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The Wigan Casino Years: Northern Soul - The Essential Story - A New Book By Tim Brown

The Wigan Casino Years: Northern Soul - The Essential Story - A New Book By Tim Brown magazine cover

I just noticed that Outta Sight is publishing a book written by Tim Brown on the 18th of October entitled

"The Wigan Casino Years: Northern Soul - The Essential Story 1973-81".

I haven't seen a mention of it on here yet, but here's the link to the website:

http://www.outtasigh...casinoyears.php

The preview pages looks promising. :thumbsup:

below added by site

Northern Soul came of age in the mid-seventies. The first significant underground music scene in the UK came to the notice of the media and public alike in 1977, a television documentary endeavoured to capture the spirit of thousands of youngsters dancing all night to obscure, rare American soul records - which even then were up to a dozen years old. The Wigan Casino Years documents, illustrates and analyses the golden age of Northern Soul from 1973 - 1981.

Writer Tim Brown experienced those years as a top collector and later became a leading record dealer, label owner and documentor of this, perhaps the most idiosyncratic and secretly influential of musical formats. With high quality graphics and full colour throughout, this book confronts the modern age with the real truth and will fascinate both the devotee and curious at the same time.




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Seb, thanks for the heads up on this one - looks really interesting.

Not sure how this one has slipped the net until now?

Cheers

Greg. :thumbsup:

They only advertised it for the first time on Monday, it's not out for ages.

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well the cats finally out of the bag, and i can tell you as someone who's been following this, ive actually known about it since the end of last year but, obviously its been kept under wraps for a good reason as it has been thoroughly researched and i can assure you...IT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!. tim has spent a number of years putting this together so it wasnt just created on a whim. most recently i got to see the final manuscript prior to it going for proofing and publication...there was a slight hitch, literarily speaking but all will be revealed...there will also be a pleasant surprise accompanying the book, so place orders early if you dont want to miss out!!:thumbsup::yes:

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well, i made sure that i'll be picking up my copy direct from the mill the day he has them, this is a glossy hardback so its going to fit nicely on the burgeoning bookshelf and i imagine that applies to a good many soulies. i was well impressed with neil's contribution " northern soul stories" and thats what good reading is about, it covered a good many bases, whereas, with this new edition from the anglo american stable, its in-depth seriously about the venue that's shaped all our lives...for the better i hope!. the man in question is currently undertaking an australian zoological trek for research purposes so you can bet he's been just as thorough with the northern soul angle.

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nice bloke our tim,but he wern,t there early doors.......hard to write about that which you were not a party to....peggy b

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nice bloke our tim,but he wern,t there early doors.......hard to write about that which you were not a party to....peggy b

well, considering it states: 1973 - 1981 he wouldnt have taken on something as concise if he didnt think he could tell it like it is/was so my suggestion is, as with "soul boy" reserve judgement until you get the book. ive no inclination to suspect it will be anything less than evocative and informant...as for him ( or even me for that matter) being old enough...you'd be surprised....early doors?...mmmm...in a new venue (1973) how many people know anyone else anyway?

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the only "casino" :ohmy: book to buy is dave shaws he was there and its brilliant

Agreed - the best book on the subject to date.

Personally I would like to read a book that relates to the 'darker side', which was as much a part of the history as the records. Any book which fails to acknowledge this is only telling half the story and most authors choose to either ignore it or claim it never existed. Pete McKenna's 'Nightshift' embraced it, and was an enjoyable read but may have been lacking factually.

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Tim has done a sterling job with the research. Reading hundreds of articles from 73-81 and more importantly, interviewed the main characters who either had long or short involvement with the venue.

The 8 years worth of Blues and Soul's helped too! :thumbsup:

More importantly, there is no hidden agenda as he had no connection to the venue.

I think it might be the most accurate and well balanced book to be written about the Station Rd site yet.

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there's been a lot of sceptisism on here, what with films and plays getting people's senses riled up. i find it highly amusing that comparisons with other publications are being made in the light of the fact, that this book is not yet on release and no-one posesses it to give a positive or negative view.....cum on people get real here. tim brown is as close to an authoritative figure where literal publications are concerned, as you will get. maybe there's a depreciation of what he know's because he is held in the same esteem as ian levine, and there have been plenty of campaigns waged against the latter.....how negative is that?.

its easy to forget, but ian brought this scene, kicking and screaming into the modern world with forward thinking music so we wouldnt be reliant on oldies forever....aren't the rare soul rooms born out of this ideal?.

tim's bible on valuations is always the first to be quoted, that comes from a wealth of experience and a lifetime of studying the scene in fineite detail.....and that's not withstanding the fact that john manship has always been there for reference as well. im sure the vast majority of collectors trust these guides implicitly.

as a matter of friendship, i dare anyone to defy tim's ability to give as intellectual an account of the life and times of the casino as has ever been specified before.

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does it matter he wasn't there early doors? plenty of writers not party to what they write about. As long as the research and homework is done it matters little. I think half the sniping is because of who has written it.

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does it matter he wasn't there early doors? plenty of writers not party to what they write about. As long as the research and homework is done it matters little. I think half the sniping is because of who has written it.

i for one can't wait to read it, anything that tim writes is so informative, why would it matter if he wasn't there at the beginning, were the authors of books detailing the napoleonic wars there??? i'm sure he will have all the facts covered by his many contacts that were!

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note posts have been removed by site as per reasons posted at the time

ask can all members bear in mind when posting that this is a new forum and aims are different than other ones

are making a determinded effort to avoid some of the past "issues" that have had on here with topical threads

all members help with this will be appreciated

thanks

mike

ps ask use feedback forum if do have any q's etc on above or any site matters

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does it matter he wasn't there early doors? plenty of writers not party to what they write about. As long as the research and homework is done it matters little. I think half the sniping is because of who has written it.

Spot on. I've a number of books about ancient Egypt, yet not one of them has been written by an ancient Egyptian! :laugh:

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Looks great. Bought myself one as a present.

And me Pete last week, just wish it was coming out two weeks early then i would be taking it on holiday for a good read.

Steve J

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Spot on. I've a number of books about ancient Egypt, yet not one of them has been written by an ancient Egyptian! laugh.gif

That's quite true, but may have if different response if they were still around. That's the problem, and I have no axe to grind here, but if you went to the Casino in 1973-4 and through the following years there's bound to be a bit of well I was there and it didn't happen like that, but before we all get heated about it we should all read the book and then the fun can start.

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That's quite true, but may have if different response if they were still around. That's the problem, and I have no axe to grind here, but if you went to the Casino in 1973-4 and through the following years there's bound to be a bit of well I was there and it didn't happen like that, but before we all get heated about it we should all read the book and then the fun can start.

Likewise, no axe to grind here. I don't even have an axe as I didn't go to the Casino. I agree with the point wholeheartedly. If you asked, let's call them Bob, Fred and Sally - all of whom went to the Casino at the same time, but did not know one another - to describe what went on and what they saw, you'd get three completely different versions of events. It's the same with anything in life where witnesses are called to give their perspective on events. One person's experiences and interpretations will be different to another's: there is no 'definitive' version of events and people should not look for one.

From what I've read from his own pen, Tim Brown is a competent writer. So, as long as he has a good editor to call upon, the book should be a stirling read. Will look forward to it.

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Likewise, no axe to grind here. I don't even have an axe as I didn't go to the Casino. I agree with the point wholeheartedly. If you asked, let's call them Bob, Fred and Sally - all of whom went to the Casino at the same time, but did not know one another - to describe what went on and what they saw, you'd get three completely different versions of events. It's the same with anything in life where witnesses are called to give their perspective on events. One person's experiences and interpretations will be different to another's: there is no 'definitive' version of events and people should not look for one.

From what I've read from his own pen, Tim Brown is a competent writer. So, as long as he has a good editor to call upon, the book should be a stirling read. Will look forward to it.

I am looking forward to Brownie's book . Knowing Tim , it will be a competent and creditable piece of work , and definately worth reading .

Malc

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I am looking forward to Brownie's book . Knowing Tim , it will be a competent and creditable piece of work , and definately worth reading .

Malc

Had a nine hrs travel back home this sunday and thankfully this book was with me. What a interesting read it is indeed ! It was especially very interesting for someone like me who wasn´t around at the time to learn so much about the background of the Ritz, Yate, Cleeethorpes and Mecca Allnighters (alldayers), the people behind and organizing these plus the music which "made" these places. This all accompanied by great pictures and scans plus informative record reviews. A fabulous book for the Soulie indeed !

Marc

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soul survivors was best ,,russ was there way before dave shaw!!!

Thats way off. Winstanleys is like a cleaned up promotors version of events and has very little of interest to most people who went. He doesn't even mention drugs in it for gods sake! I read it it and its makes the Casino seem bland and like a christian society soul club.:thumbsup: It s more like a self promotion manual.

Hes sent me an email recently (threatening of course) saying hes got another out in January and he will publish emails between myself and him (edited to suit him of course, ) Fortunately i took the liberrty of sending the 'Full' transcipts to Mike and others so that they can post them if , in future he tries to make lies from his own edit.!

Daves is a far , far, better book. But nightshift is the best take on the scene at that time, so far.

Tims will deffo be more articulate that Winstanleys and more informed!

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i know what youre saying paul..

ive read all three now and was hoping to learn some more about wigan but tims book didnt tell me much i didnt know.. all three books are good,,soul survivors for the untrained eye is a brill first glance look at the casino,,daves was ok too and tims looks fab as is also a great read...

im not really interested in your spat with Russ,,thats between you two to resolve. good luck and keep the faith!

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agess with you on the nightshift approach, tis a personal recollection...warts and all...and i like that. new edition of nightshift available within 2 weeks, loads of new stuff and loads of stuff takien out from the original 'originals is the greatest'

good luck

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