To gain a better understand of the history of Northern Soul and its place in the record collecting world, Goldmine had the pleasure of talking to “rare soul man” John Manship, a collector and dealer whose reputation and knowledge place him in the top tier of Northern Soul afficionados. It was Manship who, in 2020, brokered the sale of ‘the world’s most valuable 7-inch record,’ “Do I Love You” by Frank Wilson, widely misreported as having fetched £100,000 ($125,000). In fact, Manship tells Goldmine, the single went for a still astonishing £33,000 ($41,200). Speaking from his home in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England, we begin with the basics: What classifies a record as Northern Soul?
“You know,” says Manship, “you just asked me the impossible question. Well, it’s whether anybody wants to dance to it. I can tell you what a record as Northern Soul: rock, country and western, but you know, Latin jazz, boogaloo, funk — everything gets incorporated. If it sounds good for the dance floor, then it’s Northern Soul. Also, it’s basically got to have a soulful content, whether that’s an organ instrumental or whatever…if it feels soulful then great.” Which, of course, leads us to the question of what defines soul? “If I’m listening to something,” says
