60S Soho Soul Clubs ,southern Soul Era

[Sceneman]

any older members on here that remember the LAST CHANCE SALOON ,in OXFORD STREET

LA DISC , FLAMINGO ,ROARING 20S , AND THE CLUB THAT BEAT THEM ALL THE SCENE CLUB IN HAM YARD ..

?

[Roburt]

It was the Cue Club in Paddington that we all wanted to visit.

USAF guys from the bases around London used to frequent the place as well as the usual Brit mods & soul / ska fans.

[Sceneman]

so does the southern soul scene predate the northern soul scene ?

the soho club scene started in 1963 and the northern around 67 ?

i was too scared to venture into the Cue club ,heavy scene ,this was early period when black guys were efectivly banned from most other clubs .

it had a reputation for being a violent place.

very heavy guys on the door ,it was more a black enclave

Edited December 4, 2012 by sceneman

[Roburt]

In the early to mid 60's, London clubs had all the best soul / R&B acts on .......... mainly coz US acts would visit the London offices of their record labels to do promo work or appear on a London based TV / radio show. Whilst here, if they had the time, they would play a London club / theatre gig.

All the top UK artists (in the soul field) also based themselves out of London back then, so London gigs were local for them ........... easier to get to & make money out of (no big petrol or B&B bills) ......... so the best acts were on in London all the time.

If visiting US acts were undertaking a UK tour, then they would head off up north. But many times, they didn't have the time to play too many northern gigs (all the best bookings were Friday/Saturday/ Sunday nights & the Yank acts couldn't hang around without work for the other 4 days of the week).

So the 'in-crowd' acts were on in London and because of this, much of their audience gravitated towards the capital.

Not to say that there weren't 'soul outposts' in the north though (the Mojo, Wheel, etc + back then at times the local Top Rank or Locarnos).

[Sunnysoul]

Expect Ady to come on here and mention the Last Chance and Randy Cozens, I'm sure there is some info on Ady's 6Ts/100 Club website.

Interesting in that the Last Chance scarcely gets a mention in most of the major books and articles on the original London Mod scene in comparison to the Scene and the Flamingo and others.

Could it be because the Last Chance seemed to be a strictly soul club for soul enthusiasts and frequented by some mods , whereas most of the others were in fact Mod clubs with a mix of soul , rnb , beat and ska ???

[Chris L]

Made it to the Flamingo, it wasn't really a soul club like the Wheel or such. They'd play some soul records, UK issue stuff but most clubs in the London area did that anyway. There were a few other clubs that would play soul but no real "soul club". Make no mistake the UK soul scene is and always will be a northern affair, as someone once said "Northern Soul doesn't travel well".

Scariest club I ever went to in London was the Alphabet Club, only went twice, reckoned I wouldn't make out alive a third time

Edited December 5, 2012 by Chris L

[Wiggyflat]

I went and had a few drinks with Wayne Kirven a few weeks ago.He was involved in the Town article with Marc Feld...They used the term modernist.He was importing black music from the USA in 63 and woyldnt touch UK copies of records.He said it was all over for him in August 64 and moved to France.He said there were no self proclaimed mod clubs you just went were there was good music.He went to the Scene but abandoned it after too many Police raids and young pill heads crashed out on mats.Wayne was one of the original 61 62 mods from Stamford Hill.There's a good book called Days In The Life which features original quotes from all of the main players..its by Jonathan Green.Btw Mickey Tenner appears in The Sorcerers film dancing at Blaises....that is 67 tho

[Stuart Russell]

Randy Cozens talks about the London scene and, of course, The Last Chance in The In Crowd.

[Spacehopper]

when did the flamingo open?...my parents would go down from norwich to it but as my mum would have been pregnant with my older brother in about 61/62 they would have been just before the mod /soul scene...they were more into modern jazz then although the soul came later in the early 70s when we were both older enuff to leave with babysitters and they would go to the us air bases around norfolk...

back in the 50s as teens they would also get their clothes in london much to the envy of others in norwich,apparently she and her friends were the first to have a-line skirts in norwich?....but also had a lot of trouble hanging around with black americans though..dad had to carry a flick knife for fear of being jumped by 'white' gangs and mum was often called a n+++++ lover...even though she never went with a black man her best friend and sister did...infact it would be her best friends daughter who would later babysit us....my aunt married and moved to the states and sadly we lost touch in the late 70s...especially as far as having a contact for records!!...

[Chris L]

when did the flamingo open?...

In the early 50s and closed 1969 (I think)

[Funky 4 Corners]

As a star struck teenager from a Yorks pit village I was always interested in the London Club scene after watching Ready Steady Go!, reading stuff in the music papers, Mod Monthly and day trips on Saturdays courtesy of the Leeds United way coaches to take in Tiles etc. I moved south 40 years ago only to find that very, very few `locals` were still interested in Soul, or what I called Soul anyway. Over the years I have asked plenty of blokes my age about the Club scene and some did go to the various Clubs mentioned on this thread but overwhelmingly they would frequent local venues in Dartford / Gravesend / Bromley / Bexleyheath etc. Going to West End Clubs was considered a treat - a bit like people going from my home town Wakefield to Manchester clubs. The south east has always had excellent train links with central London so I don't think it was distance, from what I can gather it was more a case of them `entering the big league` with trepidation. Plenty have recalled a rather hostile atmosphere at the Flamingo and Scene for example. I'd be interested to see the membership address's from those Clubs, I guess that most would be from with in the M25 in today's terms.

[Sceneman]

if you look at the online archives of the Marqee some amazing names appeared there in the 60s ,US and UK acts but in those times you just couldnt afford to go to so many nights at these places ,salaries were low then and you had to run a scooter ,clothes and disks on meagre wages ,...

likewise the Flamingo had a glittering array of stars who appeared there and i used to go there quite a bit but the sound system and DJ were rubbish compared with the fabulous sound system at the Scene club.

the mingo was the earliest of the clubs ,although James Hamilton once told me there was a jazz club before at the Scene club venue ,but i dont know the name of it .

i missed sugar pie desanto at the marqee ,and screaming jay hawkins at the Flamingo ,no cash to get in ,,damn

Edited December 5, 2012 by sceneman

[Sceneman]

the Last Chance in oxford street , was a bit downmarket ,cheaper to get in and the MODS from the Scene used to go there early on sundays after chucking out at the the Scene club for an extra hour for a small fee to get in .

Jimmy Radcliife used to be the last play there !is it that old now ?the last chance had

not such a good selection of records and a scruffy mod clientel compared with the Scene which was considered a more upmarket venue and difficult to join in the early days .during the week members of the stones used to frequent the Scene club ,jagger and wyman were members and used to be on the floor !

[Sceneman]

the Last Chance in oxford street , was a bit downmarket ,cheaper to get in and the MODS from the Scene used to go there early on sundays after chucking out at the the Scene club for an extra hour for a small fee to get in .

Jimmy Radcliife used to be the last play there !is it that old now ?the last chance had

not such a good selection of records and a scruffy mod clientel compared with the Scene which was considered a more upmarket venue and difficult to join in the early days .during the week members of the stones used to frequent the Scene club ,jagger and wyman were members and used to be on the floor !

[Sceneman]

the Last Chance in oxford street , was a bit downmarket ,cheaper to get in and the MODS from the Scene used to go there early on sundays after chucking out at the the Scene club for an extra hour for a small fee to get in .

Jimmy Radcliife used to be the last play there !is it that old now ?the last chance had

not such a good selection of records and a scruffy mod clientel compared with the Scene which was considered a more upmarket venue and difficult to join in the early days .during the week members of the stones used to frequent the Scene club ,jagger and wyman were members and used to be on the floor !

[Sceneman]

the Last Chance in oxford street , was a bit downmarket ,cheaper to get in and the MODS from the Scene used to go there early on sundays after chucking out at the the Scene club for an extra hour for a small fee to get in .

Jimmy Radcliife used to be the last play there !is it that old now ?the last chance had

not such a good selection of records and a scruffy mod clientel compared with the Scene which was considered a more upmarket venue and difficult to join in the early days .during the week members of the stones used to frequent the Scene club ,jagger and wyman were members and used to be on the floor !

[Roburt]

I seem to recall a soul / mod club that had a good reputation being located quite close to Liverpool Street Stn in the East End ...

...... though I could be mis-remembering as we used to go down that way to visit Petticioat Lane market on a weekend.

[Sceneman]

its possible there was a club there in that area ,but i dont recall any names .but early on sunday mornings huge numbers of mods used to head down to the station concourse to use a coffee bar there .it was really bizarre as back then it was a deserted area on sundays not busy like today .to suddenly see 100s of mods with pill popped eyeballs on the station concourse .by midday they had vanished but where to i dont know ,maybe there was other hangouts or they went home ,with a nasty comedown to handle .

early on sunday mornings at chucking out time ,huge numbers of mods were all headed towards Leicester square and onto the station later.

god knows where they all came from as you wouldnt expect the soho clubs to handle so many mods on their premises .

[Geeselad]

I went and had a few drinks with Wayne Kirven a few weeks ago.He was involved in the Town article with Marc Feld...They used the term modernist.He was importing black music from the USA in 63 and woyldnt touch UK copies of records.He said it was all over for him in August 64 and moved to France.He said there were no self proclaimed mod clubs you just went were there was good music.He went to the Scene but abandoned it after too many Police raids and young pill heads crashed out on mats.Wayne was one of the original 61 62 mods from Stamford Hill.There's a good book called Days In The Life which features original quotes from all of the main players..its by Jonathan Green.Btw Mickey Tenner appears in The Sorcerers film dancing at Blaises....that is 67 tho

another really insightful read is ' a sharper world'

[Geeselad]

the Last Chance in oxford street , was a bit downmarket ,cheaper to get in and the MODS from the Scene used to go there early on sundays after chucking out at the the Scene club for an extra hour for a small fee to get in .

Jimmy Radcliife used to be the last play there !is it that old now ?the last chance had

not such a good selection of records and a scruffy mod clientel compared with the Scene which was considered a more upmarket venue and difficult to join in the early days .during the week members of the stones used to frequent the Scene club ,jagger and wyman were members and used to be on the floor !

I'd heard JR was a staple last tune @ london mod clubs in the early days.

[Funky 4 Corners]

[Funky 4 Corners]

[Funky 4 Corners]

Edited December 13, 2012 by Keith Rylatt

[Funky 4 Corners]

Edited December 13, 2012 by Keith Rylatt

[Funky 4 Corners]

Edited December 13, 2012 by Keith Rylatt

[Guest]

Anyone been to this exhibition yet: https://www.hackney.g...hibitions.htm �

Stamford Hill mods: the genesis of Marc Bolan

7 November 2012 - Saturday 26 January 2013

50 years ago the photographer Don McCullin took pictures of the 15 year old Mark Feld and his mod friends in Stamford Hill for Town Magazine. In 1965 Mark changed his name to Marc Bolan and went on to be the pop icon of T-Rex fame.

This exhibition looks at early mod culture, fashion and music in Stamford Hill in the 1960s. There are memories from people who grew up there and remembered the clothes they wore, the places they went to, the scooters they rode and their friendship, or not, with the young Mark Feld.

Ths display includes a 1962 two tone Vespa scooter personalised by Eddie Grimstead, the scooter dealer to all the mods in East London as well original clothing, magazines and records of the time.

Photo: (from left to right) Miki Simmonds, Peter Sugar, Mark Feld. Town Magazine 1962 by Don McCullin.

[Sceneman]

the New Scene didnt last long , as Guy Stevens had left and taken the fantastic sound system with him .it had been painted white inside with garish lighting and was empty .The Original Scene club was matt black with tiny revolving uplighters .

The area was now a heavy junkie area and was not a nice place to be late at night by then ,as some of the pill poppers had turned to heavier stuff and needed to mug people to get their junk money .

I only went there once and that was enough as the old Scene club was not recognizable any more.

the moment had passed ........

[Guest GARV]

[Geeselad]

Anyone been to this exhibition yet: https://www.hackney.g...hibitions.htm �

Stamford Hill mods: the genesis of Marc Bolan

7 November 2012 - Saturday 26 January 2013

50 years ago the photographer Don McCullin took pictures of the 15 year old Mark Feld and his mod friends in Stamford Hill for Town Magazine. In 1965 Mark changed his name to Marc Bolan and went on to be the pop icon of T-Rex fame.

This exhibition looks at early mod culture, fashion and music in Stamford Hill in the 1960s. There are memories from people who grew up there and remembered the clothes they wore, the places they went to, the scooters they rode and their friendship, or not, with the young Mark Feld.

Ths display includes a 1962 two tone Vespa scooter personalised by Eddie Grimstead, the scooter dealer to all the mods in East London as well original clothing, magazines and records of the time.

Photo: (from left to right) Miki Simmonds, Peter Sugar, Mark Feld. Town Magazine 1962 by Don McCullin.

there's some great detail on the stamford hill scene in the most excellent book, 'a sharper world' edited by paolo Hewitt

[Funky 4 Corners]

In the mid 90s I met up with and then interviewed a nice guy who DJed at a Soho Mod club in the 60s, he was good enough to invite me around to his house. I won't mention his name, club or location as I'm not in touch with him any more and respect his privacy. Anyhow, when I got there and went into his place I assumed he must have been ultra trendy as all of the furnishings and decor were 60s but he had simply kept all of the original contents as he had grown up in the house. He showed me all of his wardrobe from the 60s, all carefully stored in suit bags, all of his records including 12", 45 rpm demos from Sue Records, courtesy of Guy Stevens, empty pill canisters etc. I guess that there are other people like him around but are just not interested in `publicising` themselves.

[Funky 4 Corners]

Something that puzzles me on threads such as this is the avoidance of discussing some key, none black records, what I'm getting at is that I appreciate that it is essentially a Soul music site but on some threads that spill over into the Mod / Club scene, up to about '66 they were awash with some amazing `pop` records such as Len Barry `1,2.3`, Graham Bonney `Super Girl`, most things by Cliff Bennett, Spencer Davis etc. These records were totally integrated with early Motown and all of those Cameo Parkway teen records and deserve recognition.

[Roburt]

I agree with Keith above. Back around 64, it was a mod scene (in the north & midlands at least) so the top sounds were by the Small Faces, Who, Georgie Fame, Zoot Money, Cliff Bennett, Spencer Davis (though lots of their stage acts were soul covers). US tracks by the likes of Len Barry, Mitch Ryder & DW plus the Soul Survivors (a mixed race group but we thought they were white back then) were also played everywhere.

You even got instrumental orchestral tracks such as "Cast Your Fate to The Wind" becoming club biggies.

The club play list seemed to change quite quickly as 65 kicked in but it was still nowhere near being NS orientated as the big tracks became things like "Jump Back", "Walking the Dog", "You Don't Know Like I Know", "Ride Your Pony", "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" & "You Got What It Takes, etc.

[Bigsoulman]

Anyone been to this exhibition yet: https://www.hackney.g...hibitions.htm �

Stamford Hill mods: the genesis of Marc Bolan

7 November 2012 - Saturday 26 January 2013

50 years ago the photographer Don McCullin took pictures of the 15 year old Mark Feld and his mod friends in Stamford Hill for Town Magazine. In 1965 Mark changed his name to Marc Bolan and went on to be the pop icon of T-Rex fame.

This exhibition looks at early mod culture, fashion and music in Stamford Hill in the 1960s. There are memories from people who grew up there and remembered the clothes they wore, the places they went to, the scooters they rode and their friendship, or not, with the young Mark Feld.

Ths display includes a 1962 two tone Vespa scooter personalised by Eddie Grimstead, the scooter dealer to all the mods in East London as well original clothing, magazines and records of the time.

Photo: (from left to right) Miki Simmonds, Peter Sugar, Mark Feld. Town Magazine 1962 by Don McCullin.

How on earth did this top mod boy morph in to that god awful thing that was T Rex?, the mind boggles!

[Geoff]

I don't recall hearing that many British records played at the Scene when I went there regularly, every week, between mid 64 to very early 66. Georgie Fame's Yeh Yeh was played and Tony Washington's Show Me How To Milk A Cow. I don't remember other British group records being played, most were covers of American R&B records, so the originals were played.

However records by American white artistes were played if they fitted in. For example Len Barry's 1-2-3 was very popular, as was the follow up Like A Baby. Also Bread And Butter and Run Baby Run by the Newbeats, Let's Hang On by the Four Seasons, GTO by Ronnie & the Daytonas, the Vogues' version of You're The One, written by Petula Clark, and the big hit in 65 by the Everly Brothers, The Price Of Love. My Babe by the Righteous Brothers was another regular play for a time as was the Reflections' (Just Like) Romeo And Juliet.

On the other hand there were live groups on some nights, Jimmy Justice had a regular spot if my memory is correct.

[Sceneman]

and Tony Washingtons 'Surely' i spotted that on the deck and got me a copy .and pink dally roo ,boys from new york city ,romeo and juliet ..sure

[DER]

I have created a Topic on this but does anyone have knowledge of The Alphabet Club that was on Gerrard Street, London in the 1960s?

 

My Grandmother, who has sadly passed away, used to venture there in the 60s.

 

So - want to know if anyone had more info on the Club or even ventured there themselves.

 

Thank you in advance.

[Sceneman]

yes i went to the alphabet club ,black and white tiles on the dance floor , a,

minutes walk from the flamingo club  full of blocked teens 

[David Meikle]

Thanks to Geeselad who tipped a book on this thread 11 years ago.

“The Sharper Word - A Mod Anthology” is the title and I got a second hand copy today from Amazon for £4.62 incl P&P. 

Over 200 pages.