keep on burning

I love talking on records....well, you can have too much of a good thing, Telly Savalas' version of 'If' leaps to mind and anything by William Shatner but generally I dig a bit of speech in a song. Martin Fry on 'Look of Love', Phil Oakey on 'Louise' and James Convery on 'Dick's Kitchen' (a Johnny Domino tune) all classic talkies. 'There,there my Dear' and 'Sweeping the Nation' both feature soliloquies about keepin' the faith. No surprise that they are both influenced by that most passionate and obsessive musical scene...Northern Soul.

Spearmint- Sweeping the Nation


I don't know much about Spearmint other than they've been around a good while and this tune always cheers me up. Northern Soul is also a bit of a mystery to me but what I've heard, I've liked and the dancing looks well difficult. Dexy's are much more familiar and their first album 'Searching for the Young Soul Rebels' is essential.

Dexy's Midnight Runners- There, there my Dear


Whatever Kevin Rowlands is banging on about here (probably fashion victims) is not exactly clear but he clearly means it! He means it throughout the album and this is why it will always be very important to a certain generation.

Spearmint

Buy 'Searching for the Young Soul Rebels'