Blackpool Mecca
Club Name: Blackpool MeccaDates: 1965 -
Significant Jocks: Ian Levine, Colin Curtis
Blackpool Mecca was opened in 1965 and at the time was at the cutting edge of night club entertainment. It could hold about three and a half thousand people, had a glitzy stage with a revolving bandstand and was capable of accommodating a wide diversity of entertainments. In its heyday thousands used to flock to the Mecca from around the region, courtesy of the free coaches which the club provided. Unfortunately tastes in club entertainment began to change as smaller more intimate venues began to replace the massive dancehalls. By the early seventies its main hall was not opening to thousands but to dozens of punters. It was the same story in most other Tiffanies/Mecca buildings throughout the country. Blackpool however had one feature which the other clubs did not, a smaller dancehall known as the 'Highland Room' above its main arena. Paradoxically it was this secondary room, which was set up as a rare soul venue, which kept the Mecca going long after the main room had fallen into decline.
The Highland Room continued to operate as a Rare Soul Venue from 1971 to 1979. In 1981 the Mecca closed completely having fallen into a state of disrepair due to lack of investment. During its time it played host to several major Soul acts including Isaac Hayes, Edwin Starr, The Chi-Lites and the Miracles all of which I was privileged to see. In Colin Curtis the club had a very dedicated and knowledgeable soul exponent but the main reason why the club became so important as a soul haven was its other DJ Ian Levine. Ian was the son of a wealthy local businessman and as such made regular trips to America at a time when transatlantic travel was much rarer than it is today. Whilst he was there Ian would spend his time searching through warehouses, record and junk shops looking for soul obscurities. It was through this process that he was able to gain access to music which was not available to anyone else. As a consequence any aficionado wanting to hear these records had no alternative other than to attend the Mecca.
Unfortunately for Ian and Colin they soon found themselves trying to compete with a certain Casino which had opened its doors not many miles away. Wigan Casino always had one big advantage over the Mecca in that it had permission to remain open all night whilst the Mecca was restricted to normal club licensing hours. It was this attraction which probably wooed many punters away from the Mecca to its rival venue. They did attempt to fight the trend by holding 'all-dayers' which generally started at mid-day and continued through till midnight which, although moderately successful, never seemed to appeal in quite the same way that the 'All-Nighters' did.
To say that Mecca and the Casino were direct rivals is in many ways true, but in others they were complementary. A major difference was the club's music policies. Whereas Wigan was firmly rooted in R&B and predominantly from the Sixties the Mecca tried to keep abreast of newer releases which often included funkier influences. The clientele was also different both in the way they dressed and the way they danced. Many of the early die hard Soulies considered Mecca to have 'sold out' because of its courtship of funk whereas Mecca considered the Wigan faithful to be soul dinosaurs still living in the past. These arguments led to the two camps becoming increasingly polarised and much subsequent bad feeling. For anyone who is unfamiliar with these differences it is worth listening to and comparing Goldmine's excellent CD's 'The Blackpool Mecca Story' and 'The Wigan Casino Story' .
Ian's courtship of funk might have been forgiven had he restricted himself to that activity, but his next step was to start producing records himself which were tailor-made for the Northern Soul Market. Some of his productions were pleasant enough but if we accept that 'Soul' music is a cultural expression of the hardships, the poverty, the discrimination that Black Americans have suffered then the question has to be asked, what credentials has a millionaire's son from Blackpool got to intrude? Ian began using the Mecca as breaking ground for his own material which caused many soul devotees to believe that what had once been hallowed territory was copping out to 'Disco Shite'. On the closure of Blackpool Mecca Ian Levine went on to produce 'Hi-Energy' music and even pop bands such as 'Take That'. He also made several cover versions of original Soul records with White Artists.
Whereas the doors have finally closed on three of the four original iconoclastic Soul venues Blackpool Mecca may yet prove to be the exception. Of these four the Mecca is the only one still standing and with the New Renaissance of Northern Soul a new spiritual home needs to be found. And what venue could be more appropriate than Blackpool Mecca? Attempts have already been made to revive the Soul nights there, but as yet they have not taken off, mainly because of poor publicity but also because of the lack of a big name DJ. The NS crowd are a discerning lot and their not prepared to go out on pilgrimage only to listen to the same sounds they could hear in the comfort of their own living rooms. For a successful NS event you not only need a DJ who is knowledgeable but he/she must also guarantee some exclusivity. Ian Levine has now returned to the scene and has successfully held a Blackpool Mecca re-union night. It featured several bands including The Exciters, The Carstairs and Rose Batiste. The first ever Northern Soul All-Nighter is also being planned at the Mecca for the Millennium. Lets hope all goes well as it could be a significant step to re-establishing the club to its former glories.
Wigan Casino
Dates: 1973 - 1981
Significant Jocks: Russ Winstanley, Kev Roberts, Richard Searling
Unquestionably the World's most illustrious Soul Club, not only nationally famous, but internationally as well. The influential American music magazine 'Billboard' officially voted it 'The Best Disco in the World' ahead of New York's 'Studio 54' in 1978. Whist appreciating the honour bestowed upon it most of the Casino regulars would have winced at the term 'Disco'. 'Disco' brings to mind expensive cocktails and sharp men in slick suits trying to 'pull' elegant women. None of this at the Casino! It served no alcohol whatsoever, it was too hot and sweaty to wear a suit and for the most part men and women ignored each other, unless of course they were discussing the latest soul releases. Forgiving our American Friends their ignorance the Casino was never a Disco, it was a Soul Club and most of its followers would have been offended to hear it called by any other term.
Despite not having the same financial clout as Blackpool Mecca the Casino was still remarkably successful in unearthing unknown soul obscurities. It also boasted a healthy programme of live American acts. This was not the main reason for its legendary reputation however as both the Torch and the Twisted Wheel brought them over on a more regular basis. It was much more to do with the venue itself which had begun life as a large post-Victorian theatre before turning into a Snooker hall. By the time it became a Soul Club it was more than a little dilapidated but was perfect for the soul lover's tastes. It's main room held a massive wooden dancefloor surrounded by a large balcony. There was plenty of seating downstairs where people could sit and replenish their bodily fluids on Coke or Lemonade. Just like the Mecca it also had a secondary room known as 'Mr M's' which opened a couple of hours after the doors had opened. This room was 'oldies' only and concentrated exclusively on sixties Soul. The Casino had a predominantly R&B policy making it rare to hear anything with a funky influence, nor did it concentrate exclusively on obscurities as easily accessible records were well integrated into the Casino playlists. This may well have been a significant factor in the Casino's success as any new member would almost certainly hear something with which they were familiar.
Paradoxically the Casino's success may well have contributed to its demise because as its reputation grew so did its commercial viability. At one stage it could boast a membership of over 100,000 people. Record companies started exploiting Northern Soul favourites by pushing them into the pop charts. White Bands such as Soft Cell started making poor cover versions of the Casino's discoveries in a bid for commercial success. Silly dancers appeared on Top Of The Pops calling themselves 'Wigan's Chosen Few' but the main reason was that DJ's were seduced by the hype and promises of untold riches. The authentic Soul records of the sixties had virtually all been 'discovered' so in an attempt to find new sounds they started introducing soul influenced pop songs and tried to pass them off as the genuine article. The true Soul Fans moved on as the Casino became increasingly populated by curious trendies all wanting to jump on the Northern Soul bandwagon.
On December 6th. 1981 its doors closed for the last time as the local Council shut it down. A few months later in a freak accident the Casino caught fire and was razed to the ground. Despite its later loss of direction the Casino will forever remain a treasured memory for those who were fortunate enough to attend.
Significant Jocks: Russ Winstanley, Kev Roberts, Richard Searling
Unquestionably the World's most illustrious Soul Club, not only nationally famous, but internationally as well. The influential American music magazine 'Billboard' officially voted it 'The Best Disco in the World' ahead of New York's 'Studio 54' in 1978. Whist appreciating the honour bestowed upon it most of the Casino regulars would have winced at the term 'Disco'. 'Disco' brings to mind expensive cocktails and sharp men in slick suits trying to 'pull' elegant women. None of this at the Casino! It served no alcohol whatsoever, it was too hot and sweaty to wear a suit and for the most part men and women ignored each other, unless of course they were discussing the latest soul releases. Forgiving our American Friends their ignorance the Casino was never a Disco, it was a Soul Club and most of its followers would have been offended to hear it called by any other term.
Despite not having the same financial clout as Blackpool Mecca the Casino was still remarkably successful in unearthing unknown soul obscurities. It also boasted a healthy programme of live American acts. This was not the main reason for its legendary reputation however as both the Torch and the Twisted Wheel brought them over on a more regular basis. It was much more to do with the venue itself which had begun life as a large post-Victorian theatre before turning into a Snooker hall. By the time it became a Soul Club it was more than a little dilapidated but was perfect for the soul lover's tastes. It's main room held a massive wooden dancefloor surrounded by a large balcony. There was plenty of seating downstairs where people could sit and replenish their bodily fluids on Coke or Lemonade. Just like the Mecca it also had a secondary room known as 'Mr M's' which opened a couple of hours after the doors had opened. This room was 'oldies' only and concentrated exclusively on sixties Soul. The Casino had a predominantly R&B policy making it rare to hear anything with a funky influence, nor did it concentrate exclusively on obscurities as easily accessible records were well integrated into the Casino playlists. This may well have been a significant factor in the Casino's success as any new member would almost certainly hear something with which they were familiar.
Paradoxically the Casino's success may well have contributed to its demise because as its reputation grew so did its commercial viability. At one stage it could boast a membership of over 100,000 people. Record companies started exploiting Northern Soul favourites by pushing them into the pop charts. White Bands such as Soft Cell started making poor cover versions of the Casino's discoveries in a bid for commercial success. Silly dancers appeared on Top Of The Pops calling themselves 'Wigan's Chosen Few' but the main reason was that DJ's were seduced by the hype and promises of untold riches. The authentic Soul records of the sixties had virtually all been 'discovered' so in an attempt to find new sounds they started introducing soul influenced pop songs and tried to pass them off as the genuine article. The true Soul Fans moved on as the Casino became increasingly populated by curious trendies all wanting to jump on the Northern Soul bandwagon.
On December 6th. 1981 its doors closed for the last time as the local Council shut it down. A few months later in a freak accident the Casino caught fire and was razed to the ground. Despite its later loss of direction the Casino will forever remain a treasured memory for those who were fortunate enough to attend.
The Torch
Dates: 1965 - 1973
Significant Jocks: Keith Minshull, Tony Jebb
Prior to becoming a 'Mod' Club, the Golden Torch had been a cinema and a roller skating rink, though the building had actually begun its life as a Church. In 1965 Chris Burton bought the premises and converted it to a night club. At first it offered a diet of live British Bands but in 1967 it switched its emphasis to start playing American Soul Music. The artists who performed there read like a 'who's who' of Soul Music including The Drifters, Fontella Bass, Oscar Toney Jnr, James and Bobby Purify, Ben E. King, Junior Walker, Edwin Starr, J.J. Barnes, Jimmy Thomas, Roy 'C' and the Stylistics.
The club became so influential that on December 9th. 1972 Contempo records cut a live Album there 'Major Lance Live At The Torch'. This album, which is now also available on CD is regarded as the best live NS record ever. You only have to listen to the fervour of the crowds to imagine what it must have been like to be there.
Apart from the fabulous discoveries which were made by the DJ's the main reason which guaranteed the Torch its legendary status is its pioneering work in making so many live American Acts accessible to the British Public.
Significant Jocks: Keith Minshull, Tony Jebb
Prior to becoming a 'Mod' Club, the Golden Torch had been a cinema and a roller skating rink, though the building had actually begun its life as a Church. In 1965 Chris Burton bought the premises and converted it to a night club. At first it offered a diet of live British Bands but in 1967 it switched its emphasis to start playing American Soul Music. The artists who performed there read like a 'who's who' of Soul Music including The Drifters, Fontella Bass, Oscar Toney Jnr, James and Bobby Purify, Ben E. King, Junior Walker, Edwin Starr, J.J. Barnes, Jimmy Thomas, Roy 'C' and the Stylistics.
The club became so influential that on December 9th. 1972 Contempo records cut a live Album there 'Major Lance Live At The Torch'. This album, which is now also available on CD is regarded as the best live NS record ever. You only have to listen to the fervour of the crowds to imagine what it must have been like to be there.
Apart from the fabulous discoveries which were made by the DJ's the main reason which guaranteed the Torch its legendary status is its pioneering work in making so many live American Acts accessible to the British Public.
Hinckley Leisure Center
The Leisure Centre.
Location: Coventry Road, Hinckley.
Date: 1980-98.
The Leisure Centre has been a constant for many years, providing a home for Northern and Motown nights. A national and local venue, it has provided a stage for international acts such as Martha Reeves, Junior Walker, Major Lance and Edwin Starr, hosting everything from a local Motown night to All-nighters.
The credit for this versatility must, in part, go to Tim Puffer, the past manager of the Leisure Centre. Tim has been a soulie for many years, and together with his wife Cath, has put together many a night to remember.
After the Bubble's All-nighters ended, the venue shifted to the Leisure Centre, which provides a choice of rooms. The "Big Hall" is a massive room, which hosted the main live acts. The "Small Hall" played host to All-nighters and local Motown/Northern nights. Both rooms had good facilities, and that necessity for all good venues, a balcony. The All-nighters ran sporadically for two years, and were never a regular occurrence. I think this was more due to the Leisure Centre having sporting commitments on the following Saturday morning, more than a lack of organisation or promotion. On a couple of occasions, the nighter moved to the Regent Club, a few yards away, when the Leisure Centre was unavailable. In either case, the Leisure Centre All-nighters were always well attended, especially when live artists appeared. When researching this venue, some interesting facts came to light courtesy of "http://www.northernsoul.co.uk/" Survey 2002: The Hinckley Leisure Centre was voted No. 28 Best Venue of All Time Major Lance at The Hinckley Leisure Centre was voted No. 10 Best Ever Live Performance The Ric-Tic Revue at The Hinckley Leisure Centre was voted No. 13 Best Ever Live Performance
Location: Coventry Road, Hinckley.
Date: 1980-98.
The Leisure Centre has been a constant for many years, providing a home for Northern and Motown nights. A national and local venue, it has provided a stage for international acts such as Martha Reeves, Junior Walker, Major Lance and Edwin Starr, hosting everything from a local Motown night to All-nighters.
The credit for this versatility must, in part, go to Tim Puffer, the past manager of the Leisure Centre. Tim has been a soulie for many years, and together with his wife Cath, has put together many a night to remember.
After the Bubble's All-nighters ended, the venue shifted to the Leisure Centre, which provides a choice of rooms. The "Big Hall" is a massive room, which hosted the main live acts. The "Small Hall" played host to All-nighters and local Motown/Northern nights. Both rooms had good facilities, and that necessity for all good venues, a balcony. The All-nighters ran sporadically for two years, and were never a regular occurrence. I think this was more due to the Leisure Centre having sporting commitments on the following Saturday morning, more than a lack of organisation or promotion. On a couple of occasions, the nighter moved to the Regent Club, a few yards away, when the Leisure Centre was unavailable. In either case, the Leisure Centre All-nighters were always well attended, especially when live artists appeared. When researching this venue, some interesting facts came to light courtesy of "http://www.northernsoul.co.uk/" Survey 2002: The Hinckley Leisure Centre was voted No. 28 Best Venue of All Time Major Lance at The Hinckley Leisure Centre was voted No. 10 Best Ever Live Performance The Ric-Tic Revue at The Hinckley Leisure Centre was voted No. 13 Best Ever Live Performance
Twisted Wheel
Title. Twisted Wheel Location:: Brazennose Street,And Thn Whitworth Street, Manchester.
Club: The Twisted WheelDates: 1963 - 1971
Significant Jocks: Bob Bellars
The Twisted Wheel was a converted cafe which first opened its doors as a Night-club in 1963. It also had a sister club, also called The Twisted Wheel in Blackpool, but it was the Manchester venue which is most fondly remembered by Soul Lovers. As a cafe it had been frequented by students and beatniks, but as a night-club its clientele changed to become a fashionable place for young mods to hang out. It could not be called a 'Northern Soul Club' as such because at that time the term had not been coined. The music it first played was a mixture of traditional jazz and Chicago Blues but it also had a policy of hosting live acts which were mainly British Rhythm and Blues Bands. Long John Baldry, Zoot Money, Alex Harvey and Alexis Korner have all appeared at the Twisted Wheel but as musical tastes evolved the demand rose to hear the strictly Black R&B acts. The list of American Soul Acts which performed there is impressive and includes Jamo Thomas, The Crystals, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Inez and Charlie Foxx to name but a few. The club also kept one step ahead of the game by being the first to start importing records. Whilst the other clubs were playing strictly British releases they were in a position to offer something a little more exclusive. Unfortunately like most other all-nighters the club suffered from a bad drugs image causing the council to revoke its license and on January 31st. 1971 it opened its doors for the last time. It is a venue which will remain fondly remembered by its members, the pioneers of what became the Northern Soul Scene of Today.
Club: The Twisted WheelDates: 1963 - 1971
Significant Jocks: Bob Bellars
The Twisted Wheel was a converted cafe which first opened its doors as a Night-club in 1963. It also had a sister club, also called The Twisted Wheel in Blackpool, but it was the Manchester venue which is most fondly remembered by Soul Lovers. As a cafe it had been frequented by students and beatniks, but as a night-club its clientele changed to become a fashionable place for young mods to hang out. It could not be called a 'Northern Soul Club' as such because at that time the term had not been coined. The music it first played was a mixture of traditional jazz and Chicago Blues but it also had a policy of hosting live acts which were mainly British Rhythm and Blues Bands. Long John Baldry, Zoot Money, Alex Harvey and Alexis Korner have all appeared at the Twisted Wheel but as musical tastes evolved the demand rose to hear the strictly Black R&B acts. The list of American Soul Acts which performed there is impressive and includes Jamo Thomas, The Crystals, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Inez and Charlie Foxx to name but a few. The club also kept one step ahead of the game by being the first to start importing records. Whilst the other clubs were playing strictly British releases they were in a position to offer something a little more exclusive. Unfortunately like most other all-nighters the club suffered from a bad drugs image causing the council to revoke its license and on January 31st. 1971 it opened its doors for the last time. It is a venue which will remain fondly remembered by its members, the pioneers of what became the Northern Soul Scene of Today.