Dave Godin

David Edward Godin (21 June 1936 – 15 October 2004) was an English fan of American soul music, who made a major contribution internationally in spreading awareness and understanding of the genre, and by extension African-American culture.

Born in Peckham, London, the son of a milkman, Dave Godin spent his early childhood in Peckham before bombing forced the family to move to Bexleyheath, Kent, where he won a scholarship to Dartford Grammar School. Godin began collecting American R&B records when at school, where he encouraged the younger Mick Jagger's interest in black American music. He said: "..It was at Dartford Grammar School that I met Mick Jagger and introduced him to black music, I'm ashamed to say. It's ironic that as a result of meeting me he's where he is today." Godin played a minor role in the early jam sessions out of which the Rolling Stones emerged, but resented Jagger for what he saw as the Stones' exploitation of black music.

After working at an advertising agency, and as a hospital porter in place of National Service (he was a conscientious objector), Godin founded the Tamla Motown Appreciation Society, and in time was recruited by Berry Gordy to become Motown's consultant in the UK, setting up its distribution through EMI. At a recording of Ready Steady Go! in 1964, Jagger asked Godin to introduce him to Marvin Gaye. "I told him to fuck off and introduce himself", Godin recalled.

In 1967 he founded Soul City, a record shop which in 1967 developed into a record label on which he released such then-obscure soul classics as "Go Now" by Bessie Banks, with colleague David Nathan and friend Robert Blackmore. It was in their shop that Godin coined the term 'northern soul', a description that he would popularise through his work as a music journalist. In a 2002 interview with Chris Hunt of Mojo, he explained that he had first come up with the term in 1968 as a sales reference to help staff in his shop differentiate the more modern funkier sounds from the smoother, Motown-influenced soul of a few years earlier:

"I had started to notice that northern football fans who were in London to follow their team were coming into the store to buy records, but they weren't interested in the latest developments in the black American chart. I devised the name as a shorthand sales term. It was just to say ‘if you’ve got customers from the north, don't waste time playing them records currently in the US black chart, just play them what they like – ‘Northern Soul’."

In his career he also coined the term Deep Soul and he promoted the interests of a large number of American musicians whose work had fallen out of favour in their home country.

His second career was in cinema exhibition. Having studied art, design and film course at Sheffield Polytechnic, he became a senior film officer for the British Film Institute and helped found and was the manager of the Anvil Cinema, Sheffield (1983–90), the only cinema in the UK to be funded by a local authority.

In the mid 1990s he started to compile a series of CDs of rare (and some not so rare) recordings – Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures – for Ace Records, which featured such artists as Loretta Williams, Eddie and Ernie, Jaibi, Ruby Johnson and Jimmy and Louise Tig. The albums were greeted with universal critical acclaim, and Godin described the series as the proudest achievement of his life.

Godin, a vegan, was an advocate of animal rights and Esperanto. He was also known for his involvement in anarchist and anti-capitalist organisations, including Freedom Newspaper and Class War. He was the only atheist in his local pro-life organisation. Towards the end of his life he developed an interest in Jainism.He died in Rotherham in 2004, aged 68.

Volume 1

1.The Knight Brothers – I'm Never Gonna Live It Down2.Timmy Willis – Easy As Saying 1 2 33.Zerben R Hicks & the Dynamics – Lights Out4.Irma Thomas – Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)5.Jean Wells – Have A Little Mercy6.Dori Grayson – Try Love7.Brendetta Davis – I Can't Make It Without Him8.Kenny Carter – Showdown9.Larry Banks – I'm Not The One10.Jimmy Holiday – The Turning Point11.The Incredibles – Standing Here Crying12.The Just Brothers – She Broke His Heart13.The Untouchables – You're On Top14.Reuben Bell & the Casanovas – It's Not That Easy15.Van & Titus – Cry Baby Cry16.Jean Stanback – I Still Love You17.Bessie Banks – Try To Leave Me If You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It)18.Raw Spitt – Songs To Sing19.Lee Moses – How Much Longer (Must I Wait)20.Billy Young – Nothing's Too Much (Nothing's Too Good)21.Sam & Bill – I Feel Like Crying22.Eddie & Ernie – I'm Goin' For Myself23.The Knight Brothers – Tried So Hard To Please Her24.Pearlean Gray & the Passengers – Love of My Man25.Jaibi – You Got Me ==

Volume 2

1.Doris Duke – How Was I To Know You Cared2.Eddie Holman – I'm Not Going To Give Up 3.The Soul Children – The Sweeter He Is 4.Tony Owens – I Don't Want Nobody But My Baby5.Bobby Moore & the Formosts – It Was A Lie6.Jimmy & Louise Tig and Company – A Love That Never Grows Cold 7.Ben E. King – It's All Over8.Nat Phillips – I'm Sorry I Hurt You9.Wendy Rene – What Will Tomorrow Bring 10.Arthur Conley – Let Nothing Separate Us11.Irma Thomas – These Four Walls12.Johnny Adams – If I Could See You One More Time13.Ruby Johnson – I'll Run Your Hurt Away 14.The Premiers – Make It Me15.Eddie Giles – Losing Boy16.Doris Allen – A Shell of a Woman17.Otis Redding – Just One More Day18.Bessie Banks – Go Now19.George Perkins & the Silver Stars – Cryin' In The Streets20.Big John Hamilton – How Much Can A Man Take21.Barbara West – Anyone But You22.Carla Thomas – Stop!Look What You're Doing23.Toussaint McCall – Nothing Takes The Place Of You24.Eddie & Ernie – Hiding in Shadows25.Lisa Richards – Let's Take A Chance

Volume 3

1.Toussaint McCall – I'm Undecided2.Baby Washington – Breakfast in Bed3.Dee Clark – In These Very Tender Moments4.Jean Plum – Look at the Boy5.James Brown – Lost Someone6.Eddie & Ernie – Thanks For Yesterday7.Bessie Banks – It Sounds Like My Baby8.Bobby Womack – Baby I Can't Stand It9.Etta James – I'd Rather Go Blind 10.Syl Johnson – Is It Because I'm Black11.Maxine Brown – All in My Mind12.Robert Ramsey – Like It Stands13.Irma Thomas – Wish Someone Would Care14.Ray Gant & the Arabian Knights – Don't Leave Me Baby15.Carla Thomas – I Can't Take It16.J R Bailey – Too Far Gone To Turn Around17.Bettye LaVette – Let Me Down Easy18.Bobby Bland – I'm Too Far Gone To Turn Around19.Barbara & the Browns – I Don't Want To Have To Wait20.The Enchanters – I Paid for the Party21.Rozetta Johnson – Who Are You Gonna Love (Your Woman Or Your Wife)22.Rick James & Friend – Ebony Eyes23.Doris Duke- He's Gone 24.The Impressions – My Deceiving Heart25.Loretta Williams – I'm Missing You

Volume 4

1.The Knight Brothers – Temptation 'Bout To Get Me2.Eddie & Ernie – I Believe She Will3.Matilda Jones – I've Been Wrong Too Long4.Bobby Bland – I Pity The Fool5.Chuck Edwards – I Need You6.Ruby Andrews – Just Loving You7.Clarence Carter – Slip Away8.Black Velvet – Is It Me You Really Love9.Paul Kelly – The Day After Forever10.Gladys Knight & the Pips – Giving Up11.Arthur Conley – I'm A Lonely Stranger12.Jackie Lee – I Love You13.The Miracles – The Tracks of My Tears14.Roosevelt Matthews – You Got Me Diggin' You15.Doris Duke – I Don't Care Anymore16.Lawrence & Jaibi – You Make Me Feel Good 17.Barbara Brown – Can't Find No Happiness18.Garnet Mimms – My Baby19.The Webs – It's So Hard To Break A Habit20.Irma Thomas – Time Is on My Side21.Tony Owens – This Heart Can't Take No More22.Jaibi – It Was Like A Nightmare 23.Roy Hamilton – The Dark End of the Street24.Jimmy Robins – I Made It Over25.Bob & Earl – Don't Ever Leave Me

Volume 5

1. The Soul City – "Who Knows" 2. Ronnie Taylor – "Without Love" 3. Big Maybelle – "Don't Pass Me By"4. Helena Ferguson – "Where Is The Party" 5. Carolyn Sullivan – "Dead!" 6. Esther Phillips – "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" 7.The Masqueraders – "I Ain't Got To Love Nobody Else" 8.Mark IV – "I'll Be Right There (To Make Love To You)" 9.Kenny Carter – "I'm Not The One" 10.The Emotions – "Somebody New" 11.Barbara Lynn – "(Until Then) I'll Suffer" 12.Dee Dee Warwick – "Foolish Fool" 13.George Jackson – "My Desires Are Getting The Best Of Me" 14.James Carr – "These Ain't Raindrops" 15.Eddie & Ernie – "Standing at the Crossroads" 16.Betty Harris – "Can't Last Much Longer" 17.Gladys Knight & The Pips – "Lovers Always Forgive" 18.The Chantels – "Every Night (I Pray)" 19.Judy White – "Satisfaction Guaranteed" 20.Jerry Washington – "Right Here Is Where You Belong" 21.Lattimore Brown – "I Will" 22.René Bailey – "It's Too Late (For Tears)" 23.Zilla Mayes – "All I Want Is You" 24.Linda Jones – "What Can I Do (Without You)" 25.Z.Z. Hill – "Nothing Can Change The Love I Have For You"