 in the UK Singles Chart) recorded with his session band, The Harry J All Stars

Miss Jamaica - Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of Jamaica's representatives at the World's Fair and he soon signed to Island Records and moved to the UK.

Monkey Man - The Maytals

Monkey Man is a 1969 song by the ska and reggae group the Maytals, reaching number 47 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was a jab at their producer, Leslie Kong.

My Boy Lollipop - Millie

Mille Small, also known simply as Millie is a Jamaican singer-songwriter, best known for her 1964 cover version of "My Boy Lollipop" one of the catchiest songs ever!

One Step Beyond - Prince Buster

Cecil Bustamente Campbell’s early records, which were released in the UK by Blue Beat Records, contributed greatly to the developing sound of ska. Campbell began his professional career as a singer in 1956 performing in Kingston nightclubs.

Tighten Up - The Untouchables

The Inspirations were essentially a duo of Jimmy London and Billy Dyce, who were active on the Jamaican music scene at the end of the 1960s and into the early '70s. They initially worked with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, and their song "Tighten Up," recorded at Studio One, was actually Perry's first independent production (Perry, for some reason, called the group the Untouchables when the single was released)

Too Hot – Prince Buster

Track 8 on his greatest hits album “Fabulous”. This 1967 hit was covered by the Specials, on their debut album The Specials.

Train to Skaville – The Ethiopians

Around late 1966, Morris left the Ethiopians. Having left Dodd, the Ethiopians started recording at Dynamic Studios for the W.I.R.L. label, releasing the rocksteady "Train to Skaville", which was their first success.

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More of my Favourites.

1. Count the days-Magnetics - Chicago group featuring Lee McKinney

2. Do I Love You-Frank Wilson - The absolute Northern Soul Classic ! Frank Wilson (born Frank Edward Wilson, December 5, 1940, Houston) an African American former songwriter and record producer for Motown Records.

3. Don't forget that I Love You-The Intentions - Blue Eyed Soul from Middletown, Pa. This group later became the Humble Gathering with some of the same artist from the Intentions they did a killer Christmas Song called All I Have To Give You is My Love

4. Dont Go-Yvonne Carroll - recorded about half-a-dozen 45s for different labels, including Vee-Jay, Domain and Challenge, during the early to mid-'60s. She also issued one single in 1963 as Yvonne Carroll and the Roulettes.

5. Girl I need You-The Artistics - The group were formed in 1958 at Marshall High School in Chicago. The Artistics' debut record, 'I Need Your Love' (1963), featured Robert Dobyne as lead, however, he was replaced by, former El Dorado, Marvin Smith in 1964.

6. I'm On My Way-Dean Parrish - Dean Parrish (born Phil Anastasi, or alternatively Phil Anastasia circa 1942) is an American soul singer from New York, best known for the song, "I'm On My Way", which became famous for being the last record that was played at Northern Soul all-nighters at the Wigan Casino.

7. Love runs Out-Willie Hutch - Willie Hutch was a Northern Soul legend who went on to be a major prolific Motown recording artist and songwriter. He had never appeared in England until finally, in 2003, he performed at the Togetherness weekender in Fleetwood.

8. Out On The Floor-Dobie Gray - In 2000, Wigan Casino DJ, Kev Roberts, compiled The Northern Soul Top 500, which was based on a survey of northern soul fans.Gray's "Out On The Floor", a 1966 recording which had been a British chart hit in 1975, was placed in the Top 10.

9. Seven days too Long-Chuck Wood - Chuck Wood's "Seven Days Too Long" is one of Northern Soul's most classic floor fillers. At the beginning of the eighties Dexy’s Midnight Runners recorded a cover version of the song for their excellent debut album, "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels", which is a blue-eyed sould gem and a must for every Northern Soul lover.

10. Ten Miles High-David and the Giants -the band's most successful recordings became popular in England in the 1970s and 80s as Northern soul. In 1969 they achieved regional success in the southeastern US with singles entitled Super Love and Ten Miles High

11. That Driving Beat-Willie Mitchell - Throughout the ’60s, Mitchell became a popular concert attraction on U.S. college campuses and he scored several moderately successful soul/dance hit singles, issuing a steady stream of solo releases for the Hi label.

12. Try Love (one more time)-The Sparkels - Four High School Friends Barbara Peterkin, JoAnnis Harding, Lucille Jackson and Patricia Villiers. Released "Try Love One More Time" and "That Boy Of Mine" on Old Town Records in 1964 . They were also known as The Sables and released "I'm On Fire" and "Darling" on RCA Records

13. We got to Keep On-The Casanova Two – Freddie Hughes and Wiley Trass.Recorded at Fantasy in Berkley in 1965/66

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Northern Soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound. The Northern soul movement, however, generally eschews Motown or Motown-influenced music that has met with significant mainstream success. The recordings most prized by genre enthusiasts are usually by lesser-known artists and were initially released only in limited numbers, often by small regional labels.

Here is a selection of some of my favorite, classic Northern Soul music - enjoy !

1. Because Of You-Jackie Wilson - released in 1973 it went to #45 on the US R+B chart.Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul.

2. Hey You-The Montclairs - The Montclairs were a Sweet Soul vocal group who were named after a local brand of cigarettes!The group recorded their first single in 1969, which was only distributed in the St. Louis area, and the following year began recording for bandleader / producer, the late, Oliver Sain at his Archway Studio.

3. I wonder Why-Billy Eckstine - is track 3 on Everything I Have Is Yours: The Best of the M-G-M Years.Original 1960s Northern Soul 45 by Billy Eckstine on the Motown label #1105. Songs are "I Wonder Why (Nobody Loves Me)" and "I've Been Blessed."

4. I'll Always Love You-Spinners - The single became the Detroit-reared group's first charting single on the Motown Records company since they had signed with the company in 1964.

5. It really hurts me Girl-The Carstairs - endures among the most controversial and influential singles ever popularized within Britain's Northern Soul club scene. An absolutely brilliant record that uniquely captures the tectonic shift between the deep soul of the late '60s and the shimmering, propulsive Philly soul of the early '70s, it singlehandedly altered the direction and sensibility of the Northern scene

6. Lucky to be loved by You-Willie Hutch - Born Willie McKinley Hutchinson in 1944 in Los Angeles, California, Hutch was raised in Dallas, Texas and joined a doo-wop group, The Ambassadors, as a teenager. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High, Hutch shortened his last name as he started his music career in 1964.

7. Sitting In My Class-Ronnie McNeir - He became an official member of the Four Tops in 1999 when lead singer Levi Stubbs, Jr. was too ill to continue singing with the group.

8. Someday-The Tempests - In 1968, a North Carolina band called The Tempests – all white, apart from male lead singer Hazel Martin – recorded an album called Would You Believe on the Smash label.

9. Something about my Baby-Sweets - recorded on the Los Angeles Soultown label. The vinyl release is dated around 1966/67. The singers are possibly linked with the same girl group that recorded for the Valiant label in 1965…a trio that included Felice Taylor and her sisters Norma and Darlene.

10. Somethin's Bad-The Nomads - this particular group (one of three known South Carolina Nomads), came together in the Greenville, SC area to record one truly significant tune, 1968's SOMETHING'S BAD, for their own Mo-Groov Records. The act, featuring vocalist Sonny Threatt, later morphed into the duo Sunny & Phyllis.

11. This heart of mine-The Royal Imperials - The Royal Imperials deliver “Motown Northern Soul” on every note of this stunningly vibrant vocal-group dancer, that has agonised the collecting elite of the NS scene for decades. The most-wanted San Antonio’s Northern Soul legacy.

12. Turning My Heartbeat Up-MVP's - Kev Roberts lists this great tune at #35 in his original list of the 500 greatest northern soul singles. After one listen, it's easy to see why it became such a big dance hit, although it certainly is a bit different from the usual Northern Soul sound.

13. You're Blue-The Corvetts -Arthur Conley was born in McIntosh County, Georgia and grew up in Atlanta. He first recorded in 1959 as the lead singer of Arthur & the Corvets.

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