Another dose of Northern Soul for this last May Monday. A Bank Holiday that is in need of a stomper. It’s definitely time for another Northern Soul Monday where we get together and listen to, and learn all about the feature song while we turn the volume way, way up. Are you ready-set-go? Keep the faith and enjoy today’s holiday with today’s Northern Soul selection.

This week’s Northern Soul Monday Track is “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” by Frank Wilson. The song was first pressed in 1965 on the Motown subsidiary label South. It was Frank Wilson’s only Motown single and a prized item among collectors – especially of the Northern Soul variety. (from Wikipedia)

“Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” by Frank Wilson
Northern Soul Monday

Frank Wilson’s single “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” is said to be the most expensive record ever. (from NME) Only two or three copies of the single have survived. One was sold in 2009 for a massive £25,000, making it the most expensive record ever sold.

Can you imagine crate digging and finding one of those near impossible to find singles of this stomper?

“Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” became more in demand when it became a Northern Soul club hit (more below). The single was officially released in the U.K. in 1979 on the Tamla-Motown label, and again in 2004 with a version of the same song covered by Chris Clark on the B-Side. (from Wikipedia)

“Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” by Chris Clark

The song has also featured in an advert for KFC,^[6] and The Happy Egg Company.^[9]

As a recording artist, Frank Wilson only ever released one single. However, 1965’s “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” became a cult Northern Soul track. Only 250 copies of the 7″ vinyl record were pressed and most of them were destroyed when Wilson decided he wanted to focus on writing and producing. (from NME)

At the beginning of Frank Wilson’s career, he worked for Motown Records in Los Angeles. He later transferred to their Detroit office sometime in the mid-60’s. He co-wrote a few big hits, including The Supremes’ “Love Child”, and “Stoned Love” as well as “All I Need” by The Temptations and Marvin Gaye’s “Chained”.

“Stoned Love” by The Supremes

Originally Frank Wilson composed “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” for Marvin Gaye but, when the Motown star passed on it, Wilson recorded it himself in late 1965. The single was set for release on the Motown subsidiary Soul . Test copies were pressed but not sent out to disc jockeys following a fateful meeting between Gordy and Wilson.

Frank Wilson described the happening to Northern Soul historian Andrew Rix:

“I went to Detroit, and I hadn’t been in town more than a week. We were standing backstage at the Fox Theatre, where they were having a Motown Revue, and Berry said, ‘Frank, now you know I’m getting ready to release this record on you. We’re excited about it. But I want to ask you a question. Do you really want to be an artist, or do you want to be a writer and a producer?’. I told him I wanted to be a writer and a producer. And it was decided that he would not release that record on me.”

Gordy ordered all copies of the Wilson single destroyed but a few survived the cull, including a couple filed away in the Motown archives. In 1977, one fell into the hands of Simon Soussan, a dealer who recognized its potential to create a sensation on the Northern Soul scene that had been flourishing in the UK since the late ’60s. First identified by the journalist Dave Godin, this British phenomenon revolved around Northern venues like Wigan Casino, where people danced the night away to obscure soul records that could best be described as Motown manqué.

Frank Wilson said this about “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)”:

“When I went into the studio to record ‘Do I Love You’, it was just another day at work, but I have learned that God moves in mysterious ways. That one day at work … turned out to be a life-changing experience. I am proud of what I did and humbled by the affection shown to me by so many people from all over the world.”

(from The Independent UK)

What do you think of “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)”? It’s definitely stomper-worthy for a Northern Soul Monday feature. I can’t stop listening to it myself.”

Thanks for joining us for another edition of Northern Soul Mondays. Be sure to check back here next week to see who we will be spinning, and take another step back into Northern Soul History with us. Until then, Keep the Faith.