The second volume in Sony BMG's top-notch
The Northern Soul Story compilation series spotlights Stoke-on-Trent's Golden Torch, which supplanted Manchester's late, lamented Twisted Wheel as the epicenter of Britain's blossoming soul-revival culture. The building that would later house the Torch was constructed circa 1824 as a church, and later functioned as a cinema and skating rink; new owner Chris Burton converted the space to a nightclub in 1965, and while middle of the road pop acts like
Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas were the order of the day during the venue's early years, in 1967 soul act Inez & Charlie Foxx brought in a record gate and convinced Burton he could make a living booking soul music exclusively. Torch DJs Keith Minshull and Tony Jebb proved formidable tastemakers, and the club slowly but surely earned notice as a perennial hot spot, reaching its apotheosis on December 9, 1972 when
Major Lance recorded his cult-classic Major Lance Live at the Torch, considered by many the greatest Northern Soul live set ever documented. But like the Twisted Wheel, the Torch was doomed by its patrons' drug use, and closed in 1973 -- still, its influence on the subsequent wave of Northern clubs was monumental, and this 25-track collection is a worthy tribute, complete with superb mastering and track-by-track liner notes by British DJ Ian Dewhirst. Highlights include the Carstairs' "He Who Picks a Rose," Johnny Moore's "Walk Like a Man," and Bobby Lynn's "Earthquake." ~ Jason Ankeny