So after a couple of days of dodging stray snowballs from the local Burberry covered Chavs (I promise there’s nothing designer about them!) and walking around like a new born Bambi across what has now turned from snow to sheet ice, its back to our cosy corner over here on the Interwebs, with something to warm you to the core!

First up, we return to La Havana Bar, Chichester, West Sussex on Saturday 7th February for our monthly funk and soul expedition down on the South Coast, there has been some serious interest in this one over the last couple of weeks, even seeing people reserving areas in the bar!! This will be our first full outing since our fantastic New Years Party just over a month ago (time flies when you’re having fun or so the saying goes!) and I’m certainly looking forward to dropping several new acquisitions that have come my way in the last week or so. Don’t sleep on this one, as always all the I’s and T’s can be found in the tabs at the top of this page.

So onto the main event and as promised here is the second part of Bold Soul Brother’s guest contribution. After his extremely funky Bo ‘N’ Brown ‘N’ Others, he kicks things up into second gear for the home straight with this frankly astounding Northern Mix,

Ladies and Gentlemen give it up for the one and only Bold Soul Brother!

“If you listened to my other mix (Bo ‘N’ Brown ‘N’ Others); this mix might be a bit of an eye-opener; as it’s completely different. In essence this demonstrates the range of my musical tastes (from classic Northern Soul - which you’ll find in this issue; to Deep Funk - as heard in the other mix). This mix demonstrates for me, where it all began, imagine a 17 year old into music big time, when mainstream music was either Punk, Ska (Coventry revival), Mod (revival), Brit Pop (the first time round) or (late) disco. Whilst I’d never been a great dancer, I’d always loved music that made me want to dance (and enjoyed watching the local talent shuffle around). Whilst I collected the entire catalogue of 2-Tone and The Jam, my biggest interest was from what the Mod revival introduced to this scooter riding youngster. Northern Soul and what a musical revelation that was for me.

What you hear in this mix was laid down for a colleague directly onto CD and as such I was “just grabbing” and paying no particular attention to BPM or mixing one into the other; I was literally just grabbing old favourites. We start with Laura Greene’s “Moonlight Music and You” one of a few tracks given public attention a few years back thanks to a certain “fried chicken’s” advertising campaign; through some great classics from the days of the Casino Club and end, appropriately, with Jimmy Radcliffe’s “Long After Tonight Is All Over”.

Most are original issues, some are re-issues, a few (including Chavez) are bootleg (I thought for a day or two that I’d stumbled on an original, until Manship confirmed from my delta number that it was a bootleg; still worthy of a good price - but not close to the original). The Frank Wilson you hear is a re-issue on Soul, but I also have a much earlier green label TMG re-issue in my collection (sadly I do not own one of the two Soul originals - if I did I wouldn’t have the burden of debt!)

This mix is close to 80 minutes, so do settle down with a beer, or roll a fat one (if that’s your bag), and enjoy.

Keep the faith.

Bold Soul Brother”

Track List

Laura Green - Moonlight Music And You - RCA - 9164

Yvonne Baker - You Didn’t Say A Word - Parkway - 140

Freddie Chavez - They’ll Never Know Why - Look - 5010

Andre Brasseur - The Kid - Congress - 271

Lee Roye - Tears - MCA - 378

Bobby Hebb - Love, Love, Love - Philips - 40400

Chuck Jackson - Hand It Over - Wand - 169

Barbara Acklin - Love Makes A Woman - Brunswick - 55379

Leslie Uggams - Love Is A Good Foundation - Sonday - 6006

Len Barry - It’s That Time Of The Year - Decca - 31969

Jackie Lee - I’ll Do Anything - Soul Fox - 1001

Dena Barnes - If You Ever Walk Out Of My Life - Inferno - 2002

Chuck Jackson - Good Things Come To Those Who Wait - Wand - 1105

Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) - Soul - 35019

Vikki Baines - Country Girl - Parkway - 966

Rose Batiste - Come Back In A Hurry - Revilot - 206

Chuck Jackson -These Chains Of Love (Are Breaking Me Down) - Wand - 1129

Ronnie Milsap - Ain’t No Soul (Left In These Old Shoes) - Scepter - 12161

Leroy Taylor - Oh Linda - Brunswick - 55345

The Beach Girls - Skiing In The Snow - Dynovox - 202

The TSU Toronadoes - I Still Love You - Volt - 4030

Cliff Nobles & Co. - Switch It On - Phil La Soul - 324

Bobby Garrett - I Can’t Get Away - Mirwood - 5508

Jackie Wilson - Soul Galore - Brunswick - 55290

Adams Apples - Don’t Take It Out Of This World - Brunswick - 55330

Al Wilson - Help Me - Wand - 1135

Stemmons Express - Woman, Love Thief - Karma - 201

Fred Hughes - Baby Boy - Brunswick - 55419

Harold Melvin - Get Out (And Let Me Cry) - Landa - 703

Chuck Jackson - Any Day Now - Wand - 122

Jimmy Radcliffe - Long After Tonight Is All Over - Musicor – 1042

Download Bold Soul Brother - The Northen Mix HERE