After Wigan?

[Bagasulph]

Mick above highlights one issue with documenting the 80's, it was much more fragmented, and you had to really want it to get it, and just listing venues is going to miss out a whole big part of the 80's success. the attitude, the politics, the f*ck it all attitude that matched the dark times for many, lots of people still don't get that. So to me just a historical run-down of the 80' will miss the whole essence of this. Dave Thorley is your man for this. 

 

 

 

This is exactly it - nail on the head Jock. This is the story I want to tell.

[Louise]

Not all of them. some would argue the more tasteful stayed within the fold till end of Stafford etc, the rest of old moaners followed Sam into (Heavy) Rock City, while proclaiming Northern Soul was dead and they would never have any more to do with that or those nasty people that still stayed up all night, rather than went to bed after a 1am soul night. 

 

Hindsight is a wonderfull thing, especially when its all documented!

Bradford Allnighter complete with a Modern room, 3 Modern Soul allnighters held at the 100 club etc there was a few manly modern soul fans about in them days even if they did iron creases in their jeans LOL !

Dave

Edited November 1, 2014 by Louise

[macca]

Someone who should get spoken to is John Vincent...just dug rhis flyer out...properly produced and glossy.Ahead of its time.

Interesting to see these flyers. Though I'd left the UK by then, I heard from mates that the Whittlesey nights ended after a dramatic DS raid on the place. I bet those thirty somethings, some of them already family men, didn't have the slightest inkling that plod would come sniffing around. The Peterborough dynamic DS duo of S & B were extremely diligent in their persecution of Soul fans in Peterborough, even long after the Northern Soul 'scare'. 

[Bagasulph]

Also If you read david nowells book too darn soulful

 

lots on the 80s in there too

 

Just read the 80s chapter and it kind of sums up why I want to do this. It skims over what I think was a real groundbreaking era, mentions a couple of clubs and then quickly moves onto Richard Searling's radio shows. As if that period doesn't really count.

[Pete S]

Lets just pretend it died, the Golden age had passed, the scene had split into small factions & even Keb said that most of the stuff played at Stafford was sh*te, it sounds a bit Country a lot of it to me, I'm glad I worked away for 15 years, I've tried listen to 80's/early 90's cd's & I'm lucky if I like 1 in 50 tunes. I'm glad we returned but even now a lot of stuffs R&B/DooWop. So good look with completing your project, I couldn't do it.    

Spot.  

 

Spot you're right about the doo wop and stuff but in the first few years after Wigan, the sounds were incredible, it's just a shame that we didn't have them at Wigan

[Bagasulph]

Keele for example often gets mentioned when referring to the 80s, yes it pulled numbers but it was mainly an oldies do which our lot went to if nothing else was on.

 

I just remembered I started a thread years ago around whether the would be a market for a book about post Wigan - I'll try and dig it out

 

 

Exactly what I'm trying to say. The point of the story is the change in music, passion and attitude that came about in a time when the general consensus is that the scene died.

 

If you can find that thread it would be a big help.

[Ady Croasdell]

Bradford Allnighter complete with a Modern room, 3 Modern Soul allnighters held at the 100 club etc there was a few manly modern soul fans about in them days even if they did iron creases in their jeans LOL !

Dave

I heard some of them used deodorant too!

[Ady Croasdell]

Just read the 80s chapter and it kind of sums up why I want to do this. It skims over what I think was a real groundbreaking era, mentions a couple of clubs and then quickly moves onto Richard Searling's radio shows. As if that period doesn't really count.

No books remotely nailed it but articles and essays like Chalky's and others have covered parts of it very well. There's certainly been enough Wigan analysis so I think you're on fertile ground.

[Pete S]

I was going to go through my itunes and list some of the best post-Wigan 45's but there would have been a thousand, this was just the start (am not interested in getting into arguments as to if they were played long long ago, if they were then fine!)

 

50 VERY LATE WIGAN OR POST WIGAN SOUNDS AS GOOD AS ANYTHING THAT WENT BEFORE

ADMIRATIONS — YOU LEFT ME
ALEXANDER PATTON — TRUE LOVE IS IN THE HEART
ALLEN SISTERS - I’M IN WITH THE DOWNTOWN CROWD
ANDREA HENRY — I NEED YOU LIKE A BABY
ANITA HUMES — WHAT DID I DO
ANN HEYWARD — CROOK HIS LITTLE FINGER
ANNABELLE FOX — LONELY GIRL
ARCADES — THERE’S GOT TO BE A LOSER
BARBARA LEWIS — THE STARS
BETTY LLOYD — I’M CATCHING ON
BETTY TURNER — THE WINDS KEPT LAUGHING
BIG DONS REBELLION — IT WAS TRUE
BLENDELS — YOU NEED LOVE
BOB & FRED — I’LL BE ON MY WAY
BOBBY HUTTON — COME SEE WHAT’S LEFT OF ME
BOBBY MAC — SHY GUY
BRENDA HOLLOWAY — RECONSIDER
BRENDA HOLLOWAY — CRYING TIME
CHECKMATES LTD — KISSING HER AND CRYING FOR YOU
CHUCK HOLIDAY — JUST CAN’T TRUST NOBODY
CLAUDE HUEY — WHY WOULD YOU BLOW IT

[Louise]

I heard some of them used deodorant too!

Only when it was 3 for the price 0f 2 in Boots to be 'Sure'

[Rhino]

for me  wigan had been and gone my 1st allnighter was the pier at morecambe being only 14 at the time i was probably as inspired by all the new music i heard and at that stage i couldnt tell u if it was a oldie or new discovery (60s newie as they were called then) it was all good to me being in a dance hall packed sweating and soaking up the atmosphere it was a time i would never forget. after a few years of being educated and going different venues (bradford/newcastle/blackburn/keele ect) the scene was so fragmented the oldies crowd and the newies crowd could see eye to eye quiet a strange time both slagging each other off. as for myself i was loving hearing the stuff that guy was playing the few times i went to shott were awesome really a great blend of known new stuff and rare stuff.with having nothing as wigan to compare to i just enjoyed myself and the music oldies/60s newies/ crossover/rare/modern it was all soul to me 

Edited November 1, 2014 by rhino

[Dazdakin]

Totw

Clifton hall

Morecombe pier

Parr hall

Queens hall Bradford

Swinford

Blackburn

Oddfellows

Palaise Notts

Keele

Fleet

Wirina

Buzzard

100 club

Hinckley leisure center

Loughborough Town Hall

Market Harborough

Middleton

Bretby

Sheffield turnups

All above ran after the casino was closed and I don't think any whilst still running.

Not comprehensive as there was other nighters during the 80's and 90's

Should keep you busy

Dazz

[Wiggyflat]

The scooter scene brought a lot of people in as well.The Allnighter Club of Great Britain were putting niters on.The mid seventies scooterists used to go to allnighters without the scooters and wore the same clothes.This carried on through the eighties and nineties.There was also a seperate mod revival in the south which was based on bands.A lot of these young kids got into northern after The Jam split up...their clothes were sixties and they got into rnb in a big way...the logical progesssion was the 100 Club.I remember there was a massive modern soul influence.At Newton Aycliffe it was modern non stop but advertised as a northern niter.Pat Brady was on and he said to me im going to stick a few sixties on...first track a little bit Hurt.One mod lad dancing and about 80 wedgeheads staring at him.If you really need to find out what was in you had to buy Echoes for one page.Im amazed when people go to write books and docs and don't look at collections of old Blues And Souls or Echoes.I have about 50 or 60 Echoes back pages which give you a timeline.

Edited November 1, 2014 by wiggyflat

[Peter99]

In terms of post Wigan records and stuff you could do worse than working your way through these previous threads. Sorry if you've already seen em.

 

 

 

 

Peter

 

[Professorturnups]

Would gladly contribute. The most exciting times for me were 1981 onwards, the little crowd of us from Norwich travelled alot - and still do - so we have lots of tales to tell!!

 

Regards

 

Mark Chamberlin

[macca]

Some examples of this "doowop"? I wasn't there in the 90s... 

[Ady Croasdell]

Totw

Clifton hall

Morecombe pier

Parr hall

Queens hall Bradford

Swinford

Blackburn

Oddfellows

Palaise Notts

Keele

Fleet

Wirina

Buzzard

100 club

Hinckley leisure center

Loughborough Town Hall

Market Harborough

Middleton

Bretby

Sheffield turnups

All above ran after the casino was closed and I don't think any whilst still running.

Not comprehensive as there was other nighters during the 80's and 90's

Should keep you busy

Dazz

100 Club was. We had to miss all those last ever Wigan nighters LOL

[Billywhizz]

100 Club was. We had to miss all those last ever Wigan nighters LOL

went to all of then ,and 100 club, tonight ,do i get prize, lol  billy

[Professorturnups]

I thought Clifton Hall started in 1980? Thought I saw a 2nd Anniversary patch saying 1982?? And the Fleet definitely running at the same time. I started going there in 1978.

Edited November 1, 2014 by professorturnups

[hullsoul]

Lets just pretend it died, the Golden age had passed, the scene had split into small factions & even Keb said that most of the stuff played at Stafford was sh*te, it sounds a bit Country a lot of it to me, I'm glad I worked away for 15 years, I've tried listen to 80's/early 90's cd's & I'm lucky if I like 1 in 50 tunes. I'm glad we returned but even now a lot of stuffs R&B/DooWop. So good look with completing your project, I couldn't do it.    

Spot.  

Spot

Have you been trying to get your "Spencers" on again

Cheers

Martyn

[Louise]

Totw

Clifton hall

Morecombe pier

Parr hall

Queens hall Bradford

Swinford

Blackburn

Oddfellows

Palaise Notts

Keele

Fleet

Wirina

Buzzard

100 club

Hinckley leisure center

Loughborough Town Hall

Market Harborough

Middleton

Bretby

Sheffield turnups

All above ran after the casino was closed and I don't think any whilst still running.

Not comprehensive as there was other nighters during the 80's and 90's

Should keep you busy

Dazz

I remember going to a couple of allnighters at the TOTW Stafford prior to Wigan shutting.

Dave

[spot]

Spot you're right about the doo wop and stuff but in the first few years after Wigan, the sounds were incredible, it's just a shame that we didn't have them at Wigan

Pete I don't remember it like that, I don't mean that awfully, I just don't remember it being good that's a reason why we stopped, other than work commitments, it went all Jazz Funk etc but I'm sure your right & I maybe missed somethings but I don't think so.  

Spot.   

Edited November 1, 2014 by spot

[spot]

Ah.. The old I wasn't there so it was crap story

No, the old I didn't like what I was hearing so I didn't bother going story & I still don't like 99% of it.  

Spot.  

[Godzilla]

I was going to go through my itunes and list some of the best post-Wigan 45's but there would have been a thousand, this was just the start (am not interested in getting into arguments as to if they were played long long ago, if they were then fine!)

 

50 VERY LATE WIGAN OR POST WIGAN SOUNDS AS GOOD AS ANYTHING THAT WENT BEFORE

ADMIRATIONS — YOU LEFT ME

ALEXANDER PATTON — TRUE LOVE IS IN THE HEART

ALLEN SISTERS - I’M IN WITH THE DOWNTOWN CROWD

ANDREA HENRY — I NEED YOU LIKE A BABY

ANITA HUMES — WHAT DID I DO

ANN HEYWARD — CROOK HIS LITTLE FINGER

ANNABELLE FOX — LONELY GIRL

ARCADES — THERE’S GOT TO BE A LOSER

BARBARA LEWIS — THE STARS

BETTY LLOYD — I’M CATCHING ON

BETTY TURNER — THE WINDS KEPT LAUGHING

BIG DONS REBELLION — IT WAS TRUE

BLENDELS — YOU NEED LOVE

BOB & FRED — I’LL BE ON MY WAY

BOBBY HUTTON — COME SEE WHAT’S LEFT OF ME

BOBBY MAC — SHY GUY

BRENDA HOLLOWAY — RECONSIDER

BRENDA HOLLOWAY — CRYING TIME

CHECKMATES LTD — KISSING HER AND CRYING FOR YOU

CHUCK HOLIDAY — JUST CAN’T TRUST NOBODY

CLAUDE HUEY — WHY WOULD YOU BLOW IT

 

 

I know you said you're not interested in knowing if any were played earlier but Checkmates Ltd was definitely played at W*g*n  - maybe 79ish...

[Ady Croasdell]

Some examples of this "doowop"? I wasn't there in the 90s...

I can't think of any doo wop, they may mean R&B or early soul vocal groups who sounded like the Drifters? Edited November 1, 2014 by ady croasdell

[Dazdakin]

I thought Clifton Hall started in 1980? Thought I saw a 2nd Anniversary patch saying 1982?? And the Fleet definitely running at the same time. I started going there in 1978.

The fleet if I remember had closed and then reopened under the management of danny Everard? I believe but yes the original fleet was on in the 70's and I think Clifton hall there was a couple of months crossover between them both that's all.

[Louis]

Agree with Jock start with Wigan Tiffany's, also look at the Political scene early eighties (Stafford started with reduced admission if you had a UB40 card...I think?).  Lots of unemployment, some people had to sell their record collections to survive.  Influx of young Southern people who had money to buy records and helped the growth of Stafford etc.

Also the "E" factor, which effected the all nighter scene after wigan.

 

Louis

[jocko]

The fleet if I remember had closed and then reopened under the management of danny Everard? I believe but yes the original fleet was on in the 70's and I think Clifton hall there was a couple of months crossover between them both that's all.

 

 I would say most certainly 81 for Clifton Hall, couple of the Edinburgh guys went twice instead of Wigan, but never made the second attempt. Not sure if it was same set up as it became post Wigan. 

[Jim Ohara]

Yes the E scene may have been after Wigan, but it was a long time after !!!

[Peter99]

Yes the E scene may have been after Wigan, but it was a long time after !!!

E's were 90's weren't they. Never my cup of tE!

[spot]

You are listening to the wrong CD's then, or more likely getting them from people pretending they were there, that is just not a Wigan chosen millions phenomenon you know. Mostly people seem to listen to the pish that was being played in 95 and assume thats the story, I was well on my way by then due to the quality of the music, and the people to be honest, on the scene by then. 

 

Lots of pish was played, like in every era, and when they were pushing the boat as far as they were there the quality quotient is going to be a higher risk. But like many eras there were as many classics and more than duffers.  Go and listen to a Guy Hennigan podcast and tell me its country or R&B.

I love the fact everyone is quoting Keb now, as some harbinger of doom ,go over to FB and see what he is championing now, and you will see what a tit you are making of yourself. He says he hates soul and only likes white garage bands (slight paraphrasing) and problem with Stafford was too much chasing Black music. If thats your bag on you go, but don't try and discredit something else with that. Kebs a one off  and ironically is still chasing the dream, just a very different one. And Keb has always been a good marketer and controversial with it. So if you want to write off an era do a bit more research is my advice. 

 

Mick above highlights one issue with documenting the 80's, it was much more fragmented, and you had to really want it to get it, and just listing venues is going to miss out a whole big part of the 80's success. the attitude, the politics, the f*ck it all attitude that matched the dark times for many, lots of people still don't get that. So to me just a historical run-down of the 80' will miss the whole essence of this. Dave Thorley is your man for this. 

 

I did an outline for Dave once of how I thought you should tell the story of the 80's, starting in Wigan Tiffanies October 1981 when most people were leaving for their 15 years of something or other excuse. I will ask if he is okay to share it with OP. I think its a difficult story to get write (sic), and if you get it wrong, there are a whole lot of characters out there no longer with us that will haunt your ass for eternity. 

Jocko It's an opinion, MY opinion and just because I quote Keb doesn't mean I worship at his altar, I've seen him at the UK Disco Championships & in a basement in Russia dancing to some wierd music & I don't think I've listened to the wrong cd's, a well known Dj gave me 3 or 4 with supposed Stafford Classics and out of 100+ tracks I found 4 that were ok. I don't need to do any research on the particular period, you can see it all on You Tube or Mix Cloud or SS,and I can't/didn't comment on other venues as I hadn't heard any music played at them, even though it most likely was the same. I've also heard Guy's podcasts & Chalky's Stafford podcasts and regularly hear Mr Thorley play out, I think last time he played Barry Norman's Film 2000 theme tune and some (His words) Peruvian Soul and saying that I like what he plays mostly. I don't need educating and after all I've listened to it still does nothing for me, just as Cleethorpes does nothing or is an irrelevance to some but to me was the best thing since sliced bread.  

Spot.  

[Jim Ohara]

E's were 90's weren't they. Never my cup of tE!

Well they certainly didn't work their way into the a northern Scene until around then

[Guest]

I know you said you're not interested in knowing if any were played earlier but Checkmates Ltd was definitely played at W*g*n  - maybe 79ish...

I'm Catching On - Betty Lloyd - BSC was played in Wigan.

[soultronic]

love to read anything that comes out on our scene , its all good . no point arguing . each one of us has a piece of the jigsaw. i used to love reading the letter pages in B&S  and Echoes in the early eighties . some of the content hilarious and some annoying when it descended into a oldies  vs  newies  rant.  went to the last few years of the Casino  and found it awesome.  Richard Searling , Soul Sam , Pat Brady and to a lesser extent Gary Rushbrooke playing some unbelievable music .  yes the attendances could be down on a Saturday but for quality soul.   top notch.  i wont pretend it was all happy families , remember some idiot going round with a petition to get Soul Sam sacked . enjoyed Maxims . Clifton Hall,  Stafford ,Morecambe, Cleethorpes  to varying degrees.  went to a lot of the clubs Richard Searling was doing in city centre Manchester  at the same time as Stafford was running.  Superb musically , but not always  packed and also in Manchester Colin Curtis and Hewan Clarke at Berlin.  As mentioned above some of the all-dayers  played a big part as well .  loved the ritz . look forward to seeing the finished article . A Herculean task indeed.  Good luck .  you can please some of the people .......

[El Corol]

Jocko It's an opinion, MY opinion and just because I quote Keb doesn't mean I worship at his altar, I've seen him at the UK Disco Championships & in a basement in Russia dancing to some wierd music & I don't think I've listened to the wrong cd's, a well known Dj gave me 3 or 4 with supposed Stafford Classics and out of 100+ tracks I found 4 that were ok. I don't need to do any research on the particular period, you can see it all on You Tube or Mix Cloud or SS,and I can't/didn't comment on other venues as I hadn't heard any music played at them, even though it most likely was the same. I've also heard Guy's podcasts & Chalky's Stafford podcasts and regularly hear Mr Thorley play out, I think last time he played Barry Norman's Film 2000 theme tune and some (His words) Peruvian Soul and saying that I like what he plays mostly. I don't need educating and after all I've listened to it still does nothing for me, just as Cleethorpes does nothing or is an irrelevance to some but to me was the best thing since sliced bread.  

Spot.  

This might mean going slightly off topic and it may be more to do with my vivid imagination but I'd like to hear more about how you ended up in seeing Keb Darge dancing in a Russian basement to weird music. Was he wearing clothes? Were Russian gangsters involved? Maybe I've read too many dodgy espionage thrillers?

[Guest Mrs M]

To document and research the soul scene after Wigan is music to my ears. I came along in 1987 but am proud to say that I was honoured and privileged to be accepted and be amongst who I will always refer to as the true die hards. My taste spans from The Wheel right up to the present day with a love for soul across the board.

So many people are totally unaware of just how many fabulous records continued to be discovered and are also unaware of the commitment and passion dedicated by so many people over the 30 years that followed.

These people who are referred to as the Soul Police deserve the utmost respect and recognition as well as being the loyalists who can tell it like it is. Why should such a magical underground music scene have Northern Soul portrayed by people who have returned after over two decades of absence. It makes a mockery of the fact that without your real diehards there wouldn't have been a soul scene to come back to.

I am in a very biased position being married to Dave Molloy but am under no disillusion knowing full well that my husband is one of the true soul men who went from Wigan with a passion, prolific knowledge and determination to take northern soul into it's next era of succession.

I just hope you identify with and speak to the right people, the very same people who can also speak from the heart on behalf of the influential characters, sadly no longer with us.

I wish you every success and look forward to seeing the media take off their blinkers and research with 100% accuracy.

[Drewtg]

The scooter scene brought a lot of people in as well.The Allnighter Club of Great Britain were putting niters on.The mid seventies scooterists used to go to allnighters without the scooters and wore the same clothes.This carried on through the eighties and nineties.There was also a seperate mod revival in the south which was based on bands.A lot of these young kids got into northern after The Jam split up...their clothes were sixties and they got into rnb in a big way...the logical progesssion was the 100 Club.I remember there was a massive modern soul influence.At Newton Aycliffe it was modern non stop but advertised as a northern niter.Pat Brady was on and he said to me im going to stick a few sixties on...first track a little bit Hurt.One mod lad dancing and about 80 wedgeheads staring at him.If you really need to find out what was in you had to buy Echoes for one page.Im amazed when people go to write books and docs and don't look at collections of old Blues And Souls or Echoes.I have about 50 or 60 Echoes back pages which give you a timeline.

 

I had a scooter (GP250) and I was on the scene throughout the seventies and early eighties, but I can't remember there being any notable 'scooter boy' or 'mod' presence. Always puzzles me to see the two linked. Just saying.

[nsaints]

A great thread - especially as it was 'my decade to find NS'. First went to a nighter in December 1984. Oddfellows in Leicester, having first being introduced to Northern through the scooter scene. Blown away, as this was for 'me' my escape from a small market town in Oxfordshire where the entertainment was simply to get out of your head on fosters snakebite and stagger home at the end of the evening

 

Then after breaking my pelvis Easter 1985, the Vespa written off, and once recovered - it was nighters full time having dropped Scooters.

 

Leyton Buzzard was our most local niter - and used to travel with the Oxford/Swindon crowd (Bricky RIP, Dave Lowe, Dave C, Scouse etc..), however we used to still travel to the Oddfellows, Notts Palais, Morecambe, Twisted Wheel when it reopened, and also the 100 club. Never went to Stafford ( a little before my time, else I just missed the tail end as I was in hospital recovering from the road accident)

 

Having not known anything before it certainly didn't feel like a scene that was dying or just limping along

 

Here's the record bar from Parr hall - very busy 

 

 

And I hope of more interest to some of you I kept some of the letters that appeared in Echoes late 1980's. A 'healthy' debate going on, stirred up we suspected by Echoes own staff writing letters, that were fictional people, just to generate a response/boost readership...However maybe someone know's 'Ken Keesal, of Ladbroke Grove'

 

Not sure why I kept them, perhaps for this very moment within this post 

 

 

 

EDIT - not very happy with the image sizes - I'll try and fix it

Edited November 2, 2014 by nsaints

[Neiljon31]

Copies of Shades Of Soul will probably be quite invaluable to this project as they include:

 

venue reviews

sales lists

record reviews

readers top 10's

 

 

That fanzine to me was wonderful, I learnt and discovered so much from reading such as Eddie Hubbards reviews of 45's hardly any of which I knew and would probably never of heard out until several years later at such venues say as Thorne. I never went to Wigan so can't comment on that period but during through the 80's and early 90's it struck me, (rightly or wrongly) that a whole rich seam of quality records were finding their way out of collections and bedrooms and into venues and onto dance floors that previously may not have done. Perhaps everyone feels that about a specific given time and I think that's great. 

 

Interesting  stuff anyway, good luck with it. Setting your parameters, as has has been mentioned, will be a task in itself I think !

[Pete S]

I know you said you're not interested in knowing if any were played earlier but Checkmates Ltd was definitely played at W*g*n  - maybe 79ish...

 

I stopped going there by then so wouldn't have known that - I didn't hear it til the 80's so I'm sure you're right

[Pete S]

I'm Catching On - Betty Lloyd - BSC was played in Wigan.

 

Must have been a mega flop then!  First person I ever heard play it was Pep on Dave Evison's show

[Chalky]

I'm Catching On - Betty Lloyd - BSC was played in Wigan.

 

Must have been a mega flop then!  First person I ever heard play it was Pep on Dave Evison's show

 

 

Whilst researching the Stafford Story I was told by more than one person that it was a very brief Mecca spin.  It was later reactivated and made big by Chris Plant. That is what i am led to believe.

[Ian Dewhirst]

Must have been a mega flop then!  First person I ever heard play it was Pep on Dave Evison's show

 

It was a flop first time around really. I played it sporadically in '75 and it was a 'last hour at the Mecca' record but it never made it past 'cult status' back then. Sounds weird to say it, but certain records sounded 'too dated' for that particular period and Betty Lloyd was in that category. 

 

Ian D 

Edited November 2, 2014 by Ian Dewhirst

[spot]

This might mean going slightly off topic and it may be more to do with my vivid imagination but I'd like to hear more about how you ended up in seeing Keb Darge dancing in a Russian basement to weird music. Was he wearing clothes? Were Russian gangsters involved? Maybe I've read too many dodgy espionage thrillers?

Came across it on You Tube, was looking for Keb dancing in UK Disco Championships, put his name in & a few things popped up butthat one was a bit weird, unsure if it was Russia but I'm almost sure it was Eastern Block type place & a bit scary.  

Spot.  

[Chalky]

I remember going to a couple of allnighters at the TOTW Stafford prior to Wigan shutting.

Dave

 

Think Minsh was running those, was definitely the odd one or two in late 81, maybe very early 82 (I have some echoes somewhere with adverts in) and then Dave T got on board and Top Dog began life in April 82.

[spot]

Spot

Have you been trying to get your "Spencers" on again

Cheers

Martyn

Martyn I'm that old they didn't even have a name when I wore them & had to be made to measure at Burtons Menswear.  

Spot.  

[Pete S]

It was a flop first time around really. I played it sporadically in '75 and it was a 'last hour at the Mecca' record but it never made it past 'cult status' back then. Sounds weird to say it, but certain records sounded 'too dated' for that particular period and Betty Lloyd was in that category. 

 

Ian D 

 

Reason I said I didn't want to get into debate about the dates of these records is because yes, they may have been played before, but they were popular in the 80's, that's all.  I know you're right Ian / Chalky cos Ian Levine briefly mentions it in Black Music.

[Wiggyflat]

Echoes fron 1990 to 92 ...why i kept these pages i don't know.Will try and find playlists.look how midtempo that alt oldies chart is

Edited November 2, 2014 by wiggyflat

[Ian Dewhirst]

Whilst researching the Stafford Story I was told by more than one person that it was a very brief Mecca spin.  It was later reactivated and made big by Chris Plant. That is what i am led to believe.

 

It was a Mecca tune. Certain unknown 60s records were still played at the Mecca in '75, even if some people at that time could be a bit a 'sniffy' about such obvious 60s dinosaurs being played amidst the contemporary new releases at the time. Joe Mathews and Bernie Williams were in the same category.

 

Ian D   

Edited November 2, 2014 by Ian Dewhirst

[Hill868]

Sure this post is not in the right category, don't actually give a Flying F***

 

 

content removed by site - post it in the event comments if you want to discuss/give feedback on events

Edited November 2, 2014 by mike
content removed - no need for this sort of crap -member given warning