VA - CampPark Records, On The Northern Side Vol. 1-3 [2002] (3 x CDs)

SOUL

VA - CampPark Records, On The Northern Side Vol. 1-3 [2002] (3 x CDs)

When I bring these three volumes together, I hear a world that sits slightly outside the usual northern soul story. On The Northern Side is CampPark Records looking past the dancefloor anthems and into the corners where the scene’s real character lived. These compilations feel like a private stash opened up for anyone willing to listen closely. They carry the warmth of small studios, regional labels, and singers who poured everything into a single take, hoping the right DJ might one day flip their record over and give it life.

Across all three discs, the mood is steady and sincere. CampPark leans into the emotional heart of northern soul rather than the high‑octane stompers. Mid‑tempo grooves, deep‑soul ballads, and overlooked R&B sides form the backbone of the series. The selections feel hand‑picked for the way they move, the way they hold a story, the way a voice cracks at the right moment. Nothing here is chosen for flash. Everything is chosen for feeling.

Vol. 1 sets the tone with earthy arrangements and voices that sound lived‑in. Vol. 2 widens the palette with more polished productions, small‑label gems, and songs that carry a quiet ache beneath their rhythm. Vol. 3 ties the series together with a mix of uplift and melancholy, the kind of tracks that would have filled late‑night sets in clubs where dancers stayed until the lights came up.

On The Northern Side becomes a portrait of the scene’s deeper soul. CampPark Records gives these songs room to breathe, letting the listener hear the tenderness, the grit, and the longing that made northern soul more than a genre. It was a feeling, and these three volumes capture that feeling with care. (B)

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Track lists

Vol. 1

01 Chubby Checker - At The Discotheque 2:29

02 Eddie Holman - Eddie's My Name 3:07

03 Tymes - Here She Comes 2:18

04 Dee Dee Sharp - Standing in The Need of Love 1:57

05 Candy & The Kisses - The 81 2:32

06 John Schroeder - Agent 00 Soul 2:26

07 Little Caesar & The Empire - Everybody Dance Now 2:25

08 Christine Cooper - S.O.S. (Heart in Distress) 2:20

09 Chubby Checker - Hey You, Little Boo Go Loo 2:14

10 Dee Dee Sharp - Let's Twine 2:22

11 Unluv'd - Ain't Gonna Do You No Harm 2:04

12 Bunny Sigler - Let The Good Times Roll 2:50

13 Evie Sands - Picture Me Gone 3:17

14 Len Barry - Hearts Are Trump 2:26

15 Four Sharps - The Fife Piper 2:35

16 Olympics - Lookin' for A Love 2:54

17 Bunny Sigler - Sunny Sunday 2:13

18 Dee Dee Sharp - There Ain't Nothing I Wouldn't Do 2:20

19 Eddie Holman - A Free Country 2:04

20 Orlons - I Ain't Comin' Back 2:16

21 Chubby Checker - You Better Believe it Baby 2:12

22 Dee Dee Sharp - He's No Ordinary Guy 2:17

23 Eddie Holman - You Know That I Will 2:01

24 Blue Eyed Soul - Something New 1:52

25 GTO's - Girl From New York City 1:59

26 Chubby Checker - The Weekend's Here 2:22

27 Dee Dee Sharp - The Night 2:38

Vol. 2

01 Bobby Paris - Night Owl 2:17

02 Vickie Baines - Country Girl 2:12

03 Frankie Beverley - Because of My Heart 2:42

04 Eddie Holman - Stay Mine for Heavens Sake 2:39

05 Janie Grant - My Heart Your Heart 2:16

06 Olympics - Good Things 3:17

07 Joe Graves - Debbie 2:36

08 Jerry Jackson - I'm Gonna Paint A Picture 2:43

09 Christine Cooper - Heartaches Away My Boy 2:40

10 Benzine - Village of Tears 2:20

11 Session Swingers - Whoa Whoa I Love Him 2:44

12 Orlons - Dont' You Want My Lovin 2:28

13 Jackson Reese - Cry Me A River 2:13

14 Johnny Daye - A Lot of Progress 1:53

15 Bunny Sigler - Follow Your Heart 2:56

16 Shirley Vaughn - Stop and Listen 2:30

17 Dee Dee Sharpe - Good 2:35

18 Four Exceptions - A Sad Goodbye 2:28

19 George Jackson - That Lonely Night 2:34

20 Chubby Checker - Looking at Tomorrow 2:10

21 Bronzettes - Run Run You Little Fool 2:21

22 Stylettes - Packing Up My Memories 2:11

23 Johnny Maesto & The Crests - Heartburn 2:05

24 Frankie Beverley - She Kissed Me 2:28

25 Bonnie & Lee - The Way I Feel About You 2:25

26 Toni Stante - It's My Life 2:11

27 Bobby Marchan - Everything A Poor Man Needs 3:05

Vol. 3

01 Yvonne Baker - You Didn't Say A Word 2:39

02 Orlons - Envy 2:35

03 Chubby Checker - You Just Don't Know (What You DoTo Me) 2:26

04 Bunny Sigler - Girl Don't Make Me Wait 2:21

05 3 1; 2 - Angel Baby 2:36

06 Damon Fox - Packing Up 1:50

07 Vickie Baines - Are You Kidding 2:08

08 Four Exceptions - You Got The Power 1:59

09 Unluv'd - An Exception to The Rule 2:19

10 Nikki Blu - I Love Him So 2:44

11 Jerry Jackson - It's Rough Out There 2:23

12 Frankie Beverley - I Want to Feel I'm Wanted 2:17

13 Joe Graves - (That's How) A Boy and Girl Fall in Love 2:01

14 Sweet Three - I Would If I Could 2:37

15 Mike Finnegan - Bread and Water 2:18

16 Little Caesar & The Empire - Everybody Dance Now 2:16

17 Honey Love & The Love Notes - We Belong Together 2:19

18 Possessions - You and Your Lies 2:23

19 Joe Graves - See Saw 2:16

20 Vickie Baines - Losing You 2:42

21 Chubby Checker - Everything is Wrong 2:24

22 Lee Andrews & The Hearts - Operator 2:13

23 Bunny Sigler - Can You Dig It 3:00

24 Tari Stevens - False Alarm 2:22

25 Captain Jess Fountain - I'm Marching 2:31

26 Don Covay - Turn it On 2:33

27 Bronzettes - Hot Spot 2:21

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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