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

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

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, 200916 yr by Malc Burton

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

Edited June 29, 200916 yr by 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

Edited June 29, 200916 yr by Malc Burton

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.

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/

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, 201015 yr by DanDare