01Profile
A Noble & Heath Photo
Noble & Heath
Musician / DJs — London
03Interview
Name, where are you from?
Emma Noble: I grew up on a farm in Southampton, Hampshire, but moved to London to study and have been living here for 11 years now.
Sophie Heath: Born and raised in Wolverhampton, before moving to London in 2009, where Emma and I met at university.
Describe your style in three words?
E: Del-Boy, Vintage, Re-used.
S: Casual, Vintage, Striped.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
E: We were lucky enough to warm up for Lee Fields when he did his London show at the Electric Ballroom which made this gig even more special and enjoyable for us. I had also recently lost my Dad at the time, and he sang 'Wish You Were Here' and it really struck a chord with me. For me, that was a very special gig because I was listening and watching in a very different way. It was an emotional gig, but I think that which made it so special.
S: Betty Wright at The Barbican last year was incredible! I missed the last tour she did so was waiting for so long for her to tour again. She was amazing, as expected. I was also really chuffed that she played 'Where Is The Love?' which has become a bit of a record box classic for me now.
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
E: Amy Winehouse - I find the way Amy Winehouse came along and got the young generation listening and responding to soul music, in a very pop-driven culture, very inspiring. She came and she conquered, and so effortlessly. Amy’s music was a great example of how if soul music is given the right platform to be heard, it can be enjoyed by a generation of young people who might not have necessarily realised they would be into it. Oasis (in their prime), because I can imagine the after-party would be decent. D'You know what I mean?
S: Nina Simone at Newport Jazz Festival in 1960, not only would I love to have been at that festival at the time but seeing videos Nina’s performance on that stage is outstanding. It makes the hairs on my arms stand on end so to have been watching that live must have been mind-blowing! James Brown. I never had the privilege of seeing him live but I would love to go back in time and see one of his tireless performances at The Apollo back in the ’60s. His energy and stage presence was like no other artist at the time and he influenced the writing of many great artists prior to him. The Godfather of Soul!
Which Subcultures have influenced you?
E: Northern Soul is the main one for me - When I first moved to London I just started getting into NS and I started going to nights to watch people dance and hear/learn more about the music and it was then I started meeting like-minded people who have now become some of my best mates. My link with the Northern Soul scene has opened up so many exciting opportunities for me and has enabled me to meet and work with so many interesting people.
S: The soul scene for sure! Discovering this music has given us both so many opportunities to DJ, dance and meet the people who are our best mates now.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
E: Probably my Grandparents who I never got to meet (as they passed away before I was born) It would be nice to meet them and ask them questions about their youth and the war and find out a bit more about what my Dad was like as a young nipper.
S: One hour in stitches down the pub with Tommy Cooper. If I was allowed, I’d also invite Bob Mortimer.
Of all the venues you’ve been to, which is your favourite?
E: The Royal Albert Hall, it's an obvious one but the place is drenched in history, it's absolutely beautiful and people who go there to properly watch and listen. Heath and I also used to work as stewards there when we were students, so we have both been lucky enough to witness some incredible and educational stuff there.
S: There’s a beautiful venue in Bilbao called 'Cafe Antzokia’ which I think used to be an old cinema. I’ve seen some amazing acts there including Margie Joseph, Lenny Williams, Mike Jame Kirkland, Joe Bataan, Dan Penn… all part of the Soul 4 Real festival which I’ve been going to for the past five years. The venue holds many great memories of great performances and dancing until the early hours with the great friends I’ve met there.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
E: Quincy Jones - (I'm not sure whether he is unsung or not?) but I don't think enough people realise what an important part he played in so much incredible music that has been made over the years. He is responsible for some of the most important songs and albums ever made.
S: I love Margie Joseph, she was signed to Atlantic Records at the same time as Aretha Franklin and unfortunately never really got the recognition she deserved due to the limelight on Aretha (well deserved too!). Margie has some amazing songs though, especially my favourite 'I Can’t Move No Mountains'.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
E: 'Wild Wild West' by Will Smith, Dru Hill, Kool Moe Dee. I remember this was the first song I actually went down the shops to buy on tape so I could listen to it on repeat. It wasn’t until later in life I realised it samples Stevie Wonders 'I Wish'. That must have been why I liked it so much.
S: 'Boom Boom' by John Lee Hooker. I didn’t actually know the name of this song until about five years ago, I just knew it as 'favourite song'. When I was really young, my Mom used to play it and I just loved it! So much so that she made me a cassette tape with the song on repeat (A side and B side) which I guess she thought I’d listen to on my Walkman and keep me quiet. Unfortunately for my Mom, I played it constantly in the car on the drive to and from school. It wasn’t until it was conveniently stolen when our family car got broken into and the tape went missing, then my childhood anthem changed, and I soon became obsessed with the Spice Girls.
A song that defines the teenage you?
E: 'Tiny Dancer' by Elton John. This was me and my school friends' anthem, it always brings back many memories for me when I listen to it, along with '90s R&B and classic Motown - which I was just starting to scratch the surface of in my teens.
S: 'Do You Really Like It?' by DJ Pied Piper & The Masters of Ceremonies - In the early teens when I used to spend hours watching MTV Hits at my friend’s house, eating waffles and beans. 'Brand New' by Seventy Times 7 - In my later teens when I became more of a moody Emo. My friends started passing their driving tests and we would go on adventures, getting drunk (and sick) at house parties and get squashed at gigs in between all the tall kids.
One record you would keep forever?
E: 'Looking Back Anthology' by Stevie Wonder.
S: 'What’s Going On' by Marvin Gaye.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
E: "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need".
From 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' by The Rolling Stones.
S: “Be young be foolish but be happy.”
From 'Be Young Be Foolish But Be Happy' by The Tams. I think this is one of the best life lessons for anyone! Me and Em actually ended up making some typographic posters with these lyrics on too so we have them up in our homes as a little reminder every day.
A song you wished you had written?
E: 'Big Mistake' by Brenda Jones. This is one of my favourite soul songs of all time. Lyrically it is incredible because it tells such a heartfelt, honest story and musically it just speaks to me in absolutely every way possible. However, I couldn’t have ever written this because I haven’t had the same experiences, but if I could write something even close to this I would be very happy.
S: 'I’ll Be There For You' by The Rembrandts. A one-hit wonder and I’d be minted now.
Best song to turn up loud?
E: 'My Sweet Lord' by George Harrison. Such a good sing-along track.
S: 'Say A Little Prayer' by Aretha Franklin.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
E: 'Feels' by Ft Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, Big Sean, Calvin Harris’. I’m also partial to a bit of Bublé at Christmas.
S: 'Murder She Wrote' by Chaka Demus & Pliers. Can’t help but dance to this banger!
The song to get you straight on the dance floor?
E: 'Saturdays' by Del La Soul.
S: 'Bourgie', Bourgie'' by Gladys Knight & The Pips.
Best song to end an all-nighter?
E: 'Ain’t No Mountain High Enough' by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. No matter where you are, this ALWAYS fills the dancefloor. I also think it's one of the greatest songs ever written.
S: 'Don’t Leave Me This Way' by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.
Any new bands you are into at the moment?
E: I think Vulfpeck are doing amazing stuff. They are a bunch of very talented musicians who I think have really succeeded in finding their own unique and ownable sound. My favourite track of theirs is 'Running Away', which they recorded with some of the original Motown recording artists. We also have a 'Good Modern Day Artists' (does what it says on the tin) feature on our show on 'Totally Wired Radio' and we’ve been lucky enough to get many of our favourite new artists in for interviews, including Durand Jones & The Indications and The Black Pumas. We are also big supporters of the Monophonics. I’m also really enjoying La Roux’s new album at the moment.
S: There’s lots of great soul music coming out of America at the moment which is so exciting! Bands such as Durand Jones & The Indications, Black Pumas and The Teskey Brothers are up there with some of my favourites. There are so many bands making great soul music in the UK too though - Mama’s Gun being one of them. We were lucky to get those guys on our radio show a couple of years ago - lovely lads who have a vast musical knowledge/influence - particularly soul. I really love the chilled, sunshine vibes I get from their music.
03Interview
Name, where are you from?
Emma Noble: I grew up on a farm in Southampton, Hampshire, but moved to London to study and have been living here for 11 years now.
Sophie Heath: Born and raised in Wolverhampton, before moving to London in 2009, where Emma and I met at university.
Describe your style in three words?
E: Del-Boy, Vintage, Re-used.
S: Casual, Vintage, Striped.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
E: We were lucky enough to warm up for Lee Fields when he did his London show at the Electric Ballroom which made this gig even more special and enjoyable for us. I had also recently lost my Dad at the time, and he sang 'Wish You Were Here' and it really struck a chord with me. For me, that was a very special gig because I was listening and watching in a very different way. It was an emotional gig, but I think that which made it so special.
S: Betty Wright at The Barbican last year was incredible! I missed the last tour she did so was waiting for so long for her to tour again. She was amazing, as expected. I was also really chuffed that she played 'Where Is The Love?' which has become a bit of a record box classic for me now.
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
E: Amy Winehouse - I find the way Amy Winehouse came along and got the young generation listening and responding to soul music, in a very pop-driven culture, very inspiring. She came and she conquered, and so effortlessly. Amy’s music was a great example of how if soul music is given the right platform to be heard, it can be enjoyed by a generation of young people who might not have necessarily realised they would be into it. Oasis (in their prime), because I can imagine the after-party would be decent. D'You know what I mean?
S: Nina Simone at Newport Jazz Festival in 1960, not only would I love to have been at that festival at the time but seeing videos Nina’s performance on that stage is outstanding. It makes the hairs on my arms stand on end so to have been watching that live must have been mind-blowing! James Brown. I never had the privilege of seeing him live but I would love to go back in time and see one of his tireless performances at The Apollo back in the ’60s. His energy and stage presence was like no other artist at the time and he influenced the writing of many great artists prior to him. The Godfather of Soul!
Which Subcultures have influenced you?
E: Northern Soul is the main one for me - When I first moved to London I just started getting into NS and I started going to nights to watch people dance and hear/learn more about the music and it was then I started meeting like-minded people who have now become some of my best mates. My link with the Northern Soul scene has opened up so many exciting opportunities for me and has enabled me to meet and work with so many interesting people.
S: The soul scene for sure! Discovering this music has given us both so many opportunities to DJ, dance and meet the people who are our best mates now.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
E: Probably my Grandparents who I never got to meet (as they passed away before I was born) It would be nice to meet them and ask them questions about their youth and the war and find out a bit more about what my Dad was like as a young nipper.
S: One hour in stitches down the pub with Tommy Cooper. If I was allowed, I’d also invite Bob Mortimer.
Of all the venues you’ve been to, which is your favourite?
E: The Royal Albert Hall, it's an obvious one but the place is drenched in history, it's absolutely beautiful and people who go there to properly watch and listen. Heath and I also used to work as stewards there when we were students, so we have both been lucky enough to witness some incredible and educational stuff there.
S: There’s a beautiful venue in Bilbao called 'Cafe Antzokia’ which I think used to be an old cinema. I’ve seen some amazing acts there including Margie Joseph, Lenny Williams, Mike Jame Kirkland, Joe Bataan, Dan Penn… all part of the Soul 4 Real festival which I’ve been going to for the past five years. The venue holds many great memories of great performances and dancing until the early hours with the great friends I’ve met there.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
E: Quincy Jones - (I'm not sure whether he is unsung or not?) but I don't think enough people realise what an important part he played in so much incredible music that has been made over the years. He is responsible for some of the most important songs and albums ever made.
S: I love Margie Joseph, she was signed to Atlantic Records at the same time as Aretha Franklin and unfortunately never really got the recognition she deserved due to the limelight on Aretha (well deserved too!). Margie has some amazing songs though, especially my favourite 'I Can’t Move No Mountains'.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
E: 'Wild Wild West' by Will Smith, Dru Hill, Kool Moe Dee. I remember this was the first song I actually went down the shops to buy on tape so I could listen to it on repeat. It wasn’t until later in life I realised it samples Stevie Wonders 'I Wish'. That must have been why I liked it so much.
S: 'Boom Boom' by John Lee Hooker. I didn’t actually know the name of this song until about five years ago, I just knew it as 'favourite song'. When I was really young, my Mom used to play it and I just loved it! So much so that she made me a cassette tape with the song on repeat (A side and B side) which I guess she thought I’d listen to on my Walkman and keep me quiet. Unfortunately for my Mom, I played it constantly in the car on the drive to and from school. It wasn’t until it was conveniently stolen when our family car got broken into and the tape went missing, then my childhood anthem changed, and I soon became obsessed with the Spice Girls.
A song that defines the teenage you?
E: 'Tiny Dancer' by Elton John. This was me and my school friends' anthem, it always brings back many memories for me when I listen to it, along with '90s R&B and classic Motown - which I was just starting to scratch the surface of in my teens.
S: 'Do You Really Like It?' by DJ Pied Piper & The Masters of Ceremonies - In the early teens when I used to spend hours watching MTV Hits at my friend’s house, eating waffles and beans. 'Brand New' by Seventy Times 7 - In my later teens when I became more of a moody Emo. My friends started passing their driving tests and we would go on adventures, getting drunk (and sick) at house parties and get squashed at gigs in between all the tall kids.
One record you would keep forever?
E: 'Looking Back Anthology' by Stevie Wonder.
S: 'What’s Going On' by Marvin Gaye.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
E: "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need".
From 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' by The Rolling Stones.
S: “Be young be foolish but be happy.”
From 'Be Young Be Foolish But Be Happy' by The Tams. I think this is one of the best life lessons for anyone! Me and Em actually ended up making some typographic posters with these lyrics on too so we have them up in our homes as a little reminder every day.
A song you wished you had written?
E: 'Big Mistake' by Brenda Jones. This is one of my favourite soul songs of all time. Lyrically it is incredible because it tells such a heartfelt, honest story and musically it just speaks to me in absolutely every way possible. However, I couldn’t have ever written this because I haven’t had the same experiences, but if I could write something even close to this I would be very happy.
S: 'I’ll Be There For You' by The Rembrandts. A one-hit wonder and I’d be minted now.
Best song to turn up loud?
E: 'My Sweet Lord' by George Harrison. Such a good sing-along track.
S: 'Say A Little Prayer' by Aretha Franklin.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
E: 'Feels' by Ft Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, Big Sean, Calvin Harris’. I’m also partial to a bit of Bublé at Christmas.
S: 'Murder She Wrote' by Chaka Demus & Pliers. Can’t help but dance to this banger!
The song to get you straight on the dance floor?
E: 'Saturdays' by Del La Soul.
S: 'Bourgie', Bourgie'' by Gladys Knight & The Pips.
Best song to end an all-nighter?
E: 'Ain’t No Mountain High Enough' by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. No matter where you are, this ALWAYS fills the dancefloor. I also think it's one of the greatest songs ever written.
S: 'Don’t Leave Me This Way' by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.
Any new bands you are into at the moment?
E: I think Vulfpeck are doing amazing stuff. They are a bunch of very talented musicians who I think have really succeeded in finding their own unique and ownable sound. My favourite track of theirs is 'Running Away', which they recorded with some of the original Motown recording artists. We also have a 'Good Modern Day Artists' (does what it says on the tin) feature on our show on 'Totally Wired Radio' and we’ve been lucky enough to get many of our favourite new artists in for interviews, including Durand Jones & The Indications and The Black Pumas. We are also big supporters of the Monophonics. I’m also really enjoying La Roux’s new album at the moment.
S: There’s lots of great soul music coming out of America at the moment which is so exciting! Bands such as Durand Jones & The Indications, Black Pumas and The Teskey Brothers are up there with some of my favourites. There are so many bands making great soul music in the UK too though - Mama’s Gun being one of them. We were lucky to get those guys on our radio show a couple of years ago - lovely lads who have a vast musical knowledge/influence - particularly soul. I really love the chilled, sunshine vibes I get from their music.
Noble & Heath - Bestimix 242
Noble & Heath - Spiritland 9th June 2018
Emma Noble - 'No Turning Back'
Noble & Heath - Mixcloud