L.J. Johnson - Your Magic Put A Spell On Me

After my first hit with "Reaching For The Best", I wanted to find my own new artists, so in July 1975 I went to Chicago and stayed with Danny Leake and discovered three - Evelyn Thomas, Barabara Pennington, and L.J. Johnson. Recording brand new songs with a Northern Soul flavour, my first two attempts both entered the top 30 simultaneously, and Evelyn Thomas, with "Weak Spot", and L.J. Johnson, with this song, "Your Magic Put A Spell On Me", both appeared on Top Of The Pos in the same week, in February 1976. Imagine a twenty two year old DJ, a newcomer to record production, who tried to make some new records and had two artists on Top Of The Pops in the same week. It still amazes me.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Northern-Soul
• Chicago
• Blackpool-Mecca
• Seventies
• Male-Soul-Singers

[NUTTYBUTTYDJ]

We used live above Sinfonia in Cookson st Blackpool and Sad Sandy would not stock this and other Ian Levine material so we bought it and put it on our decks and turned our speakers upside down on the floor and turned up the volume!!!!!!!!!!!! Sandy was not amused especialloy after the 20th playing!! Oh happy days!!!

[IanLevine]

What a bloody FANTASTIC STORY.

[phillydisco]

Great clip! He kind of sounds like Eddie Kendricks on this track.

My favourite cut that he did is 'My Destination Is Love'. That song is just great from beginning to end!

[IanLevine]

You certainly know your stuff. Have you looked at the new Northern Soul 2008 album yet ??

From the comments you've posted, it's right up your street.

[phillydisco]

Thanks for that information. I was so busy just collecting the old stuff. My favourite projects are James Wells' My Claim To Fame, and Barbara Pennington's Midnight Ride LP both of which are great from beginning to end!

A lot of producers and companies paired vocal and instrumental mixes on the same 45 or 12 inch, but I didn't see any of yours like that. Was that a conscious effort, not to put out intrumental mixes? Or was an Ian Levine Orchestra LP ever contemplated,like MFSB, Tony Valor?

[IanLevine]

The first releases by Eastbound Expressway were originally to be called "Ian Levine nd The Sounds Of Summer".

[boggyandbob]

got his autograph at wigan casino way back

[boggyandbob]

wen he played at the casino he signed my membership card.. wished id still got it now

[surreytownsoulie]

you couldn't but help like it...dave evison used to play it at wigan bless him !

[7DDuncan]

blackpool mecca dancefloor monster,

[chris2438]

This was in the same genre as Evelyn Thomas 'Weak spot'...was a tad too poppy...for my liking but still a decent tune...ktf

[dash246biz]

I like his other song "My Destination Is Love". Does anyone have this one?

[boggyandbob]

he signed my membership card at the casino way back

[martinsbox]

Ian Levine certainly influenced 1,000's of Northern Soul converts . . . but they would not ever admit it. Sad bastards!!