KEEP the faith……The Soul Train is steaming on a different track thanks to former Simply Red drummer Chris Joyce.

Joyce, who was Mick Hucknall’s sticks man for seven years, is a huge Northern soul fan and his influence has given the nine-piece, admits guitarist, Steve Lindley, a fresh musical direction.

“It was a massive thing for the band when Chris came on board, not only because of his style of drumming but because he loved Northern Soul with a great passion and he introduced us to a lot of that great music,” said Lindley.

“We started off generally doing a 1960s Soul act, sticking mainly to the tracks that everybody knows.

“However, so many acts seem to do that these days, we’ve started to shift our emphasis to Northern Soul music in our repertoire.

“There’s a real resurgence of Northern Soul, with a new film coming out soon and it has also brought a new audience to our shows, many who were at the heart of the movement.”

Joyce, who runs his own drum school in Hebden Bridge, has replaced long-time drummer Dan Connolly who left the band last year due to work commitments.

“Chris played all the big Simply Red monster hits, Money’s Too Tight to Mention and Holding Back The Years, he is a fantastic drummer,” added Steve.

“It was a big thing for us when he saw Soul Train live and then said he would like to join us.”

Joyce also played with Factory Records group The Durutti Column, featuring Vini Reilly, before teaming up with Hucknall.

With an army of followers and admirers, including legendary soul DJs Richard Searling and Keith Fletcher, the Soul Train will be performing many of the anthemic tunes from the era of Wigan Casino, Manchester’s Twisted Wheel and Blackpool Mecca when they return to Clitheroe’s Grand Theatre next month.

“There will be some big anthems, but we’ll be playing some rare stuff too,” added Steve”, one of the founder members of the band.

“The great beauty about Northern Soul is that there are so many classic records, a real treasure trove of sounds and we try and reflect that.”

Soul Train also capture the classic era of soul, featuring the blistering sound of The Union Pacific Horns, hits from The Temptations, Dobie Gray and Wilson Pickett.

The Soul Train will be also be joined by DJ Steve Andrew on the decks at Clitheroe Grand Theatre on Saturday, September 6. £12. 01200 421599.