Does the world really need another Northern Soul album?
Well, not really – after all there are literally hundreds of CD compilations (and that’s no exaggeration) already available that cover the whole spectrum of soul music’s enduring UK-born cult sub-genre. Indeed, given that fact, it must be a mind-boggling task for a Northern Soul novice to know which album to buy when confronted with a plethora of titles claiming to be the ultimate Northern Soul audio experience. Having said that, this 20-track set put together by Johnny Chandler with its big tunes and stomping beats provides a vivid musical snapshot of the Northern Soul scene – and therefore it functions as an excellent introduction to the phenomenon that was born in the ’70s in such hallowed venues as the Wigan Casino, Blackpool Mecca and Twisted Wheel. Given that the collection draws on Universal-owned repertoire there are plenty of Motown 45s included – ranging from Gloria Jones’ brilliant original version of ‘Tainted Love’ and Chris Clark’s storming ‘Love Gone Bad,’ to Frank Wilson
