After Wigan?

[bagasulph 27]

So, every time I see anything about Northern Soul these days (and I've seen lots) it seems that when the casino closed the scene died. I know from a lot of comments on here that many are annoyed with this view. So I'm taking it upon myself to do some research and write an article on the days after Wigan. I'll put it on my site initially but I also have plans to create a magazine in the near future so this would be a great thing to publish.

 

I don't do things by half so if I'm going to write it I'm going to be thorough. Which means I need as much info and as many contacts as possible. I have my own recollections of the time, but they won't be enough!

 

Anyone who can help, please let me know. 

[KevH 4,741]

A big project .

[bagasulph 27]

It is indeed!

But a worthy one.

[barney 1,282]

I sincerely wish you well and hope you have thick skin coz the soul police will have you if you dont , lol

[KevH 4,741]

I sincerely wish you well and hope you have thick skin coz the soul police will have you if you dont , lol

 

You're nicked.!! First rule of Soul Police is.....

[bagasulph 27]

Well, if the soul police want the story told in full, then they better contribute

[Swifty 3,348]

Go for it mate 

[Winsford Soul 11,365]

Good luck

 

Steve

[The Tempest 468]

Talk to Keb Darge, I spent a very amusing night listening to his stories of when they kicked off Stafford and the Casino oldies / pop crowds turned up initially and were asking for the same old dross, I think he played one record five times in a row and then snapped it in half chucking it over his shoulder saying - " Right enough of that old stuff, let't try some new stuff " !!!!!

The rest as they say is history........

[bagasulph 27]

Yeah, Keb's in my sites!

Actually, that reminds me.. I remember a magazine I stumbled upon maybe 15-20 years ago now. There was an interview with Keb where he basically talked about exactly this. It wasn't a soul mag so it was quite an odd feature but was pretty meaty.. Anyone got any idea what I'm on about?

[MBarrett 1,253]

B

 

A while back I was interested in what happened in the immediate aftermath of Wigan i.e. the week after the doors finally closed, and the week after that. and the week after that . . . . . . . .

 

I started this thread

 

Might be something in there of interest to you.

 

MB

[Quinvy 2,699]

Guy Hennigan would be a great source of information, as would Butch. 

[bagasulph 27]

Thanks Mark, will have a read through it

[bagasulph 27]

Cheers Quinvy!

[Guest Bearsy]

Ady Croasdell is a must 

[Guest]

Talk to Keb Darge, I spent a very amusing night listening to his stories of when they kicked off Stafford and the Casino oldies / pop crowds turned up initially and were asking for the same old dross, I think he played one record five times in a row and then snapped it in half chucking it over his shoulder saying - " Right enough of that old stuff, let't try some new stuff " !!!!!

I don't know why people use the music as a political tool of one-upmanship!

Some of those Casino oldies, as you call them, are some of the greatest records ever made and played on the Northern soul scene.

I like all the best records from all the decades. Wigan, Mecca, Stafford, 100 club, Tonys Empress, Shotts, Keele, 90's Ritz and loads more.( I like Wheel and Torch records but never went to those venues)

I don't understand how a 1960's record discovered in 1974 is inferior to a 1960's record discovered in 1995 for instance.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Guest

[Little-stevie 1,582]

I started just as Wigan closed... Bradford Queens hall.... Now who were the promoters for that???

 

Contact Roger Banks, a big player from them times right on through....

[Hooker1951 851]

Why not a project Before Wigan.beleive me there was lots going on.A underground scene which was much deeper and darker music wise than the casino .

                                          mick L God Bless

[bagasulph 27]

I don't think it's strictly oneupmanship Solidsoul (although there's obviously an element of that in all DJs). Keb's point was that playing the same records over and over again wasn't progressive. I saw a lot of oldies nights and the scene would've died on its arse without the people who pushed things forward.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.. Keep em coming!

[bagasulph 27]

To be fair, pre Wigan is pretty well documented.

[Swifty 3,348]

Cleethorpes was the Business imho playing brand new and lots of unknown oldies , plus known oldies   but a great mix imho 

[Wiganer1 1,677]

as a dancers perspective ,,,happy to contribute ....on scene from end of an era at wigan til current day...atb mark

[Guest]

I don't think it's strictly oneupmanship Solidsoul (although there's obviously an element of that in all DJs). Keb's point was that playing the same records over and over again wasn't progressive. I saw a lot of oldies nights and the scene would've died on its arse without the people who pushed things forward.

It's always been a good thing to search out and play new sounds.

I have always looked to hear and learn new sound's, but why be disrespective to the records that have been played in the past?

I remember some of those Stafford DJ's in earlier times at Wigan, and they looked like they were was enjoying themselves!

Edited October 30, 2014 by Guest

[Byrney 1,968]

I sincerely wish you well and hope you have thick skin coz the soul police will have you if you dont , lol

He's right you know, N Division won't be happy if you mention anything post Dec 81 up to the mid 90s. After then you're kind of Ok

 

fair play on you for taking this on, although I think there's a book there. Here's some suggestions:

Stafford, Oddfellows, Clifton Hall, Bradford, 100 Club, Mexborough, Blackburn, Morcambe, Parr Hall, Swan Mansfield, Chesterfield Winding Wheel, Rock City, Allenton, Abraham Moss, Congleton, Wilton... That's just for starters.

 

theres a thread on here somewhere that lists venues in the 80s, I tried a search but couldn't find it.

[Dave Pinch 1,823]

Roger banks never got enough credit imo.. Thru the late 80s and 90s at venues like the Wilton.. He had some exclusives but continually broke and played cheaper records to great effect

Edited October 30, 2014 by dave pinch

[Aaron Darcy 203]

So, every time I see anything about Northern Soul these days (and I've seen lots) it seems that when the casino closed the scene died. I know from a lot of comments on here that many are annoyed with this view. So I'm taking it upon myself to do some research and write an article on the days after Wigan. I'll put it on my site initially but I also have plans to create a magazine in the near future so this would be a great thing to publish.

 

I don't do things by half so if I'm going to write it I'm going to be thorough. Which means I need as much info and as many contacts as possible. I have my own recollections of the time, but they won't be enough!

 

Anyone who can help, please let me know. 

good luck hope it all goes  to plan

[Guest gordon russell]

didn,t keb darge say that what he played at stafford was sh*te in the scheme of things?.....umm

[son of stan 254]

Talk to Keb Darge, I spent a very amusing night listening to his stories of when they kicked off Stafford and the Casino oldies / pop crowds turned up initially and were asking for the same old dross, I think he played one record five times in a row and then snapped it in half chucking it over his shoulder saying - " Right enough of that old stuff, let't try some new stuff " !!!!!

The rest as they say is history........

Wasn't there but heard about this at or near the time. I think the record in question was supposedly JJ Barnes 'Our Love is in the Pocket'...Followed by Tony Galla 'In Love'..

[bagasulph 27]

If anyone has email addresses or contact details for Guy, Butch etc could you pm me.

[son of stan 254]

What about the extremely short lived vogue for Latin soul during the Stafford era? There were loads played for a fairly brief period and they were popular. Then all of a sudden, like a line had been drawn,you never heard them again!

[Steve G 7,132]

…meanwhile Wigan's disciples of modern soul went in a very different direction….     

[macca 1,358]

The onset of the beat ballad is worth going into. my mind neatly puts them all in the early 80s but I read on here that stuff like gene mcdaniels walk with a winner was played as early as 78. That must have sounded odd alongside horrors like peggy march and phil coulter.... 

[Dave Rimmer 2,222]

All from the SKM pages on Stafford allnighters. Research and interviews done by John Pugh.

 

Guy Hennigan Interview - Read.

Pat Brady Interview - Read.

Tim Ashibende Interview - Read.

The Stafford Playlists - Read.

Venue Report from 1983 - Read.

[Drewtg 413]

Talk to Keb Darge, I spent a very amusing night listening to his stories of when they kicked off Stafford and the Casino oldies / pop crowds turned up initially and were asking for the same old dross, I think he played one record five times in a row and then snapped it in half chucking it over his shoulder saying - " Right enough of that old stuff, let't try some new stuff " !!!!!

The rest as they say is history........

 

Sounds apocryphal to me but even if it were true, it says far more about the writer than it does about the music. I wasn't aware of a "pop crowd" in the seventies and as a dj, I never got asked to play any "dross".

 

Wasn't there but heard about this at or near the time. I think the record in question was supposedly JJ Barnes 'Our Love is in the Pocket'...Followed by Tony Galla 'In Love'..

 

If these are the two records in question it was hardly a ground breaking, history in the making moment was it?

[wiggyflat 690]

That is quite funny ...rare soul...snapping a black singers record and then putting on a white pop record...a record I like btw.

[Kegsy 5,107]

The onset of the beat ballad is worth going into. my mind neatly puts them all in the early 80s but I read on here that stuff like gene mcdaniels walk with a winner was played as early as 78. That must have sounded odd alongside horrors like peggy march and phil coulter.... 

 

This was known long before Wigan, may have even been played at the Wheel.

[okehgaz 31]

So, every time I see anything about Northern Soul these days (and I've seen lots) it seems that when the casino closed the scene died. I know from a lot of comments on here that many are annoyed with this view. So I'm taking it upon myself to do some research and write an article on the days after Wigan. I'll put it on my site initially but I also have plans to create a magazine in the near future so this would be a great thing to publish.

 

I don't do things by half so if I'm going to write it I'm going to be thorough. Which means I need as much info and as many contacts as possible. I have my own recollections of the time, but they won't be enough!

 

Anyone who can help, please let me know. 

Please don't forget Morecambe Central Pier.

[manus 654]

Wasn't there but heard about this at or near the time. I think the record in question was supposedly JJ Barnes 'Our Love is in the Pocket'...Followed by Tony Galla 'In Love'..

 

I'm really into the concept of progression and new sounds but I must say I would have found it a bit of a downer to see JJ Barnes confined to the past in favour of Tony Galla.

[Back Street Blue 2,050]

....Wealth of information in the hands of the membership of this site....check out Chalky's web site...loads of Stafford tapes and info', think Jumpin' Joan put up the list of 80's venues a few months ago....Jocko was writing and producing a "periodical" around that time when Albrighton was in full throw....Middleton and Droylsdon got going in the NW, the Burnley lads were bang at it with Butch on the decks at their alldayers.....Leeds Central and Clifton Hall in Yorkshire....

You've got your work cut out mate!!

[bagasulph 27]

Thanks for all the input so far.. I'll read through all the links and stuff over the course of today. But I want to keep this conversation going as the more leads I can get the better. My post yesterday was a bit spur of the moment and probably sounds like I'm totally unprepared or lacking general knowledge. But like I said, I know where I was and what I was doing at the time, but there was clearly a lot more going on than that!

 

I have a feeling this may turn into a book right enough, but that doesn't phase me. I actually just finished writing the history of the disco remix, wrote the liner notes for Dimitri from Paris's get Down With The Philly Sound amongst other things, so I'm keen to do a good job of this, no matter what it takes!

[macca 1,358]

This was known long before Wigan, may have even been played at the Wheel.

Yes Kegsy, no doubt. I guess other beat ballads like Wade Flemons That Other Place may have been played much earlier, even as new releases at the Wheel and at the Scene in London, but to most people my age in the early 80s they were part of a new "tempo change trend" instigated by the 100 Club & Stafford innovators. It's mighty nice to know they didn't just come from out of nowhere. :-)

[hullsoul 6,969]

Look forward to the end product.

Couple of names not mentioned yet might be worth getting in touch with........Barrie Waddington & Craig Butler.

Cheers

Martyn

[Kegsy 5,107]

Yes Kegsy, no doubt. I guess other beat ballads like Wade Flemons That Other Place may have been played much earlier, even as new releases at the Wheel and at the Scene in London, but to most people my age in the early 80s they were part of a new "tempo change trend" instigated by the 100 Club & Stafford innovators. It's mighty nice to know they didn't just come from out of nowhere. :-)

 

Not unless they got a British release, very few imports around at that time.

[bagasulph 27]

Look forward to the end product.

Couple of names not mentioned yet might be worth getting in touch with........Barrie Waddington & Craig Butler.

Cheers

Martyn

Thanks martyn, I've added them to my list

[Rhino 390]

Please don't forget Morecambe Central Pier.

 

 

could help with stuff on morecambe  pier still see shaun gibbons. there was shotts, keele, and newcastle 

[Len 3,726]

didn,t keb darge say that what he played at stafford was sh*te in the scheme of things?.....umm

I think the statement you refer to is when Keb was commenting about the stuff he played at that time when comparing it to some of the stuff Butch is currently playing.

 

I don’t think anyone would disagree really - Keb and others were experimenting so they were bound to play some ‘clangers’ (amongst some great tunes)

 

Good luck with this project - Not many would want to take it on  

 

All the best,

 

Len  

[Len 3,726]

Yeah, Keb's in my sites!

Actually, that reminds me.. I remember a magazine I stumbled upon maybe 15-20 years ago now. There was an interview with Keb where he basically talked about exactly this. It wasn't a soul mag so it was quite an odd feature but was pretty meaty.. Anyone got any idea what I'm on about?

 

I think I have it somewhere. I'll dig it out for you at the weekend and P.M you a scan.

 

All the best,

 

Len  

Edited October 31, 2014 by LEN

[bagasulph 27]

could help with stuff on morecambe  pier still see shaun gibbons. there was shotts, keele, and newcastle 

Thanks mate. Right now I'm just taking notes. Will do some research and try to get a basic structure together then will be looking for details to turn it into a story. I'll take you up on this then!

[bagasulph 27]

I think I have it somewhere. I'll dig it out for you at the weekend and P.M you a scan.

 

All the best,

 

Len  

That would be amazing if you could Len. Thank you!!

[Chalky 14,359]

Wasn't there but heard about this at or near the time. I think the record in question was supposedly JJ Barnes 'Our Love is in the Pocket'...Followed by Tony Galla 'In Love'..

 

Whenever it was it wasn't when Stafford started in April '82 unless it was another DJ.