Twenty-five years on from their seminal debut album, Club Classics Vol 1, Soul II Soul return to their old creative hub, Camden. “There’s nothing sweeter than to come home to your home turf,” says Jazzie B, founder of the 80s sound system that blended reggae with disco, soul and house to create distinctly British, hedonistic dance music. Or, as the band’s motto says: “A happy face, a thumping bass, for a loving race.”
A lot has changed since Soul II Soul brought their Funki Dred style and entrepreneurial spirit to this part of north London. The building where the 16-strong crew established their headquarters and clothes shop is now a McDonald’s, while the Soul II Soul brand has been given heritage status by luxury store Harvey Nichols. The band now has 12 members, including four sublime backing singers and an overwrought, overused rock guitar. Caron Wheeler, the voice behind Soul II Soul’s biggest hits, glides on stage hand in hand with Jazzie B – the recipient of an OBE in 2008 – tantalising fans with a snatch of the original a cappella version of Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) before diving into the rich, mellow groove of Keep On Moving. Wheeler is a beguiling presence with expressive hands and a distinctive, sultry tone, while Jazzie B stands at the back of the stage, surrounded by equipment.
Despite the technology, the slick band and synchronised singers have the feel of an old soul revue. There’s a timelessness to the shimmering pop of Missing You, Love Enuff and the sun-soaked spirituality of Get a Life, which pulls Jazzie B centre stage alongside MC Chicaboo.
Chicaboo’s enthusiasm on the harder, faster rap of Bounce and the chaotic Move and Rock is intoxicating, but Soul II Soul were always more heart-wrenching than heart-pounding, so it is fitting that Wheeler returns for the ageless Back to Life, before first single Fairplay takes the band back to where it all began.
