Lately I've been downloading alot of what's called "Northern Soul" on Limewire. Soul is really probably my favorite musical genre in that I like it so much in "general", whereas for other genres I only like specific artists. I think "Northern Soul" basically means obscure '60s and early '70s American soul that was fetishized in Britain in the late '60s, and still is today.

These are some obscure, underrated soul artists I've discovered and enjoy:

Carla Thomas (great, heavy soul that's sensual at the same time.)
Maxine Nightingale (she's great soul, best known for "Back Where We Started From")
Brenton Woods ("I'm Your Puppet" is superb.)
The Tams
Esther Phillips (whiskey, cigarettes, and heroin voice rarely found in soul)

My knowledge and thus appreciate of soul is restricted to well-known singers like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, as well as 'white soul' a.k.a Dusty Springfield. I especially like Redding and Marvin Gaye, the albums 'Otis Blue' and 'What's Going On?' rank as among my favourite of all time.

My knowledge and thus appreciate of soul is restricted to well-known singers like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, as well as 'white soul' a.k.a Dusty Springfield. I especially like Redding and Marvin Gaye, the albums 'Otis Blue' and 'What's Going On?' rank as among my favourite of all time.


I like Marvin Gaye, but I like Stevie Wonder and Al Green better, I think. I love Redding, Pickett, Franklin, etc.

I like Marvin Gaye, but I like Stevie Wonder and Al Green better, I think. I love Redding, Pickett, Franklin, etc.


Stevie Wonder's not really soul per se, being one of the those diverse jack of all trades like Ray Charles, or in an earlier era Little Richard or Chuck Berry. Redding and Gaye were probably the biggest almost exclusively soul singers, though Redding's early death at age 26 in a place crash definitely boosted his reputation (not that his talent was already enormous, but to be perfectly honest I think Gaye as a singer).

Stevie Wonder's not really soul per se, being one of the those diverse jack of all trades like Ray Charles, or in an earlier era Little Richard or Chuck Berry. Redding and Gaye were probably the biggest almost exclusively soul singers, though Redding's early death at age 26 in a place crash definitely boosted his reputation (not that his talent was already enormous, but to be perfectly honest I think Gaye as a singer).


I happen to like Redding's songs better than Gaye's, for the most part, though I think Al Green is Redding's equal. Barry White and Isaac Hayes aren't bad, either.

I happen to like Redding's songs better than Gaye's, for the most part, though I think Al Green is Redding's equal. Barry White and Isaac Hayes aren't bad, either.


Barry White's songs reek of pheremones, if you know what I mean.

Hayes is interesting. I mainly associate him with Funk rather than Soul, mainly on the back of the brilliant Shaft Soundtrack (unfortunately, the accompanying movie was bored and rehearsed). Al Green is also pretty good, but I haven't heard enough of him to compare him to Redding. Redding was one of the first male soul stars - along with Gaye - to break into the white charts. His seminal performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June of 1967 was sort of over-shadowed by a no doubt spectacular performance by another black artists just breaking through to his home country (prior to this he was better known in England)...of course I'm talking about Jimi Hendrix and his immortal consummation of fire act.

Al Green is my favorite of the standard, well known soul singers and it's worth getting at least his greatest hits if you're a soul fan.  A very close second is Percy Sledge and his best of is a must have too.  Not to say Marvin Gaye and so on aren't great but those are the two I couldn't do without.
I don't know the phrase Northern Soul but I do know Blue Eyed Soul and the top two in that area are Dusty Springfield (Dusty in Memphis remastered is a good choice) and Van Morrison (especially Moondance and then Tupelo Honey and maybe a best of for a few other hits from his rockin' days with Them).  Moondance was the first CD I bought because I like my first investment in any new technology to be something I dearly love from the past.  (My first DVD was Some Like it Hot, with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.)
My favorite soul song is not on any of those albums because I can't figure out whose version of "Dark End of the Street" I'm looking for.
Final post script: check out The Commitments for a great movie about a band in Dublin, Ireland, trying to make it singing soul.  They do a fine job with some great songs, and it plays out like every good local band I was ever loyal to.  There are a couple of CDs associated with this movie, too.

Just remembered Bill Withers who had only a few hits but two were truly great: Ain't No Sunshine and Use Me, which may be the hottest song from the whole soul genre, as well as the best fusion with funk.  It's a car commercial now.  Oh well, at least kids are hearing it.

Al Green is my favorite of the standard, well known soul singers and it's worth getting at least his greatest hits if you're a soul fan.  A very close second is Percy Sledge and his best of is a must have too.  Not to say Marvin Gaye and so on aren't great but those are the two I couldn't do without.
I don't know the phrase Northern Soul but I do know Blue Eyed Soul and the top two in that area are Dusty Springfield (Dusty in Memphis remastered is a good choice) and Van Morrison (especially Moondance and then Tupelo Honey and maybe a best of for a few other hits from his rockin' days with Them).  Moondance was the first CD I bought because I like my first investment in any new technology to be something I dearly love from the past.  (My first DVD was Some Like it Hot, with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.)
My favorite soul song is not on any of those albums because I can't figure out whose version of "Dark End of the Street" I'm looking for.
Final post script: check out The Commitments for a great movie about a band in Dublin, Ireland, trying to make it singing soul.  They do a fine job with some great songs, and it plays out like every good local band I was ever loyal to.  There are a couple of CDs associated with this movie, too.


Van Morrison was 'Blue-eyed Soul'? That's news to me!

Tom Jones is another example of 'blue-eyed' soul, though he was also very pop/opera focused.

Van Morrison was 'Blue-eyed Soul'? That's news to me!

Tom Jones is another example of 'blue-eyed' soul, though he was also very pop/opera focused.


Google "blue-eyed soul" and "van morrison" and you get over 5000 hits which really isn't many on today's web but the references there include the rock and roll hall of fame and so forth.  I first encountered Van Morrison in hippie circles during the 70's but he's been with me through all the changes since.

I don't own any Tom Jones but I watched his TV show way back when and it was about the sexiest thing I had seen at that point.  Made my Saturdays with the Monkees seem like kiddie school.

Google "blue-eyed soul" and "van morrison" and you get over 5000 hits which really isn't many on today's web but the references there include the rock and roll hall of fame and so forth.  I first encountered Van Morrison in hippie circles during the 70's but he's been with me through all the changes since.

I don't own any Tom Jones but I watched his TV show way back when and it was about the sexiest thing I had seen at that point.  Made my Saturdays with the Monkees seem like kiddie school.


He knew how to pull the moves and please the ladies!