Frosties Rare Northern Soul DJ spot Christmas 2014 - Early session

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• published: 11 Jan 2015
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Another of my playlists from Jersey's Ommarroo all dayers. A few people have asked me to give details of the tracks played in these sets. Kick off with the sublime but highly political mid tempo album track from 1974. The message in this song is just as relevant today, nothing has changed in the last 40 years. -LOU BOND-WHY MUST OUR EYES ALWAYS BE TURNED BACKWARDS-WE PRODUCE. Next is another album cut and a snappy reworking of the Jackie Wilson classic -EVER GREEN BLUES-I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU-MERCURY. A bit of 80's disco and another alternate version, this time the Bobby Paris anthem - SONNY CHARLES-PERSONALLY-HIGHRISE also produced by Mr. Paris. The Cameo-Parkway set up has a treasure trove of killer northern tracks.This overlooked title has an unpromising title but is a delightful dancer -JOE GRAVES-DEBBIE-PARKWAY. Quite a lot of alternate versions in this set and here is another. Following Little Anthony's original and Jack Hammer's sought after stomping take is this one. For me, this version from the antipodean balladeer is the best -JOHN ROWLES- WHAT GREATER LOVE-KAPP. Popcorn time and a real obscure album track that has been popular on that scene for years -MILTON GRAYSON-LONELY LOVER-FAMOUS The "Fatboy" made some brilliant records before his untimely death at the age of 33 in 1970 this is one of my favourites from 1965 - BILLY STEWART-NO GIRL-CHESS - interestingly the same backing track was used on his Look Back And Smile which was the flip side to his 1967 release Secret Love. The Northern Soul sleuth will leave no stone unturned in the search for a new sound and I have trawled the European record catalogs for years in this endless pursuit. How about this one from Spain circa 1970 -POP TOPS-ANYTIME- BARCLAY. The Godfather of Soul is often overlooked on the northern scene but some of his 70's non funk tracks are brilliant. It could also be argued that his 1967 anthem There Was A Time is the archetypical dance floor bomb. This track, recorded at the same time, seeS J.B. in blistering form -JAMES BROWN-WHY DID YOU TAKE YOUR LOVE AWAY FROM ME-KING. Version time again and this UK Pye waxing of the Richard Parker penned, Fred Hughes/Azie Mortimer recorded tune blows both of those out of the water - TAWNY REED-YOU CAN'T TAKE IT AWAY-CONGRESS. Next is a real cool mid tempo opus to infidelity -NEON RICHARDS - HE HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW-M.G.M. Tracks recorded at Detroits many studios in the 60's are instantly recognised by the Northern cognoscenti, likewise on the West coast an H.B. Barnum production is very distinctive and this Ben Raleigh Mark Barkan song is no different -TINA MASON-A GOOD KIND OF HURTING-CAPITOL. Recently rediscovered and reactivated by the Doyen of Northern DJ's Ian Levine this is a record that I used to play at the La Moye Soul nights 15 years ago -THE WILDWEEDS-HAPPINESS IS JUST AN ILLUSION-CADET CONCEPT this was Al Anderson's last roll of the blue eyed soul dice at Cadet before going completely Hard Rock with NRBQ. Larry Williams wrote this one but I cannot find him doing a version of it anywhere, though Jimmy Hughes did a fair unreleased version for Fame back in '66 - Popcorn Heaven -JEFFREY ALLEN- DILLY DILLY-MALA. Speaking of unreleased how about this Don Covay written, Olly McLaughlin produced stormer -THE CAPITOLS- UP ON TOP NOW-SOLID SMOKE/KAREN. Another Philly mover from Parkway and this time vocal harmony excellence -THE FOUR EXCEPTIONS-A SAD GOODBYE- PARKWAY for me a better track than frantic top side "You Got The Power". The 2nd Detroit offering in this set and one of those rumbling mid tempo destroyers beloved by northern fans -SANDY HOLLIS-TABLES WILL TURN-BIG WHEEL. Blue eyed dynamite from Omaha Nebraska !! -THE MARQUEE REVUE-WHAT GOOD TOMORROW-PACIFIC AVENUE. Album track again, this time from one half of the prolific Motown staff writing duo Pam Sawyer and LORI BURTON-LET NO ONE COME BETWEEN US-MERCURY taken from Lori's 1967 solo album. "Sweet" James Epps was a hugely underrated singer, he never made a bad record and this Detroit masterpiece is one of his finest - THE FANTASTIC FOUR-(I'M GONNA) LIVE UP TO WHAT SHE THINKS- RIC-TIC. Not sure what Joe Hooven and Jerry Winn were hoping for when they adapted the old Irish shanty into this fingersnapping ditty but a hit seemed rather unlikely, and a non-hit is just what us northern boys love -BRENTON WOOD-SWEET MOLLY MALONE-BRENT. You can't beat a bit of Bob Dylan at a Northern do can you?? Well this one owes as much to The Four Tops - It's The Same Old Song as it does to Mr Zimmerman -CHRIS FARLOWE-IT'S ALL OVER NOW BABY BLUE-IMMEDIATE. The best and rarest from -CHI-LITES-SHE'S MINE-BLUE ROCK. French only 45 version of James Barnett -ARTHUR CONLEY-KEEP ON TALKING-ATCO. Floorpacking monster -ELLA FITZGERALD-THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING-SALLE. Another rarest and best this time from-JEWEL AKENS - MY FIRST LONELY NIGHT - ERA. Movie themes long been a staple of the scene GEORGE SHEARING - LILA'S THEME - CAPITOL