Uploaded by IanLevine on May 8, 2009
Released back in October 2008, a tremendously exciting project for Northern Soul fans everywhere. We've done a deal with Wienerworld, a major music DVD company, and the same company who originally released our classic documentary "The Strange World Of Northern Soul", and we have now released the definitive DVD box set. A five disc set of 200 performances called "Northern Soul's Greatest 200 Floorfillers". This uses some songs from "The Strange World Of Northern Soul" which are completely re-edited, so they look fresh and sparkling new. All the previous video effects done in the 1990s are gone forever, consigned to history. Plus loads and loads of never before seen videos, many of which have sat in the can untouched for many many years. Plus some newly recorded tributes to the classics. If you ever went to Blackpool Mecca or Wigan Casino, this is the must-have purchase of the year. In putting together this box set, we have nearly all the biggest all time blockbusters, "Out On The Floor", "Night Owl', "I'm On My Way", "Time Will Pass You By", "Blowing My Mind To Pieces", "Do I Love You", all sung by the original singers. We believe this will go down in history as the greatest Northern Soul DVD collection of all time. Here, Chicago legend, the late great Otis Leavill, sings his Northern Soul monster classic, "Nobody But You", on Smash Records. This is another performance filmed for my now somewhat notorious documentary, "The Strange World Of Northern Soul".
Otis Leavill Cobb was born February 8, 1943, in Dewey Rose, GA. The Cobb family moved to Chicago two years later. Leavill's childhood chum, Major Lance lived in the Cabrini Green Projects near Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler. They slept over at each other houses and acted more like brothers than buddies. As teenagers the two pals participated in amateur boxing at St. Albees, Leavill always fought in a division five pounds heavier than Lance. At 5' 5" Leavill was short and stocky; Lance was taller and slimmer at 5' 8." They formed the Floats with two females: Barbara Tyson, and another that no one remembers. After eight months the Floats ended, they never released a record but recorded a demo that's floating around Chi-town. The Impressions recorded first, then Lance, and finally Leavill. His first record "Ride Sally Ride," dropped on Mercury's Limelight subsidiary, though Otis says he waxed it for St. Lawrence Records who evidently leased the master. His next release "Gotta Right To Cry," a Mayfield song came out on Lucky Records; Lance had already waxed and released the tune in 1963 for Okeh Records. Blue Rock Records was Leavill's next stop. There he cut some memorable sides, including Billy Butlers' "To Be Or Not To Be," and "Let Me Live." When Carl Davis formed the Dakar label, he appointed Otis as Vice President and gave him shares in the company. Leavill also recorded for Dakar where he enjoyed his biggest hit: Eugene Record's "I Love You," a song that sounded like Otis imitating Record-the Chi-lites' lead singer; it climbed to number 10 R&B but never threatened the Pop Top 40, stalling number 64. Another Record composition "Love Uprising" nearly repeated the success of "I Love You," checking in at number 19 R&B and number72 Pop. Another single "There's Nothing Better Than Loving You" scraped into the lower rungs of the R&B chart. After Dakar's demise Carl Davis went to Brunswick Records, Leavill followed and had a few releases including "Can't Stop Loving You," which sells for $40 bucks to collectors, but never equaled the success he had at Dakar. His releases after that were sporadic. "Right Back In Love" came out on Columbia Records, but after a few more droppings, Leavill's recording career ended. Never one to sit back and wait, Leavill also owned the '76 Car Wash and Gas Station at Washington and Pulaski and moonlighted as a policeman in a west Chicago 'burb. He formed OK Records in 2000 after a long hiatus from the record business. Sadly, Otis Leavill passed July 17, 2002 of a heart attack, he was 65.
Category:
Tags:
- Northern-Soul
- Chicago-Soul
- Blackpool-Mecca
- Twisted-Wheel
- Motorcity
- Centre-City
- Sixties
- Male-Soul-Singers
- Icon
- Classic
- 60s
- Fingersnapper
- Uptempo
- Rare-Soul
- Chicago
License:
Standard YouTube License
-
17 likes, 0 dislikes
13 videos

YouTube Mix for Otis Leavill
2:20
Northern Soul - Great Chicago - Otis Leavillby breadmaker993,827 views
2:19
Impressions - Grow Closer Togetherby cartervanpelt1,611 views
2:52
Joe Stubbs - Standing In The Shadows Of Loveby IanLevine1,963 views
2:47
The Artistics - I'm Gonna Miss Youby IanLevine117,190 views
3:25
Jimmy James and The Vagabonds - Ray Of Hopeby IanLevine2,632 views
2:44
The Apollas - Mister Creatorby IanLevine3,327 views
2:35
"Closer Together" written by Curtis Mayfieldby SuperBluesy440 views
2:30
Diane Lewis - Keep A Hold On Meby IanLevine2,005 views
3:16
The Flirtations - Can You Keep A Secretby IanLevine3,891 views
4:08
Tammi Lavette - I Don't Want Nobody Elseby IanLevine11,640 views
2:55
Mary Wells - You Beat Me To The Punchby IanLevine4,795 views
3:04
Eddie Parker - Love You Babyby IanLevine19,524 views
2:28
Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)by IanLevine451,088 views
2:49
NORTHERN SOUL - THE TEMPESTS - 'SOMEDAY'by ROBSBIGSCITYSOUL75,885 views
2:35
Otis Leavill - I Love You.wmvby TheSoulhawk3,448 views
3:12
Otis Leavill I Need Youby pghpookie3,430 views
2:35
Otis Leavill Can't Stop Loving Youby TheSoulhawk3,019 views
3:21
Peter Lamarr - Never Take You For Grantedby IanLevine2,071 views
2:23
Otis Leavill I'm amazedby SOULBISCUITS1,847 views
2:34
Otis Leavill - Why Why Why.wmvby TheSoulhawk1,910 views
- Loading more suggestions...
Got the same video style as Garland Greene
JihadBunnydick 2 years ago
Lovely Lovely
Pauline xx
paupine 2 years ago
Excelente
Buenìsimo
casanovaluthier 2 years ago
You're not wrong there Barbra. So smooth!
rhthesinner 2 years ago
Top Sound & Video.
Gaz*
G4ZZZ1 2 years ago
total respect for his talent
bobrofmad 2 years ago
Great Track....Wonderful Voice!!!
BarbraAlejandro 2 years ago