Demo of "Time Will Pass You By"

[jsmith]

All soulful Brits are aware of this great song even though none US NS fans will probably never even have heard it.
It took many years to discover that Tobi Legend [[the name attached to the track when released by Amy-Mala-Bell) was actually Tobi Lark and to talk to her about the record [[she hadn't even been aware it had been released).
Anyway, a UK fan of the song has chased down info on its writers via the net. One of those writers was Brit John Rhys and he now runs a web site ......... http://blog.bluepower.com/
If you go to his web site you can hear the writer's demo version of this great song.
From that, its evident how Tobi's version came about, as apart from her far superior vocals, the layout of the track is much as she cut it. ENJOY.

[splanky]

It was nice to hear Tobi's voice for the first time today and she has a great voice. That said she is one of hundreds of
great voices that have slipped under the radar of soul music fans. Still, I don't of anyone in this country who refers tp
themselves as a Northern Soul fan. That's a UK specific term isn't it? I mean here it would be used only to distinguish the
music of say, Black Ivory in New York from The Mad Lads in Memphis. Otherwise it's all soul to me. Whether before or after the fact...

[roger]

It was nice to hear Tobi's voice for the first time today and she has a great voice. That said she is one of hundreds of
great voices that have slipped under the radar of soul music fans. Still, I don't of anyone in this country who refers tp
themselves as a Northern Soul fan. That's a UK specific term isn't it? I mean here it would be used only to distinguish the
music of say, Black Ivory in New York from The Mad Lads in Memphis. Otherwise it's all soul to me. Whether before or after the fact...

Yes Splanky .. here in Britain I would say that the term "Northern Soul" refers to the music played in certain venues during the 1970s [[predominantly in Northern England and centred around Manchester .. but there were also a lot of venues in other parts of Britain that followed this trend) where people developed styles of dress and methods of dancing that complemented the music being played. This "scene" has refused to die and there are venues throughout the country that still concentrate on this style of Soul/R&B.

The music was/is generally mid/late 1960s Soul/R&B [[veering into the early 1970s) with "Motownesque" records being particularly popular, and with records that were "unknown/obscure" being particularly sought after.

In order to fit the styles of dancing developed in "Northern Soul" venues the beat/rhythm needed to be very regular and mid/uptempo. With your examples BLACK IVORY and THE MAD LADS not many of their recordings would be considered "Northern" here [[as those groups tended to concentrate on Ballads and vocal harmonies) .. however taking THE IMPRESSIONS as an example recordings like "You've Been Cheating" and "I Can't Satisfy" are considered "Northern" here, as they have the "correct" beat/rhythm .. recordings such as "Amen" or "Choice Of Colours" would not be considered "Northern".

So .. most of the records played on the "Northern Scene" were recorded in the northern parts of the U.S. .. Detroit/Chicago/Philadelpia/New York .. with a lot of Los Angeles recordings [[Mirwood/Mira etc) also being popular. Certain recordings from Memphis/New Orleans/Muscle Shoals/Miami etc. were/are also popular .. especially if they have the "correct" beat/rhythm-pattern .. but they do tend to be in the minority, as most recordings with the "correct" beat were from Detroit/Chicago etc.

Personally I think of it all as "Soul" too and [[for my own enjoyment) couldn't give a monkeys whether it is "Northern" or not ..

Roger

[jsmith]

Splanky, there are big NS scenes in a number of US cities and these have been thriving for well over 15 years now.
New York hosts regular events, as do a couple of cities in California.
PLUS, there are many US NS collectors who 'get their kicks' from buying the old 45's [[& newer CD's) plus are on NS related forums without ever having much opportunity to attend NS nights [[though there are always a handful that travel over here to attend every major UK NS Weekender).
....... ALSO ... the sounds have moved on a lot since the late 70's Wigan Casino era; anything much that's soulful & good to dance to now gets played on the UK NS scene -- early 60's R&B, 70's Philly, beat ballads, crossover [[mid-tempo) 60's & 70's cuts.
PLUS the scene here has expanded with factions breaking off to form a massive MS [[Modern Soul) scene where 1970's to Y2K tracks are played instead of 1960's recordings.
However, I don't class myself as a NS fan [[never have done) or a MS fan ... I'm just a soul fan too ......
Sam Dees, Lorraine Ellison, Garnet Mimms, Tommy Tate, Clyde Brown, all the Impressions slowies, Randy Brown, the Emotions, Dee Dee Warwick, the Masqueraders [[not there early Detroit cuts), Rene Woods, Ullanda McCullough, Glen Jones, R B Hudmon, J Blackfoot, Otis Clay, Billy Stewart, Tavares, Luther Van Dross, Maze, D J Rodgers, the Hypnotics, Brownstone, Bobby Womack, Eli 'Paperboy' Reed, the Violinaires ...... I like the lot.

[snakepit]

It's usually Dave Godin who is created with coining the term " Northern Soul".

However, in Neil Rushton's book "Northern Soul Stories" the following appears.......

"My Dad 'Cliff Clifford' was secretary of the Otis Redding Appreciation Society and he went on to be a Saturday helper at Dave Godin's Soul City store in Covent Garden in London. They used to get all these football [[soccer) fans from the north coming down to London on a Saturday asking for uptempo records with a Motown kind of beat whether they were new or old records. My dad had a brainwave and scrawled "Northern Soul" on the boxes where they kept the records for these people coming down from the north of England. That moment of inspiration started it all off"

"Paul Clifford"

Well, the movement [[i.e. clubs playing danceable rare soul was already there.....) but this catch -all title , Northern Soul stems from Cliff Clifford.....Apparently!!

My take on it is that there is no such thing as a NS record, but there are records that are only played on the NS scene.

[roger]

My take on it is that there is no such thing as a NS record, but there are records that are only played on the NS scene.

Well, there were quite a few attempts made to "cash-in" and re-create that '60s sound for the "Northern Soul" scene in the mid '70s [[1974/5/6) .. but, as I recall, even the handful of recordings that were reasonably good [[ I'd include a couple of those IAN LEVINE "tailor-made" productions in what would be a VERY short list ) were welcomed by most NS fans in much the same way as a pirhana would be welcomed in a paddling-pool.

Roger

[jsmith]

I agree, there aren't many NS tracks, there are just tracks played at NS venues.
But there were some 'taylor-made' tracks laid down in the 70's especially for the NS scene & whilst these were [[largely) viewed with derision by hardy alnighter attendees, quite a few of them made the UK Pop charts.

[splanky]

"Northen Soul" like "Beach Music" and even as far back as "Race Records" all seem to me like an attempt to identify primarily black R&B as I said, AFTER the fact...

[jsmith]

You ought to live here in the UK ............
Here we have radio shows & club nights that feature only ... jazz funk, beat ballads, crossover sounds, modern soul, northern soul, sweet soul, R & B [[early 60's tracks), RnB [[y2k tracks), funk, southern soul, Motown, big city soul, HipHop, acid jazz, latin soul, neo soul, stompers, rare soul, jazz, 60's soul, 70's soul & MORE .......
... plus if you're a real soul fan it has to be OVO [[Original Vinyl Only) ..... no reissue records, CD's, memory sticks, mp3's are allowed to be played EVER !!!!

[honest man]

I Went to a Northern Soul doo in Liverpool a few months ago,at the Cabin Club[not the Cavern] it was great to see 80 + young boys and girls attending they were dressed in the retro gear doing the dancing ,to the sounds.it was good to see a new generation are Keeping The Faith, cheers. ps what about POPCORN, Some great sounds under that banner,yes i love all music. cheers.

[jsmith]

YES, there's also Popcorn .... & another I forgot .... deep soul.

[dave_clegg]

Here is a link to the original article

http://www.soul-source.co.uk/soulfor...l-pass-you-by/

[nosey]

I listened to the song and I like it! Never heard of this lady. Thanks.

[jsmith]

Wiki info on Tobi .............
She was born Bessie Grace Gupton in Alabama, the daughter of gospel singer Emma Washington. She grew up in Detroit and first performed in her mother's choir, the Emma Washington Gospel Singers. She toured with the group for ten years, from the age of nine, before securing her first professional job, as a backing singer for B. B. King. As Bessie Watson, she first recorded in 1963, releasing the single "'Deed I Do" backed by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, on the Riverside label, and then two singles, "I'm In Your Corner" and "Wake Up Crying" on the Jay Pee label. As Tobi Lark, she then recorded several singles for the Palmer, Topper, and U.S.D. labels, but none achieved much commercial success. She also performed with the Impressions, the Four Tops, Ben E. King, Wilson Pickett, King Curtis, and Duke Ellington, among others.
In the mid 1960s she separated from her husband and moved to Montreal, Canada, with her young son. She performed in clubs and at Expo 67, before moving to Toronto to work for Ronnie Hawkins. She was then recruited to play a lead role in the musical Hair in Toronto, and later set up the Armageddon Revue at the Blue Orchid club there. In 1968, in Detroit, she recorded "Time Will Pass You By", a song written by English-born songwriter and record producer John Rhys Eddins with Nick Zesses and Dino Fekaris. The record was released on the Mala label under the name "Tobi Legend", but it was unsuccessful until it was picked up in the early 1970s by followers of the Northern soul scene in the UK. The song became known as one of the "Three Before Eight", played at the conclusion of every all-nighter at the Wigan Casino club, and has since featured on several anthologies of Northern soul music including The Best Northern Soul All-Nighter ... Ever!, The Northern Soul Story, and The Wigan Casino Story.
Newspaper columnist Laura Barton, of The Guardian, has compared the record to a Shakespeare sonnet:
"It...is simply a song about seeing the preciousness of life, about trying to live our lives better and brighter. Its verses cut a melancholy figure, its opening lines reflecting on the steady turn of the world: "Passing seasons ever fade away/ Into misty clouds of autumn grey/ As I sit here looking at the street/ Little figures, quickly moving feet." And then in zaps the chorus, a remonstration of sorts, or a call to arms: "Life is just a precious minute baby," it yells. "Open up your eyes and see it baby/ Give yourself a better chance/ Because time will pass you/ Right on by." Like many pop songs, there's something of the sonnet about Time Will Pass You By; it's there in the song's intention of course, but there is something about Legend's track that has always reminded me specifically of Shakespeare's Sonnet 60. Legend's second verse, "I'm just a pebble on the beach and I sit and wonder why/ Little people running around/ Never knowing why," for example, seems to echo Shakespeare's lines: "Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore/ So do our minutes hasten to their end;/ Each changing place with that which goes before,/ In sequent toil all forwards do contend.""
Returning to the name Tobi [[or Toby) Lark, she released three further singles on Cotillion Records, "Shake A Hand" [[1969), "Just To Hold My Hand" [[1970), and "We're All In This Together" [[1971). The last of these was recorded live with a large choir at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Toronto. She continued to work in Toronto, Windsor and Detroit, with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and singers including Kenny Rogers. In 1995, she recorded a live CD, and appeared at the Toronto Blues Society's Women's Blues Revue.
We nearly got her over to perform in the Uk a couple of years back but she pulled out at [[nearly) the last minute.

The 45 was championed in the UK [[as a new US release on Mala from Bell Records) by Dave Godin. He had numerous copies of the US 45 [[issue copies of which there aren't that many known copies) & would 'force' them on customers in his London record shop. He had licensed & released a few Bell tracks on his Soul City & Deep Soul Record labels and maybe Bell sent him numerous copies of this 45 hoping he would license this one as well for UK release.

[snakepit]

Ah.....

But did the Bard ever get a sonnet played at Burnley Cat's Whiskers ?

[jsmith]

Old Will signed a deal with Stax in the mid 70's & cut an instrumental NS version of "Bee or nowt but two bee's" however the label went under before it could be released.
EMIdisc boots of the 45 were however played at allniter sessions held at the Top of the World in Stratford.