THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

845-Dobie Gray-Out on the Floor.

1965-It didn’t chart in the UK until it was re-issued in 1975, when reaching Number 42.

Best Bit-At 2.13. In 2000 the ‘Wigan Casino’ DJ Kev Roberts compiled the ‘Northern Soul Top 500’ songs list, which was based on a survey of Northern Soul fans, and this song was placed at Number 2. Which song was Number 1? (see best songs 97.)

‘Northern Soul’ (see also best songs 969) is ‘Soul Music’ that originated from American Northern city’s, such as Detroit, and Chicago in the mid 1960’s, that was first introduced in to clubs in the UK, in Northern England, and the English Midlands, in the late 1960’s. The term ‘Northern Soul’ was devised by the music writer, and record store owner Dave Godin (1936-2004) who stated,’I had started to notice that Northern football fans who were in London to follow their team were coming in to 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 term. It was just to say, if you’ve got customers from the North, don’t waste time playing them records currently in the U.S. Black Chart, just play them what they like,;’Northern Soul.”

The music that those early enthusiasts were searching for was ‘Black American Soul Music’ from the mid 1960’s with a heavy beat, and a fast tempo, generally songs that had been influenced by the ‘Motown’ sound that was the most popular ‘dance’ music of that era. These ‘Northern Soul’ enthusiasts were not interested in songs that had already been big hits, what they were seeking out, were the records that had failed to gain commercial success, and the rarer they were, and harder to find, the better. Many tracks that would become ‘Northern Soul classics,’ actually started out life as the ‘B’ side to an unsuccessful obscure America ‘Soul’ single, which had generally been issued in very small quantities. The few copies that the enthusiasts could get their hands on would become collectors items, and sell for vastly inflated prices.

In their 1999 book,’Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: the history of the DJ,’ the authors Bill Brewster, and Frank Broughton describe ‘Northern Soul’ as ‘A genre built from failures,’ and they go on to say,”Northern Soul’ was the music made by hundreds of singers and bands who were copying the Detroit sound of Motown Pop. Most of the records were complete failures in their own time and place, but in Northern England from the end of the 1960’s, through to its heyday in the middle 1970’s, were exhumed and exalted.’

Dobie Gray (see also best songs 243) was born Lawrence Darrow Brown, on July 26th, 1940, in Simonton, Texas, United States, he died on December 6th, 2011, of complications from cancer surgery, at the age of 71. Dobie Gray covered many musical genres during the course of his career, including,’Soul,’ ‘R&B.’ ‘Pop,’ and ‘Country,’ aside from ‘Out on the Floor,’ he is best remembered for the 1965 R&B’ hit ‘The ‘In Crowd,’ (Billboard Number 13 & UK Number 25) and the 1973 ‘Soft Rock’ track ‘Drift Away (Billboard Number 5.)

‘Out on the Floor’ was co-written by Fred Darian, and Al De Lory, (1930-2012) (see also best songs 846) with the songs production, and arrangement probably also done by the pair. In the UK,’Out on the Floor’ was first issued in 1970, on the ‘Soul Sounds’ record label, with it’s original ‘B’ side ‘No Room to Cry.’ It has since been re-issued on six further occasions, peaking at Number 42 in 1975, when released on the ‘Black Magic’ record label. The song also re-entered the UK top 100 at Number 95, when re-issued on the ‘Inferno Soul Club UK,’ label in 1983, with the ‘Neil’s All Nighter Mix,’ on it’s ‘B’ side.

‘Out on the floor tonight, I feel like singin,’ the beat is hot and bright, guitars are ringin.’ The chicks are out of sight everything’s swingin,’ the room is packed up tight, lined at the door, oh, yeah. So I’m gettin’ my kicks, out on the floor.’