Angels, Burnley

[Guest]

Hi, can anybody help me with out with some info on Angels.

If any of you went there in the 70's/ early 80's i'd appreciate hearing what it was like ? Apparently it was 'state of the art' sound and lighting, and I believe opened in 1974 ? Richard Searling told me he did a Wednesday night there, Levine was a resident too at one stage.

Did anyone happen to know Paul Simon who ran it at the time ?

Thanks Greg.

[Barry]

Good evening Greg - how's Chester treating you son?

[Dave Moore]

Hi, can anybody help me with out with some info on Angels.

If any of you went there in the 70's/ early 80's i'd appreciate hearing what it was like ? Apparently it was 'state of the art' sound and lighting, and I believe opened in 1974 ? Richard Searling told me he did a Wednesday night there, Levine was a resident too at one stage.

Did anyone happen to know Paul Simon who ran it at the time ?

Thanks Greg.

Hi Greg,

The Angels Nightclub was under an NCP car park in the town centre. The music played there was a mix of JazzFunk and Disco. It was all chrome, stainless steal and state of the art lighting. It was the days of frantic dancing, people blowing whistles etc (long before then rave scene), and I think I'm right in saying that The Angels was regarded as the leader in terms of clubs of this nature. I only went a couple of times as the music wasn't really my thing and just round the corner was the Inn Plaice (Concord Club), that we used to run, which was Rare/Northern only.

[Briles]

Hi Greg,

The Angels Nightclub was under an NCP car park in the town centre. The music played there was a mix of JazzFunk and Disco. It was all chrome, stainless steal and state of the art lighting. It was the days of frantic dancing, people blowing whistles etc (long before then rave scene), and I think I'm right in saying that The Angels was regarded as the leader in terms of clubs of this nature. I only went a couple of times as the music wasn't really my thing and just round the corner was the Inn Plaice (Concord Club), that we used to run, which was Rare/Northern only.

If it was a state of the art music system, this was more than let down by the fact the beer was JW Lees from Oldham, and if you thought the beer was bad, then you needed to try the cider, shocking

The only good nite I had there was when Burnley FC unexpectedly beat Preston to get to the final of the Sherpa Van Trophy which was at Wembley 1988 against Wolves. The current chairman - Teasdale, and the team came in to celebrate what turned out to be a momentous win, very important for the club. Can still picture the champagne flowing, obviously knew to stick to the bottled stuff

[BrianB]

Dave Moore (Buenas Tardes. Como Estas?) is right.

It wasn't a place that soulies from Burnley went to. I only went once with my ex bird, cos her dad knew the owner, and we got a late free drink there one Tuesday night.

Musically it was evrything I have ever hated about that type of scene, and don't get me started about whistles.

Burnley being as it was, it was also the scene for fun and games outside around 2am, as the locals didn't like strangers in town!

[Guest]

Dave Moore (Buenas Tardes. Como Estas?) is right.

It wasn't a place that soulies from Burnley went to. I only went once with my ex bird, cos her dad knew the owner, and we got a late free drink there one Tuesday night.

Musically it was evrything I have ever hated about that type of scene, and don't get me started about whistles.

Burnley being as it was, it was also the scene for fun and games outside around 2am, as the locals didn't like strangers in town!

Right on Brian!.....I went a couple of times and hated its mirrored "Disco Tex" shiny thing styling (like Va-va`s on Acid!) everything we stood for went out the window in this place.

Cant remember any Searling or Levine connections but im sure there would have been at some time.

Last time I went was a year or so before they pulled it down.........a mates Christmas works do with a live sex show...an all blokes party, so no one to shag!

All the best mate....and you too Dave!

Edited December 26, 2007 by Guest

[Davetay]

Cant remember any Searling or Levine connections but im sure there would have been at some time.

[Guest Modern Skip Tone]

R Searling did Wednesday nights and I Levine did Sunday nights.

There was quite a few of the Mecca crowd that where into Jazz/Funk that went.

I had some great nights there.

[Guest KIERON R]

hi I used to be resident DJ at Angels in the late 1970's / Early 1980's ,with Paul Simon, Paul Taylor (still retro - ing!!). I used to DJ at the Langroyd Colne,Trax Nelson,Hop, Mecca and Circulation Burnley etc.I worked with Richard Searling and Mike Shaft on our Wednesday Anglels soul nights,happy days.Incidentally I live close to Frank Elson (Blues and soul magazine)although he is quite ill,I hope to drag him to a local night soon.Still got my records, although e bay looms soon methinks!!!!!.great site,brings back the memories,Kieron Ridehalgh.

[Guest KIERON R]

hi I used to be resident DJ at Angels in the late 1970's / Early 1980's ,with Paul Simon, Paul Taylor (still retro - ing!!). I used to DJ at the Langroyd Colne,Trax Nelson,Hop, Mecca and Circulation Burnley etc.I worked with Richard Searling and Mike Shaft on our Wednesday Anglels soul nights,happy days.Incidentally I live close to Frank Elson (Blues and soul magazine)although he is quite ill,I hope to drag him to a local night soon.Still got my records, although e bay looms soon methinks!!!!!.great site,brings back the memories,Kieron Ridehalgh.

[Guest Nick Harrison]

hi I used to be resident DJ at Angels in the late 1970's / Early 1980's ,with Paul Simon, Paul Taylor (still retro - ing!!). I used to DJ at the Langroyd Colne,Trax Nelson,Hop, Mecca and Circulation Burnley etc.I worked with Richard Searling and Mike Shaft on our Wednesday Anglels soul nights,happy days.Incidentally I live close to Frank Elson (Blues and soul magazine)although he is quite ill,I hope to drag him to a local night soon.Still got my records, although e bay looms soon methinks!!!!!.great site,brings back the memories,Kieron Ridehalgh.

Hi Kieron - sorry to hear Frank is ill again (heart problems still - I assume). Please do wish Frank a carefull recovery and best regards. Forgotten about Trax - Nelson .

Still see Paul Taylor, "a superstar DJ" around in his personel plated Range Rover Vogue catching his wednesday weekly flights to Ibiza, with his son Ben - who has also made quite a name for himself here in the UK mainland and Europe dejaying.

Like you say Kieron - good memories.

Keep in touch.

Cheers,

Nick H.

[Davetay]

hi I used to be resident DJ at Angels in the late 1970's / Early 1980's ,with Paul Simon, Paul Taylor (still retro - ing!!). I used to DJ at the Langroyd Colne,Trax Nelson,Hop, Mecca and Circulation Burnley etc.I worked with Richard Searling and Mike Shaft on our Wednesday Anglels soul nights,happy days.Incidentally I live close to Frank Elson (Blues and soul magazine)although he is quite ill,I hope to drag him to a local night soon.Still got my records, although e bay looms soon methinks!!!!!.great site,brings back the memories,Kieron Ridehalgh.

Kierion, 1st of all welcome to soul source.

I have fond memeories of the Angels back than, indeed good times.

If you get chance pass on get well soon from me to Frank.

In the early 80s a few of us did a soul-nite on a Thursday at The Rover's Return in Blackburn.

There were only a few people used to turn up, but Frank was a regular.

Yours Dave Taylor.

Edited October 31, 2009 by davetay

[BrianB]

hi I used to be resident DJ at Angels in the late 1970's / Early 1980's ,with Paul Simon, Paul Taylor (still retro - ing!!). I used to DJ at the Langroyd Colne,Trax Nelson,Hop, Mecca and Circulation Burnley etc.I worked with Richard Searling and Mike Shaft on our Wednesday Anglels soul nights,happy days.Incidentally I live close to Frank Elson (Blues and soul magazine)although he is quite ill,I hope to drag him to a local night soon.Still got my records, although e bay looms soon methinks!!!!!.great site,brings back the memories,Kieron Ridehalgh.

Hi Kieron,

Brian Barker here. How are you? Where do you live now?

Have you still got all that curly hair?

Great to hear from you!

Brian

[Guest KIERON R]

Hi Brian,Stll got hair,but no curls!!!,I live in Water,just over the Burnley/Rosendale border,a few of us oldies are going to Padiham town hall soul night soon,mid November and we are looking forward to hearing some good music.Nice hearing from you, hope you are keeping well,I will call and see Frank Elson and see if we can get him out for that one.Best Wishes,Kieron

[Guest dovesong]

Hi, can anybody help me with out with some info on Angels.

If any of you went there in the 70's/ early 80's i'd appreciate hearing what it was like ? Apparently it was 'state of the art' sound and lighting, and I believe opened in 1974 ? Richard Searling told me he did a Wednesday night there, Levine was a resident too at one stage.

Did anyone happen to know Paul Simon who ran it at the time ?

Thanks Greg.

Not sure if you've got the info u were after,my xhusband worked on the door there,a wilkinsons store is there know,it was a shit club

[Guest Frank Elson]

Thanks for the nice things guys...

It seems that, after a quadruple bypass this time, I'm still gonna be around for a while.

Looking forward to going to Padiham with Kieron, I might not be able to dance but I can listen !

Angels on a Wednesday belonged to that transitional time when up to then stricly Northern people like Richard Searling were looking hard at the jazz/funk scene. Mike Shaft and Kieron were already into it of course and I believe that Richard owes a great deal to them - although I doubt he'd ever acknowledge that.

I was in a similar position. Dyed-in-the-wool Nothern fan finding that the funk we had despised for so many years was actually damn' good to listen to. I spent many happy Wednesday nights at Angels.

[Guest Nick Harrison]

Thanks for the nice things guys...

It seems that, after a quadruple bypass this time, I'm still gonna be around for a while.

Hi Frank - great to hear your on the mend again, this time a "quadruple" and your still around for a lot longer .................Great News .

You still buggering and tinkering around with the Land Rovers and the Magazine editing side.

Remember JDA - you as copy writer .

Sincere kind regards,

Nick.

[Guest Frank Elson]

Hi Frank - great to hear your on the mend again, this time a "quadruple" and your still around for a lot longer .................Great News .

You still buggering and tinkering around with the Land Rovers and the Magazine editing side.

Remember JDA - you as copy writer .

Sincere kind regards,

Nick.

Thanks Nick, goodness, I'd almost forgotten about JDA, left there 20 years ago, that was the beginning of my heart problems.

I've been semi-retired for almost a year now. Still writing about Land Rovers, although I cannot, physically, do any work on them for a while, just not going in a newspaper office any more.

[Guest]

hi I used to be resident DJ at Angels in the late 1970's / Early 1980's ,with Paul Simon, Paul Taylor (still retro - ing!!). I used to DJ at the Langroyd Colne,Trax Nelson,Hop, Mecca and Circulation Burnley etc.I worked with Richard Searling and Mike Shaft on our Wednesday Anglels soul nights,happy days.Incidentally I live close to Frank Elson (Blues and soul magazine)although he is quite ill,I hope to drag him to a local night soon.Still got my records, although e bay looms soon methinks!!!!!.great site,brings back the memories,Kieron Ridehalgh.

Kieron Ridehalgh!! Well!! A name from the past if ever.......

I used to be a part of the Angels crowd, particularly Wedneday nights (come to think of it, it might have been you who introduced me to it, Kieron when it fist opened in the mid 70s. I was Angela Wilkinson then, and yes I remember the Langroyd, Trax etc too).

Angels certainly was state of the art for Burnley at that time. Knocked the stuffing out of the old Mecca (Rose Room anyone?). All stainless steel and strobe lighting. A fantastic crowd though and always packed. Spent many an early Sunday morning at an after hours party there too........

I knew Paul Simon and Ian Richards who were the resident DJs in the mid 70s. Paul used to live in Padiham (Church Street I think) with another friend, Steve Cain at that time, and he drove a *****ing enormous car- a Jensen Interceptor. Clearly to DJ at Angels meant you'd made it to the big time.

How are you doing Kieron? I moved to the soft south in 1980 and am still here, living in Surrey.

Remembering all this has brought a huge grin to my face.

Happy New Year everyone.

Angela

[Guest angelsdisco]

Yeah, I was a regular at the Angels and I knew Paul Simon and most of the doormen.  I used to fix Paul's Jensen INTERCEPTOR,   borrowed it one night to take a bird out, got to the nurses home at Queens park Hospital in Blackburn with her and the starter motor went knackered, so had to buy him a starter motor and fit it free.

 

Paul did live in an end cottage on Church Street in Padiham, and Ian Richards, (Ian Hoole) was a car salesman at Read Car Sales

Paul's Father was a director at Lees brewery in Middleton, although I never met him.

 

Fantastic nights at Angles, I really do miss the place, shame it was spoilt when Mr Durkin took the place over

Edited September 26, 2015 by angelsdisco
spelling mistake

[Davenpete]

Les Cokell DJed there too - Pete used to go a fair bit during the late Mecca disco period - he has a big Angels sticker on his old tape case.

He said it was Thursdays and mainly Jazz Funk and that it was actually Richard's promotion.

Dx

Edited September 26, 2015 by DaveNPete

[Campagnolo 1]

Great memories of dancing to "George Benson/On Broadway"played by Richard S.!

[Back Street Blue]

....Blimey, don't know if the original poster will see this some eight years later, but we went over from Shaw a couple of times.

Thought it was Sunday nights?...could've been Thursdays.

All chrome and mirrors (and I can confirm that John Willey's gnats p*ss was from Miggy, not Oldham by the way).

Colin Curtis was DJ when we went and Prince George - wrong crowd was big and rare at the time. 

[Davetay]

....Blimey, don't know if the original poster will see this some eight years later, but we went over from Shaw a couple of times.

Thought it was Sunday nights?...could've been Thursdays.

All chrome and mirrors (and I can confirm that John Willey's gnats p*ss was from Miggy, not Oldham by the way).

Colin Curtis was DJ when we went and Prince George - wrong crowd was big and rare at the time. 

I can't remember Colin DJing there, but he could have done.

You are right about Sunday nights with Ian Levine on the decks, also a midweek night with Richard Searling on the decks. 

[Geeselad]

wasnt this place famous on the high energy/ gay scene?

[Guest angelsdisco]

Yeah, I was a regular at the Angels and I knew Paul Simon and most of the doormen.  I used to fix Paul's Jensen INTERCEPTOR,   borrowed it one night to take a bird out, got to the nurses home at Queens park Hospital in Blackburn with her and the starter motor went knackered, so had to buy him a starter motor and fit it free.

 

Paul did live in an end cottage on Church Street in Padiham, and Ian Richards, (Ian Hoole) was a car salesman at Read Car Sales

Paul's Father was a director at Lees brewery in Middleton, although I never met him.

 

Fantastic nights at Angles, I really do miss the place, shame it was spoilt when Mr Durkin took the place over

The only Picture I have with Paul on

[Rhino]

had a few good years on the rave scene as well strange place all different levels if i remember rightly. mates with one of the dj paul taylor

[Epic]

 

 

If it was a state of the art music system, this was more than let down by the fact the beer was JW Lees from Oldham, and if you thought the beer was bad, then you needed to try the cider, shocking

The only good nite I had there was when Burnley FC unexpectedly beat Preston to get to the final of the Sherpa Van Trophy which was at Wembley 1988 against Wolves. The current chairman - Teasdale, and the team came in to celebrate what turned out to be a momentous win, very important for the club. Can still picture the champagne flowing, obviously knew to stick to the bottled stuff

You should have seen the night the Wolves team had - they won it !!! 

 

[Keithg]

I regulary went down Angels late 70's/80's ....used to go down after deejaying in Smackwater Jacks,in the early days they played a lot of Philly stuff and Barry White,Tavares etc... still have some tickets from that era (see below)...i used to dj down the Circulation when it changed ownership from Ken Leary to Paul Manning in the mid 70's