Jeff Parish makes up one half of the
Soul Twins, a Manchester DJ combo that specialises in funk, soul, hip hop and
reggae. With his identical twin Stuart, Jeff has forged a solid 10-year
reputation that has landed the pair a number of high profile residencies. Among
these is their regular Saturday slot in Bluu Bar on Thomas Street, a nightspot
our first team squad will be more than familiar with. I met Jeff in town for a
pint to listen to him talk enthusiastically about his five favourite records of
all time and why we should own them.
The Temptations - I could never love another (After
loving you)
This song has quite a tragic story behind it. The lyrics were penned by Roger Penzabene who killed himself after finding out his wife was cheating on him. It is also the last single to feature David Ruffin on lead vocals. The pain of Roger's lyrics is brought to life perfectly by Ruffin's raw vocal performance and it is definitely one of my favourite Temps tracks.
Theo Parrish - Summertime is here
Theo is often labelled as a house music producer but to me he is so much more. This track for example showcases his jazz background. Parrish once said that ‘DJing should be you presenting your record collection to the crowd’ and this tune does exactly that. You can hear all the different influences of his collection, from the infectious rhythm of the JBs to the freestyle anything-goes style of Miles Davis.
Slum Village - The look of love
This one is from the now-deceased legendary producer J Dilla. It is probably one of the first tracks of his I bought after hearing it at club nights like Eyes Down in town. Dilla grew in stature on the underground scene after music fans started passing around mix tapes with tracks like this on them. As a result, the crowd knew every lyric before he’d even had a record out.
Moodymann – Don’t you want my love
Kenny Dixon Jnr AKA Moodymann is one of the real characters of the Detroit music scene. His unwillingness to do interviews and desire to keep a low profile only adds to the man’s enigma. Moodymann is the DJ I love listening to more than any other. He produces exactly like he DJs too with a nod to black underground music from the past. This tune for example is a reworking of The Crusaders’ Spiral. It has been in my record bag from the day I first DJ’ed.
Jackie Wilson - Because of you
This last one is a nod to my mam and dad, two massive northern soul fans. I will always remember going to northern soul nights in pubs around Prestwich, Whitefield and other glamourous north Manchester locations. Jackie Wilson's voice is phenomenally powerful and he hits every note perfectly on this monster of a record.
This song has quite a tragic story behind it. The lyrics were penned by Roger Penzabene who killed himself after finding out his wife was cheating on him. It is also the last single to feature David Ruffin on lead vocals. The pain of Roger's lyrics is brought to life perfectly by Ruffin's raw vocal performance and it is definitely one of my favourite Temps tracks.
Theo Parrish - Summertime is here
Theo is often labelled as a house music producer but to me he is so much more. This track for example showcases his jazz background. Parrish once said that ‘DJing should be you presenting your record collection to the crowd’ and this tune does exactly that. You can hear all the different influences of his collection, from the infectious rhythm of the JBs to the freestyle anything-goes style of Miles Davis.
Slum Village - The look of love
This one is from the now-deceased legendary producer J Dilla. It is probably one of the first tracks of his I bought after hearing it at club nights like Eyes Down in town. Dilla grew in stature on the underground scene after music fans started passing around mix tapes with tracks like this on them. As a result, the crowd knew every lyric before he’d even had a record out.
Moodymann – Don’t you want my love
Kenny Dixon Jnr AKA Moodymann is one of the real characters of the Detroit music scene. His unwillingness to do interviews and desire to keep a low profile only adds to the man’s enigma. Moodymann is the DJ I love listening to more than any other. He produces exactly like he DJs too with a nod to black underground music from the past. This tune for example is a reworking of The Crusaders’ Spiral. It has been in my record bag from the day I first DJ’ed.
Jackie Wilson - Because of you
This last one is a nod to my mam and dad, two massive northern soul fans. I will always remember going to northern soul nights in pubs around Prestwich, Whitefield and other glamourous north Manchester locations. Jackie Wilson's voice is phenomenally powerful and he hits every note perfectly on this monster of a record.
For more recommendations interspersed
with sharp observational humour, follow Jeff on Twitter @soultwinjeff
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