Northern soul's designation has always been an unusual one, for while southern soul's cadre of artists were based in the American South, northern soul refers not to where its artists came from, but rather where their records were most popular--in this case, northern Britain. As the 1970s progressed and soul music continued to distance itself from its earthy '60s roots, select clubs in the north of England--Blackpool Mecca, Cleethorpes Pier, and Wigan Casino chief among them--distinguished themselves from the increasingly popular discos of the era by employing resident DJs to exclusively spin records by underappreciated '60s soul artists. As with any self-respecting underground phenomenon, these clubs--and the happening as a whole--purposely bypassed mainstream attention, as northern soul aficionados and club-goers preferred grooving in relative privacy to largely forgotten classics by, among others, Chicago soul mainstays Gene Chandler and Major Lance, deep soul testifier Garnet Mimms, and Motown's burlap-throated Edwin Starr. The movement's popularity receded as the '70s waned, but its success was underscored by the absolute uniqueness of its zeitgeist: this was a subgenre forged not by the record industry, but rather by fans.

Notable Artists: Jerry Butler; Fontella Bass; Edwin Starr; Garnet Mimms