Amphetamines are the second most abused drugs all over the world. Experts say that serial abusers are estimated at 1,4 million, mostly aged from 20 to 41, and with a prevalence of males, and of white ethnicity. Cardiotoxic manifestations of amphetamines are well-known and notably common, and can be summarized as follows: chest pain, palpitations, seizure, hypertension, tachycardia, vasculitis, arrhythmia, coronary rupture, heart failure, and, rarely, myocardial infarction. To the other side, amphetamines are central nervous systems stimulants and increase the concentration of neural mediators, such as adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin. For that, the non-medical use of amphetamines provokes a state of euphoria, lasting for hours. The most abused amphetamines are MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, and methamphetamine. Physicians have observed that amphetamines are excreted in acidic urine, and that cardiologic exams, such as ECG and TTE, can produce normal results, even in presence of repeated abuse. You need to know that severe abuse of amphetamines provokes addiction, and other serious consequences, mental, familiar, social, and financial. Before talking about the origins of the rave scene, I report that occasional anal intercourses, and erectile dysfunctions have often been bound to the recreational use of amphetamines.
Northern Soul is born as a British phenomenon, around the year 1962 in Manchester, as a territorial reprise of the mod movement, developed a few months earlier in Soho, London. It is something related to nightclubbing, and to the birth of a new profession, the nightclub DJ. Substantially, the white working class of northern England has started a new form of social entertainment, based on listening and dancing to the sound of rare vinyl records of African-American music, selected and played with turntables by a DJ. Well, soul and R’N’B genres, when melodic and at fast rhythms, have revealed as excellent in accompanying the euphoria status, depending on the abuse of pep pills. Initially, the pills were pharmaceutical amphetamines, as proven by the tattoos of the partygoers, for instances “SK&F” and “Riker”. From July, 31, 1964, the UK Drug Act has established a public control on amphetamines, and classified those substances among prescription drugs. Experts affirm that the Drug Act had a negative impact. By one side, the abuse of amphetamines was neither stopped, nor reduced. To the other side, an illegal manufacture was created. More, new health problems were induced, from inhalation and intravenous injection of powdered forms of amphetamines. Consequently, laws and authorities haven’t stopped the faith. By the way, “keep the faith” is the original motto of the crowds of Northern Soul. The internet can testify that the Northern Soul movement is still alive, and almost global.
Skeptics might think that the earliest fans of Northern Soul weren’t aware of the cardiotoxicity of the abuse of amphetamines. On the contrary, the conclusion of the page is, as usual, equal to the title. How can I sustain my affirmation? Cultural evidence is in the mix of the page, and I only need to invite you to listen to it. I feel the duty to warn the fans about the danger of dancing to the mix itself. Dear friends, the original DJs of Northern Soul didn’t mix records on the beat, and so the rhythm didn’t result as obsessive as for techno music. Moreover, the rhythms employed by me are the most dangerous, the ones from 130 to 145 BPM, and, for that, suitable to young athletes, and not to mature persons.
File name “cardiac Northern Soul, by Max Look DJ (Apr 2024)”, 1 hour 22’ and 40” of classics of the Northern Soul genre, evidently dedicated to a pain in the heart.
Heartaches and heartbreaks, the playlist:
Baby Washington – that’s how heartaches are made (1963)
Ruby Winters – in the middle of a heartache (1966)
Edwin Starr – if my heart could tell the story (1968)
Four Tops – standing in the shadows of love (heartaches to come) (1966)
Flirtations – nothing but a heartache (1968)
Laura Greene – you take my heart away (1976)
Bobbie Smith – walk on into my heart (1964)
Artistics – nothing but heartaches (keep haunting me) (1967)
Kell Osborne – law against a heartbreaker (1966)
Art Posey – no more heartaches (1967)
Billy Butler and the Chanters – my heart is hurtin’ (1964)
Diana Ross & the Supremes – nothing but heartaches (1965)
Neptunes – house of heartaches (1963)
Bobby Jason – wall to wall heartaches (1968)
Christine Cooper – heartaches away my boy (1966)
Pages – heartaches and pain (1979)
Ascots – Miss Heartbreaker (1964)
Porgy & the Monarchs – my heart cries for you (1966)
Shirley & the Shirelles – look what you’ve done to my heart (1969)
Sheila Ferguson – heartbroken memories (1965)
Eyes of Blue – heart trouble (1966)
Poppies – there’s a pain in my heart (1966)
Little Richie – just another heartache (1966)
Gaylettes – heartaches I can’t take (1968)
Marvin Gaye – love starved heart of mine (is killing me) (1965)
Jenny & the Jewels – love is like an itching in my heart (1966)
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles – whole lot shakin’ in my heart (since I met you) (1966)
M.V.P.’s – turning my heartbeat up (1975)
Mary Saxton – take my heart (1968)
Lovells – here come the heartaches (1967)
The Bandwagon – breaking down the walls of heartache (1968)
William Powell – heartache souvenirs (1966)
Ray Charles – heartbreaker (1958)
