Monday 15 June 2015

My Northern Soul Top 50, 15 - 11



The last fifteen and we are in "classic", some may say obvious,  territory now.

15. Sissie Houston - Bring Him Back

A storming tune from 1966. Strangely this Doc Pomus song that did absolutely nothing was covered twice within a year of it's release. It just goes to show that although the general public had no taste both Dusty Springfield and Stella Starr recognised a belter when they heard it. It also goes without saying that neither are a patch on Whitney's mom's original.

14. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Night

I'm sure that Berry Gordy had high hopes for the New Jersey quintet when he signed them to the Motown subsidiary Mowest in the early 70s. Sadly it wasn't a very rewarding period for either party. it did however produce this dark track from 1972's Chameleon album that was to be released as a single in the US but withdrawn after the promotional copies were sent out with the artist printed as just Franki Valli on the records. It did reach the lower end of the charts in the UK and was "big in Wigan" as they say.


13. The Isley Brothers - My Love Is Your Love (Forever)

This track was another stupidly good Motown recorded track that languished on the shelves for years before being released on a Netherlands only Music For Pleasure compilation album where it was found by some crate digger or other. It has been popular on the scene in recent years. This lovely Stevie Wonder penned song was released at the turn of the century on the Tamla Motown Connoisseurs cd and a couple of years ago pressed on 7" as part of the Motown Sound Volume1 box set, where my copy comes from now, replacing the dodgy white label pressing I had prior to this.

12. The Poets - She Blew A Good Thing

I have loved this track ever since I first heard it. Another one of those tracks that make me shiver and give me goosebumps,  the lead vocal and the harmonies are just sublime and that bit where Ronnie Lewis sings "a would have went to a jeweller's and bought her a ring" gets me every time.

11. Madeline Bell - Picture Me Gone

Another track from the Scooter Club Do's . Picture me gone was the flip side of I'm Gonna Make \You Love Me which was a hit for the former Blue Mink vocalist in 1967. The song was originally recorded the previous year by Evie Sands and is probably a lot of people's favourite version of the tune but for me this version is the one.



4 comments:

Charity Chic said...

Some classics there indeed Drew

Brian said...

Nearly there now... yet, I'm still getting schooled. Really enjoying this series, Drew.

Scott said...

Five storming tunes today Drew. Can't wait to see what makes the Top 10. Could not agree more about the Poets track, the harmonies really are stunning.

Darcy said...

Love that Isleys track. I have come across 4 copies of that MFP comp in the last couple of years. Most recently at a booter last weekend, it was the first copy I haven't bought but I felt guilty about that. I just wanted to jump and down and tell anybody in the vicinity "buy this reocrd".