Speaking of soul, renowned local DJ Wam Bam Ashleyanne just debuted a project long in the works, a 24/7 streaming channel for NPR Music devoted to a very specific kind of soul, northern soul:
It’s been 40 years since the first all-night R&B party at the Wigan Casino nightclub outside Manchester, England. The doors didn’t open until 2 a.m., and its 1,200-capacity ballroom was packed until dawn with dance-crazy (possibly amphetamine-fueled) soul fans. They called the uptempo vibe Northern Soul, after the region of England that fell in love with rare ’60s R&B.
To mark the anniversary, public radio’s KALW and a handful of San Francisco DJs curated a 24/7 music channel devoted to the best R&B songs you’ve likely never heard. For every Marvin Gaye or Wilson Pickett song in the mix, there’s another 50 incredible jams by artists who never quite made a name for themselves.
Read on for more history and Ashleyanne’s Top 5, and then listen in.
[Photo by Ping Pong Nite]
Pretty impressive to have good northern soul going 24/7. I’ll listen simply out of a combined bewilderment / respect.
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing, and thanks for the music Wam Bam Ashleyanne.
Um… yes. This is fantastic.