It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

The first every Friday post on 09/01/2009

Foolishly I decided to yet again put myself through the torture of abstaining from alcohol for the duration of January, or "I'm aff it" as we say in these parts, so Friday does not have the allure of the G&T or pint of Guinness once I have logged off the company laptop and drawn a veil over the weekly grind.

In order to lift my spirits I have turned my attention to the healing power of soul music and Northern Soul in particular. For those of you unacquainted with this sub sect of soul I am not going to attempt a definition as it would take too long to explain what constitutes a "northern" tune and my explanation would not satisfy the fanatics, suffice to say they are usually rare, mid/uptempo 60s soul records in the Motown style. Northern soul aficionados can be very passionate about their tunes, making your average indie music snob look like the epitome of fair mindedness. When I was a lot younger I once foolishly asked a northern dj what the tune he was playing was to which he retorted "If you don't know that then you don't deserve to be in here", I kid you not.

I will return frequently on this blog to a bit of northern as it is one of my great loves. Most of my northern collection is on cd and compilation lps (which will horrify all those serious collectors out there) as the original singles can cost thousands and I can't really justify anything over 20 quid for a single, I have tried but have not been able to convince myself let alone the good lady. Of the 7" in my possession most of them are either re-pressings as with the tune selected today or dodgy bootleg pressings.

Today's tune is by the late, great Jackie Wilson, corny I know but true. This tune will always remind me of the Togetherness Weekenders in Fleetwood, seeing a good few hundred people shuffling, spinning and clapping in time to this tune is a sight to behold.

So pull back the carpet, sprinkle the talcum powder on the floor or the lino in the kitchen and have a little shimmy

Jackie Wilson - Because of You