David Nathan: Soul Ambassador

REVISITED: 'SOUL' HAS NO COLOUR

In the autumn of 1962, a 23-year-old Dusty Springfield was on a visit to America en route to Nashville to make a country music album with the folk/pop trio, The Springfields with brother Tom and Tim Feild. The group had achieved success with the single, “Silver Threads And Golden Needles” which was the first single by a British group to reach the top 20 of the US Hot 100. “The Exciters sort of got you by the throat...out of the blue comes blasting at you ‘I know something about love’…” Springfield reportedly declared, “That’s what I wanna do” During a stopover in New York, per Wikipedia, while taking a late-night walk by the Colony Record Store on Broadway, Dusty heard a record that have a major impact on her musical direction: “Tell Him” by the group The Exciters was playing and she’d recall, “The Exciters sort of got you by the throat...out of the blue comes blasting at you ‘I know something about love’…” Springfield reportedly declared, “That’s what I wanna do” and by the time she began her solo career a year or so later, Dusty Springfield focused on making music with a pop-and-soul flavour. I recall a conversation with my dear friend Carl Bean some years ago during which he shared how he met Dusty during one of her first few visits to New York at a time when he was singing with the famed gospel group, The Alex Bradford Singers who were performing in the off-Broadway musical, “Black Nativity,” the same show that brought Madeline Bell to Britain in 1962. Carl had a vivid memory of taking Dusty (who he likely met through Madeline) to Harlem and specifically to The Apollo Theater and how she was thrilled to witness R&B hitmakers in action. 1963 was a pivotal year in my teenage ‘discovery’ of the popular music of the day. The Beatles were everywhere and I knew that to be ‘included’ with my classmates at Kilburn Grammar School in N.W. London, my slowly-growing LP collection - subsidised by my pocket money from working at a sweet shop with the too-friendly-with-his-hands son of the family who owned it - might have to shift from film soundtracks that my parents bought (“West Side Story,” “South Pacific” and my all-time favourite, the 1956 epic, “The King And I”) and a few classical albums (Holst’s “The Planets,” Saint-Saens’ “Danse Macabre” and likely on an EP at the time, Ravel’s poignant “Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte”) to less-lofty lilts like “All My Loving” and “Love Me Do”! The first two LPs by The Beatles included a plethora of cover versions of American R&B hits: “Please Mr. Postman” (The Marvelettes), “Money” (Barrett Strong), “Chains” (The Cookies), “You Really Got A Hold On Me” (The Miracles), “Twist & Shout” (The Isley Brothers) and “Baby It’s You” (The Shirelles), all providing Brit youngsters like me with the opportunity to hear music that the Fab Four themselves loved at a time when UK record companies did little to promote (or even release) the original recordings they licensed from the US labels who owned them. In some ways, I could ‘credit’ John, Paul, George & Ringo with ‘introducing’ me to R&B through their covers of US R&B hits and in hindsight, it’s not accidental that my first experience of a live show was at the venue next door to where I lived in October 1964 when their special guest was one, Mary Wells! I shared about the experience on a previous Substack post. [https://davidnathan.substack.com/p/my-first-concert-the-beatles-and-8b0] In November 1963, “I Only Want To Be With You,” Dusty’s first single as a solo artist, was released and I recall how quickly it became one of my personal favourite records of the day. As a fifteen-year-old, I was experiencing ‘puppy love’ and infatuation over red head Marilyn Woolf, a pupil at the girls’ school across the street from Kilburn Grammar School: I would dote on her when I would see her walking down the street (future shades of a Hal David lyric that would be the catalyst for my embrace of soul music just months later….think Dionne, “Walk On By”)… By April 1964, “A Girl Called Dusty” was beginning its ascent up the UK album charts while afore-mentioned Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By” was also starting its journey as a British pop hit - and as noted in my last Substack post [https://davidnathan.substack.com/p/60-years-ago-i-bought-a-record] (“60 Years Ago I Bought A Records”), my ‘official’ journey into the world of American R&B and soul music began. You can check out Dusty's first solo album here [https://open.spotify.com/album/1ulDMEpgJC1L4W05dMyqHl?si=04ytGToISlaS6FK657xGmg] It’s amazing looking at the list of twelve tracks on the British version of that first Dusty Springfield LP: it’s entirely made up of Dusty’s versions of a range of US hits such as “Mama Said” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” both originally recorded by The Shirelles; “When The Lovelight Starts Shining Thru His Eyes” (from The Supremes); “You Don’t Own Me” (Lesley Gore); “Mockingbird” (by Inez & Charlie Foxx); and no less than three compositions from Burt Bacharach & Hal David, “Wishin’ & Hopin’” and “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” both originally cut by Dionne (less, we might add, than a few months after the famous UK ‘chart battle’ between Dionne and Cilla Black!); and “Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa” which had been a UK Top 10 hit for Gene Pitney in January 1964. The only track on “A Girl Named Dusty” that doesn’t seem to have been recorded by any other artist was “Nothing” which we can surmise - from comments on various interviews about Dusty’s early visits to New York - was a song she got from songwriters at the famous Brill Building, ‘home’ for tunesmiths like Carole King & Gerry Goffin and afore-mentioned Burt & Hal. Dusty’s ability to bring her innate soulfulness to her music was often downplayed in the UK, in particular by ‘purists’ who always contended that ‘the original is always the best.’ While I was often on the side of the contingent who felt like UK artists were not bringing the same authentic feeling to their cover versions of American R&B tracks (think The Moody Blues’ “Go Now” versus original by Bessie Banks, The Rolling Stones’ “It’s All Over Now” versus The Valentinos and, of course, The Animals’ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” written for and first recorded by Nina Simone), I clearly felt Ms. Springfield was different, even in 1964! Indeed, I was referencing Dusty in the same ‘breath’ as Dionne and using the term ‘soul’ which may indeed have been my own first published penning of the word! This extended unplanned Substack piece on Dusty was prompted by a BBC radio interview I did on Sunday (May 19th, 2024) celebrating the 60th anniversary of the release of her first LP - alas with a somewhat unprepared broadcaster who referenced her having been the first British artist signed to Motown, a fact I had to correct live on the air by informing him that she was signed to Atlantic Records, home to one of her musical idols, Aretha Franklin. (Research reveals that she met Aretha in early 1969 when Dusty was doing new vocals for her Atlantic debut, “Dusty In Memphis” which contained “Son Of A Preacher Man,” a song originally intended for Aretha who initially rejected it and subsequently did a version after Dusty’s became a US Top 10 hit - go figure!). I shared during my brief BBC interview about the only time I met Dusty Springfield in person. It was circa the late ‘80s when she was living in West Hollywood and I was living in the mid-Wilshire area of L.A.: I remember having my hair cut at a unisex salon by a friend of mine in a small street off of Melrose Avenue and in conversation, she mentioned that there was another British person having their hair done at the same time. “I think she’s a singer….her name is Dusty something” were the words my hair stylist was uttering! I immediately asked her to stop cutting my curly locks! I was on the left side of the salon and Dusty Springfield was on the right. I was nervous about saying hello to her - which may seem strange when I reflect that I had spent hours upon hours over the preceding years in the homes of Aretha, Dionne, Luther, Maurice White and others and by 1987 or thereabouts, I had established myself as bonafide scribe in the world of R&B and soul music. I gingerly walked to where Dusty was sitting: “Excuse me, Miss Springfield,” I proffered timidly, “I’m also from Britain and I just want to let you know that I grew up listening to your music!” While she might have been a little taken aback by being acosted in a hair salon by a ‘fan,’ she smiled. “Really?” I quickly added that I’d known Vicki Wickham (her longtime friend and oftimes manager) for many years - in fact from 1965 when I first went to the studios of “Ready Steady Go!” with Nina Simone - and Dusty beamed. “You know Vicki? “ I might have gushed a little in letting Dusty know that my all time favourite recordings of hers included “Some Of Your Lovin’” and she remarked that it was also one of her own favourites - although my reason had much to do with the slow dance I did with my then-new boyfriend William on our second date in the summer of 1967! I mentioned her cover version of the Randy Newman song, “I’ve Been Wrong Before” (from her second UK LP, “Ev’rything’s Coming Up Dusty”) which had also been recorded by Cilla Black in 1965. She nodded, maybe a sign of recognition that we both might have found some validity in the title and lyrics of the song. Conscious of our surroundings and both of us were in mid-hair-cut, I told her my name and asked her if she would let Vicki know we’d met before I bade her a fond farewell. When I look back, I think of the countless conversations we might have had about our mutual love for R&B and soul music; about how she had played a significant role in my personal journey with mid-‘60s recordings like “I Wish I’d Never Loved You” (still an all time fave), “In The Middle Of Nowhere” and “All Cried Out”; about my own career as a dedicated music journalist and meeting so many of the artists we both admired such as Aretha (whose “Won’t Be Long” Dusty had covered in 1965); about my longstanding friendship with Doris Troy, who sang backgrounds with Madeline Bell and others during recording sessions in London also in the ‘60s; how much I enjoyed her work with Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd & Arif Mardin and later, with Thom Bell, Gamble & Huff; and how my favourite‘70s recordings included the stunning soul tune, “Who Gets Your Love” from her underrated “Cameo” LP. Literally, I could have spent hours with Dusty Springfield given our mutual longtime love affair with music. Those few minutes in the hair salon remain precious; the BBC interview-gone-bad on Sunday May 15th 2024 served unwittingly to remind me of just how important Dusty Springfield’s soulful contribution has been in my life. She exemplifies through her timeless recordings that soul (as in soul music or indeed the Soul itself) has no colour. © 2026, David Nathan, All Rights Reserved DAVID NATHAN: JUST MY SOUL RESPONDING... is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription encourages me to keep providing posts such as this…and more! With soulful appreciation and gratitude! Get full access to DAVID NATHAN: JUST MY SOUL RESPONDING... at davidnathan.substack.com/subscribe [https://davidnathan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

30. Mai 2026 - 14 min

Northern Soul...And Where It All Began...

If the time-honoured saying, ‘what goes around, comes around’ has any merit, I can attest to its relevance! When I wrote a Substack post about ‘Northern Soul’ in October 2023, reflecting on how the genre had ‘survived’ for decades becoming more popular than ever and indeed, my connection with the genesis of the term, I had no inkling of what would unfold. A year later, I was the first guest on the “Northern Soul Time [https://youtu.be/eKOgSjazReU?si=Tazoca8GycceUENb]” podcast with Kev Roberts to discuss the origins of ‘Northern Soul’ at Soul City in 1968. Little did I know that recording the session with Kev, who has been a pioneer in the world of Northern Soul for decades, would result in Charly Records (who hosted the podcast) asking if I would be interested in a relaunch of the Soul City label! With the prime assistance of Philippe Matos and Glenn Gunton at Charly Records, the ‘official’ return of Soul City Records became ‘real’ with the launch at Richard Searling’s Blackpool International Soul Festival in June 2025. Almost a year later, Soul City Records, [https://charlydirect.com/collections/soul-city] the label that Dave, Robert and I created all those years ago, is back in full force with 7 singles and one album to date. The interest in the genre continues with the May 2026 UK release of the film “Northern Soul - Still Burning” (in which I have a cameo appearance talking about the origins of the term at the Soul City shop in London). To quote Tina Turner, ‘never in my wildest dreams’…. (Below a revisit to the original October 2023 post with minor amendments) Northern Soul. Amazing, after reaching my sixth decade working in the world of soul music, to see how this globally-recognized genre has provided distinguished careers, fame, fortune and household names for thousands of DJs and the like along with books, films, events, festivals and more and has generated millions of dollars, pounds, yen, etc. for decades. Literally. Who knew? Certainly, not the late Dave Godin (the original founder of the Tamla Motown Appreciation Society, often and in many ways justifiably referred to as ‘The Godfather Of R&B’ in Britain in the mid-’60s), nor I nor Robert Blackmore as the three co-owners of Soul City (which we started in December 1966), then proudly touted as “Europe’s only 100% R&B and Soul Record Shop.” DAVID NATHAN: JUST MY SOUL RESPONDING... is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. I was there, right there, in London in the spring of 1968 at Soul City - which had changed location from a tiny south London premises in working class Deptford to a more ‘upmarket’ location at 17 Monmouth Street in the West End’s theatre district - where and when the term ‘Northern Soul’ was - in many ways - first born! Note the emphasis on ‘first’! Now, you should know that it can be challenging. The passage of time can produce distortion in sorting fact from fiction. Nothing has been more clear for me, than the distinction between truth and myth when it comes to the origin of ‘Northern Soul.’ Myths abound about how the term was created - and over time, I’ve heard a few! I have been blessed (and I could say, from the standpoint of myth-makers, cursed!) with a photographic memory and unlike the lyrics of “The Way We Were” (popularized by Gladys Knight & The Pips), I do not ‘simply choose to forget.’ I just can’t help but ‘tell it like it is’ (thank you, Aaron Neville, whose 1966 recording provided the backdrop for tears during a slow dance on my 19th birthday, February 15th 1967…and that’s another story to be told!). But…no more digressing: the real deal about ‘Northern Soul’ and how it came into existence, follows. By the spring of 1968, we were receiving regular shipments of 45s and LPs as imports from Mr. & Mrs. Shapiro, who owned an export business in Florida, and had begun working with us at Soul City in 1967 at the very start. As word-of-mouth resulted in an increase in customers at the shop, still maintaining our mandate of selling only American-derived R&B and soul records, Soul City was considered a haven for like-minded R&B and soul enthusiasts in Britain. As the genre’s hitmakers became more integrated into mainstream awareness - think the success of Motown via the launch of the Tamla Motown imprint through EMI, television shows like “Ready Steady Go!” (championed by producer Vicki Wickham), radio broadcasters (Tony Blackburn, Mike Raven included) and first UK concerts by Aretha, the Stax/Volt revue, James Brown and a plethora of club dates by all manner of artists including Irma Thomas, Garnet Mimms, Inez & Charlie Foxx and Dee Dee Warwick among others - US soul music was a burgeoning business. Saturday mornings were busy. Apart from regular customers in search of the increasing number of UK releases of US tracks and compilations by CBS, Stateside, London and Polydor/Atlantic (often less easy to find in local high street record stores), we had the precious imports, often arriving on Thursday or Friday. Our instructions to Mr. Shapiro were simple: please send a certain number of copies of new US releases on major labels such as Atlantic, Stax, Chess, Motown, etc. and include a few of the week’s new 45s on smaller record labels. Thus we would get just a couple of 45s by Big John Hamilton, Sandi Sheldon, Roy Redmond, Cliff Nobles, Tobi Legend, Toussaint McCall and Al Wilson (ironically on the US label, Soul City Records!), among others. Saturdays would also bring football fans from the Midlands and the North of England to see matches with London clubs like Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs and Chelsea. Football (not the US derivative which was the equivalent to Britain’s sports fans of rugby/rugger) was a mainstay in Britain, as it remains decades later. For the growing number of R&B and soul music lovers who were among the football supporters in London for the day, Soul City became a ‘must visit’ destination. Dave Godin began noticing that the customers from Manchester, Wigan and Birmingham crowding into the small shop on Monmouth Street were particularly interested in imported 45s: back then, we had turntables behind the counter so we could play a sample of a track before customers chose to purchase it. In an interview Dave did in 2002 with Chris Hunt for MOJO magazine, he said, “I had started to notice that northern football fans who were in London to follow their team were coming into the store to buy records, but they weren’t interested in the latest developments in the Black American chart. I devised the name as a shorthand sales term. It was just to say “if you’ve got customers from the north, don’t waste time playing them records currently in the U.S. Black [music] chart, just play them what they like – ‘Northern Soul.’” More mythology: the first time ‘Northern Soul’ as such appeared in print was NOT in the regular column Dave contributed to ‘Blues & Soul’ magazine in June 1970, a few years after Dave had devised the term at Soul City: rather, in issue #36, June 19th, the title of his column was ‘The Up-North Soul Groove’ and in issue #37 was ‘Pt. 2’. Nary the direct phrase ‘Northern Soul’! Just a few weeks earlier, I had left Soul City (another story of ‘high drama’ with the changing of front door locks which I’ll save for another Substack!) and on July 31st [1970] closed its doors; Dave in a ‘disagreement’ with the editorial direction of ‘Blues & Soul’ stopped writing his column for the magazine, leaving just a tad of mystery as to when he supposedly used specifically the term ‘Northern Soul’ in print for the first time and who claimed he did! All of which brings me to note that despite whatever others may have said about ‘Northern Soul’ (regardless of when it appeared publicly in print) it was birthed in the hallowed office of Soul City in 1968 by Dave Godin. It would be literally decades until I attended my first Northern Soul ‘Weekender’ - and it was in Los Angeles when about 300 diehard fans staged an event at a hotel attended by artists such as my longtime friend Thelma Jones (who had recorded tracks like ‘Stronger’ that had become a Northern Soul favourite) and Jackie Lee (of ‘The Duck’ fame) among others! Playing a part in soul music history is cause for celebration for me and I am deeply grateful. DAVID NATHAN: JUST MY SOUL RESPONDING... is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. © 2026, David Nathan/All rights reserved Get full access to DAVID NATHAN: JUST MY SOUL RESPONDING... at davidnathan.substack.com/subscribe [https://davidnathan.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

19. Mai 2026 - 10 min