I tremble with unmitigated pride as finally, after eight long years, we have a video, a proper beautifully shot video, to my unequalled BIGGEST Northern Soul record of this decade. The stunning Sidney Barnes, and the monster song we wrote together in 2001, "Standing On Solid Ground". Sidney Barnes was an important part of early Motown, being part of their New York operation, with his partner George Kerr. He recorded solo stuff such as "Standing In The Safety Zone", which didn't come out till years later, and became a cult northern Soul favourite. In 1964, on the V.I.P. label, he was the lead singer of The Seranaders, who recorded the Motown classic, "If Your Heart Says Yes". But it's his two Northern Soul smashes that he became most well known for, "You'll Always Be In Style", on Red Bird records, and "I Hurt On The Other Side", on the Blue Cat label. My 2001 production of "Standing On Solid Ground", however, became his biggest Northern Soul record ever. Sidney was born in Welch, West Virginia in 1941 and grew up in Roanoke, Virginia. After forming several vocal groups in Junior High and High School (while living in Washington, D.C.) with school mates including a young Marvin Gaye, Van McCoy and Herb Feimster (of "Peaches and Herb" fame), Sidney felt ready for the big time. In order to increase his chances of success, the Barnes family moved to Newark, New Jersey - as close to New York City as they wanted to be. Sidney formed The Seranaders and landed a recording contract with Riverside records. Their only release on Riverside was a song called "Adios My Love". Then 1962. Sidney heard through the music grapevine that Berry Gordy was opening a branch office of Motown records and Jobete Music in New York. Sidney, always the leader, was knocking on the new Motown office door just as the desk and furniture was arriving. After auditioning for Berry Gordy, the Serenaders were signed to a contract and flown to Detroit. There they found themselves in the now legendary Detroit Hitsville recording Studio, with many of the early Motown stars. To make a long story short - Sidney and George Kerr became head songwriters, producers and talent scouts for Gordy's New York office.Over the years he released so many records, joined the Rotary Connection, on Chess, and sang lead on classic disco group Arpeggio. I tracked down Sidney to re-record "I Hurt On The Other Side" for our Strange World Of Northern Soul project, and then two years later we cut "Standing On Solid Ground" together, never dreaming it would finally open the way on the Northern Soul scene for artists to record something new instead of just forty year old records.
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