Edwin Starr

SOS Stop Her On Sight
Headline News
I Have Faith In You
Agent 00 Soul
Oh How Happy
Back Street
I Am The Man For You baby
My Weakness Is You
25 Miles
War

Edwin Starr was a major favourite soul star in the UK in the sixties. Not only were his tracks superb examples of soul at its best but he was also fabulous to watch - he was also a likeable guy. He often use to come and talk to members of the audience after the show and always seemed so optimistic.

Both sides of the above single - SOS Stop Her On Site/ I Have Faith In You as well as  Headline News were among the most popular tracks in the mid sixties in Manchester. Later  the Twisted Wheel DJ back-tracked and obtained Agent Double O Soul imported from the US and blasted that at us. Edwin almost lived at the Twisted Wheel, he was on so many times, or so it seemed. Eventually I Have Faith In You became the most popular track, especially at the Blue Note Club where the pre-allnighter crowd would dance on a Saturday before popping down London Road to the Whitworth Street Wheel.



My Weakness Is You and I have Faith In You were both B sides - the number of times B sides used to overshadow the A sides was remarkable.

We got our copies of Edwin's tracks on the UK Orange Polydor label, released before RIC -TIC was bought out by Motown. His pre-Motown tracks mesmerised the Allnighter dancers who pounded their steps into the concrete cellar floors of the Twisted Wheel.



The B side of STOP HER ON SIGHT (S.O.S.) - I HAVE FAITH IN YOU BABY, and OH HOW HAPPY and  BACK STREET, were played in the original golden era of Soul venues just as much as other, better known, Edwin Starr tracks.

He was a frequent and popular live performer in the UK eventually living in Warwickshire. His Motown recordings began in 1968 with 25 Miles, then WAR.
Edwin named the Twisted Wheel the HUB of Northern Soul in a Manchester Evening News article about him in 1968 - possibly the earliest reference to the term northern soul ever.

Edwin was the last live performer at the Allnighter Twisted Wheel Club on 30th January 1971. This was fitting as he played there so often and the following and had so many associations with the club.