Torch56

That's correct. Completely different clientele on Monday nights to the rest of the week. David Bowie made an appearance there in August, 1969.

Blues and Soul, July, 1973.

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.

Gary from Brum is the Sheriff of Nottingham look-a-like on the left. Johnny Day and Pete Tilseley in the black shirts, circa '72.

Express and Star, July 6, 1974.

Not a fan of many of their tracks, and some leave me distinctly cold. However, Back in My Arms Again is a glorious exception. Was it played at the Wheel?

Until I read Neil's book I was under the impression that Graham made the one visit to the US and that was in late '72. However, as you know, he said in the book that he 'first' went to the USA in 1971, implying there were other trips after that. When he talks of the big find in Miami, he is not clear about exactly when that was. Was that '71, or later? I suspect later because, as you say, if those records had been discovered in '71 then playlists in '72 would have reflected this, and they don't-until the autumn. From that point onwards many of the listed records were being played at the Cat's and the Torch (until its closure) The only evidence I have for the original Miami find being in late '72 is a memory of a buzz of excitement around the DJ booth and the change in the playlist that occurred at the same time. I don't recall that happening anytime prior to that, or afterwards to the same degree. Ian Levine is definitive that his big haul was in the summer of '73, which fits that time frame. I take your point about the cost of flights at that time, and also take into account Neil Rushton's and Ian Dewhirst's assertions that Graham was going to the States from 1970 onwards. All in all, much of the evidence precludes a100% definitive conclusion. I suppose none of it really matters. All we can say is that it was great to be going to venues in that era and hearing such great sounds, no matter who found them.

Re

With regard to Graham Warr's trip(s) to the USA, both Ian Dewhirst and Neil Rushton refer to him making multiple journeys between 1970 and 1973 in the thread, 'Graham Warr Catacombs Discoveries' on this site. If that is accurate, then Graham's reference to a 1971 trip is likely to be valid. I remain convinced that the buzz around the DJ booth at the Cat's about his most exciting haul occurred in the autumn of 1972, though he may have made further trips after that. Also in that thread is a list of sounds that Graham listed as previously undiscovered, though a number of contributors question some of these. Whether or not that is the case, a number of said items made it to the playlist at the Torch before it closed in March '73. I made my first visit there on December 23, 1972 when Oscar Toney Jr was the live act. With the exception of the anthemic Eddie Parker, one of the most popular plays of the night, in term of dance floor reaction was Sam and Kitty. Other items from the list that also featured were Exus Trek, Quick Change Artist, and Angel Baby. From that list I'd estimate that about 50% of the items were played by the time the Torch closed.