Too Darn Soulful : The Story of Northern Soul

by David Nowell

Northern Soul has been described as the longest running fad in the history of British music culture. What began as an underground 60s Mod scene in unlicensed, no-frills clubs in the north west of England became the youth craze of the mid-70s. Northern Soul has confounded its critics by surviving, and growing into an adult dance scene whose followers share a passion for the music of Black America unrivalled anywhere else in the world. Packed with memorabilia, behind-the-scenes facts, and interviews covering artists from the Motown days right up to current chart acts like Fatboy Slim, Too Darn Soulful is the definitive history of a dance scene that refuses to die.

Genres: Music

Paperback

First published September 5, 2000

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so it's not the most well written book in the world, and it peters out badly in the last few chapters, but overall this is a brilliant introduction to the world of Northern Soul. Histories of the main venues (The Twisted Wheel, The Golden Torch, Blackpool Mecca and The Wigan Casino) as well as interviews with the top DJ's really give you a feel for what the scene is about and what it means to people. Plus it's given me hundreds of songs to dig out and listen to!