Some time in 1973 Ian Levine came home from Miami with a record that would split a scene down the middle. “It Really Hurts Me Girl” by the Carstairs was not a forgotten mid-1960s stomper. It was brand new, it was mid-tempo, and it sounded like the 1970s. When Levine played it at Blackpool Mecca, half the room loved it and the other half felt betrayed. That argument gave us modern soul, the British name for a loose, grown-up strand of 1970s and 1980s soul that still fills its own rooms at weekenders today.
This guide explains where the term came from, what the records sound like, who championed them and how to start buying them without overpaying.
What is modern soul?
Ask ten DJs and you will get ten answers, which is part of the fun. The broad consensus is that modern soul means soul music from roughly the mid-1970s onwards that suits the dancefloors of the northern scene but does not sound like Motown. Tempos are usually slower than the classic four-to-the-floor stompers, arrangements are smoother, and the production borrows from Philadelphia, Chicago and the early disco studios without tipping over into full disco.
The label is very British. In America, the same records would simply be called 70s soul, Philly or, in some cases, disco. In the UK it became a term of distinction, used to separate newer sounds from the 1960s oldies that defined the northern soul scene. Older collectors on the Soul Source forums still argue over its limits: some date it to the late 1970s and early 1980s, others insist “modern” should really mean records made this century.
A working definition we like: it is 1970s and 1980s soul with a dancer’s heart, a songwriter’s sophistication and a production budget the 1960s independents could only dream about.
Blackpool Mecca and the great split
The story centres on the Highland Room at Blackpool Mecca. Colin Curtis began his residency there in 1973, working alongside Levine, and between 1974 and 1976 the pair played Curtom releases, Norman Whitfield’s productions for the Undisputed Truth, Voices of East Harlem and a stream of small-label 1970s singles. Curtis has said he used the last hour of the night, after the coaches had left, to drop the tempo well below 100 bpm.
Wigan Casino, which opened in 1973, went the other way. Its crowd wanted fast, rare 1960s records, and newer sounds were viewed with suspicion. Curtis has recalled that Don Thomas’s “Come On Train” and Snoopy Dean’s “Shake and Bump” were heavily criticised and at one point banned there. The O’Jays’ “I Love Music” was a Mecca record before its commercial release in late 1975.
By the late 1970s the divide was cultural as much as musical. Mecca all-dayers moved from booking Junior Walker and Edwin Starr to Brass Construction, Crown Heights Affair and Roy Ayers. Curtis left for Rafters in Manchester and the jazz-funk scene. The spin-off movement that crystallised in the early 1980s, defined partly by the traditionalists’ hostility to newer records, is what most people now mean by the term.
The sound: what to listen for
If northern soul is about tempo and urgency, modern soul is about groove and space. Expect:
- Mid-tempo rhythms, often around 100 to 115 bpm, with a looser, more syncopated bass line.
- Electric piano and string arrangements in place of the 1960s horn stabs.
- Falsetto leads and close harmony, owing a lot to the Philadelphia productions we covered in our Philly soul guide.
- Lyrics about adult relationships rather than teenage romance.
- A clean, wide studio sound that reflects the move to 16- and 24-track recording.
Ten modern soul records to start with
This is not a definitive list, and plenty of DJs on the scene would swap half of it out. It is a set of records that explain the style, mostly obtainable on reissue.
- The Carstairs, “It Really Hurts Me Girl” (Red Coach, 1973). Written and produced by Cleveland Horne and Raymond A. Evans, issued as RC 802. The record that started the argument.
- The Anderson Brothers, “I Can See Him Loving You”. An early Colin Curtis play that showed how sweet harmony could work on a northern floor.
- Don Thomas, “Come On Train”. Jazzy, rolling and loathed by the purists. Essential for exactly that reason.
- Gloria Scott, What Am I Gonna Do (Casablanca, 1974). Produced and arranged by Barry White, and only the second release on Casablanca. The title track is a lush, slow-burning staple of the scene.
- Leroy Hutson, “All Because of You” (Curtom, 1975). From the album Hutson, recorded at Curtom’s Chicago studio. Hutson’s whole 1970s catalogue is a goldmine for this music; our Chicago soul guide has more on the Curtom stable.
- The O’Jays, “I Love Music” (1975). A Gamble and Huff production that crossed from the Mecca to the UK top twenty.
- William DeVaughn, “Be Thankful for What You Got” (1974). A gentle, Sigma Sound-recorded groove that has been sampled and covered for decades.
- Jean Carn. Her Philadelphia International albums of the late 1970s supply several modern room favourites.
- Sam Dees. A songwriter’s songwriter whose 1970s singles are revered on the scene.
- The Controllers. Southern harmony soul with a 1970s polish, and a good example of how far the modern net spreads.
Collecting modern soul on vinyl
The good news for buyers is that modern soul is, on average, cheaper than rare northern. Many key records were released on albums by major labels and sold reasonably well, so original LPs on Casablanca, Curtom, Philadelphia International or Columbia can be found without a second mortgage. The exceptions are small-label 12-inch singles and private pressings from the late 1970s and early 1980s, which can command northern-level prices.
Three practical tips:
- Check the format. A track may exist as a 7-inch edit, an album cut and a longer 12-inch mix, and DJs usually want one specific version.
- Grade carefully. Late-1970s American pressings vary in quality, and thin vinyl warps easily; our vinyl grading guide explains what to look for.
- Use compilations as a map. A good compilation tells you which originals are worth chasing. Several of the titles in our round-up of the best northern soul compilations include Mecca-era modern tracks.
For the full background on the Carstairs single, the Wikipedia entry for “It Really Hurts Me Girl” is a useful starting point.
Where the scene stands today
The split that once divided Blackpool and Wigan has largely healed. Most UK soul nights now play both, and many weekenders run separate northern and modern rooms. Richard Searling and Soul Sam have championed both for decades, and newer artists have joined the canon alongside the 1970s originals. Gloria Scott herself returned with So Wonderful on Acid Jazz in 2022, nearly half a century after her Casablanca debut. For a style that began as a provocation, modern soul has turned out to be remarkably durable.
Modern soul FAQ
Is modern soul the same as northern soul?
No, though they share venues and many fans. Northern soul generally means rare, up-tempo 1960s American soul. Modern soul grew out of the same scene in the 1970s but favours newer, smoother and usually slower records.
Who were the first modern soul DJs?
Ian Levine and Colin Curtis at Blackpool Mecca are usually credited with pushing newer 1970s records onto a northern dancefloor from about 1973 onwards. Richard Searling and Soul Sam later became long-standing champions of the style.
Is modern soul just disco?
Not quite. There is overlap, and some records sit on both sides of the line, but DJs in the modern rooms tend to avoid straight disco and funk in favour of songs with a stronger soul vocal and a mid-tempo groove.