Epic

Know it deffo has a "Mecca feel" to it but Iam reasonably sure it never got a spin there - as much as I like it I think its lyrical content lets it down slightly.

No - it was a Richard Searling spin at Wigan - as you say top tune !!

Mo Claridge also slaughtered Bo & Ruth - "You're Gonna Get Next To Me" - dismissing it as pop disco of the worst kind. Think people who frequent modern soul weekenders would disagree - it's an anthem - & it was very popular in The Highland Room.

Seem to think Ian was supplying some "Northern" records to Richard around 75/76 when sixties soul had ceased being played in the Highland Room - may be wrong but I heard that Jay D Martin came from Ian Levines collection - Don Gardner - Cheatin' Kind definitely did. Also Colin Colin Curtis's copy of The International GTO's ended up with Soul Sam in a swap deal - without it ever being played up The Mecca.

There were played fleetingly because of the huge turnover of records that were coming out as new releases - records were not dwelt on for any length of time. 1) "big" with whom? - we liked it & bought it - it was "big" with us!! 2) Does a record have to get a seal of approval from a NS Nighter to be considered as acceptable ? 3) Can't really get more modern than being played as a new release !! & one last point "Who is Mark ?

They were "big" for us when first spun at The Mecca - the fact that certain clubs & individuals didn't cotton on to those tunes until many years later just adds more credibility& impact to the Highland Room playlists of the mid seventies. Records like Corey Blake & Jesse James were played & then we moved on to other things - the current modern/crossover scene has played them on & off for the last twenty or so years. The tunes you list above were mainly Colin spins - he played 'em & then moved on - that is how it was & that is what kept us coming back for more.

I have always said that most of the people who criticised The Mecca for its musical policy after 1975 never actually went - think this thread goes someway to vindicating Colin, Ian & the Highland Room regulars for the stance they took. 1975-77 was an amazing time for music - what a treat it was to be there every Saturday night - the people who were there will know exactly what I mean - it really was "Livin' For The Weekend".

Margo Thunder & Paul Humphrey weren't released until 1974.

Great list Steve. - All those in Red are so special to me. Now then, where are my tapers, mohair jumper & plastic sandals ? Cheers Andy

Great record - a fantastic piece of "slip & slide" soul - one of my fave tunes ever from The Highland Room.

It was - some 3 years after The Mecca first played it.

Believe me it took quite a time to be generally accepted after its initial spin at The Mecca.

Sums it all up for me with Gil Scott Heron - "The Bottle". Think everyone will agree that it is now accepted as a Northern Soul anthem. It can also be called Jazz - Funk & even Disco classic. No other club (or DJs up north) apart from The Mecca would risk or "break" a record like that back then.

Yea - 3 Disco Re-Edits & it's time for home.

Leo & Co - Hot Dog

Wasn't Keith Minshull involved at the Mecca around 71/72 & in 1979 Steve Naylor did some spinning with Bryan Wakelin.

A lot of the tunes listed were played were when the Mecca/Wigan feud was at its height - people accused the Highland Room of not playing soul music anymore - just "funky disco sh*te" - think the list says different !!

Here is a list of "last hour" tunes played by Colin Curtis - probably up to 1977. Thirty Two years on it is interesting to see how many of these records still feature on many peoples wants lists - so much quality within this list. Mamie Galore No Right To Cry Ramsey And Co Love Call Bobby Taylor There Are Roses Somewhere In This World Paulette Reeves Jazz Freak Dorothy Morrison I Cant Go On Without You James Bynum Time Passes By Lynn Vernado Wash And Wear Love Ann Peebles If This Is Heaven Diane Jenkins Tow a Way Zone Diane Jenkins I Need You The Nights Love Knocked You Down Little Beaver Listen To My HeartBeat Quadraphonics Betcha If You Check It Out Bessie Banks Dont You Worry Baby Stevens And Foster I Wanna Be Loved Pete Warner I just Wanna Spend My Life Herbert Hunter I Was Born To Love You Barbara Hall You Brought It On Yourself Arnold Jarvis Trying To Get Next To You The Notations Think Before You Stop Essex IV My Reaction To You Bill Brandon The Streets Got My Lady The Crow Your Autumn Of Tomorrow Debbie Fleming Long Gone Bobby Foster If You Ever Need A Friend Boogie Man Orchestra Lady Lady Lady Stanley Woodruff What Took You So Long Danny Reed What Makes Her A Woman Hosanna Hipit Eddie Horan The Ups And Downs Of A Love Affair Invitations Look On The Good Side Johhny Balker Shy Guy Soulvation Army Band Dancing On A Daydream Imperial Wonders You Only Live Once Jimmy Jones Aint Nothin Wrong Makin Love Dooley Silverspoon Game Players Crystal Motion Youre My Main Squeeze Dave Love Baby Hard Times Bobby Newton Shady Lady Donny Gerrard He's Always Somewhere Around Bo KirkLand Ruth Davis Youre Gonna Get Next To Me Entertains Love Will Turn Around Mark Putney Todays Man Mandrill Never Die InnerVision Honey Babe Vessie Simmons I Cant Make It On My Own John Bowie Youre Gonna Miss A Good Thing Baby Chuck Stephens Lets Get Nasty Universal Love Its You Girl Jackie Moore Heart Be Still Special Delivery This Kind Of Love Sandra Richardson Stay With Me Jean Carn If You Wanna Go Back Darrow Fletcher We Need An Understanding Margie Joseph Come On Back To Me Lover Josie Jo Armstead I Got The Vibes Newcomers The Whole World Is A Picture Show Aristocrats Lets Get Together now Spread Love Here I Go Jeanie Tracy Making New Friends Ultimate Girl Ive Been Trying To Tell You Ty Karim Lighten Up Lynn Varnado Wash And Wear Love George Benson Supership Celeste Hardy Youre Gone Mel Williams Sweet Girl Of Mine Joe Anderson You And I Norman Connors / Philip Mitchell Once Ive Been There Michael Henderson Oscar Perry He Sent Me You Oscar Perry I Got The Need Oscar Perry Main String Philly Devotions Just Cant Say GoodBye MayBerry Movement I Can See Him Makin Love Charen Cotton A Little Bit Of Love Ronnie Walker Magics In The Air Street People Never Get Enough Pat Lundy PartyMusic Jacky Beavers Trying To Get Back To You Girl Almeta Lattimore These Memories Notations Its All Right Casanova Two We Got To Keep On Hypnotics Beware Of A Stranger Deniece Chandler Mama I Wish I Stayed At Home Jimmy Holiday When Im Loving You Frankie Newsome We Are On Our Way Bill Harris Uptown Saturday Night Don Renaldo Fiddlin Around (Pete Haigh Redit) Lydia Marcelle Its Not Like You Ann Byers Im So Happy About You Minne Jones Shadow Of A Memory Donnie Burkes Youlll Never Know What You Got Windy City We Party Up In Yeah Wales Wallace Somebody I Know Wales Wallace Whatever You Want Lost Family Blow My Mind Prince George Wrong Crowd Andre Maurice Youre The Cream Of The Crop Jobell Orchestra Never Gonna Let You Go Donald Byrd Think Twice Johhny Hammond Los Consqistadors Chocolates Dynamics We Need Love Dee Dee Warwick Funny How We Change Places Leroy Hutson Ella Weez Total Eclipse You Took Took A Heart That Was Torn Lou Courtney Somebody New Is Loving You JB Bingham All Alone By The Telephone CheckMates All Alone By The Telephone Reason Why Step In My World Corey Blake How Can I Go On Without You Southside Movement Do It To Me Beloyd Get Into My Life Smoked Sugar 20th Century LP Larry Saunders On The Real Side Pleasure Let Me Be The One Vibrations Shake It Up TNJ'S Dont Forget About Me Natural Four The Devil Made Me Do It Don Downing Dreamworld Dee Dee Sharp Happy Bout The Whole Thing

Sometimes you would get some p*ss artists from downstairs wander into The Highland Room during the last hour. If they sat & watched they were OK - if they decided to try & take the p*ss they were asked to go downstairs by some of the "handier lads" who were listening to Colin's set - it always worked!!

The Bali Hai was a seperate bar room off the main ballroom downstairs. The main ballroom did not have a name. The Highland Room was having some work done on it around 77 - the ceiling had collapsed. I think & they put a temporary dancefloor in the Bali Hai & that was where the Highland Room regulars went - 2 or 3 times this happened if my memory is correct. People on this thread mentioned the escalators - to get to the Highland Room from the ground floor you took two escalators then one set of stairs - the second floor housed the bowling alley.

Teddy Pendergrass.

One of my mates has one of the decks that Messrs Levine & Curtis used in The Highland Room. They changed the decks circa 1977 & my brother smuggled one of the original ones out under his coat - they were just leaning against the DJ booth when the new ones had been fitted.

Ian if you put yourself in the "lion's mouth" every now & again you will get bitten. Accept the praise & take the criticism with the same attitude as they are both "false gods". Some people on here will never like or buy your music & that's a fact, but, if even a handful begin to like it/buy it then surely that goes someway of giving an "up yours" to your detractors. Anybody who joins/posts on here does so of their own free will - if at times you dislike the contents of this forum then you know what you have to do. Sometimes threads on here do get personal & not "in the spirit" - then is the time to distance yourself for at least a short while.

I happen to like Soulful Dance music - was it around in Sam Cooke's day then?