The Northern Soul Podcast

Soul Cities After Dark: America's Hidden Soul Treasures

Tonight on This Is Northern Soul, we're taking a journey through the soul cities of America, uncovering the rare records, forgotten voices and independent labels that helped shape the music we love.

From Detroit's gritty soul sound to Chicago's rich vocal harmonies, and from the sounds of Philadelphia to the wider world of American rhythm and blues, we're exploring the stories behind the artists who may never have become household names, but left us with some truly remarkable records.

Featuring artists and groups including Bobby Wells, Paul Sindab, the Fantastic Four, the Vontastics, , George Smith and many more, we'll look beyond the music to discover the people, places and labels behind these recordings. Some records were overlooked when they first appeared; others found a second life years later on British Northern Soul dance floors, where dedicated DJs and collectors recognised something special.

These are stories of small record companies, local music scenes, unforgettable voices and records that travelled thousands of miles to find their audience.

So settle in as we explore America's hidden soul treasures, one artist, one city and one record at a time.

This is This Is Northern Soul — celebrating the music, the stories and the records that deserve to be heard.

The Golden Torch: Taking Away the Myth

Tonight on This Is Northern Soul, we're heading to Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, to revisit one of the most legendary venues in Northern Soul history: the Golden Torch.

But this time, we're looking beyond the legend. How much of the story is fact, and how much has grown through years of memories and retelling?

We explore the all-nighters, the packed rooms, the atmosphere, the DJs and, most importantly, the music that made the Torch so special. From rare American soul discoveries to the artists who performed live, including Major Lance's unforgettable appearance in December 1972, we uncover what really made this venue matter.

The Torch wasn't perfect, and it didn't need to be. Its legacy was built on the records, the dancing, the people and the excitement of discovering something extraordinary.

No rose-tinted glasses. No knocking the legend. Just the music, the memories and the real story of the Golden Torch.

The Golden Torch: Taking Away the Myth

Tonight on This Is Northern Soul, we're heading to Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, to revisit one of the most legendary venues in Northern Soul history: the Golden Torch.

But this time, we're looking beyond the legend. How much of the story is fact, and how much has grown through years of memories and retelling?

We explore the all-nighters, the packed rooms, the atmosphere, the DJs and, most importantly, the music that made the Torch so special. From rare American soul discoveries to the artists who performed live, including Major Lance's unforgettable appearance in December 1972, we uncover what really made this venue matter.

The Torch wasn't perfect, and it didn't need to be. Its legacy was built on the records, the dancing, the people and the excitement of discovering something extraordinary.

No rose-tinted glasses. No knocking the legend. Just the music, the memories and the real story of the Golden Torch.

The Twisted Wheel: Whitworth Street — Opening Night, 1965

Manchester, September 1965. A new chapter begins as the legendary Twisted Wheel moves from Brazennose Street to its new home on Whitworth Street.

Tonight, we step back in time and walk through the doors of one of Manchester's most iconic music clubs. Past the coffee bar, down the stairs and into the basement, where live bands, adventurous DJs and a crowd hungry for something different came together around the sounds of American rhythm and blues, Motown and soul.

Imagine the atmosphere: the dark surroundings, the distinctive twisted bicycle wheels surrounding the DJ's booth, the small stage, the packed rooms and the records arriving from across the Atlantic. These were the early days of a club that would help shape the culture we now know as Northern Soul.

We're turning the clock back to explore the music, the people and the atmosphere that made the Twisted Wheel so special, featuring soul records from the era and beyond that tell the story of its developing sound.

Before the legend, there was a club, a dancefloor and a passion for the music.

Welcome to the Twisted Wheel, Whitworth Street. Manchester, 1965. Let's get on that dancefloor.

Tonight, we dig deeper into the Northern Soul record box to rediscover the overlooked tracks, forgotten dancers and hidden gems that rarely make it onto today's playlists.

These are records that deserve a second chance. From the soulful sounds of Sean Oliver and Reggie Alexander to the wonderful voices of Freda Payne, Donald Jenkins and the Delighters, Jon Lucien and Bettye LaVette, we're exploring the lesser-heard side of soul music.

It's all about rarity, rediscovery and that special feeling when a record makes you wonder why it isn't played more often. Not every great soul record becomes a classic, and not every classic needs to be played every night.

And as we bring our Secret Soul journey to a close, we turn to one of my personal favourites, the great Major Lance, with “Too Hot to Hold”.

Forgotten sounds. Hidden soul. Northern Soul discoveries. Because some records deserve another spin.

Welcome to Tonight's Secret Soul Playlist.

 Seven Lost Pieces of Northern Soul

it's the Seventh of October — and tonight we’re digging deep into the lost and forgotten side of Northern Soul.Seven tracks. Seven rare pieces of soul that slipped through the cracks, disappeared from view, or simply never received the attention they deserved.From Detroit to Texas, from Southern soul to obscure dancefloor favourites, this is thirty minutes of rare vocals, driving rhythms and records you may not have heard before.No obvious classics. No overplayed favourites.Just seven lost pieces of Northern Soul, rescued from the shelves and given another spin.Turn it up, settle in, and see if you discover a new favourite.

Tonight, we’re getting lost in the Northern Scene.A journey into the vintage soul of the 1960s, uncovering lost classics, forgotten favourites and records that somehow slipped through the cracks.From Detroit and Chicago to Philadelphia and beyond, these are the sounds that capture the magic of the era — beautiful voices, driving rhythms, timeless melodies and that unmistakable feel-good quality you only get from great sixties soul.Featuring Ruby Andrews, Eddie Holman, Bernie Williams, Carol Anderson, John Bowie, Fortson & Scott and more.No obvious anthems. No predictable choices. Just great soul records waiting to be discovered.Turn it up and come with us as we dig deep into the lost side of the Northern Scene.

Tonight, we’re going uptown, upbeat and up north with a selection of stomping soul — seven Northern Soul favourites packed with groove, rhythm, energy and that unmistakable Northern beat.Before podcasts, playlists and streaming, When I was a club DJ, my job was simple: make people move.

It wasn’t enough to play a good record. You needed the right sound to get the dancefloor going.And stomping soul dancing was a spectacle in itself — fast feet, spins, kicks, drops and incredible energy, with dancers giving everything they had while the DJ kept the records coming.Tonight’s Magnificent Seven takes us through some fantastic soul records and the artists behind them, from Detroit and Memphis to the Northern Soul dancefloors of Britain.Turn it up, find yourself a bit of space and get ready for some serious stomping soul.The Magnificent Seven — Uptown, Upbeat & Up North.

What makes a Northern Soul Masterclass?

It’s got to be obscure. It’s got to have the beat, the drive and, above all, that unmistakable Northern Soul feeling.

Tonight, we’re digging deep for records that slipped under the radar — forgotten artists, unreleased recordings and tracks that spent years hiding away before being discovered by the Northern Soul scene.From The Platters and Gigi & the Charmaines to The Squires and The Sharpies, these are records with stories of their own — music recorded decades ago, but given a completely new life on British dance floors.No obvious classics. No overplayed favourites.Just great soul records waiting to be discovered.This is Northern Soul Masterclass — Hidden in the Groove

London’s 100 Club has been part of British music history for generations — but its place in the Northern Soul story is particularly fascinating.Hidden away on Oxford Street, the club became an important meeting point for the capital’s soul scene during the 1960s and 1970s. While Manchester had the Twisted Wheel and Stoke-on-Trent had the Golden Torch, London had its own distinctive scene, with DJs and dancers searching out the latest and rarest American soul records.The 100 Club was never simply about one particular style. Jazz, rhythm and blues, modern soul and American soul all found a home there, creating an atmosphere where musical discovery mattered. For the young soul enthusiast, it was somewhere to hear records that weren't necessarily available in your local record shop — and to dance to music that was beginning to take on a life of its own in Britain.Its importance to Northern Soul lies in that connection with the wider underground soul movement. Long before Northern Soul became associated almost exclusively with Wigan Casino, clubs such as the 100 Club helped create the culture: dedicated dancers, knowledgeable DJs, imported American 45s and a determination to find something different.London had its own soul identity — sophisticated, fashionable and constantly changing — and the 100 Club was right at the heart of it.For our Northern Soul story, the 100 Club deserves its place among the important venues that helped shape the scene before it became a national phenomenon.