CLUBS IN SCOTLAND
 

 

A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE CLUBS THAT MAKE UP THE HISTORY OF

"NORTHERN SOUL" IN SCOTLAND

MAGOOS  (Edinburgh)

 

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Article written by Lenny Toshack
 

Always happy to share memories of these great times for me with anyone so here's a quick rundown of the club.

Exact dates are sketchy but circa 1966 we found this club in the historic High Street in Edinburgh called McGoos. It was converted from a cinema (The Palace Picture House) and turned in to what I can only describe as a very well thought out plan for a club. As it was a cinema with a balcony this was converted into a coffee bar (no bevvy in those days!!) and I swear had the best juke box I have ever seen anywhere on this planet, a massive Wurlitzer that must have been imported from the States and apart from the Winter Gardens in Blackpool had no equal!, more on that later. The club was run by a very nice man named Crolla, his family had set their roots in Edinbugh many years previous and had various ice cream and fish and chip shops all over Edinburgh particularly in Leith where I came from.

This club can only be described as Mod haven, musically it was for me the best club I ever went to to hear the top soul sounds of the day, the emergence of Motown and Stax were just kicking in and I was hooked instantly by this new sound, but to be honest the only time we got to hear something out of the ordinary was when we had a visit by the wonderful groups from Glasgow such as The Pathfinders, The Poets and The Beatstalkers. These guy's were singing stuff alien to us and after much niggling at the resident DJ to track down the songs they were playing we were really on our way to what really could only be described as "rare soul" i.e. non chart. Of course imported record's from the US were virtually unheard of in those day's so tracking down British issue's was really the only thing we could do, hence my love for them to this day.

So advanced was Mr Crolla that he started to get some of the top groups of that day to appear at the club, in a short space of time we had seen The Kinks (who were idolised at the club due to the fact that the resident band there The Moonrakers played all their RnB stuff) The Who (a night of utter mayhem as you would expect) and to top it for me The Small Faces came up and did a blistering set, heady day's indeed!.

 

Sadly as quick as it came it closed down mid 1967, from what we were told the fire brigade had refused the club a certificate but it came to light that local gangsters had pressured Crolla for protection money, but he loved the kids and shut up shop rather than give in to these morons, just under two years of heaven had come to a shattering end!.

 

So, here are just some of the groovy sounds we were digging in that wonderful club, wish you had been there !.

 

SOUL SOUNDS

 

EDWIN STARR - I HAVE FAITH IN YOU

THE PLATTERS - WITH THIS RING                           

JAY & THE AMERICANS - LIVIN ABOVE YOUR HEAD

ALVIN CASH - THE PHILLY FREEZE

JAMES & BOBBY PURIFY - DO UNTO ME

BOB KUBAN & THE IN MEN - THE CHEATER

BETTY EVERETT - GETTING MIGHTY CROWDED

SAM & DAVE - HOLD ON I'M COMING

WILSON PICKETT - LAND OF A THOUSAND DANCES

THE BARKAYS - SOUL FINGER

MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS - MOTORING

MARVIN GAYE - LITTLE DARLING

MIRACLES - WHOLE LOT OF SHAKING IN MY HEART

SUPREMES - LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART
FOUR TOPS - SOMETHING ABOUT YOU

ISLEY BROS - I GUESS I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU

JOE TEX - SHOW ME

DON COVAY - SOOKIE SOOKIE

STEVIE WONDER - NOTHINGS TOO GOOD FOR MY BABY

TEMPTATIONS - GET READY

ROBERT PARKER - BAREFOOTIN

MAJOR LANCE - THE MONKEY TIME

 

 

BLUES  /  BEAT  /  SKA  /  MOD 

 

JOHN LEE HOOKER - BOOM BOOM

JULIAN COVAY - A LITTLE BIT HURT

ZOOT MONEY - BIG TIME OPERATOR

THE BEE GEES - SPICKS AND SPECKS

PRINCE BUSTER - AL CAPONE

SMALL FACES - WHAT'CHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT

THE WHO - SHOUT AND SHIMMY

SKATALITES - LAST TRAIN TO SKAVILLE

ROLLING STONES - SUSIE Q

THE ACTION - BABY YOU GOT IT

THE CREATION - MAKING TIME

MEL TORME - COMIN HOME BABY

THE KINKS - I'M ON AN ISLAND

THE KINGSMEN - LOUIE LOUIE 

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EAST OF SCOTLAND SOUL CLUB    (ESSC)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDINBURGH 1974  -  1980 

(From an interview with BRIAN JOYCE)
 

There cannot be many people on the soul scene who did not go to the East of Scotland Soul Club when it first started back in 1974 at The Grovesnor Hotel in Edinburgh, so it was with great pleasure that Maureen and I went over to meet BRIAN JOYCE who it has to be said is one of the main reasons that Soul Music took off in such a big way in 1974 when he had the vision and the nerve to put on Soul Nights in Edinburgh. Remember that in these days you also had the restriction of the licencing laws which said that you could only be open for drinking up to 10pm and that on a Sunday it had to be in a Hotel !, so what did Brian choose - yes a Sunday at The Grovesnor !, and to think that here we are 34 years on in 2008 still having big well attended Soul Nights at the same venue.

How did Brian get into Soul Music, well he used to meet some of the US guys that were posted to Kirknewton in the 60's and found himself at a few parties, needless to say some of the guys from the USA were bringing over with them there tastes in Soul music and the rest as they say is history, a great story that Brian told us was of when he was in London in 1966 and OTIS REDDING was on at TILES club on Oxford Street, Brian had just moved into a bedsit in Nottinghill Gate and along with some like minded people went along to see OTIS REDDING, it was pay at the door and on getting in he really wanted to meet the great man, Brian saw a guy from the USA doing interviews which was going to be sent back to the states, Brian goes over and tells the guy that he has come all the way from Scotland to see OTIS which impressed the interviewer so much that he began to interview them, have you really come all the way from Scotland !! (of course said Brian !!), towards the end Brian said that it was one of his great wishes to meet OTIS REDDING and get his autograph, so this guy from the states takes them over to OTIS REDDINGS dressing room and tells OTIS how these guys had come all the way from Scotland just to see you !, come on in says OTIS and Brian spent about ten minutes in his dressing room before having to leave, great story and one that makes me slightly green with envy !!

Brian had been working in London for many years and came back up during 1974 to Edinburgh, looking for his fix of Soul Music to satisfy his love of dancing, he went to places such as the Fire Island in Princess Street and the Forth Bridges Hotel where BOB MALCOLM of radio Forth fame years later was a Dj at what was called a Disco night playing a mix which included some soul records, this was not enough for Brian as he wanted Soul Music from the start of the night to the end, so as promoting was part of the skills he had collected down in London he started to look at the possibilitys of running something in Edinburgh.  Brian had been at The Grovesnor Hotel for some reason and found that The Rosebury Suite was empty, so he went and saw the manager, everything went ok and it was left for him to organise things and also make assurances to The Grovesnor that this was being organised properly, door staff hired, assurances that no under age drinking or drugs would be tolerated in any way, anyone caught was thrown out and banned.  They were not allowed to charge an entrance fee then so to get around that there was to be a donation to Club Funds of 40p (how times have changed !!) on some occasions a late licence would be granted, this was got round by putting the night down as a Fancy Dress Party !.  Music policy in those days was simple, if it was a black Soul Star and it was music that you wanted to dance to then play it, still works today.

The Soul Nights at the Grovesnor Hotel lasted from late 1974 through to 1980 and was on every week on the Sunday night from 6pm until 10pm with the resident Mobile Disco of RONNIE COWAN from Dunfermline as the supplier of both equipment and also Dj expertise.  Other special nights were held at other venues, one that I can remember was at STEWARTS BALLROOM in 1975  (check out the pictues in Soul History Album.) 

Following the closure of ESSC at The Grovesnor it re emerged as the 3B's club at the same venue but only lasted about another year, following that there were also a few revival dances as well that went on between 1981 and 1985. 

Having know BRIAN since the first days of the ESSC in 1974 it was and still is a pleasure to see him enjoy his love of Soul Music, now at the age of 60 (61 during 2008) he still has some things in life that he wants to get done !:

 

1.     To visit Atlanta - Otis Redding Museum, Memphis to see the STAX museum, Detroit and a visit to Hitsville plus throw in Chicago and New York to round things off, some trip !

2.     To put on a live show with Jimmy James
          

I personally hope that Brian gets to do all that he wants as in my mind he was one of the main people in the early days of the scene here in Scotland, ok so if he had not done it then someone else might have !, yes I know that but at the end of the day Brian did get off his arse and did run what was to this day one of the great early Soul Clubs in Scotland and I thank him for that.
 

 

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HIBS CLUB

EDINBURGH 2004
 

 

The Hib's club All-Dayers were the result of John Sim having "a bit of time on his hands", pondering as to which venue's would be the best quality for a Soul All-Dayer, this did'nt take much thinking about as the Hib's supporters club on Sunnyside came out tops, John knew the club only too well as a Hibernian supporter, this was in 2004.

John discussed his idea with his brother Jim and myself (Clarky) and we both agreed that this was a great venue and forwarded an action plan, the wheels were in motion for a first Soul night and advertising commenced.
 

The three of us needed some assistance with the project so along came Mark Manson (aka) "Shaggy Brown" and Gordy Gibson along with Davie Carson, the first All-Dayer was in motion for November 2004.

The Hib's club All-Dayers have now been going for 4 years with bi-monthly All-Dayers on Sundays offering the customers quality Northern Soul, crossover and 70's soul in great surroundings with cheap drink prices.
 

Rob Strachen joined the team in 2006 supplying the Hib's club with his high quality sound system, along with young Adam Feeney (our apprentice Dj).
Just about every Soul Dj in Scotland has played at The Hibs Club, we now look further afield for our Dj's and feature many Dj's visiting us from England and abroad.

 

We also offer our customers free patches and CD's every year on our Anniversary.

We would like to thank all our customers who travel far and wide for all their support and we look forward to another 4 years of giving you quality Soul All-Dayers in Edinburgh.

 

 

Paul Clark (Clarky) September 2008
 

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HEART OF SCOTLAND SOUL CLUB
 

Les Brown promoted nights in the Falkirk area under the banner of "HEART of SCOTLAND SOUL CLUB" with the best known being at The Maniqui in the centre of Falkirk.

First all nighter was held on Saturday 22nd October 1976

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THE SHRINE SOUL CLUB  (WEST LOTHIAN)

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All information supplied by Gary Russell

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The Shrine Soul Club ran in West Lothian from 1985, run by Michael Higgins and Gary Russell.

 

There were semi-regular soul nights, and at least two allnighters.

 

The original vision behind the Saturday evening soul nights was to provide a laboratory for “60s newies” allnighters such as Glenrothes, and many of the same DJs were used.

 

The first venue – The Linden on Whitburn’s West Main Street – had already been used for oldies nights by local scooter clubs, at which Gary and Michael had guested. The Linden was by far the best of the venues used, with reasonable décor and a large, square parquet dancefloor. Latterly The Linden became untenable given the hostile attitude of the regulars in the bar downstairs to all events and developments subsequent to the 17th century. After the Linden, events were held in a now-demolished club in East Whitburn, with a single night in the nearby village of Longridge.

 

The evening sessions were well-attended, since there was a small but enthusiastic following for Northern Soul amongst Whitburn scooterists. Longer-standing allnighter-goers from Fife were also regular attenders, along with the Fauldhouse and Lanarkshire devotees that would later form the basis of the Ruff Cut Soul Club and Allanton.

 

The allnighters attracted reasonable numbers, but the hall was far too big for the purpose, and the allnight sessions didn’t have the unique selling points of the evening sessions, when set alongside the thriving allnighters in Fife.

 

The first allnighter would have been more lucrative had local criminals who “insisted” on stewarding the event not trousered most of the takings. After the meagre remains had been distributed, one of the DJs had to be paid with Michael’s copy of Willie Mason “Why”.

 

As well as Gary and Michael, those to DJ at the events were: Keb Darge, Andy Denniston, Dougie Gair, Jim Tennent, Colin Law, Mark Linton, Alan Walls, Jack McDougal,Steve Walls and Brian Welsh.

 

As a historical footnote, the posters for Shrine events are now desirable items of Northern Soul memorabilia. Each was poster was themed – inspired, in this respect, by the ads for the 100 Club that then appeared in Black Echoes – drawn up by a local cartoon artist, and gave facetious nicknames to the DJs.

 

While it was not known to be the final session at the time, the last night concluded with Michael playing an acetate of Jimmy Radcliffe’s unreleased Italian version of “Long after tonight is all over), to a decidedly mixed response.

 

Records played by the resident DJs at the nights include:

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Cleveland Robison – Boy (Nosnibor)   (covered up the as The Shepherd Boy)

Henderson and Jones – I’m gonna getcha (Quality Blend)   (covered up as Luther)

Chuck Corby and Quiet Storm – See you when I git there (Sceptre)  

(covered up as Kenny Gamble)

Tammy Levon – Clothes don’t make a man (Nation)

Bobby Valentine – Use it before you lose it (Fania)

Chuck Wright – The palm of your hand (Ember)

Frank Foster - Harlem Rumble (Triode)

Gladys Knight - Stop and get a hold of myself (Maxx)

Shep - Fool to fool (TNT)

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Many Thanks to Gary Russell for write up.

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