Back in UK there is a wave of interest in Northern Soul. Being a child of the 60's from the north of England, this scene is something close to my heart and it's rarely discussed (especially in USA).
There is a new movie by Elaine Constantine based on her book, a one hour special running on BBC and of course, the original documentary on Wigan Casino by the venerable Granada TV is getting new interest.
The thing that really stands out to me is how the Northern Soul scene really gave way to the Acid House scene of the 1980's which in turn spawned the massive dance music genre which we now know as the EDM phenomenon.
Working class, mainly white, kids from the north of England disenfranchised with what was on offer, basically working at the local pit or cement factory looking for something they could call their own. Rejecting the standards, like Top Of The Pops, this genre grew out of the mod movement of the 1960's and northern soul DJ's dug deep to find the rarest soul tracks from the world of Motown and American soul and R&B. Finding unknown tracks was the goal and the sense of deep discovery parallels the dance movement of the 90's and beyond.
Every track had the four on the floor beat that kept kids dancing non-stop. Ditto house and dance music. From the Four Tops, to Sly Stone and Little Richard, Martha And The Vandellas and beyond.
Pop-up clubs, and all-nighters fueled by amphetamines underline the ethos which tracked the mod movement. And clearly similar traits to the acid house movement.
Unique style, defined by the northern soul patches, beer-mats and overnight weekender bags illustrate an underground movement which attracted travelers far and wide from across the UK and even USA.
It's not until you really stop and look at these images and compare back to the early days of The Hacienda, that you really get the connection.
Definitely try and watch the film, get the book and get the connection. What goes around comes around. Mod, Northern Soul and Dance music. All connected at the hip.