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them. One of the saddest stories is a record by M
el Britt, She’ll Come Running Back, it was a flop for him at the time but ended up being one of the biggest records on the soul scene. Some people tracked him down years ago on a trip to Motown and found out he was a down-andout. The group did a collection and tried help him back on his feet.” “The biggest track for me at the moment is The Hamilton Movement’s She’s Gone. It’s less Motown’s ‘60s sound and has a more disco vibe. I paid two and half grand for it and it’s worth around seven or eight now.” One thing that is somewhat lacking from the scene is the sense of unique style which complimented the slide, swivel and glide of feet. “Back in the day, in the Northern Soul scene most of the women wore the big pleated skirts with the Adidas tops and the guys wore the bell-bottoms with Adidas t-shirts. That’s gone. It was an identifier fashion for soul people. For me, it was always about the music. It’s what’s in the groove that counts.” says Doyle, spoken like a true DJ. And so, the magic carpet ride continues. I bump into a drum teacher from London who “saw the poster and went looking for the place”. There’s a chap from Amsterdam who’s been to the last few, sitting observing the sweaty grooves under the disco lights. As the night winds down, I encounter one such sweaty duo – Ann Sheehy and Eric Weitz, originally from New York but living here 26 years. “During the civil rights movement, soul was important. Northern Soul was not something we knew about,” Sheehy says. Their love of the night and the scene exemplifies its draw. “It resulted from a love of the same music but different cultural origins. Ann would say we never go out dancing and I’d say there’s nothing to dance to. It’s wonderful music to dance to. There’s different ages, demographics and a communal vibe” adds Weitz. “It’s like a secret world, though I make no secret of it. It’s sweaty and communal.” ● The next D8 Soul Club is on in the Conservative Club, on Friday June 28 from 8pm. It will feature Barney Taylor, Tony Doyle, Adrian Jae and Lisa Wolverson among others. €5, OVO. @D8SoulClub 48