SOUL
VA - Soul for Dancers Volumes 1 & 2 [2015-2016] (4 x CDs)
Released by the UK reissue label Fantastic Voyage, Soul For Dancers, Out On The Floor Firecrackers That Ignited The Northern Soul Boom [2015] and Soul For Dancers 2, Out On The Floor Firecrackers [2016] form one of the most accessible and historically grounded introductions to the early Northern Soul boom. Compiled by Lois Wilson, the sets gather the records that shaped dancefloors long before the term “Northern Soul” existed, focusing on the raw, high‑energy R&B and early soul sides that DJs prized for their drive, immediacy and emotional punch. The first volume opens with Ray Charles’ Tell The Truth and The Isley Brothers’ Respectable , signalling the curators’ intent: this is the sound of dancers discovering firecrackers, not the later, smoother club classics. The sequencing moves through Arthur Alexander, Don Covay, Aretha Franklin, Benny Spellman and Bobby Bland, each track chosen for its rhythm, urgency and floor‑lifting power.
What makes these compilations special is the way they restore the original context. Before Northern Soul became associated with rare Motown‑styled stompers, the scene was built on R&B intensity. Records like Bunker Hill’s Hide And Go Seek (Parts 1 & 2) , Eddie Bo’s Every Dog Got His Day, and Willie Cobbs’ You Don’t Love Me were the lifeblood of early dancers who wanted speed, grit and attitude. The first volume alone shows how broad that foundation was, stretching from New Orleans to Chicago, Detroit and the deep South. The second volume continues the story with the same philosophy, high‑octane R&B, early soul, and regional gems that ignited dancefloors long before collectors began chasing rarities.
Across both sets, the pleasure lies in the sequencing. Familiar names sit beside lesser‑known artists, and each track feels like a spark from a different corner of American rhythm and blues. Together, the two volumes form a single conversation between scenes, cities and decades. They capture the moment when dancers discovered that soul could be fast, fierce and unforgettable, and they preserve the raw energy that made Northern Soul a movement rather than a genre.
A Complete Northern Soul Primer. (B)
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Track lists
Vol. 1 CD1
01 Ray Charles - Tell The Truth 3:05
02 Isley Brothers - Respectable 2:09
03 Arthur Alexander - A Shot of Rhythm and Blues 1:58
04 Don Covay - See About Me 3:02
05 Aretha Franklin - Won't Be Long 3:21
06 Benny Spellman - Fortune Teller 2:13
07 Bobby Blland - Yield Not to Temptation 2:36
08 Bruce Cloud - My Book 2:22
09 James Brown - And I Do Just What I Want 2:26
10 Little Willie John - Leave My Kitten Alone 2:34
11 Bunker Hill - HIde and Go Seek (Part I) 2:24
12 Bunker Hill - Hide and Go Seek (Part II) 2:19
13 Eddie Bo - Every Dog Got His Day 2:17
14 Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford - I Need Your Loving 2:55
15 Harold Burrage - Say You Love Me 2:50
16 Willie Cobbs - You Don't Love Me 2:36
17 Bobby Bland - Farther Up The Road 3:00
18 5 Royales - Catch That Teardrop 2:33
19 Etta James - The Pick-Up 2:23
20 Jeanette Baby Washington - Let Love Go By 1:57
21 Jackie Wilson - Am I The Man 2:35
22 Dinah Washington & Brook Benton - Baby (You've Got What it Takes) 2:48
23 Marv Johnson - I Love The Way You Love 2:41
24 Sam Cooke - Having A Party 2:38
25 Marv Johnson - Goin' Home 2:36
26 Sam & Dave - No More Pain 2:31
27 Great Nathaniel - Soul 2:27
28 Jackie Wilson - You Better Know It 2:02
29 James Brown - Tell Me What You're Gonna Do 2:14
30 Judy Clay - Do You Think That's Right 1:59
Vol. 1 CD2
01 Little Willie John - Do You Love Me 2:01
02 Bobby Peterson Quintet - Mama Get Your Hammer 2:01
03 Robert Parker - All Nite Long (Part I) 2:45
04 Robert Parker - All NIte Long (Part II) 2:37
05 Mar-Keys - Pop-Eye Stroll 2:46
06 Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford - Don't You Worry 2:59
07 Johnnie Mae Matthews - The Headshrinker 2:42
08 Buddy Ace - Screaming Please 2:31
09 Ray Charles - Hide 'Nor Hair 3:12
10 Ronnie Love - Chills and Fever 2:29
11 Isley Brothers - You Better Come Home 2:20
12 Barbara George - You Talk About Love 2:42
13 Ike & Tina Turner - You Should'a Treated Me Right 3:41
14 Eloise Carter - My Man Rockhead 2:41
15 Irma Thomas - A Good Man 2:19
16 Sims Twins - Soothe Me 2:19
17 Dominoes - Sixty-Minute Man 2:33
18 Fiestas - Broken Heart 2:42
19 Eddie Burns - Hard Hearted Woman 2:35
20 Jessie Hill - Whip it on Me 2:20
21 Traits (With Roy Head) - Linda Lou 2:52
22 Howlin' Wolf - Little Baby 2:48
23 Little Walter - I Don't Play 2:21
24 Little Milton - I Need Somebody 2:05
25 Ray Charles - Sticks and Stones 2:15
26 Martha Carter - One Man's Woman 2:28
27 Jimmy McCracklin - Get Back 2:39
28 Louis (Blues Boy) James - Come on Home 2:24
29 Annie Williams - Playboy 2:17
30 Nathaniel Mayer & The Fabulous Twilights - Village of Love 2:04
31 Shirley & Lee - Let The Good Times Roll 2:23
Vol. 2 CD1
01 Bobby Bland - Turn on Your Love Light 2:36
02 Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step 2:45
03 Gino Parks - Same Things 2:24
04 Chris Kenner - Land of 1000 Dances 2:29
05 Lee Dorsey - Behind The 8-Ball 2:09
06 Jessie Hill - Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Part I) 2:19
07 Jessie Hill - Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Part II) 2:18
08 Solomon Burke - Down in The Valley 2:35
09 Rosco Gordon - Just A Little Bit 2:08
10 Mar-Keys - Sack-O-Woe 2:32
11 James Brown & The Famous Flames - Good Good Lovin 2:17
12 5 Royales - Don't Give No More Than You Can Take 2:55
13 Marvin Gaye - Never Let You Go 2:46
14 Ann Cole - You're Mine 2:12
15 Rufus Thomas - The Easy Livin' Plan 2:48
16 Etta James - Baby, Baby Every Night 2:25
17 Chips - You Make Me Feel So Good 2:15
18 Barbara Stephens - Wait A Minute 2:27
19 Mar-Keys - One Degree North 2:15
20 Oscar Brown Jr - Work Song 2:35
21 Della Reese - Ninety Nine & A Half Won't Do 2:18
22 Ann Cole - Each Day 2:25
23 Carla Thomas - For You 1:53
24 5 Royales - Tell The Truth 2:23
25 Lula Reed - Rock Love 2:09
26 Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops 2:45
27 Danny Owens - You're A Little Too Late 1:59
28 Lula Reed - You Gotta Have That Green 2:41
29 Doris Payne (Doris Troy) - You Better Mind 2:12
30 Arthur Alexander - You Better Move On 2:46
Vol. 2 CD2
01 Ike & Tina Turner - Worried & Hurtin' Inside 2:19
02 Patience Valentine - If You Don't Come (You Better Call) 2:01
03 Gino Parks - Fire 2:49
04 Earl King - Trick Bag 2:43
05 Timmy Shaw - A Letter From May Baby 2:48
06 Marie Knight - I Thought I Told You Not to Tell Them 2:13
07 5 Royales - (Something Moves Me) Within My Heart 2:24
08 Ruth Brown - As Long as I'm Moving 2:45
09 Mitty Collier - Don't Let Her Take My Baby 2:28
10 Barbara George - Send for Me (If You Need Some Lovin') 2:14
11 Marvettes - Please Mr Postman 2:32
12 Marie Knight - Come on Baby (Hold My Hand) 2:30
13 Ann Cole - I've Got Nothing Working Now (But My Real Old Fashioned Love) 2:32
14 Billy Ray - Playboy 2:26
15 Betty O'Brien - She'll Be Gone 2:01
16 Tiny Topsy - Aw! Shucks Baby 2:25
17 Lula Reed - What Makes You So Cold 2:07
18 Ann Cole - Are You Satisfied? 2:33
19 Marty Lewis - Satisfied With My Lovin 1:49
20 JJ Barnes - Won't You Let Me Know 2:40
21 Yvonne Baker & The Sensations - Party Across The Hall 2:33
22 Mitty Collier - I've Got Love 2:24
23 Lloyd Price - Rainbow Joe 2:14
24 James Brown & The Famous Flames - Come Over Here 2:46
25 Etta James - Number One (My One & Only) 2:31
26 Simms Twins - Don't Fight It, Feel It 2:01
27 Clyde McPhatter & Ruth Brown - I Gotta Have You 2:18
28 Jessie Hill - Sweet Jelly Roll 2:37
29 Sticks Herman - Give Me Your Love 2:55
30 Hi-Fi's - My Dear 2:25
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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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