Paula Parfitt

Little-known singer Paula Parfitt recorded just one single, but it's no slouch -- "Love Is Beautiful" remains one of the true classics of blue-eyed Northern Soul. Virtually nothing is known of Parfitt's life before or after her brief recording career -- she was born and raised in London, signing to producer Milton Samuels' local Beacon label in 1969; "Love Is Beautiful" was actually slotted as the B-side of her lone single, behind the less memorable "I'm Gonna Give You Back Your Ring," but it's the lilting, euphoric flipside that remains Parfitt's legacy. Though not a hit upon its initial release, "Love Is Beautiful" first attracted notice when it was resurrected in 1973 by enterprising DJs at the Bolton-based Northern soul club Va-Va's and was later immortalized via steady exposure at the legendary Wigan Casino between 1976 and 1977. If Parfitt cut any subsequent records, they remain unknown as of this writing. ~ Jason Ankeny