This is a new, unplayed promo copy from the
Louise Neal 45 Collection, in its original Atlantic-Atco Group factory sleeve. Northern Soul? Well, yeah... it's a category I just made up called "Garage Soul:" Like "Farmer John" by the Premiers, some of the white garage bands did a distinctive brand of Soul music that appeals to fans of Soul as much as to fans of Garage Rock... Hence, "Garage Soul." Other examples of this genre are "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" by Swingin' Medallions, "I Can't Get Her Out of My Mind" by Bay Ridge, and "She's About A Mover" by Sir Douglas Quintet. Anyway, the plug side of this single ("Charles Brown") swings with a nice mid tempo rhythm, but the ballad pales next to its raucous flip, a cover of the oft-covered Don & Dewey nugget. With its snarling fuzz guitar bits and overall attitude, I'd normally be inclined to categorize it as Garage Rock, but it turns out the recording has a fan base among Northern Soul lovers as well. Besides, it's produced by Quin Ivy, the Muscle Shoals, AL, producer who in 1965 bolstered the town's burgeoning Soul music scene (mostly genres of Southern Soul) built on the work of famous Fame Studios producer, Rick Hall. Ivy's fame is indelibly tied to Soul music, since his most famous discovery/production was "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Percy Sledge. Whatever you call Mickey Buckins & band's music, it's definitely worth seeking out, and in this case both sides have lasting merit, IMHO. Note: On a superficial inspection, this record appears to be pristine Mint in appearance, and that's certainly true of the brilliant white, spotless labels. However, the vinyl — though it appears untouched — has a mild warp that gave our test turntable no trouble in cueing or tracking, with no impact on the audio. In a case like this, we grade the Vinyl Near Mint with a note that it has a "sw" (small warp). (Turntables with tonearms weighted on the light side may have difficulty, but my tonearm is appropriately weighted for 45 record playback and has no problem tracking the grooves.) After a cleanup, the audio comes through pristine Mint.
