The Soul Cellar
 

This thread is dedicated to the lesser known soul singles of the 1960's. Links to tracks are in the Artist/Song Titles.


The Younghearts originally formed at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles in 1961, by Bobby Sanders and Charles Ingersoll.
Dorsey High School was attended at the same time by the Beach Boys!

The Younghearts toured with several famous Soul Artists of that time, including The Temptations, The Dells, The Delfonics, The Moments, The Whispers, The Miracles and The Supremes.
Over the years they earned themselves the nickname 'The Entertainers' due to the intense energy of their performances.
THE YOUNGHEARTS band members were;
James Moore, Charles Ingersol, Ronnie Preyer and Earl Carter

Nicknamed the "Chunk of Funk" the incomparable Earl Van Dyke was the keyboardist/bandleader for the Funk Brothers.
A talented musician from an early age, Van Dyke started playing piano when he was five years old and with support from his parents (his father was a classical violinist turned Ford Motors factory worker) Van Dyke would go on to become a true legend amongst his peers.
Van Dyke played the Steinway grand piano, the Hammond B-3 organ, the Wurlitzer electric piano, the Fender Rhodes, and the celeste and harpsichord.

He joined Motown on a wage of exactly 150 dollars a week. However, just after joining the label, Van Dyke's "pay" for his first session was a bowl of soup!
Seen as a big brother and a parental figure by the rest of his fellow Motown studio musicians.

Soul is too upbeat for me right now but I think in a brighter mood I could dig those. I loved the horns in 6 x 6 though.

Hey RightTrack, what about Willie Mitchell he's surely worth a mention - 'Everything Is Gonna Be Alright', 'That Driving Beat', 'The Champion Pt1', 'Soul Serenade', '30-60-90' etc. some great Northern Soul classics there.

I know he went on to be a producer and was credited as being the man who signed Al Green to Hi Records producing some of his best records but I don't know much about his own early work, perhaps you could fill us in with some of your valued wisdom about him??

Right Track, if you wake up one morning and discover your entire music collection has vanished, rest assured it was probably me.

^I'll fit one in just for you.

You seem to know more than me about Willie Mitchell, wydchr. Apart from being great with a trumpet and a composer too, there's not much else I can add.
'That Driving Beat' is a storming dance tune though.
Saw a good youtube vid with that as the music once (at Wigan Casino?...not sure) and some of the footwork on display was incredible.
I'm curious as to where you're from wydchr...you seem to know your stuff, but I'm guessing you're not English...

At least I'll have the consolation of knowing it'll have gone to a good home. ;)

Oh I'm English OK but from the other side of the Penines to you ;)

Chris Clarke - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)

Originally recorded in 1965 for Motown's subsidiary 'Soul' label, the scheduled release for Frank Wilson's 'Do I Love You' (pictured above) was shelved so he could concentrate on his work as a Motown producer.
Described by soul fans as, "the holy grail of soul." Only 2 known copies exist.
Possibly the most expensive 7" vinyl to own at an incredible £15,000!
This thread would not be complete without this record, but instead I've opted for Chris Clarke's version on the VIP label, which I much prefer.
Recorded to the same track only months after the original, sadly, it too remained unissued.
Clark became famous in England as the "white Negress" (a nickname meant as a compliment), because the six-foot platinum blonde, blue-eyed soul singer toured with fellow Motown artists.


Probably the most popular tune on the Northern Soul scene, 'Do I Love You' has just about everything including a great driving beat.

I wondered because your post times are early morning.
Yorkshire? Foreign soil to me. ;)
Feel free to contribute to the thread mate.

Yeah that's because I'm working night shift out on this here oil platform :(

Not trying to bull you up here but I must say that your knowledge of Northern Soul is the reason I joined these forums after reading the thread you started which was dedicated to the genre. I have been a Soul/NS fan since the (very) late sixties when I was still at school and have continued to enjoy the records to this day. I did have quite a collection of singles and did some deejaying in the 70's but my ex-wife sold them (probably for much less than they were worth) after we split up some years ago... which was some kind of retribution for her I guess and I know I should've taken them with me!
I do like many other kinds of music but early Motown, Northern soul and soul records remain among my favourites.

As for contributing more to this thread, well I am very rusty as I don't get out to clubs these days, remembering artists and pairing their names to song titles is a challenge now and that's why I find your comments so refreshing and informative as they help me to remember so keep up the good work :yeah:

This is an excellent thread. Such a shame that it probably won't recieve the attention that it deserves.

Gene Chandler - Nothing Can Stop Me

Gene Chandler is best known for his 1962 hit record 'Duke Of Earl' (earning him the nickname "The Duke") though he wrote and performed on many more songs including 28 hits in the top 100.
Along with personal favourites, the fabulous Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler, Chandler was a major player on the 60's Chicago soul scene and collaborated with some of the top stars of the soul and R&B world.
By the time the 70's arrived Chandler was a manager and record producer, notably for A&M and owner of two record labels.

'Nothing Can Stop Me' (written by Curtis Mayfield) was also recorded by another favourite of mine Major Lance, but it's Chandler's more understated version that wins it for me.
'Nothing Can Stop Me' tells the tale of a man humiliated by his girl in front of her male friends.

Willie Mitchell - That Driving Beat

A student at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, Willie Mitchell was competent on several musical instruments, but particularly outstanding on the trumpet.
Almost all of Willie Mitchell's singles were instrumentals apart from songs like, 'Everything Is Gonna Be Alright' and this posts highlighted track, the flipside, 'That Driving Beat'.
As wydchr pointed out earlier in this thread, "Papa Willie" signed Al Green to Hi Records in 1969 and was involved in all the production of Al Green's records.

'That Driving Beat' is synonymous with the legendary Twisted Wheel Club and was a Wigan Casino dancefloor favourite.

All posts updated with mp3 links to each track by clicking on the artist/song title at the top of each post.

stumbled on this forum after a random google search and started reading this thread - brilliant work right-track...i'll add some of my favourites at some point too... :)

You're welcome to...look forward to your choices.

Thanks for the updates right-track the knowledge you impart is always a revelatation and I really appreciate the links.

I will try and add some more to the thread soon... home from the rig today :)

I'd love it if you did, but don't feel obliged mate. :)

JJ Barnes is another one of those Motown artists that are better known in the UK than they are in their native America.
Born in Detroit, Michigan 1943, Barnes started his career singing Gospel with The Halo Gospel Singers, a group which included his sister Ortheia Barnes.
From there he went on to record songs with Kable, Sceptor and the Ric Tic label (where he recorded a version of The Beatles - Day Tripper) all with limited success.

When Berry Gordy bought Ric Tic records, Barnes moved along to the Motown stable where he already knew members of the Funk Brothers.
But incredibly, Gordy decided not to release anything by Barnes (the story goes that Gordy thought Barnes sounded too much like Marvin Gaye) and instead used him for his songwriting abilities.
He co-wrote tracks such as; 'Don't Make Hurting Me a Habit' for the Marvelettes and 'Show Me the Way' for Martha & the Vandellas.
Barnes was later released to Groovesville and later moved to Revilot.

It wasn't until his old friend Edwin Starr from his Ric Tic days invited him over to England, (where Starr was enjoying more attention than he ever got in the U.S.) did Barnes truly make his name on the soul scene.

'(Tell Me) Aint It The Truth' was co-written and produced by JJ Barnes in 1966, with lyric changes (same tune) to the above Martha & the Vandellas - 'Show Me The Way'. Please pay particular notice to the understated piano.

Written by Stevie Wonder and recorded by Tammi Terrell in 1966.
'All I Do Is Think About You' is a beautiful mid tempo soul song that inexplicably remained unreleased until 2002 and only then on a Motown archive compilation CD.
Another notable version was done by Brenda Holloway, which was basically a stripped down version of Tammi's (vocals removed) with Brenda's vocals put on top of the same rhythm track. After reworking the track in 1977, Stevie Wonder later released his version of the song under the shorter title, 'All I Do' on his 'Hotter Than July' album as late as 1980.

In my opinion, neither Stevie Wonder nor the incredible Brenda Holloway versions can touch Tammi Terrell's.
And don't just take my word for it either... Paul Weller has gone on record as stating 'All I Do Is Think About You' as being his favourite soul song of all time.

Tammi Terrell is better known for her duets with Marvin Gaye, recording well known hits like, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' and 'Your Precious Love'.
In 1970 while touring with Marvin, she collapsed into his arms during a live performance and was later diagnosed with having a brain tumour, which sadly led to her death...at the age of only 24 years.

Following her tragic death, Marvin Gaye took a 2 year rest from performing and reportedly went into self isolation.
It's been speculated that the sudden death of Tammi Terrell had a profound effect on Marvin Gaye and that the introspective 'What's Going On' album was born of his time spent reflecting on his loss.

I know on these boards that soul is what some members here describe as, "not really my thing", but at least give this tune several plays and at least try and understand why this song means so much to me.

Sang with the voice of an angel sent down from heaven.

Tammi Terrell RIP.

Phwoar, thats the sort of voice that goes down well with me. Makes her story all the more sad :(
I swear you put Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (TUNE!) in this thread as well but i must have made that up...
Soul is one of the many genres that i just haven't put enough attention into. At the moment my world is dominated by Stevie Wonder, so much stuff to get through but everything i've got so far is brilliant...
Make a damn thread for him!

Just for you, here's his version of the song;



...background vocalists on this track are Betty Wright and two of the OJays, Eddie Levert and Walter Williams.
Aaaaaaaaaaand a very young...Michael Jackson.

Hotter than July is priority on my list then!
I can hear MJ there, cool. Not sure which version i prefer, i'm glad Stevie's isn't just a straight cover.

I'm digging this thread, brahs. I may take some time to add some selections you may not have heard of.

Any updates on the horizon?

ah god bless the bump. this thread is the proverbial ****, RT. i've built up a minor collection of classic Motown and am looking to dive deeper... anybody have any recommendations for good northern soul collections?
praise curtis...'nothing can stop me' is a diamond

On it's way.

Try this to start with. Contains most of the better known tracks.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA240_.jpg

For a deeper, more serious look into Northern Soul you could try to find a copy of 'Sought After Soul' (40 rare Northern Soul classics) box set.
All original recordings.

Martha Reeves - 'No One There'

Back by popular(ish) demand...
Martha Reeves at the very start of her singing career had recorded a couple of solo records for the Checkmate label before joining Motown, as, of all things...a secretary.
She finally got her big break when Mary Wells was too ill to appear for a recording session and Reeves was only too happy to stand in.
Shortly afterwards, having secured a contract, she was joined by her backing singers, with what became Martha and the Vandellas...the rest is history.
Tracks like 'Heatwave', 'Nowhere to Run', 'Dancing in the Street' and 'Jimmy Mack' guaranteed her place in Motown folklore as one of the finest singers from the Motown stable.
Hard to believe, but following an acid trip in 1969, Martha Reeves was admitted to a mental hospital after a nervous breakdown and Martha and the Vandellas temporarily disbanded.
After recovering, she continued recording with The Vandellas and successfully became the very first Motown artist to get a contract release to pursue a solo career with MCA.

'No One There' was her very last record with Motown and was only ever released in the U.K. and with little success.

Over time, 'No One There' has become a firm favourite at soul clubs in recent years.
Everytime I hear this record it puts me in mind of R Dean Taylor's, 'Ghost In My House'. Similar in subject matter, but from a feminine perspective.
One for the women, pining for a lost love.
As usual the link is in the title.

cheers mate, i'm on it like a bad smell

gene chandler is all you need.

once I have a couple more posts under my belt i'm gonna flood this thread with uploads of the eccentric soul compilations. For lack of words and time, they're simply AMAZING. Great gathering of material from a bunch of the lesser/underground/failed soul labels during the late 60's and into the 70's. there are some gems in those things that rival even the greatest staple soul songs and artists.

Hopefully uploads can commence-

more

And more :band:

And even though that above album by Eli "Paperboy" Reed gives you a taste for artists rooted in the otis-redding'esque classical soul tradition, here's some more modern stuff to check out if you haven't already.

-http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FJ9OQ4S1 – Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

-http://www.megaupload.com/?d=K0WTZLHL – Naturally

-http://rs47.rapidshare.com/files/60224321/SJ_DK_100_2007.rar 100 Days, 100 Nights

I'd rank them in this order of quality, though they all have some great stuff on them.

1. Naturally
2. 100 Days, 100 Nights

3. Dap Dippin'

Anyways, hope you enjoy. CHECK OUT THOSE ECCENTRIC SOUL COMPS, and even that monster of a funky-soul groove compilation. Many great numbers. After listening a good chunk of these rank among my favorites.

Hope it gives you soul-philes something to chew on for a while :)

also, one more for now, since I think it's soul rooted enough with her emphasis on RnB.

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah - Part One (4th World War)
http://cdn.stereogum.com/img/new_amerykah.jpg
-http://rapidshare.com/files/131851506Erykah_Badu_-_New_Amerykah__2008_.rar (I'm pretty sure this was the link I used, anyways, if it doesn't work I'll find another)

Sorry Clamz...had to remove the Back to Black link because it's not a compilation and links to full albums are not allowed on MusicBanter.
Anyone wanting it can pm Clamz.

Funk isn't usually my thing, but the eccentric soul comps you put up look very interesting, particularly the late 60's and early 70's stuff. Especially the Ohio material on The Prix label.
Get that link fixed!

Hopefully I´ll have it reupped soon, I´m on a different computer for a while unfortunately. But there is a goldmine of outrageously good tunes in those comps. I hope you enjoy them, and I think you would. Anyone else who has an inclination/love/appreciation for soul should definitely loads these out and scan through 'em. I mean, there's at least a couple dozen songs spread throughout here for each person.

Re the Northern Soul 'standards' CD: got hold of it, think I'm in love! Upbeat and danceable with the occasional slow-burner as (I'd imagine) Northern Soul should be, there are a few of my Motown faves on there aswell:
'There's A Ghost In My House', 'Just A Little Misunderstanding', 'This Old Heart Of Mine'...

Popping a few blues and jumping around the room (not really, I'm in a comfy chair).

RT mate I don't suppose you're named in tribute to the Billy Butler and the Enchanters' song? :D

In one!

I might even profile that song in here soon.