Imagine this. It all started in those
underground mod havens of the mid 60s, clubs with names like
the Blue Orchid, King, Mojo and the Twisted Wheel.
The music was all about that American soul, Motown, Stax,
Atlantic, and it moved with a pulse so electric it found a
second home in the north of England.
And to kick things off, we're going to start with the rarest
of all soul labels. This was called Shrine Records.
That's what I said. You said goodbye, Lord, out of
my soul. Wait till you come back home.
Night after night our face will go.
I'm thinking you're knock on my door every time I drive.
I'll face the back and the Blues keep riding my back.
No the way. No the way until you come back
home after it. Go.
You die. Be here, baby.
Some got you. Go there.
Some got you better. Come back.
Come on. Go, please.
I got to be in tired. I got to be in tired all the
long go, go back to me and it keeps me in to me everything you
can go, I find out. There we go.
I just want to say there won't be love away.
I want away. Shrine Records was one of the
most important and mysterious labels ever connected to the
Northern Soul scene. It was founded in Washington DC
around about 1964 by a guy called Eddie Singleton and
Rhinoma Gordy. Singleton, who had previously
been connected to Motown Shrine, specialised in hard driving soul
records with pounding rhythms, gospel style vocals and raw
dance floor energy. Unlike Motown, Shrine never
became a commercial giant in America.
Many of the records barely sold at the time in the US, which
ironically made them perfect for later Northern Soul scene in
Britain. When UK DJs and collectors
discovered these forgotten 40 fives in the late 60s and early
70s, they became absolute dance floor monsters, baby.
Don't leave me. If you do, you break my heart
into you. Loving you is my life.
If you leave, you'll take my life with you.
My baby. Don't leave me.
I thought you were satisfied. Baby, don't leave me.
Oh, where did I go wrong? Tell me why.
Baby, don't leave me. After all we've been through, we
did our oh, and I'll die. But now you're saying what we
all do. And baby, if you leave me, I'd
be like a child without his toy. Baby, don't leave me.
You take away the life that I am gone.
I thought you were satisfied. The label sound was tougher and
grittier than polished Detroit soul.
Shrine Records often had heavy tambourines, urgent brass and
dramatic vocals, exactly the kind of uptempo beat ballads
that Northern dancers loved. Some of the most legendary
Shrine artists include the cautions, Eddie Day in the Four
Bars, the Prophets, the Presidents, the Enjoyables, the
Admirations. Many original Shrine singles
became incredibly rare because the label folded so quickly.
An unsold stock was reportedly destroyed or abandoned in
warehouses. That scarcity helped create the
mythology around the label and in the UK all night to see.
You don't do all of my life, all of my strangers were just for
you. Now you're saying baby, shame
that we are through. I lay back the same day.
Will it come true? No, baby.
Oh, no. I can't go without you.
You can make me go. No, baby.
Love you yesterday. Oh, I was crying just going to
make it out baby or I thought I was lying dead show anytime
before I oh you were so good Show me show me I live back to
think that I did or I thought I was dying die no way.
Oh, I can't go now. Please don't make me go.
I can't go away. I can't go now.
Yeah, yeah. No, baby, I can't go away.
That's Dorothy Morrison, and she released this rare, I would say
modern soul single called I Can't Go Without You.
It was actually released in 1975 on the Brown Door label.
It was composed by Marvin Holmes and produced by Chuck Brown and
Marvin Holmes. Although it's a prized Northern
Soul collectible, not much really is known about Morris's
background. From the heart and soul of
Manchester. It's all about soul and it's got
to be Northern. You stop spinning, go head, get
the rock and you don't know up 100 and nothing I'm better.
You get you left standing all along.
Don't get inside and go head but stop a rocket.
You fall in love of your heart. You stop feeling all around in
circles when love comes to you. So don't win this girl.
You win this girl. Love is waiting for you
everyday, baby. You start spinning all around in
circles when love come to you, so long as it's scary.
But you will discover love is waiting for you.
The Blue Orchid Club, just outside Derby, was a vital early
soul venue in the late 1960s. It had this unique suspended
dance floor above a swimming pool and it quickly became a hub
for rare American soul imports. Though it was short lived, it
really helped shape the Northern Soul scene in the Midlands and
Yorkshire. Tracks like Love is a Serious
Business by Alfie Davidson and Calvin Grayson Love Just Begun
were played at those nights you. Know dancing is a part of life.
It's one of the thrills of Young America, and Young America has
been responsible for setting most of the world's dance
creams. We get the twist, the monkey,
the duck, and now we're going to do the skate.
So come on, stop it. All right, we go.
Here we go. Now there's that beat and I must
dance. Oh, yeah.
Now there's that rhythm that puts me in a trim.
Oh, yeah. Now that beat and that rhythm
just keeps building up. It's too high for me to slow
down and my feet, now there's that groove that makes me want
to move high. Yeah, now that groove is filled
with soul and I can't help but lose control 'cause that feet
and that rhythm just keep riddling up.
It's too hot for me to slow down and my feet are filled with
happiness. And I'm determined with that.
Hey now, music is such an attraction to move my feet into
my first reaction 'cause that's the only way to get
satisfaction. Watch me now as I go into
action. Now I'll let you again.
And that'll rhythm too high. Hey, hit music make you feel
like I do. You gotta dance too, all right?
Just keep feeling. It's too hot for me to slow down
and my feet are filled with happiness, and I'm going to do
that. Hey, you know, I feel great.
All right, I'm going to do that. Hey now watch me.
The fantastic Beating Rhythm by Richard Temple.
It was a rare Northern Soul track released roundabout 1966
on the Merwood label and it was really known for its up Temple
beat and became a cult favourite after being played at the
Catacombs Club. However, little is known about
Richard Temple himself. No biographical details or
recording personnel have been documented, so really it remains
an underground mystery of the scene.
I'd rather fight it. Don't run it.
Don't run it hard. It's plain to see.
You're not belong with me. You're not
lonely just on my. This feels like everybody remove
my headphone. Oh my Christmas to put it
constantly in your heart. I will be up and there and you,
so you, oh God, I have my love and you see all I see you.
Just don't do me wrong. Everything alone.
Help me there and you help me there, and you.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, you.
You are bad. How you looking at my me?
How you I get in love with the thing How you hate?
Me one of the most underrated groups of all time, and that was
the Montclairs. They were a vocal group from
East St. Louis, IL.
Their track Hey You Don't Fight It was written by Phil Perry
when he was about 17 years old, and it was released in 1969 on
the Arch record label, though they didn't charge at the time.
The record became a rare gem in the UK Northern Soul scene, with
Phil Perry's lead vocals helping it to really stand out.
Isn't me all you want to know, or do you want to use me like
you use your gloves? If it is, I want you to know
what that was got to do to show I'm pro from nothing, come from
hot, and I need a man who's going to wake it up.
Oh man, nobody can come to me now.
Walk down with God hard time told me he full time baby full
time talking twice before you make a pan and that'll be in
love and in battle and me more and more and more now there's
just a wonderful way. I know, maybe I can miss that
way. Come up on time now.
I need a man who's going to work it out full time.
No part time, no me down. Full time is going to be your
part time. No biggie.
Full time baby, full time. No part time love me no time
with God to me no part time love me no more can leave me.
I am like to your heart and if around with boy, you're not a
channel, not your boy. So is not love coming back?
Martha Starr was one of those mysterious Detroit soul artists
whose reputation grew decades after the original records
disappeared from the shops. A best known track is the one I
Played You No Part Time Love for Me.
It was released in 1966 on the Detroit based Thelma record
label. Bit of a rarity label as well.
The label itself was connected to the rich Detroit soul scene
that surrounded Motown, but operated on a much smaller,
underground level. Watch with this coldness that I
feel inside. I never felt like this before,
just since we've been in a car every night.
I can't sleep away. I tossed in my sleep every day.
I can't get away from that song. One thing you said, What's with
this holiness? I feel like I just can't go
home. I'm all mixed up inside.
Everything I do is wrong. Every night I can't sleep away.
I crossed and I turned. Every day I can't get away from
that song. Everything you say, I've tried
so hard to win your love. I've tried everything.
Tried to get that baby back again.
Watch with this loneliness I give my heart and soul to get
you back. I only hope you hear my
bleeding. And if you know what I'm going
through every night I can't sleep away.
I tossed in my sleep every day. I can't get away from your smile
and nothing you say. Watch with this loneliness.
Oh baby, watch with this loneliness.
I can't go on. Watch with this loneliness.
I can't be packed. I well be here.
Come back and let me know what's wrong.
What's wrong with the baby? Chuck Jackson was one of the
finest male soul vocalists of the 1960s.
Smooth, sophisticated and blessed with one of the richest
voices in American R&B, he first sang gospel before joining the
Dell Vikings. Then he went solo after being
spotted by producer Luther Dixon.
He signed to 1 Records in 1960 and that just changed
everything. I love you, I love you.
I'm so weak. I'm so weak.
So we can die hard, down hard. Everything.
What I found, it's been wrong since we parted.
You gave me your love to try to make you feel sad.
You gave me your heart. I didn't know what.
I listen. I want you, baby.
I'm outside. Listen, baby.
I love you. I want you, baby.
Bye. Bye, son.
Listen, honey, I really love you.
You know, you've got to listen to me.
Need your love every day. And I've got to have it every
night. Oh, no, baby, you know you can
make everything. All right.
Hold on, bear.
Hold on. I want you to come on back.
Hold on, hold on, hold on. Please don't make me wait too
long. I want you, baby.
I'm outside. Dig me, baby.
I really love you. Meet you, baby.
I'm outside. Go, baby.
I love you. Oh, yeah.
You know, I really love you. Now, honey, there's no other
girl in the world after you that would never be a love.
And I know I could never number one else.
Nobody mind. You.
And so tonight we've travelled back to a time before the scene
had a name. Into the basements, the
ballrooms and the underground clubs where rare American Soul
first found his home in Britain. From the Twisted Wheel and the
King Mojo to the Blue Orchid and Samantha's, these were the
places where young Soul fans danced until dawn to records
most people had never heard. Until the next time.
Bye. Bye.
Try your eyes, baby. Don't cry.
I didn't want you to stay, girl. I'll be right on that.
Comfort you to guide you in all the love that you need.
Why the teeth go away from your hide.
I can't stand it, darling, To see my little bird cry.
That's why I'll need that. To give all of the love that you
need. I know, dear, why you cry.
I know the pain that must be inside.
What is going to leave me? What I see is true.
Your hope. Daddy is coming back around to
you. I want to smile.