The Story Behind The Song: How Frank Wilson created the ultimate northern soul anthem ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)’
England’s northern soul scene remains one of the most bizarre musical trends to hit the nation. During the rich musical landscape of the 1960s and 1970s, when mainstream audiences were concerned with the blossoming rock and psychedelic scene, kids in northern England found themselves infatuated with strange and obscure soul tracks recorded across the Atlantic that had long since been forgotten about.
The vast majority of records that were on regular rotation at Wigan Casino or Manchester’s Twisted Wheel were deemed failures in their homeland of the USA. It was only when northern vinyl junkies got their hands on them that they witnessed newfound success. Despite its initial obscurity, one of northern soul’s holiest grails is undoubtedly Frank WIlson’s 1965 track ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)’.
A beloved track from Wigan Casino, the song was originally recorded by Motown record producer Frank Wilson, though the label did their best to forget the release. Reportedly, Motown boss Berry Gordy was not a fan of Wilson’s vocals on the track and did not want his producers to have successful recording careers in their own right. As a result, the 250 demo copies of ‘Do I Love You’ that were pressed were destroyed. Were it not for the soul DJs of Wigan getting their hands on the track, it is likely that none of us would have ever heard Wilson’s gorgeous tones.
In 2009, one of only two confirmed copies of the demo still in existence went up for auction, eventually selling for over £25,000. During the auction, Wilson – who passed away in 2012 – shared the story behind his truly iconic track. “In 1960, I lost my athletic scholarship after participating in the civil rights sit-in demonstrations in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and thought I had sacrificed my big chance to escape an ordinary existence,” Wilson revealed.
This case of injustice eventually led the musician to head to Los Angeles, where he became involved with Berry Gordy and the Motown label. “I now know each step was directed,” continued Wilson, “Meeting Hal Davis, Marc Gordon, Brenda Holloway and Berry Gordy Jr.”
According to the songwriter, the recording of ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)’ was fairly unremarkable, describing it as “just another day at work”. In fairness, nobody could have predicted the second life his track would enjoy within the industrial surroundings of northern England. “I was excited to be in the studio doing anything and getting paid to do it, but I have learned that God moves in mysterious ways,” Wilson said. “That one day at work spent recording ‘Do I Love You’ essentially as a demo, was soon forgotten, and yet, it turned out to be a life-changing experience.”
Thanks to the popularity of Wilson’s effort within the northern soul scene, ‘Do I Love You’ – one of the only tracks the artist ever recorded – was later repressed multiple times; after all, Berry Gordy was never one to shy away from a quick cash-in. Nevertheless, the original demo copies of the song remain the ultimate collector’s item for northern soul obsessives. Within the auction listing for the £25,000 vinyl record, Wilson showed his appreciation for the northern soul scene, which rebirthed his seminal song. “I am proud of what I did and humbled by the affection shown to me by so many people from all over the world,” he wrote.
