VA - Move On Up, The Very Best of Northern Soul [2015] + VA - Move On Up, Volume Two, The Very Best of Northern Soul [2016] (6 x CDs)

NORTHERN SOUL

VA - Move On Up, The Very Best of Northern Soul [2015] + VA - Move On Up, Volume Two, The Very Best of Northern Soul [2016] (6 x CDs)

Northern Soul is a genre of music that originated in the UK in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is characterized by fast-paced, upbeat soul music with a distinctive dance style and a passionate fan base. The Move On Up, The Very Best of Northern Soul album is a collection of some of the finest songs from this genre, curated by 19-year-old music student and Northern Soul obsessive Levanna McLean. She says on the inlay notes that Northern Soul has opened up a whole new world for her and an appreciation of great music tied to a lifestyle filled with joy and excitement. She also expresses her admiration for the DJs who have shaped the scene and worked hard to discover these tunes. The album features some absolute crackers, all-time favorites, and a lot of gems, although I am not sure why a live version of Move on Up by Curtis Mayfield has been included. It seems a bit odd.  

The rarities for this set include some rarely (if ever) compiled gems such as "1-2-3" by Len Barry, the excellent harmonica-laced "Is She In Your Town?" by Curtis Lee, the fantastic soul-jazz groove of "Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy" by Young-Holt Unlimited and an unexpectedly tough version of James Brown's great funk-burner "There Was A Time" by the Windy-City soulman Gene Chandler. Some other stand-out tracks are Sam Ward’s ‘Sister Lee’, a highly sought-after Detroit single currently selling for hundreds of pounds on eBay. Other hard to find tracks include Tommy Neal’s ‘Going To A Happening’, Stanley Mitchell’s ‘Get It Baby’ alongside whoppers including The Luther Ingram Orchestra’s 148bpm ‘Exus Trek’.

Move On Up, The Very Best of Northern Soul set combined with Move On Up Volume Two are wonderful additions to anyone’s Northern Soul collections. Both sets offer something for everyone with a a generous 75-tracks on each set. They contain most of the well-known tracks on the scene and are perfect for both newcomers and seasoned soulies alike. They are also a great way to introduce new generations to this amazing genre of music. Of course, you can’t contain everything, and some great songs never made it to the listing, but nevertheless a really good experience. We could all look at the list and say “why wasn’t this or that included” but then someone has to make the decisions. The albums are not meant to be definitive or comprehensive, but rather a selection of some of the best songs that represent the spirit and energy of Northern Soul. (B)

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Pt.1     Pt.2 

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ALL 

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Track lists

Vol. 1 CD1

01 Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) 2:27

02 Gloria Jones - Tainted Love 2:10

03 Laura Greene - Moonlight Music And You 2:30

04 Marvin Gaye - This Love Starved Heart Of Mine (It's Killing Me) 2:39

05 Archie Bell & The Drells - Here I Go Again 2:02

06 Chuck Wood - Seven Days Too Long 2:18

07 Originals - Suspicion 3:04

08 Anthony Galla - In Love 2:33

09 Leon Haywood - Baby Reconsider 2:24

10 Bobby Angelle - It's Just Gotta Be That Way 2:41

11 Luther Ingram - Oh Baby Don't You Weep 3:04

12 Bobby Bland - Shoes 2:45

13 George Kirby - What Can I Do 2:51

14 Eddie Holman - I Surrender 2:04

15 Chuck Jackson - Hand It Over 2:20

16 Bunny Sigler - Girl Don't Make Me Wait 2:20

17 Curtis Lee - Is She In Your Town? 2:05

18 Casualeers - Dance, Dance, Dance 2:39

19 Jackie Day - Before It's Too Late 2:33

20 Eloise Laws - Love Factory 3:23

21 Millie Jackson - My Man A Sweet Man 2:31

22 Mary Love - You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet 2:22

23 Rita And The Tiaras - Gone With The Wind Is My Love 3:09

24 Timi Yuro - It'll Never Be Over For Me 2:55

25 Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up (Live) 3:02

Vol. 1 CD2

01 Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons - The Night 3:22

02 Edwin Starr - Back Street 2:46

03 Jackie Wilson - Soul Galore 2:45

04 Dobie Gray - Out On The Floor 2:53

05 Vel-Vets - I Got To Find Me Somebody 2:19

06 Precisions - If This Is Love (I'd Rather Be Lonely) 2:44

07 Mel & Tim - Backfield In Motion 2:32

08 Barbara Randolph - I Got A Feeling 3:02

09 Darrell Banks - Open The Door To Your Heart 2:34

10 Bob Relf - Blowing My Mind To Pieces 1:49

11 Yvonne Baker - You Didn't Say A Word 2:36

12 Linda Jones - I Just Can't Live My Life (Without You Babe) 2:29

13 Sammy Davis, Jr. - You Can Count On Me 2:08

14 Len Barry - 1-2-3 2:21

15 Marlena Shaw - Let's Wade In The Water 3:26

16 Impressions - Can't Satisfy 2:35

17 Tony Clarke - Landslide 2:13

18 San Remo Golden Strings - Festival Time 2:35

19 Willie Hutch - Love Runs Out 2:38

20 Isley Brothers - Tell Me It's Just A Rumor Baby 2:55

21 Bobby Hebb - Love, Love, Love 2:52

22 Dells - It's All Up To You 4:00

23 Don Covay - It's Better To Have (And Don't Need) 3:06

24 Mike Post Coalition - Afternoon Of The Rhino 2:18

25 P.P. Arnold - Everything's Gonna Be Alright 3:08

Vol. 1 CD3

01 The M.V.P.'s - Turnin' My Heartbeat Up 2:15

02 R. Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House 2:23

03 Shirley Ellis - Soul Time 2:38

04 Contours - Just A Little Misunderstanding 2:41

05 Al Wilson - The Snake 3:30

06 Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough 2:27

07 Four Tops - I'll Turn To Stone 2:26

08 Luther Ingram - If It's All The Same To You Babe 2:47

09 Billy Butler - Right Track 2:25

10 Gene Chandler - There Was A Time 3:29

11 Gloria Lynne - You Don't Have To Be A Tower Of Strength 2:15

12 Little Anthony & The Imperials - Better Use Your Head 2:52

13 Stevie Wonder - Uptight (Everything's Alright) 2:52

14 The Elgins - Heaven Must Have Sent You 2:52

15 Bobby Womack - What Is This 2:32

16 Just Brothers - Sliced Tomatoes 2:20

17 Young Holt Unlimited - Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy 3:52

18 J.J. Barnes - Every Time I See You, I Go Wild! 2:55

19 Tammi Terrell - Two Can Have A Party 2:33

20 Ramsey Lewis Trio - Wade In The Water 3:48

21 Capitols - Cool Jerk 2:32

22 Jason Knight - Our Love Is Getting Stronger 2:11

23 Temptations - Get Ready 2:36

24 Jimmy Radcliffe - Long After Tonight Is All Over 2:38

25 Dean Parrish - I'm On My Way 2:42

Vol. 2 CD1

01 Judy Street - What 2:14

02 Edwin Starr - Time 2:57

03 Patti & The Emblems - I'm Gonna Love You A Long Time 2:14

04 Younghearts - A Little Togetherness 2:56

05 Marvin Gaye - Can I Get A Witness 2:48

06 Valentinos - Sweeter Than The Day Before (Single Version) 2:35

07 Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters - As Long As I Have You 2:42

08 Jackie Wilson - Whispers (Gettin’ Louder) 2:22

09 Kim Weston - Helpless 2:49

10 Ambers - Potion Of Love 2:31

11 Olympics - I'll Do A Little Bit More 2:34

12 Sam Dees - Lonely For You, Baby 2:42

13 Vibrations - 'cause You're Mine 2:10

14 Bobby Paris - Night Owl 2:21

15 Roy Redmond - Ain't That Terrible 2:29

16 Sapphires - Gotta Have Your Love 2:14

17 Roy Hamilton - Crackin' Up Over You 2:17

18 Checkerboard Squares - 'double Cookin' 2:42

19 Marvelettes - I'll Keep Holding On 2:25

20 Manny Corchado - Pow Wow 3:33

21 Flirtations - Nothing But A Heartache 2:41

22 Jr. Walker & The All Stars - Tune Up 3:30

23 Brenda Holloway - When I'm Gone (Single Version) 2:03

24 Ann Sexton - You've Been Gone Too Long 2:15

25 Don Thomas - Come On Train 3:13

Vol. 2 CD2

01 Bobby Womack, The Brotherhood - Home Is Where The Heart Is 3:17

02 Isley Brothers - My Love Is Your Love (Forever) 3:07

03 Tams - Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy (Single Version) 2:04

04 Chairmen Of The Board - Give Me Just A Little More Time 2:40

05 Willie Mitchell - The Champion, Pt. 1 2:13

06 Tommy Neal - Goin' To A Happening 2:28

07 Lou Pride - I’m Com’un Home In The Morn’un 3:23

08 Epitome Of Sound - You Don't Love Me 2:39

09 Joy Lovejoy - In Orbit 2:22

10 Levi Jackson - This Beautiful Day 2:36

11 Ben Aiken - Satisfied 2:34

12 Tempos - Countdown Here I Come 2:28

13 Bobby Garrett - My Little Girl 2:43

14 Stevie Wonder - Nothing's Too Good For My Baby (Single Version) 2:42

15 Temptations - Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) [Single Version / Mono] 2:11

16 Impressions - You've Been Cheatin' (Single Version) 2:32

17 Spinners - What More Could A Boy Ask For 3:08

18 Joe Tex - Show Me 2:54

19 Ray Merrell - Tears Of Joy 2:34

20 Jackie Lee - The Duck 2:20

21 Bobby Sheen - Dr. Love 2:21

22 Metros - Since I Found My Baby 2:34

23 Shane Martin - I Need You 2:04

24 Velvet Hammer - Happy 3:32

25 Terry Callier - Ordinary Joe 4:13

Vol. 2 CD3

01 Luther Ingram Orchestra - Exus Trek 2:36

02 Ray Charles - I Don't Need No Doctor 2:28

03 Etta James & Riley Hampton - Seven Day Fool (Single Version) 2:58

04 Commodores - Keep On Dancing (Single Version / Remastered 2006) 2:35

05 Sam Ward - Sister Lee 2:09

06 Stanley Mitchell - Get It Baby 2:28

07 Major Lance - It's The Beat 2:27

08 Earl Wright & His Orchestra - Thumb A Ride 2:56

09 Dana Valery - You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies 2:13

10 Dena Barnes - If You Ever Walk Out Of My Life 2:21

11 Nancy Wilson - The End Of Our Love 2:20

12 Earl Grant - Hide Nor Hair 2:36

13 Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) [Single Version / Mono] 2:44

14 Steve Karmen Big Band - Breakaway (Pt. 1) 2:50

15 World Column - So Is The Sun 2:45

16 Howard Guyton - I Watched You Slowly Slip Away 2:36

17 Apollas - Mr. Creator 2:37

18 J.J. Barnes - (Tell Me) Ain't It The Truth 2:48

19 J.T.Parker - If You Want To Hold On 2:32

20 Pointer Sisters - Send Him Back 2:34

21 Jimmy Ruffin - He Who Picks A Rose 2:40

22 Kiki Dee - The Day Will Come Between Sunday And Monday 2:46

23 Jerry Butler - Moody Woman 2:21

24 William Bell - Happy 2:32

25 Tobi Legend - Time Will Pass You By 3:03

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