RATING GUIDE

90-100% Excellent

80-90% Very Good

60-80% OK/Good

50-60% Is it worth it?

Below 50% forget it.

BIG IN WIGAN

20 Northern Mammoths: from the Wheel to Keele

KENT CDKENK 129

Track listing

1 The Gypsies

It's a woman's world (you'd

better believe it).

2 Leon Haywood

Baby reconsider

4 Percy Wiggins

That's loving you baby

5 J.J. Barnes

Sweet Sherry

6 The Pretenders

I want to be your everything

7 William Bell

Happy

8 Millie Jackson

My man, a sweet man.

9 The Lovettes

Little Miss Soul

10 Bobby Freeman

I'll never fall in love again

11 Mickey Lee Lane

Heh Sah-Lo-Ney

12 Bobby Patterson

Till you give in

13 Jean Wells

With my love and what you've

got (we could turn the world

around).

14 Loleatta Holloway

Mother of Shame 

15 The Casuals

Running from your love

16 Flower Shoppe

You've come a long way baby

17 Mary Love

You turned my bitter into sweet

18 Lorraine and the Delights

Baby I need you

19 MLE Williams

Can it be me?

20 The Showmen

Our love will grow.

Kent produce some marvellous compilations at bargain prices. Big in Wigan certainly qualifies in this respect. It is a superb oldies collection and its proud boast from the Wheel to Keele holds true. If you are hardened Northern fan then chances are that you probably own most of it on vinyl. Chances are that you also don't play these records much either these days. They will be a tired bunch of sounds relegated to the past. But if you're someone who has been away from the scene or someone who never tires of great Northern tracks then this compilation must be for you.

The introduction to this CD compilation is curtesy of Harboro Horace. His comments about some of the old hand DJ's, whilst highly amusing, don't do full justice to the tracks. Still, what's life without a little humour. No doubt Harboro Horace is still the sylph like youth or yore. Anyway back to the CD.

The Gypsies kick off the running with It's a woman's world and do their bit for the feminist Northern Appreciation Society. Hard to believe this was recorded in 1964 given its theme. Typical Tamla style opening but the voices are a touch strident for me. It's not a record that greatly appealed to me the first time I heard. It's grown on me a little but it's still only a 7/10 in my book.

Leon Haywood's Baby reconsider is certainly one of my favourites and it is still a major classic that gets speaker time at venues. This is Northern at its finest. Wonderful strings real make this arrangement and Leon's voice is giving it the full emotional clout. He sounds like he really means it when he asks his girl to give him another chance. 10/10 unreservedly. 

Percy Wiggins is another fine performer gracing this compilation and with another outstanding classic play: That's loving you. Definitely a must have track. 10/10

J.J. Barnes is one of the few artists who spans the Wheel to Keele eras as a major force. His Sweet Sherry is an acknowledged mid-tempo soul classic and is another 10/10 track. The Pretenders is a catchy duet style track with the female vocal carrying on a dialogue with the male voices. Great vocals and straightforward sentiment with feeling but without the mush: I wanna be (your everything). 10/10.

William Bell is a classic Soul singer. His early records with Stax are still some of the most brilliantly performed numbers. But Happy is a song that really lifts the spirits whenever its played. If you want a definition of the word Happy then play this song. Guaranteed to make the world look a better place. 10/10. Following that ode to joy is another great big happy sound. My man is a sweet man by Millie Jackson is tailored to follow William Bell. Yet another 10/10. A real winner still. 

Little Miss Soul by the Lovettes is the kind of track that filled the floor and had the dancers doing their trick stunts. Typical frenetic Wigan. Very good nevertheless and worth a 9/10. Bobby Freeman's I'll never fall in love again is Southern style a la Stax/Atlantic. 9/10. Oh, and do I love the next one! Mickey Lee Lane was a heavy duty 60's rocker. No doubt brought in to the Casino on the shirt tails of Mitch Ryder. One of the fabled flyers for frenetic dancers. Heh Sah-Lo-Ney: what the hell does it mean? Who the hell cares! It sets your feet on fire with its infectious drive. 10/10. Bobby Patterson platters were always popular and Till you give in was one of those that had people dancing. Boringly 10/10. Jean Wells With my love and what you've got is touch series in terms of its lyrics. The kind of mature soul that began to find its way into the playlists. It's good but not quite a ten: 9/10 is the best I can do. Loleatta Holloway was taking a leaf out the books of singers like Betty Wright and Laura Lee focusing on education through music and dealing with issues to make the young, foolish and fancy free a touch more careful. 9/10 for effort. Always have liked Skip Mahoney and this track is no different from the others. Running away from love is great 70's sound extravaganza always worth a listen and a dance. 10/10. 

Continuing the 70's cuts, Flower Shoppe with You've come a long way baby, a bit of candy fluff. Pleasant enough and good for dancing. Easy sentiment on the ear fronting a a decent arrangement. 8/10 for cutesy sweetness. 

Not surprisingly the Garland Green version but one by John Edwards. Ain't that good enough. Still an excellent version nonetheless, good enough for me. One of the Ashford Simpson penned songs that I actually enjoy. Definitely a 10/10 for this version. Mary Love's You turned my bitter into sweet goes without comment for a 10/10. Some tracks never wear thin - for me this is definitely one of those.

Lauren and the Delights with a catchy if insubstantial motwnesque pastiche next. Not very original but surprisingly toe-tapping. Generously 8/10. Mel Williams Can it be me is another one of those tracks that really does it for me. Love the laughing sax break in the middle. Clever arranging and Mel does a wonderful delivery of the lyrics. 10/10. Bringing this brilliant 20 track CD track to a close is that 1965 vinyl magic from the Showmen: Our love will grow. What a high note to end on! If I could give this an 11/10 I would. So we finish with a 10/10.

If you haven't succumbed and got yourself this brilliant package of memories then do yourself a favour. And unlike some of the reissues this won't leave your Bank Manager wondering ... 95% rating.