One of the loveliest things about having a blog, is that you just never know when a particular post from your archive is going to go viral, but that’s just what’s happened around here over the last couple of days because of a particular drinks advert. If like us you’ve been trying to avoid all the political programming on telly (we already know who we’re going to vote for and just feel depressed whenever we see the runners and riders in action), you might have caught some of the popular prime time shows that still attract a fair few million viewers of an evening. They’re not for everyone I know, but with no guests in the holiday hideaway and no-one ordering Christmas gifts from Mr WIAA’s website, we seem to have more time on our hands than is realistically good for us, and they do offer a bit of light relief of an evening.
The other night, in between watching celebrity campmates do things no human should ever have to do (eating kangaroo anus for entertainment comes to mind) we were treated to multiple showings of one particular seasonal advert, and it leapt out of the screen at us because it featured the Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons song, The Night. A couple of years ago I had written a post about that very song after watching the film Northern Soul (link here) and it seems I was not alone in enjoying the ad, as later that evening my “viewing stats” for the post really started to ramp up and it looks as if it will continue that way for the duration of the campaign. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to share such things around here but if you haven’t yet caught it, here is that very stylish ad.
The Night by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons:
Always pleased when I find myself at the top of a search engine results page after the YouTube clip and the wiki entry, as I often experience “blogger’s guilt”, feeling I should be spending my time working on something more lucrative. Finding your blog in amongst the big boys makes me realise, like many others around here, I have quietly and anonymously built up quite a database of “stories and songs”, way beyond anything achieved at college or in the world of work.
You will notice there are a fair few party-goers dancing “Northern Soul style” in the ad. Despite not charting first time around, The Night became one of the most popular tracks on the northern soul circuit, becoming a hit in the UK in 1975. As often happens around here, a strange coincidence has occurred, as even before the ad aired I had already been revisiting my original post to remind myself just how great some of these lesser known American soul records from the mid ’60s were, and all because of another popular Saturday night telly show.
It’s apparently been running for 17 years and along with the various X-Factor formats and the crazy jungle show, I’ve kind of forgotten what people used to watch before they came along. It’s a show that really seems to draw in the viewers though and although we have never been fervent devotees of Strictly Come Dancing, if you have the telly on whilst you’re preparing Saturday night’s dinner, it’s inevitable you will catch some of the performances.
The other week I think the “celebrities” had to pick a song or style of dancing which was personal to them and Kelvin Fletcher (a soap star and fantastic dancer as it turns out) picked Northern Soul, as his dad had been a fervent devotee back in the day. Since becoming fascinated by the movement a couple of years ago, my ears pricked up, and the song they danced to, Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) by Frank Wilson formed an earworm for the following week.
Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) by Frank Wilson:
This song was new to me so of course I had to find out more. Although it became popular at Wigan Casino and the like in the mid 1970s, it was originally recorded in 1965 on the Motown subsidiary label Soul. But here is the really interesting bit, it was Frank Wilson’s only Motown single and is a prized item amongst collectors as all but 5 of the original 250 demo singles were destroyed. Berry Gordy had apparently given the vocals a lukewarm reception and Frank himself decided he would rather focus on production, which has led to the crazy scenario where some of these original copies are changing hands for over £25,000 each.
Every time I hear about the phenomenon that was Northern Soul, I regret not having been in the right place at the right time, as the dancing would have been perfect for me. In the mid ’70s we only had our local youth club’s disco, but it was there I discovered my passion and was never, ever to be seen dancing round my handbag. Oh no, we had the space so I made full use of it and watching the genuine afionadas of Northern Soul (the dance above was more a stylised version for the show), I reckon I could have given them a run for their money. As a form of exercise, it looks as if it would be much more fun than a workout at the gym. Time to look out the talc, some very wide trousers and get practicing.
Until next time….
Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) Lyrics
(Song by Frank Wilson)
Here I am on bended knees
I lay my heart down at your feet
Now do I love you
All you have to do is ask
I’ll give until there’s nothing left
do I love you
As long as there is life in me
Your happiness is guaranteed
I’ll fill your heart with ecstasy, forever darling
Do I love you?
Do I love you?
Do I love you?
Indeed I do Indeed I do
The very thing that I want most
Is just to have and hold you close
Do I love you?
From early morning until late at night
You fill my heart with pure delight
Do I love you?
whenever I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord your soul to keep
And bring you home safe to me, for ever darling
Do I love you?
Do I love you?
Do I love you?
Indeed I do, sweet darling, indeed I do
Now whenever I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord your soul to keep
And bring you home safe to me
for ever darling
Do I love you?
Do I love you?
Do I love you?
Indeed I do, little darling, indeed I do
What's It All About? 
Keep on dancing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If only I had a place to go! Not many outlets for my age demographic sadly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Northern Soul (and Southern, for that matter!) is just SO uplifting. These two song choices are just the tonic we need and the video of the Wigan Casino is so compelling – never seen so many trousers flapping! I long to dance like that – but I could never do it in public – I’ll have to content myself with twirling and jumping round the living room on my own (taking care not to bump into the furniture…) We’re all still 25 inside.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was starting to wonder if it was just me but yes, it does look just so uplifting and even before I caught that ad (not sure if you get it in England but it seems to pop up every ad break here) I had already been revisiting Northern Soul because of the Frank Wilson song. If there was a venue, and the music was on full blast, I think I would give it a go in public but don’t think it’s realistically a possibility. The living room it will have to be. Also I did seriously look for some wide flappy trousers yesterday but they are just a bit off, a bit 21st century, and not the ones they wore back in the day. A circular skirt it might have to be.
As for it being a tonic, I feel bad saying we are resorting to watching telly as we have so little to do when others are stressed to the eyeballs, but the work just isn’t coming in (I blame the continuing Brexit debacle) and it does create stress of another kind, so any form of “musical tonic” is most welcome. Like your recent change of identity, we too are intent on doing the same in 2020 (a year with a nice ring to it) so hopefully will get out of this fug I’ve been in for a while. Thanks for dropping by!
LikeLike
I really hope 2020 will be a year of personal positive change for you and Mr WIAA too, you’ve had so much going on in this one. The country, the world and the planet I feel less optimistic about, sadly – but in our own little orbits we can at least try and make some good, new things happen. Here’s to it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
With any luck, in our own little orbits anyway, some good things will start happening next year. A more extensive “bloggers summit” would be something exciting to mark in the calendar. Cross fingers we can make it happen.
LikeLike
The Night….it’s absolutely brilliant and old Terry Wogan played it to death…hahaha
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is brilliant isn’t it – Love that low base at the beginning and then how it builds up with Frankie’s falsetto. Can’t think why it wasn’t a hit first time around but the Northern Soul crowd certainly knew how to pick ‘em.
LikeLike
Great tunes. Unfortunately I was never destined to be a dancer because, as my dear old Nan was always keen to remind me, I have two left feet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It seems a lot of music bloggers were far more into the lyrics in songs as opposed to their danceability – It’s taken me a long time, but I am now appreciating the lyrics a lot more and although I would love to think my dancing shoes could still come in handy, I would probably ache for a week if I tried to replicate those Northern Soul moves.
LikeLike
Not sure if I’ve ever shared this with you before. It’s by Sam Dees and is, faraway, my go to Northern Soul 45. It hits the spot; every time.
A Bloggers Meet-Up for 2020 would be very agreeable. Maybe start putting the feelers out in the New Year…?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many years later Ocean Colour Scene would borrow the piano motif.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A new one on me – I bought a “Best of” Northern Soul last weekend and it had all the usual suspects, Tainted Love, Ghost In My House etc. Seriously thought I might be able to do the dancing as a bit of a workout but just like Wallace, I have The Wrong Trousers!
A 2020 Bloggers Meet-Up (a landmark year for a few of us and still can’t believe it’s come round so quickly) – Yes will have to have a think about that in the New Year.
LikeLike
I don’t know the seasonal advert you mention, that being said, The Night is a fantastic song
LikeLiked by 1 person
You probably won’t get it where you are but that Edinburgh Gin ad is being shown all the time and The Night was an inspirational choice of music for it. I’m pretty sure their market share will multiply manyfold. Picking the right song for an ad can do wonders for a campaign.
LikeLiked by 1 person