Nashville may forever be associated with country music but there is another story to the city’s past. In the 1960s an exciting, vibrant black music scene thrived in the night clubs and bars along Jefferson Street and in surrounding neighbourhoods. Ingredients for commercial success were also in place – charismatic DJs and promoters, entrepreneurial record store and label owners, a radio station making hip soul music accessible to teenagers across the southern states and TV shows which featured local Rhythm and Blues acts. It was even the time for white artists and musicians to experiment; a crossroads where soul met country. For a brief period at least, it appeared that Nashville was about to forge a reputation comparable to that of Detroit, Chicago and other cities of the north.

Part pioneer and part follower of fashion, Music City is long overdue recognition for its role in popularising soul music. Author E. Mark Windle continues his quest to uncover the stories of artists whose recordings are now the stuff of legend on the UK and European underground soul scenes. House of Broken Hearts is an essential reference source for fans of the genre and indeed anyone wishing to explore an alternative version of Nashville’s rich musical history (softcover, black and white images ).