The Steropar New Soul Classics project is the brainchild of musician/composer/producer Steve Parry. Steve has worked for the last 25 years in the worlds of TV, theatre and pop either as musical director, performer, composer, arranger, producer or a combination of the above.

The idea of the project is to recreate the classic sounds of the ‘60s underground soul music popularised in the north of England through the 1970s (in venues such as the Twisted Wheel, the Torch and, of course, Wigan Casino) which came to be known as northern soul. The aim is not to emulate the music and give it a modern twist but to actually create new songs and productions that could have been part of the record collections of that time; to stand equal alongside the likes of Millie Jackson, Brenda Holloway, Chuck Wood and Dean Parrish and sound authentically as if they were recorded in that same era. 

The first artist that Steve approached to collaborate with was longtime friend and colleague, Liverpool-born Joe Speare. Joe has had a long career as an actor in theatre, TV and film as well as a singer. Joe’s rich, bass-baritone voice in combination with his knowledge of singing in the correct style for the song proves to be the perfect vehicle for these productions, maintaining the authenticity and credibility. The lead single, released in January 2024, was the Joe Speare record You Aced Me b/w You’re The Only One That I Need; the former being a classic northern soul stomper and the latter a yearning ballad. The tracks are released on all digital platforms, including high resolution download from Bandcamp as well as limited edition 7” vinyl (300 copies only, worldwide).

Below are the two songs which make up this debut single from Joe Speare

Next we have the supremely talented Doreen Edwards. Doreen’s warm, silky sounds have been heard around the jazz clubs of Manchester and beyond for many years but jazz isn’t the entire package. She was part of the late-80s/early-90s band Distant Cousins and you may have also heard her singing the theme tune to the Uk cartoon of the same period Count Duckula! In both these instances, you can hear the soul in Doreen’s voice and that works fantastically well with her releases on the Steropar label. Not Missing You Anymore b/w Got Me In The Palm Of Your Hand are available to stream and, just like Joe Speare’s record, a limited edition 7” single and hi-res audio download can be purchased over at our Bandcamp page. Two northern soul sides to make you want to dance all night.

The northern soul sounds of Doreen Edwards