Torch56

Stafford Remembered, Facebook page.

In 1971 its status as the cult label on the scene was firmly established. Crashing percussion and banks of strings delivered the definitive wall of sound that registered with the cognoscenti to the extent that one devotee had the label's distinctive lettering tattooed on his arm, according to Dave Godin's report from the Twisted Wheel in Blues and Soul. Festival Time and Please Let Me In are afforded iconic status today, and rightly so, but a track that epitomises the Ric-tic sound that was hardly ever played is Shades Down, credited to the Detroit Emeralds but, almost certainly, actually delivered by the San Remo Golden Strings.

Remember Classical Gas on Top of the Pops, September 1968. Thought it was brilliant then and still do. Heard the Carstairs for the first time at the Catacombs, summer, 1973. Couldn't understand why it was popular (and it undoubtedly was.) It presaged a development in sounds that largely left me cold, unfortunately.

Victoria Park, Stafford.

Catacombs opening night was November 22, 1968, with 'Top Radio 1 DJ' Mike Raven the star attraction. Carl Dene, known in those days as Farmer Karl, joined the roster in December, having been invited to do so because of his Chateau Impney reputation. Despite what was proclaimed in those Blues and Soul adverts, the Cat's rarely closed as late as 2 a.m. and frequently much earlier. Even in its 1973 heyday (post Torch, pre Wigan) proceedings were halted at 1 a.m. leaving an enthusiastic crowd seeking alternative arrangements. I recall being impressed by a group of lads who had travelled from Carlisle one night so hats off to Dave Meikle for making it to the Cat's from Glasgow.

Express and Star, January 26, 1972. Big Dave {Dave Moore] was so called because he was very tall and his name was Dave. The Soul Brothers were literally brothers. This line-up DJ'd at a host of venues in Wolverhampton in the early 70s playing a mix of pop stuff and Soul. You were as likely to hear Slade's latest as you were to hear something like 'Helpless'. The Catacombs had a much more consistent cutting edge playlist, so I was surprised to come across this advert indicating their appearence there. The reference to Cav Regulars refers to the Cavendish Suite which was part of the Victoria Hotel complex. In the late eighties Pep ran monthly soul nights there which were very well attended.

Express and Star, January 26, 1972.

Hilton Park Services provided an alternative venue for punters frustrated by the Catacombs' 1a.m. closing time in mid 1973. With the Torch closed and Wigan yet to open, punters descended on the M6 in numbers to while away the early hours with animated conversation and discatrons before the grey light of dawn pulled them back to the more mundane routines of life.

Sunday morning ritual after the night before. Bob Dryden from Wolverhampton at the back on the left.

Didn't come across any Northern on local radio until Terry Christian on Radio Derby in 1985. Interesting that Merseyside was doing some six years earlier when Liverpool was always supposedly regarded as a bit of a Northern-free zone.