stomper45 Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 So many great bands put on in their prime, along with casino top two venues i've had the fortune to venture yet never seems to get a mention... tymes, harold melvin, bob marley, 4 tops, junior walker and tons more
dthedrug Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 With the greatest of respect the Cali was indeed the Top Venue for Live groups and especially for Soul and Reggae artist in the UK, and for myself I have great memories of the place, the huge dance floor as I say the groups both pop and Soul who played there in fact I am certain most top groups and Artists have played there in the 6ts and early 7ts, personally I went to the Cali quite a lot but in particular to see the Reggae artists who played there Desmond Decker and the Aces what a great night the pioneers Jimmy Cliff Toots and the Maytals and many more the best night I had at the Cali was when SYNRIP (pyramids) played it was packed out with skinheads from all over Hertfordshire Bedford Luton and indeed North London when they did SKINHEAD MOONHOP the lead singer I forget his name put 8 plastic cups on the stage and moon-hopped around the the place went mental? he then asked for 2 people to come on the stage, I am proud to say that I was one of them and my mate Chris was the other and we gave it large in front of hundreds of skinheads, what a night?..as the Cali was in the south I feel many people on Soul Source are either from the wrong part of the UK or maybe to young? I remember they tried to put on Northern Soul Nights I never attended any of these as I preferred to go to Wigan at the time what would you do? DAVE KIL
Guest Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 (edited) With the greatest of respect the Cali was indeed the Top Venue for Live groups and especially for Soul and Reggae artist in the UK, and for myself I have great memories of the place, the huge dance floor as I say the groups both pop and Soul who played there in fact I am certain most top groups and Artists have played there in the 6ts and early 7ts, personally I went to the Cali quite a lot but in particular to see the Reggae artists who played there Desmond Decker and the Aces what a great night the pioneers Jimmy Cliff Toots and the Maytals and many more the best night I had at the Cali was when SYNRIP (pyramids) played it was packed out with skinheads from all over Hertfordshire Bedford Luton and indeed North London when they did SKINHEAD MOONHOP the lead singer I forget his name put 8 plastic cups on the stage and moon-hopped around the the place went mental? he then asked for 2 people to come on the stage, I am proud to say that I was one of them and my mate Chris was the other and we gave it large in front of hundreds of skinheads, what a night?..as the Cali was in the south I feel many people on Soul Source are either from the wrong part of the UK or maybe to young? I remember they tried to put on Northern Soul Nights I never attended any of these as I preferred to go to Wigan at the time what would you do? DAVE KIL I posted this concerning the live soul acts that played The Cali , in March 2007 ........ The California Ballroom , Dunstable Live Act listing 1973 - 1979 In respect of the listing of the live soul acts that played The Cali , it is interesting to see the " shift " from the more ' traditional ' soul artists from 1973 onwards , to include the more funkier acts / artists up until its' closure in 1979 . As stated in previous posts , many of the acts played several times in the same year , but I have only listed the respective names once . 1973 The Real Thing Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon Roy C Jimmy Ruffin Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Sam & Dave The Detroit Emeralds Jr Walker & The All Stars Major Lance The Fantastics Arthur Conley Millie Jackson The Flirtations Edwin Starr Oscar Toney Jr The Drifters First Choice Chairmen Of The Board Limmie & The Family Cookin' The Chi - Lites Guy Darrell Ben E King J J Barnes The Philly Revue ........The O'Jays , Billy Paul , The Intruders and MFSB 1974 BT Express Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon The Coasters Robert Knight The Delfonics New York City The Drifters Limmie & The Family Cookin' Mel & Tim Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes Jimmy Ruffin Jr Walker & Edwin Starr - together on the same night The Detroit Emeralds The Three Degrees R Dean Taylor The Ronettes Jimmy James & The Vagabonds Ben E King The Exciters KC & The Sunshine Band the Four Tops Gwen & George McCrae Chairmen Of The Board The Tymes Edwin Starr & Eddie Holman - together on the same night 1975 Arthur Conley The Fantastics Jimmy James & The Vagabonds Kool & The Gang Jimmy Helms The Chi - Lites The Hues Corperation Rufus & Chaka Khan The Tymes Chairmen Of The Board New York City The Drifters The Three Degrees Jimmy Ruffin Edwin Starr The Detroit Emeralds Major Lance Rufus Thomas The Flirtations Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band Jr Walker & The All Stars Hamilton Bohannon Disco Tex & The Sex - O - Lettes The Fatback Band The Temptations George McCrae BT Express The Tymes The Four Tops The Exciters Dee Clark Donald Byrd & The BlackByrds 1976 Donald Byrd & The BlackByrds James Brown People's Choice Trammps Chairmen Of The Board The Fatback Band Bobby Womack The Miracles Brass Construction The Drifters Jimmy Ruffin Jr Walker & The All Stars Jimmy James & The Vagabonds War Ohio Players 1977 The Manhattans The Moments & The Rimshots ...... together on the same night Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Edwin Starr The Fantastics The Commodores Detroit Spinners & Brass Construction ...... together on the same night The Four Tops Jr Walker & The All Stars Archie Bell & The Drells The Ritchie Family 1978 The Crusaders Brass Construction Ramsey Lewis Eddie Kendricks T Connection Donald Byrd Tavares Rose Royce Lenny Williams The Four Tops Isaac Hayes & Edwin Starr ......... together on the same night Third World Platinum Hook Sylvester 1979 Roy Ayers Manu Dibango Players Association Brass Construction McFadden & Whitehead Grover Washington Jr Rick James had been booked to appear in early 1980 , but due to the closure of The Cali , this obviously did not happen . Malc Burton Edited June 29, 2009 by Malc Burton
dthedrug Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 I posted this concerning the live acts that played The Cali , in March 2007 ........ The California Ballroom , Dunstable Live Act listing 1973 - 1979 In respect of the listing of the live acts that played The Cali , it is interesting to see the " shift " from the more ' traditional ' soul artists from 1973 onwards , to include the more funkier acts / artists up until its' closure in 1979 . As stated in previous posts , many of the acts played several times in the same year , but I have only listed the respective names once . 1973 The Real Thing Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon Roy C Jimmy Ruffin Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Sam & Dave The Detroit Emeralds Jr Walker & The All Stars Major Lance The Fantastics Arthur Conley Millie Jackson The Flirtations Edwin Starr Oscar Toney Jr The Drifters First Choice Chairmen Of The Board Limmie & The Family Cookin' The Chi - Lites Guy Darrell Ben E King J J Barnes The Philly Revue ........The O'Jays , Billy Paul , The Intruders and MFSB 1974 BT Express Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon The Coasters Robert Knight The Delfonics New York City The Drifters Limmie & The Family Cookin' Mel & Tim Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes Jimmy Ruffin Jr Walker & Edwin Starr - together on the same night The Detroit Emeralds The Three Degrees R Dean Taylor The Ronettes Jimmy James & The Vagabonds Ben E King The Exciters KC & The Sunshine Band the Four Tops Gwen & George McCrae Chairmen Of The Board The Tymes Edwin Starr & Eddie Holman - together on the same night 1975 Arthur Conley The Fantastics Jimmy James & The Vagabonds Kool & The Gang Jimmy Helms The Chi - Lites The Hues Corperation Rufus & Chaka Khan The Tymes Chairmen Of The Board New York City The Drifters The Three Degrees Jimmy Ruffin Edwin Starr The Detroit Emeralds Major Lance Rufus Thomas The Flirtations Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band Jr Walker & The All Stars Hamilton Bohannon Disco Tex & The Sex - O - Lettes The Fatback Band The Temptations George McCrae BT Express The Tymes The Four Tops The Exciters Dee Clark Donald Byrd & The BlackByrds 1976 Donald Byrd & The BlackByrds James Brown People's Choice Trammps Chairmen Of The Board The Fatback Band Bobby Womack The Miracles Brass Construction The Drifters Jimmy Ruffin Jr Walker & The All Stars Jimmy James & The Vagabonds War Ohio Players 1977 The Manhattans The Moments & The Rimshots ...... together on the same night Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Edwin Starr The Fantastics The Commodores Detroit Spinners & Brass Construction ...... together on the same night The Four Tops Jr Walker & The All Stars Archie Bell & The Drells The Ritchie Family 1978 The Crusaders Brass Construction Ramsey Lewis Eddie Kendricks T Connection Donald Byrd Tavares Rose Royce Lenny Williams The Four Tops Isaac Hayes & Edwin Starr ......... together on the same night Third World Platinum Hook Sylvester 1979 Roy Ayers Manu Dibango Players Association Brass Construction McFadden & Whitehead Grover Washington Jr Rick James had been booked to appear in early 1980 , but due to the closure of The Cali , this obviously did not happen . Malc Burton First thing I no if you google the Cali it comes up with a full listing of artist that played there in the 6ts and some photos of the deralict building, The simple truth is it was one of the best venues if not the best outside London in the 6ts DAVE KIL
Guest Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 (edited) First thing I no if you google the Cali it comes up with a full listing of artist that played there in the 6ts and some photos of the deralict building, The simple truth is it was one of the best venues if not the best outside London in the 6ts DAVE KIL Edited June 29, 2009 by Malc Burton
phillyDaveG Posted June 29, 2009 Posted June 29, 2009 Well as a local, it has a special place in my heart. to begin withi, I was underage, and had to stand at the back and keep quiet! My Brother used to be well peed off with taking me. Just a great venue, and almost certainly the best club in the South during the 7ts. Musically it had a broader range than the Northern clubs and was always THE place to go at the weekend. Unfortunately, it's reputation has been slightly tarnished with years of "Cali reunions" that bear little or no resemblance to the music that was played there. Great venue, great acts, great music.
De-to Posted June 30, 2009 Posted June 30, 2009 here is a link to the cali website,a book came out about the cali a couple of years ago, https://www.california-ballroom.info/
Guest Posted January 7, 2010 Posted January 7, 2010 (edited) Well as a local, it has a special place in my heart. to begin withi, I was underage, and had to stand at the back and keep quiet! My Brother used to be well peed off with taking me. Just a great venue, and almost certainly the best club in the South during the 7ts. Musically it had a broader range than the Northern clubs and was always THE place to go at the weekend. Unfortunately, it's reputation has been slightly tarnished with years of "Cali reunions" that bear little or no resemblance to the music that was played there. Great venue, great acts, great music. Devils Den was'nt bad for a while, have a look at the Calais Book, anyone recognise John Harris in the group picture at back, taken with a young Mick Ilka, sadly no longer with us. Great nights, particularly memorable sessions were Edwin Starrs and Major Lances....there were about 100 people there for Major Lance, place was virtually empty, a lot from Bedford, the town that is, Northampton, we were all calling for songs and tunes he could'nt remember laying down they were that old, smashing fella though, few managed to get a verbal in with him in the top bar after his show. Not been to the Cali Night reunions, as far as I'm concerned they are not a shade on the original, although Soulful sid, as organiser is doing OK, or so I hear, and most of the people who go are to young to remenmber the realthing, which was demolished years and years ago to make way for an executive type housing estate Edited January 7, 2010 by DanDare
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