Northern soul history both beyond and before #history

Another scan added to our reference feature. This one features a fairly lengthy look at the Northern Soul Scene from the Melody Maker music paper, the 25th January 1975 Issue, with the main focus on Blackpool Mecca and Wigan Casino. "Keep The Scene Alive" Inside the ballrooms that are the citadel of the NORTHERN SOUL scene. Great music. Athletic dancing.Later, breakfast and a swim."The scene is here as long as the punters want it" says one DJ. "Its essence is rarity and it's up to us to kee

The Road To Wigan Casino By Vivien Goldman Originally published in NME Date of publication: 11 October 1975 Up T'NORTH, they don't like London journalists snooping about. Still, this was a special occasion at the shrine of the " Northern Soul Scene." So it was that VIVIEN GOLDMAN took... THE YOUNG boy sitting cross-legged on the edge of the stage looked as if he was about to throw up. It was 4:30 a.m. at the Wigan Casino. He looked as if he should have been in bed hours ago, but here

Following on from the Graham Warr thread, I figured that this is the time to start collating some of those UNBELIEVABLE U.S. Northern finds. Or unbelievable disappointments too. From experience, it's quite often the unexpected ones which turn out to be killers! So here's an example from me, just to kick things off.... In 1988 I was stuck in a pretty boring job in between my more exciting jobs when I got a phone call from my ex boss who used to own the Warehouse in Leeds. He'd recently moved out

The Twisted Wheel- Blues and Soul - by Dave Godin A trip back to the far off past, back to that legendary club "The Twisted Wheel" The Twisted Wheel- Blues and Soul - 50 Written by Dave Godin and published in Blues and Soul issue number 50, this is an account of his visit on the "last night" read on for yet another piece of history. Thanks go out to chris for supplying original scan of this, cheers site note - orig up in Dec 99  LAND OF A THOUSAND DANCES BY so

Here's a scan of a Record Mirror ( a long gone mainstream uk music paper) feature taken from the issue  dated 15th Feb 1975. After their appearance on the BBC's Top Of The Pops as part of the 'Wigans Chosen Few' spot Record Mirror featured an article from Jan Iles having a chat with some of the dancers involved, Anne, Kip and Gethro....   The Casino Loyals WIGAN'S RAVERS SPOUT FORTH "Stop me goin' at the all nighters and I stop yer breath" GERROFF YA bikes, all you shufflers bold, leave yer bala

The 100 Club Allnighter - 40 Years on by Butch & Co View full article

Eddie Foster Dreams of Wigan - Black Music 1970s 'The music is black american and obscure - ghetto sounds which never made it, the followers are mostly white and fanatical - working class kids in the industrial heart of Britain who dance like there's no tomorrow to records most of us will never hear. The Northern Soul Scene is a strange mixture of good and bad, of burning dedication and grubby exploitation. Despised by some, misunderstood by most, it is the ultimate Underground scene. Tony