1. Jackye Owens - ‘Love That Guy’

Irma Thomas style deep soul backed up by big loud orchestra. Very nice indeed!! Flip – ‘A Million to One’. Blat ballad treatment of Standard.

2. Shirley Vaughan - ‘Watch Out Mr Lonely’

Northern soul with a big beat. A powerful, just above mid-tempo dancer from an unknown vocalist who just happens to share a very famous name. This is not mega-rare, but if that’s the only criteria for buying a record then more fool you, as you’d be missing out on a real soul dancer with huge potential that will be massive when played out.

3. Garland Green - ‘Let the Good Times Roll’/’You and I Go Good Together’

A singer much loved by the Northern Soul fraternity who has made many a good record over the years. These are two vastly underrated tracks from 1974 that are sure to reach the heights if played out! ‘Let the Good Times Roll’ has an anthemic intro and a lovely, relaxed finger-snapping modern or crossover dance beat, while ‘You and I Go Good Together’ is a superb Northern Soul dancer with a happy, bouncy rhythm that will grow on you the more you hear it. Both sides: huge potential!!

4. James Brown and Lyn Collins - ‘What My Baby Needs Now (Is a Little More Lovin)’

Two of black music’s biggest names stepped out of the funky world they were living in at the time for this unique one-off crossover soul dancer that has yet to be given the long overdue acclaim it surely deserves. Not yet a rarity, it has all the right ingredients to become a modern room anthem. It’s got soul, and plenty of it!

5. Barbara Jean English - ‘Breaking Up / Guess Who’

Great modern/crossover double-sider!! ‘Breaking Up’ is a very dancer-friendly Philly-style mover with vocals similar to Jackie Moore, while ‘Guess Who’ is a classy, soulful, finger-snapping dancer.

6. Al Wilson - ‘Poor Side of Town’

Beautiful, beautiful beat ballad with a slow Northern style, yet full of so much soul it’ll give you goosepimples. Opens with a killer line, “How can you tell me how much you’ve missed me, when the last time I saw you, you wouldn’t even kiss me”! One of Al Wilson’s lesser known sides that surely needs a play or two; fantastic big beat ballad at unbeatable price! Dig out the Johnny Rivers original if you can; it’s blue-eyed soul at its very best.

7. Garnet Mimms - ‘Tell Me Baby’

Lovely brassy intro leads into a very Bobby Bland-like handclapping mid-paced Northern dancer, that even has elements of the dramatic Nina Simone version of ‘I Put a Spell On You’. A genuine big, beefy Northern Soul with R’n’B boots on dancer!!

8. Ann Sexton - ‘It’s All Over Bar the Shouting’

Compelling rumbling brass intro will have you edging towards the dancefloor for a crossover dancer beyond compare! Nothing light and airy-fairy about this – a complete absence of strings means that you’re dancing to a solid, hard soul beat and the pure emotion of Ann Sexton’s vocals, and if that’s not enough for you – God have mercy on your soul!!!

9. Barbara Acklin - ‘I Did It’

Lovey early ‘70s crossover dancer that ought to appeal to both camps, Northern and modern. Nice uplifting mover with an obvious Chi-Lites feel. If you loved such as The Classic Sullivan’s ‘Paint Yourself In the Corner’ or Jeff Perry’s ‘Love Don’t Come No Stronger’ then this one’s for you!!

10. Roger Washington - ‘Unless You Let Me’

Nice pre-1966 Drifters-style R’n’B meets Northern Soul dancer. If you’ve enjoyed Lou Johnson’s big Northern sides and beat ballady big city soul is your thing then this one can’t fail to please you. It’s an unknown winner that can take off big style with a few plays under its belt!!

11. Dee Dee Warwick - ‘Locked in Your Love’

Not normally the fishing pond of choice, Northern Soul, if looking for original breakbeats but that’s what you have hear – Northern Soul dancer powered by energetic breakbeats! Great brassy intro leads into a lively sounding and well-up-for-it sample!!

12. Major Harris - ‘After Loving You’

Brilliantly perfect Philly soul dancer tailor-made for the modern rooms, where the dancers knew long ago that this type of sound was destined to be the future of Northern Soul. Very close stylewise to such as the Sons of Robin Stone’s ‘Got to Get You Back’ and Detroit Spinners’ ‘I’ll Be Around’.

13. Lou Courtney - ‘What Do You Want Me To Do? / Beware’

Excellent crossover/modern soul double-sider! Choose either side to play out and you’ll be onto a winner, as the pair of them are steeped in real class! ‘Beware’ is the more uptempo and will remind you of Lenny Williams vocally – after a few spins there’ll be no holding this one back it its rise to the top (£8 will be thing of the past by then!). ‘What Do You Want Me To Do’ on the flip is a decent mid-paced modern room dancer with a Philly International label style to it. Both sides deserve exposure and no reason why either side can’t be big in the near future!

14. Gladys Knight and the Pips - ‘Keep an Eye’

Another low-key Motown smouldering ember with a very strong Northern Soul beat that would surely fill dancefloors if it got the plays it fully deserves.

15. Brenton Wood - ‘Catch You On the Rebound / Baby You Got It’

A splendid double-header here and a no bones about it recommended play out! ‘Catch You On the Rebound’ is a bouncy mid-tempo dancer and very Garland Greenish in style with crossover appeal (a big favourite of Paul Weller’s). On the other side, ‘Baby You Got It’ has a stronger Northern beat, class to spare and sounds as if it was a song meant to be recorded by Billy Stewart, who was enjoying one or two big hits around that time (1966/67).

16. Little Dooley - ‘(It’s Got To Be) Now or Never’

Lovely mid-paced modern crossover soul dancer with a Philly beat that’s sure to appeal to the dancers. Modern room magic!!

17. Jo Ann and Andre - ‘Same Time, Same Thing, Same Place’

Massive, beefy, real Northern Soul backing to this well-underplayed, yet so obviously potentially big time, play out. Totally irresistible intro comes straight at you like Joe Frazier looking for a first round knockout!

18. Major Lance - ‘Gypsy Woman / ’Stay Away From Me’

The time is absolutely ripe for playing out the Major’s moody yet soulful version of The Imps’ big hit. Note the lovely ‘Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay’ style bassline on the intro, branding it with class from the outset. It then builds up into a smooth mid-paced Northern dancer with a hint of crossover to it! The flip, ‘Stay Away From Me’ confirms this as being a low-priced double-sided winner, more modern room than Northern but far too classy to remain an unplayed gem. A real feel-good affair – if you enjoy your dancing!!

19. Faith, Hope and Charity - ‘You’re My Piece of Mind’

1975? Van McCoy? With that bit of info on a record’s label you just know you’re in for a treat! Quite a fast-paced mid-70s dancer that does not tread the well worn ‘disco’ path of the period, thus presenting you with a sophisticated crossover dancer that you’ll be proud to play and own. A class side that deserves to be played!!

20. Jimmy Scruggs - ‘You Don’t Care For Me Anymore’.

Although he sounds like a scrap metal dealer from Newton Heath, this is a great mid-tempo beat ballad with a strong Northern beat, that deserves to be played out at venues where real soul is still respected. Try to download this and the computer will say ‘no’!