{"product_id":"mirwood-northern-soul","title":"Mirwood Northern Soul","description":"\u003cp\u003eMirwood Records’ second release was Jackie Lee’s \u003ci\u003eThe Duck\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBob and Earl’s hottest number was actually the backing track to Bob’s speedy \u003ci\u003eMy Little Girl,\u003c\/i\u003e discovered as an accidental LP track in the late 60s. Under the same alias, Bobby Garrett, he had another monster sound with \u003ci\u003eI Can’t Get Away\u003c\/i\u003e. Sherlie Matthews composed the hit \u003ci\u003eMine Exclusively\u003c\/i\u003e for the Olympics and, in a similar stomping vein, wrote \u003ci\u003eThe Same Old Thing\u003c\/i\u003e for the group. She penned \u003ci\u003eDon’t Pretend \u003c\/i\u003efor 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.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAnother Los Angeles stable under the auspices of Henry “Hank” Graham threw the Performers into the mix with \u003ci\u003eI Can’t Stop You\u003c\/i\u003e and renamed singer Jimmy Conwell as Richard Temple for a 45 that epitomises Northern Soul \u003ci\u003eThat Beatin’ Rhythm\u003c\/i\u003e; a credo for a cult. More indie productions came from Eddie LaShae with the Sheppards’ redoubtable \u003ci\u003eStubborn Heart\u003c\/i\u003e and Sonny Knight’s production of Curtis Lee on his own Is \u003ci\u003eShe In Your Town\u003c\/i\u003e. Ex-Ike Turner sideman Jimmy Thomas landed at Mirwood in 1966 where Bob Relf recorded him on his own \u003ci\u003eWhere There’s A Will (There’s A Way).\u003c\/i\u003e Thomas brought the Ikettes along with him; the company switched their name to the Mirettes for the Sherlie Matthews’ song \u003ci\u003eI Wanna Do Everything For You Baby\u003c\/i\u003e. 14 vital mid-60s dance records which exemplify why Mirwood is a byword for the best of Northern Soul.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kent","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50452246364491,"sku":"1018099","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/83b4ff47-b8b2-4cd0-828b-7758f8193fa4_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1727145517","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/products\/mirwood-northern-soul","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}