BIG UP NORTH…

cleetopres

Northern Soul fans are nothing if not loyal. When a club, event or a “night” takes off and establishes itself it’s guaranteed longevity simply because of the devotion and passion of the punters. One of the longest running Northern Soul celebrations is the Cleethorpes Weekender. The windy Lincolnshire resort began hosting the event in 1993 and the DJs, dancers and artist have been back there every year since.

To celebrate, Kent Records have just released a fabulous 25 track compilation that highlights some of the best material to wow the Cleethorpes crowd over the last 20 years. You get loads of great Northern items here like FRANK DELLS’ ‘He Broke Your Game Wide Open’, THE DIPLOMATS’ ‘Help Me’ and TONY MIDDLETON’S ‘Drifting’. What makes the album special though are the inclusions from the acts that the Cleethorpes Mafia regularly bring over to grace the weekend. Amongst those names are LITTLE ANN, BARBRA LEWIS, MAXINE BROWN, BETTYE SWAN, H B BARNUM and TOMMY HUNT… nostalgia never sounded better.

To add to this album’s attraction there’s a wonderful and lengthy essay extolling the highs and lows of the function. It’s stuffed with great photos and memorabilia and it all stands as a great tribute to the loyalty of the Northern fraternity.

THE CLEETHORPES NORTHERN SOUL WEEKENDER .. . 20 SOULFUL CELEBRATIONS is out now on Kent records.