THE LAST NOTE

Motown was not the only record label to produce hit records in Detroit in the 1960's. There were other record labels who produced hits too. Overtime, the lesser known labels have become more obscure. Soul music lovers in the UK began to embrace those songs, records and recording artists from these lesser known black record labels. Over the years, many have traveled to the United States as collectors of old vinyl records. Upon returning, they would have dances in pubs in Northern England and play these soul records each week. This has now evolved into a culture. All of Northern England is consumed with Northern Soul. It is a way of life. They have become experts at knowing the artists, the songs they recorded, almost by memory, and have raised their children to have the same appreciation. The movement in the UK is called NORTHERN SOUL. The focus is on the music by black soul artists, in the 1960's, from cities like Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia. Of course, my experiences are from Detroit. As one who wrote songs and recorded for these lesser known record labels, I feel compelled to share and to answer the questions they have been asking about what it was like to be there; to focus on the first hand accounts of my songwriting career and my association with the people I worked with back then. I wanted to take time to share personal accounts about my working relationships with some of the most talented persons in the industry in Detroit, back then. After touring London(by invitation) in 2015, I realized there was a strong appetite for the answers to so many questions. Now, I have the opportunity to quench the desires of those who want to know more about the artists and the songs of Northern Soul.

These accounts satisfy the curiosity of those who embrace the Northern Soul culture in the UK,Western Europe and Japan.

SHARON MCMAHAN SONGWRITER / ARTIST / PUBLISHER / PRODUCER Sharon was born in Sevierville, Tennessee but raised and musically disciplined in Detroit, Michigan. Sharon began her career, as a teen in Detroit, Michigan. She wrote her first songs at the age of 12. After auditioning her, Ollie McLaughlin launched her writing career by publishing and producing and releasing several of her songs on his own record lables, KAREN,CARLA,MOIRA & RUTH Records. McLaughlin recorded Sharons songs on major artists, Barbara Lewis, Deon Jackson, Gracie Darnell and Johnnie Mae Matthews. He also secured a UK release for Sharon's song, Someday We're Gonna Love Again, recorded by the London based group,The Searchers. It charted to #11 in Billboard, in several countries and to #23 here in the United States,in 1964/65. Thus, Sharon has a tremendous fan base in the UK and Western Europe. Later, another Detroit based publisher/producer became familiar with Sharons writing skills. He was Don Davis, producer of Johnnie Taylor, executive producer of The Dramatics and many more artists. He recorded Sharons songs on current Hall of Fame artists, Etta James and Mavis Staples. He was also responsible for Sharons song to be recorded and released on The Three Degrees. In 1973 Sharon was signed to Columbia Records as a writer/artist, under the direction of then president, Clive Davis. Her released single was titled, Get Out Of My Life, produced by Toxey French, who arranged the rhythm section. The strings and horns arranged by Philly master arranger, Bobby Martin. Sharon was later associated with Benny Golson, jazz composer and musician. He included one of her songs on his Columbia Records album. The song title is Love Is The Key.The album title, I'm Always Dancing To The Music. In the late 1980's, Sharon was introduced to Elvis Presley, songwriter, Otis Blackwell. He recorded and released a McMahan song titled, I'm Happy Just The Way I Am, on his own Bullion record label. In 2007, Sharon released a CD of original songs with herself as artist. The CD was titled, Somebody Else. It was released on CDBABY and It is still available in digital downloads. In June 2015, Sharon was invited to perform in London, England (UK) at the Beachcomber Holiday Centre in Cleethorpes. She was invited to sing several of the songs she wrote in the 1960's for other artists during her teens. Most of the songs she performed that night, she had never performed for anyone before. She was well received and musically embraced by lovers of Northern Soul. Sharon continues to work in association with the crafts loves. Her favorite quote: THE JOY IS IN THE JOURNEY