Northern Soul
Northern Soul film: Elaine Constantine pays cinematic tribute to black American music of the Sixties and the British teenagers who embraced it
Northern Soul
Something rather unlikely happened to the North of England in the late 1960s. Working-class kids in concrete ghettoes revolted against the loathed 'charts', and discovered the rhythm, vigour and abandon of black American music. Soul itself had been around for a while, but this was different. Industrial Lancastrian towns stomped to the syncopated beat of rare, eclectic mid-1960s Motown records. It was the uptempo melancholy in tracks from Tony Clarke, Jimmy Radcliffe, Jackie Wilson, Al Wilson that had everyone hooked.
Devotees came from the 60s mod subculture; the uniform was button-down shirts, brogues, a Black Power badge and dilated pupils –amphetamines were essential for frenzied dancing. Fancy footwork necessitated flat shoes for the ladies, paired with wide-skirts for spinning around.
Photographer Elaine Constantine grew up with, lived and breathed this dance movement; Northern Soul, her first feature-length film, is the resulting passion project.
The plot follows two working class teenagers rejecting the life set out for them and instead planning on going to the US in order to bring the best of soul music to British audiences. The lead is played by newcomer Elliot James Langridge alongside a cast of near unknowns, though Steve Coogan and Ricky Tomlinson both make cameos.
The story, though, plays second fiddle to the exquisitely authentic period piece that is achieved. The soundtrack is faultless, the costumes a triumph. Wary of the softening effect of nostalgia upon accuracy, Constantine researched tirelessly. She pored through boxes and boxes of archives, collected photographs, as well as interviewing as many people who remembered the period as she could find. A monthly club night was held in Islington to teach the extras how to dance.
The film is unglamourised, and just as grimy and sweat-flecked as the Northern Soul 'all-nighters'. And, just as the film's tagline promises, it will make you jealous you weren’t there.
Book here
Devotees came from the 60s mod subculture; the uniform was button-down shirts, brogues, a Black Power badge and dilated pupils –amphetamines were essential for frenzied dancing. Fancy footwork necessitated flat shoes for the ladies, paired with wide-skirts for spinning around.
Photographer Elaine Constantine grew up with, lived and breathed this dance movement; Northern Soul, her first feature-length film, is the resulting passion project.
The plot follows two working class teenagers rejecting the life set out for them and instead planning on going to the US in order to bring the best of soul music to British audiences. The lead is played by newcomer Elliot James Langridge alongside a cast of near unknowns, though Steve Coogan and Ricky Tomlinson both make cameos.
The story, though, plays second fiddle to the exquisitely authentic period piece that is achieved. The soundtrack is faultless, the costumes a triumph. Wary of the softening effect of nostalgia upon accuracy, Constantine researched tirelessly. She pored through boxes and boxes of archives, collected photographs, as well as interviewing as many people who remembered the period as she could find. A monthly club night was held in Islington to teach the extras how to dance.
The film is unglamourised, and just as grimy and sweat-flecked as the Northern Soul 'all-nighters'. And, just as the film's tagline promises, it will make you jealous you weren’t there.
Book here
TRY CULTURE WHISPER
Receive free tickets & insider tips to unlock the best of London — direct to your inbox