Northern Soul: Keeping the Faith (2-CD)

by Various Artists

Two CD set, UK compilation. The phrase Northern Soul emanated from the record shop Soul City in Covent Garden, London, which was run by journalist Dave Godin who publicly used it first in his weekly column in Blues & Soul magazine in June 1970. The music style most associated with Northern Soul is the heavy, syncopated beat and fast tempo of mid-1960s Motown Records, which was usually combined with soulful vocals. These types of records, which suited the athletic dancing that was prevalent, became known on the scene as 'Stompers'. Northern Soul reached the peak of it's popularity in the mid- to late-1970s. At this time, there were soul clubs in virtually every major town in the Midlands and the North of England.