12 OKeh Records Singles That America Ignored And Britain Built A Movement Around

Most people have never heard of OKeh Records. The teenagers dancing all night in Wigan had. Because while America had already moved on — to disco, to funk, to Philadelphia soul — a small Chicago subsidiary label had quietly pressed a run of 45s in the 1960s that were so fast, so precise, so completely built for a dancefloor that they became the lifeblood of an entire British subculture. Major Lance was OKeh's biggest star — "The Monkey Time" went top ten pop and sold a million copies. Then his American career faded, and he made a decision almost no soul artist of his era had made: he physically moved to England and lived there for two years touring the Northern Soul all-nighter circuit. He recorded what many call the greatest Northern Soul album ever made — live at the Torch in Stoke-on-Trent. Then he returned to Atlanta, served four years in prison for cocaine, and died at 54. Sandi Sheldon's "You're Gonna Make Me Love You" made zero chart impact in America. Her real name was Kendra Spotswood — she was a member of the Shirelles recording under a pseudonym, arranged by Van McCoy. Ace Records calls it "one of the crown jewels of the Northern Soul club scene." The Vibrations' "'Cause You're Mine" was unearthed by Russ Winstanley and chosen as the very last record ever played at Wigan Casino on its final night. #NorthernSoul #OKehRecords #SoulMusic #WiganCasino #NorthernSoulHistory #ForgottenSoul #MajorLance #SandiSheldon #TheVibrations #BillyButler #WalterJackson #LittleRichard #GeneChangler #LarryWilliams #ChicagoSoul #BlackpoolMecca #RareGroove #SoulMusic60s #MusicHistory #DeepSoul