Record Collecting
The Vinyl Economy & Collector Culture
Record collecting is central and inseparable from the Northern Soul identity — far more so than in almost any other music scene. Owning a rare, original pressing is a form of cultural currency, a marker of devotion, taste, and collector status within the community.
The Collector Ethos
In Northern Soul, original pressings are everything — not reissues, not reproductions, but the actual first pressing from the 1960s or early 1970s. This distinction is critical. Owning the original pressing is not merely about superior sound quality; it is about authenticity, rarity, and direct connection to the music's past.
Rarity equals quality and status within collector circles. A record that was pressed in tiny quantities — sometimes only a few hundred copies — commands exponentially more respect and often thousands of pounds at auction. After 50+ years of intensive collecting, new discoveries are increasingly rare. Most Northern Soul records have been identified, tracked, and catalogued. Finding an unknown track is cause for genuine excitement.
A collector who owns a truly rare original pressing enjoys prestige that extends beyond the music itself. The record becomes a physical artifact, a trophy in a lifelong hunt for musical treasure. This is particularly acute in Northern Soul, where the original artists are long deceased or unaware of their cult status, and where the records themselves — tiny 7" vinyl discs from 60 years ago — are the only remaining tangible connection to that era.
Record Sourcing: The Hunt Across America
In the 1960s and 1970s, Northern Soul DJs and collectors undertook pilgrimages to America, hunting through record stores, estate sales, junk shops, warehouse clearances, and record fairs across Detroit, Chicago, and Philadelphia. These were the epicenters of soul and R&B production, where warehouses full of unsold stock still languished decades later.
The concept was brilliant in its simplicity: an unknown soul record that barely sold in its native America (a 500-copy pressing of a minor regional label) might be a prized find in the UK. By the late 1960s and 1970s, a network of UK dealers had emerged, many of whom made regular buying trips to America or maintained contacts with American record scouts.
Price Correlation: Record prices were correlated with both rarity and dancefloor desirability. A rare original 7" by an obscure artist that could make dancers spin would command a premium. The rarest records could be resold for hundreds of times their original retail price.
Simon Soussan, a controversial dealer, played a significant role in sourcing and sometimes bootlegging records for the UK market. While some view his role as that of a crucial middleman bringing music to eager collectors, others see his bootleg pressings as an early form of exploitation. His legacy remains debated within the scene.
The Cover-Up: Label-Blanking & White Labels
One of the most distinctive and creative practices in Northern Soul history is the deliberate obscuring of record labels. DJs would paint over the label with white paint or black it out completely, rendering the artist name, song title, and label invisible. Why?
Competition & Exclusivity: If a rival DJ could not identify the track being played, they could not immediately source their own copy. This meant DJ who discovered or controlled exclusive, unidentifiable records held power on the dancefloor. The practice was a form of musical secrecy in a scene built on competition between venues and DJs.
DJs would sometimes apply false artist names and fake label credits to records — "Moses Smith" or other pseudonyms — to further obscure the original recording's identity. This was the direct forerunner of modern DJ culture's "white label exclusive" — unmarked vinyl sent to DJs in advance of official release, and later adopted by hip-hop producers who would soak labels off breakbeat records to prevent samples being identified.
The Carl Dene Story: DJ Carl Dene, the visionary behind The Catacombs in Wolverhampton, once heard a rare track and was told only that it existed in one copy in the UK. He made the journey to Wolverhampton specifically to visit Dene's record collection to find Leon Haywood's "Baby Reconsider" — a record so obscure and so prized that the effort was worth the travel.
This practice reflects the scene's deeper ethos: DJs were hunters, guardians of musical treasure, and the blanked-out label became a symbol of that power. In the age before databases and online retailers, an unidentifiable record was a genuine advantage in the competition for authenticity and exclusivity.
Record Values & Auction Records
Frank Wilson: "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)"
The undisputed king of Northern Soul rarity. Only 2 original copies are known to exist worldwide. At Sotheby's auction in 2009, one copy sold for £25,742 — a world record for a 7" soul record. This astronomical price reflects not just rarity, but the song's spiritual significance to the scene as the ultimate anthem.
Thousands of collectors have never heard this song except via bootleg or reissue. Its mythical status has only grown with scarcity.
Many Northern Soul records command hundreds or thousands of pounds at auction. Original first pressings in excellent condition can appreciate dramatically over time as the pool of surviving copies shrinks and demand from international collectors grows.
Why Original Pressings Are Critical:
- First pressing = original master tape quality and production choices
- Later reissues may use degraded masters or different source material
- Collectors view reissues as secondary or inauthentic
- Original vinyl condition (vinyl pops, crackle, wear) is part of the artifact's authenticity
- Investment value: originals appreciate; reissues depreciate
From the 1990s onward, global expansion of the scene — with collectors and DJs now active across Europe, Japan, Australia, and the Americas — created escalating demand for a finite supply. Prices have spiraled. "Millionaire collectors" from Japan and Europe have entered the market, willing to pay previously unthinkable sums for legendary records. This has fundamentally reshaped the scene's economics.
Bootlegs & Legitimate Reissues
Not all vinyl in circulation is original or legitimate. Bootleg pressings — unauthorized reproductions, often with false artist names and fake label credits — have existed since the 1970s. Some bootlegs are crude forgeries; others are higher quality and deceive casual buyers. Authenticating a record often requires expert knowledge of label variations, pressing details, and vinyl composition.
Legitimate UK reissue labels have emerged to serve collectors who cannot access originals:
- Casino Classics — High-quality reissues using original masters
- PYE Disco Demand — Authorized reissues from the 1970s
- Inferno — Modern reissue label
- Kent Modern — Soul reissue specialist
- Goldmine — Deep catalog of soul reissues
While legitimate reissues are far superior to bootlegs, they remain secondary in the collector's hierarchy. An original first pressing will always be valued above a reissue, even if the reissue sounds marginally better.
The "Carver": From the 1990s onward, collectors and DJs have used custom-made vinyl discs called "Carvers" — small-run vinyl pressings made to order, often with custom labels. These have largely replaced the aluminium EMI acetate discs that were common in the 1960s-80s for demo and test pressings. Some specialist demo/test pressings (evidence of original production) are highly prized by collectors as unique artifacts.
The Collecting Market Today
In the digital age, record sourcing has transformed. Physical marketplace platforms, online dealers, and specialist auction houses now dominate the scene:
| Platform | Description |
|---|---|
| Soul Source | News, community forum, and marketplace; the industry hub |
| Rare Northern Soul | Specialist vinyl dealer; curated inventory of rare originals |
| Inksplat Records | UK-based vinyl seller with Northern Soul specialty |
| Soul Mountain 45 | Collectible 7" singles and 45 RPM records |
| Midas Touch Records | Soul and rare funk vinyl dealer |
| Selectadisc | Nottingham-based store (est. 1966) with legendary "soul cellar"; strong Pete Waterman connection |
| eBay & Discogs | General marketplaces; allows peer-to-peer sales; requires knowledge to identify counterfeits |
| Specialist Auctions | Online auction houses with weekly sales; high-value records and bundles |
Selectadisc: A Living History
Selectadisc, established in Nottingham in 1966, is one of the longest-running independent record stores in the UK. Its "soul cellar" — a specially curated basement section dedicated to soul, funk, and rare vinyl — became a pilgrimage site for collectors. Pete Waterman, the legendary music producer and TV personality, has deep connections to the store and the soul scene. Selectadisc remains operational and continues to serve as a touchstone of vinyl collector culture.
The Collector's Bible
The Northern Soul Top 500
Compiled by Kev Roberts in 2000, this definitive guide lists and ranks the 500 most celebrated Northern Soul records. It has become the authoritative reference for collectors, DJs, and historians. The book is not merely a list; it includes detailed notes on rarity, pressing variations, and cultural significance for each record.
ISBN: 0-9539291-0-8