How great is this soul ballad?! That organ! Those vocals! You can just picture a disco at the end of the night in the late Sixties with young men awkwardly trying to smooch embarrassed girls on the dance floor as the DJ drops this tune.

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Inspired by my birthday trip back to Belfast – and today’s ambulance strike – here is what must surely be Van Morrison’s finest moment. It’s certainly his most emotionally intense.

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If anyone were to tell me this is the greatest single song of all time, I would not dare to disagree. It’s flawless – perfect tune, perfect lyric, perfect voice, perfect arrangement – and filled with such emotion that it makes me cry almost every time I hear it.
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Here’s a slice of rare soul from Betty Moorer, finally finding some success in the Sixties, a decade after starting her first group. (more…)

One of the less well-known girl groups of the Sixties, The Fascinations are best known – if at all – for the fact that one of their founder members was Martha Reeves.

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I was not sure which side to post of this Northern Soul favourite because both have their champions. I’m going with Under The Street Lamp because that was the A-side that gave them a minor hit in 1967. (more…)

There’s a long story behind this mid-Sixties song – the debut single by an obscure British freakbeat band called The Living Daylights. And an unlikely connection with both Elton John and Ian Dury. (more…)

When I think of 1967 I think of psychedelia, hippies, flower power, LSD. This record came out that year – the Summer of Love – but it’s nothing like that. (more…)

Here’s another Deep Soul deep cut from back in the Summer of Love, 1967 – the only hit for Helena Ferguson. And here’s a piece of pop trivia – the backing band is The Ohio Players.

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