Mirwood Northern Soul

Mirwood Records’ second release was Jackie Lee’s The Duck, an uptempo soul swinger that became a big hit and established the Mirwood sound. The house team of producer Fred Smith, arranger James Carmichael, songwriter and backing voices arranger Sherlie Matthews, along with contributions from veteran singer / songwriters Bobby Relf and Earl Nelson (Bob and Earl), made for uptempo soul perfection and they played that beat throughout 1965 and 1966.

Bob and Earl’s hottest number was actually the backing track to Bob’s speedy My Little Girl, discovered as an accidental LP track in the late 60s. Under the same alias, Bobby Garrett, he had another monster sound with I Can’t Get Away. Sherlie Matthews composed the hit Mine Exclusively for the Olympics and, in a similar stomping vein, wrote The Same Old Thing for the group. She penned Don’t Pretend for mystery trio the Belles, a studio group consisting of herself along with the Holloway sisters Brenda and Patrice, who were moonlighting while under contract at Motown and Capitol, respectively.

Another Los Angeles stable under the auspices of Henry “Hank” Graham threw the Performers into the mix with I Can’t Stop You and renamed singer Jimmy Conwell as Richard Temple for a 45 that epitomises Northern Soul That Beatin’ Rhythm; a credo for a cult. More indie productions came from Eddie LaShae with the Sheppards’ redoubtable Stubborn Heart and Sonny Knight’s production of Curtis Lee on his own Is She In Your Town. Ex-Ike Turner sideman Jimmy Thomas landed at Mirwood in 1966 where Bob Relf recorded him on his own Where There’s A Will (There’s A Way). Thomas brought the Ikettes along with him; the company switched their name to the Mirettes for the Sherlie Matthews’ song I Wanna Do Everything For You Baby. 14 vital mid-60s dance records which exemplify why Mirwood is a byword for the best of Northern Soul.