The Last Note - Sharon McMahan - Bog

Motown was not the only record label to produce hit records in Detroit in the 1960's. There were other record labels who produced hits too. Overtime, the lesser known labels have become more obscure. Soul music lovers in the UK began to embrace those songs, records and recording artists from these lesser known black record labels. Over the years, many have traveled to the United States as collectors of old vinyl records. Upon returning, they would have dances in pubs in Northern England and play these soul records each week. This has now evolved into a culture. All of Northern England is consumed with Northern Soul. It is a way of life. They have become experts at knowing the artists, the songs they recorded, almost by memory, and have raised their children to have the same appreciation. The movement in the UK is called NORTHERN SOUL. The focus is on the music by black soul artists, in the 1960's, from cities like Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia. Of course, my experiences are from Detroit. As one who wrote songs and recorded for these lesser known record labels, I feel compelled to share and to answer the questions they have been asking about what it was like to be there; to focus on the first hand accounts of my songwriting career and my association with the people I worked with back then. I wanted to take time to share personal accounts about my working relationships with some of the most talented persons in the industry in Detroit, back then. After touring London(by invitation) in 2015, I realized there was a strong appetite for the answers to so many questions. Now, I have the opportunity to quench the desires of those who want to know more about the artists and the songs of Northern Soul.