published: 5 /
12 /
2023
A mid-September 50th Anniversary celebration in a massive ballroom in Wigan brought Northern Soul enthusiasts together in commemoration.
Article
“I brought a box of 200 records and we traded off playing two songs each. Debbie Thornhill loved to keep a fast “100 mph” tempo. We had a lot of fun trying to play off each other. I played ‘Get Out’ by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes which lit up the dance floor. The opening is Harold Melvin singing to his cheating ex. He began with a classically smooth, ballad style, then proceeded to stomp, finally warning his ex to “Get Out!” People loved that.”
“In the US, we have soul nights in bars, I want Heart of Chicago Soul Club to be more like a British Northern Soul Night and Color Club is as close as we can get. It’s a ballroom or hall. We put tables on the side for people to sit and hang out together. We rest and watch the dance floor. It’s all about dancing by DJ’s who love to dance.”
That’s Debbie Benjamin-Koller reporting on the ground at this auspicious event. We talked extensively about the popular Northern Soul Movement in a previous article, but this time around, we’re combining forces. She remains actively involved in the Northern Soul scene both in the US and the UK, and after meeting and socializing with her UK friends online during the pandemic, she’s finally had the opportunity to meet friends in person and dance up a storm.
Although the Wigan Casino was demolished in 1982, the local and across-the-pond “soulies” harbour palpable memories of its brick and mortar existence. The iconic building, then a pulsating rival to Manchester’s Twisted Wheel, among other heart-pumping clubs, brought together youthful music lovers between the years of 1973 to 1982.
The Wigan Casino’s legacy certainly could have been demolished, like other urban landmarks over time, had the true believers of the Northern Soul movement not vowed to keep its cultural currency alive, fifty years after its 23 September, 1973 existence.
So, it’s no wonder that the long-awaited, anniversary celebration, which took place at the spacious Winter Gardens in Blackpool in the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre, reunited friends, soon-to-be-retired industry stalwarts and curious neighbours.
Back in its illustrious heyday, the oversized façade boasted neon scripted letters which spelled out “Casino Club,” massive balconies and the capacity to hold 3000-4000 happy, but sweaty young people ready to dance to American Soul music until 8 am. These days, a commercial strip thrives in its place, although some swear the ghosts of musical history mystically remain, and for the next month, a photo exhibition commemorates Northern Soul and the history of Wigan Casino.
Soulies filled The Empress Ballroom with smooth, but often, calculated moves. In the days of Wigan, a “dare” to out-maneuver a nearby couple resulted in a rhythmic tailspin, or even a headstand.by a competitive extrovert. Early footage shows lithe bodies burning fat to irrepressible beats. Yet during the 50th, it was less about outdoing each other and more about expressing the passion of the music through their northern steps, and for some, reliving their youth.
The last part of the night included a three-song cue that the night was coming to an end called the “3 before 8” or the last three songs played right before the All Nighter at Wigan Casino came to an end at 8 am: Jimmy Radcliffe’s ‘Long After Tonight Is All Over,’ Tobi Legend’s ‘Time Will Pass You By’ and Dean Parrish’s ‘I’m On My Way’ served as a gentle reminder by the DJ’s holding court that it was time to pack up and go home.
Saturday’s 6 am close was no different and you could feel the nostalgia and emotion through the exhausted room as these three songs charged through the Empress Ballroom.
Before cell phones and intrusive social media led to sedentary life-styles, restless British youth piled onto trains or coaches with the intent to pull all-nighters. Did their parents sanction their ambitious plans? Whether they disapproved or not, the consensus appeared to go like this: there was no time to sleep or make amends when the soul siren sounded. What mattered was getting out there on the floor to dance to infectious up tempo American Soul 45’s which fell into obscurity in the US, and were competitively discovered by DJ’s In Northern Soul Clubs across the North of England. The Winter Garden featured 9 rooms of dancing to commemorate the many types of music from the cl history, spun back-to-back by constantly in-motion DJ’s.
The spirit of that era revived at the 50th Anniversary parties. “Mopsey” Don Morris, Shaun Callon and Joe Tucker, among others, pooled resources to pull off a Soul event at nearby Woody’s on Blackpool’s Promenade. These popular local DJs created a side party for people to socialize and dance in a more intimate atmosphere.
Beloved Mopsey, a DJ from Sheffield, can be seen on the bill of many Northern Soul events. Mopsey not only went to Wigan, but was attendee of the legendary Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester when it was on Whitmore St. that predated Wigan and played music that later was called Northern Soul.
His colourful badges display his love of Northern Soul and the sparkling saxophone on his porkpie hat reflect his positive attitude. Regarding the status of the Northern Soul movement, he claims: “It’s even stronger than it was back in the 60s/70s. People keep saying it will die out in ten years, but I doubt it. The music and friendship will always be in our hearts.”
Long time Northern Soul devotee Mick shares with Debbie : “I’m nearly seventy and this music has been with me my whole life. I went to Wigan and only missed one night.” He thanked Debbie for “the music that came from her country.”
Shaun Callon felt the draw of Wigan Casino when he was 15, and Northern Soul continues to be a way of life for him. His Blackburn Oldies Half Dayers at St. Frances in Blackburn seek to bring people together who share his passion for Northern Soul and R & B, in a friendly environment. His goal is to put up DJs, that not only play great Northern Soul, but have great energy and a passion for the music to keep the momentum going on the dance floor.
Joe Tucker is a prime example of a DJ driven by the emotions of the music. Tucker’s views are often echoed by his colleagues: “The best DJ’s feel the music--they can’t sit still, and have to dance or move.”
All night, Joe was bopping and dancing, singing the words to his favourite R & B tunes. Shaun and Mopsey “double decked” (shared the decks) and played jokes on each other and displayed their usual playful banter.
Shaun, too, danced with the spirit of the music and neither entertainer could resist bantering with the giddy audience. Not to be undone, Mel Glover, as well, belted out streams of lyrics without standing on ceremony.
But make no mistake--the event also features a lineup of sharply-dressed, quick-witted female DJ’s. As such, all eyes stay glued to Fiona McKelvey’s precise moves. Fair-haired, smiling Sally Shardlow, who glows with charm, shares an open-minded affection for her own set of vinyl.
Blackpool brought the Northern Soul Fans out in droves, from current fashion to a very edgy, mod ‘60s look, definitively a throwback to the Days of Wigan in traditional and more, modern soul zeitgeist, with wide-leg trousers and a tucked-in, tighter top. Girls’ circle skirts flared unapologetically when spinning.
Two other side events transpired alongside the ‘big event” at the stunning Winter Gardens, flanked by nine, remarkable rooms of fire-burning soul. But many weekend warriors initially set up at the local watering hole, Woody’s; in fact, some came specifically for that event.
Woody’s, a fun-loving place with a large dance floor, is surrounded by red, leather booths. The stage, set high off the floor, allows guests to get a bird’s eye view of the dancers and a sense of the ongoing camaraderie. What a way to collectively celebrate each other and the music.
Bold teen histories abound. Debbie Thornhill, at 15, frequented her local pub in Blackpool, where a DJ played Motown and a little Northern. She danced for hours and hours. Afterwards, with her friends, she took the train from Blackpool station, racing to make a connection and , endured the hour ride and danced again until 8 am. Did her mother worry about her? She seldom thought about that—which seemed to be a recurring theme. Many parents knew their kids were out dancing and left it at that.
The dance crowd in Wigan grew up with the scene and still hold dear that connection in their hearts. Shaun Callon covets his yellowed, ‘Wigan Casino’ Membership Card, although he has, wisely, preserved his badge of honor in plastic. Shaun is keen to discuss his history; how the Wigan and Northern Soul gets in you, and how it has become one of the most important things in his life. To this day, he still plays out with the Blackburn Oldies Club at St. Francis Church Ballroom Blackburn. Impressively, they pack the night with people they have been dancing with for years.
“Blackburn Oldies is a friend-run club run by friendly souls,” Shaun discloses, “where you’ll hear Northern traditional tunes, gain an appreciation for R & B and where soul came from.” And despite the genre moniker, soulies from any region are always welcome. “Soul is for everybody. It’s not Northern or Southern. It’s soul,” Shaun insists.
Although he has preferences, Shaun remains open to the burgeoning club scene. “The Blackburn Oldies is a dancer’s venue for people who want to dance, although, different clubs have different atmospheres.”
And of course, clubs have to pay the rent, but commercial gain is not necessarily the gold standard: “It’s not always a money-making thing,” Shaun confirms: “At a lot of cubs, money is taken, but it is given to charities. Thousands of pounds go to charity.”
Blackburn’s St. Francis Church Ballroom is in a huge ballroom with red curtains, The light shining through them makes the red look even brighter. Tables line the side of the room, creating an efficient aisle. Dancers casually chat or sneak in a moment of rest from the vigorous dancing.
Blackpool and Winter Gardens is like Coney Island on steroids. To an American, it’s a treasure trove: a globe trotter’s dream. It’s got that 19th century carnival appeal and then, there is the embellishment or period architecture. Winter Gardens is gorgeous and huge. With limited time, it was only possible to get to about five, among the stately nine.
Northern music encapsulates many eras: 60s, ska, R & B, oldies, modern (current), which, to some fans, reflects the 70s, but the genre can even resemble the 80s. The biggest takeaway is that the people involved here started out by listening to 60s, but then, an evolution happened; Disco crept in. The Empress Ballroom was the straight-up; it was referred to as the Top 500 room, where all the Wigan favorites got repeatedly played.
Dean Fox “Foxy” of the Soul Twins chimes in with a cultural note and a nod to actual physics: “The British way of doing it, is having the event in a hall with a good dance floor. Blackpool Tower has a spring-loaded dance floor. You can feel it moving and it helps with dancing.” The experienced DJ stresses: “I won’t play anything I won’t dance to…”
One track that got the crowd going was ‘Cause Your Mine.’ The heartfelt lyrics, alone, are reason enough to understand why “The All-Nighter” continues until 6 am. In essence, it was quite the marathon, And while, the dancers gave the impression that dancing till sunrise looked easy, in reality, it was a Herculean task.
To address the challenge, DJ Carole Anne McCarthy advised: “when you seem to get sleepy, you just have to get back out on the dance floor, That can happen several times, but the music just draws you back out again.”
DJ Dave Evison chose the Saturday night Wigan set to be his final one, but only because he’s about to retire. Yet retirement seems the furthest thing from the mind when one enters the venue, which, at any given moment, teems with vitality. The minute you enter, you’re hit by the cologne, the sweat smell and a sea of people sitting at tables, congregating around the floor.
The stage on the right side includes the entire DJ setup: a screen with a projection of the records being played and queued up. One can spot exactly what song will be up next, allowing each person the opportunity to pace him or herself.
Part of the fun is observing the connection between the dancers and the sounds of the recorded American vocalists they’d probably never met; when the dancers sing along or even lip synch the phrases, you’d swear that they all congregated on the same street, singing harmonies under a harvest moon.
The crowd knows every clap and when it is supposed to be sounded. Duke Browner’s ‘Crying Over You’ contains several claps, at the beginning, and at the end, which the dancers mimic to a tee. In the Vibrations’ ‘Because You’re Mine,’ people shout out the background parts, pump their fists or do a high kick. In the old days, men would backdrop to the floor, and flip around, maybe back it up with a fast spin, and kick, like a break dancer would do in the future.
These days, you’re more likely to see steps that go side-to-side or a box step with tempered spins. Of course, wide trousers and skirts assure that these steps flow effortlessly.
Sheffield Soul Girl, Amy Hodkin, has signature blue hair and a chic circle skirt. She runs the Young Hearts Social Club for kids and hopes to bring Northern Soul to UK youth and beyond, Part of that commitment involves running workshops for kids, but she’s also made a name for herself through videos. She was in attendance at Woodys and Winter Gardens and showed off her expert steps and could be seen spinning like a top, skirt flared out, then stopping to let it whip around to the best of the music.
Amy has gained attention on Tik Tok for her moves and promoting Northern Soul to the next generation. Other clubs and soul influencers in the UK, like Levanna, “Northern Soul Girl” and her Bristol Northern Soul Club, Sally Malloy, and Heart of Soul Peckham in London, Dj Jordan Wilson are pulling in with the younger Generations. Young dancers, Conor, and Nadine Leese, were seen at both Blackpool Winter Gardens and the following week’s Skegness Soul Weekender exhibiting their mesmerizing athletic footwork, spinning and floor work. Conor has cropped hair, wide leg trousers and vest and Nadine, short brown hair, tank top and circle skirt. Watching them dance gives you a feeling, like you are watching kids from 1973 at Wigan.
Young people bring their own style. Some men favour flare pants and work the room without a shirt, or with a simple tank top and vest, Others prefer modern, with wide trousers; Fred Perry or print-shirts
While the fans bring forth frivolity, creating the flow ultimately falls on the resilient shoulders of the DJ’s. Mopsey takes his role in stride: “After getting many compliments about organizing, it’s not about me, it’s about the people having a good time; giving them DJ’s that bring good music; that have the energy and passion onstage. It really gets people up and dancing.”
DJ Joe Tucker: “I love to watch a DJ who really gets the music into them, and you know that because they can’t stand still; they have to move.”
Soul is pretty popular, although less of a subculture in the UK, than in the US. Although there is a familiarity and a fondness for Motown in the US, there seems to be less of an interest in terms of learning more about the cultural and studio history of the material. Ironically, it’s the UK contingent that has reintroduced American urban music back to its place of origin. The British Northern “soulies” have, arguably, done the homework.
For instance, while Soft Cell’s version of ‘Tainted Love’ is well-known across the U.S., the original by Gloria Jones has become a Northern standard, Furthermore, Northern Soul creeps into everyday life in the UK vis a vis themed bars, themed “grilled cheese” restaurants and tunes on their everyday TV programs. Meanwhile, people in the US seem to have no idea that this music has inspired so many.
In Chicago, Debbie’s Heart of Chicago Soul Club and the established Windy City Soul Club, as well as British Northern Soul Club, bring Northern Soul to Chicago soul enthusiasts. It is Debbie’s mission to inform her patrons about the culture behind the music. She is proud that much of the music came from the USA and particularly Chicago, the city she was born in. Yet she has a deep appreciation for the people in the UK who rescued this music from being lost, then created the amazing culture of Northern soul which appreciated the music, gave the artists the love and celebration they deserved and did not get at home, and created the style and beautiful dance moves that perfectly accompany the music.
Toward the end of “the all-nighter,” Dave Evison played the final three that mirrored what Wigan locals originally termed “the three before eight.” They were: Jimmy Radcliffe’s ‘Long After Tonight is Over,’ Tobi Legend’s ‘Time Will Pass You By’ and Dean Parrish’s ‘I’m On My Way.’ Upon hearing those deep cuts at the night’s end, one could feel the nostalgia. It was beautifully haunting.
The Wigan Casino was just one of the weekend’s get-togethers. The Skegness Weekender took place primarily in the “Sun Castle” room, where dancers, the likes of youthful “Conor,” spilled onto the dance floor to perform impressive spins. Men donning trousers, traditionally identified as “Spencer bags pants,” took care to leave adequate space between each other, like professional choreographers, leaving the imagination to believe that at any given moment, the dance floor could be movie studio-ready.
Whether chatting, spinning, storytelling or simply sharing a laugh, it’s easy to see that there are no wallflowers present. In fact, the unspoken rule seems to be: “interact.”
A giant disco ball floods the squeaky-clean floor with a deluge of lime-green, geometric patterns, as baritone saxophones and flutes weave in and out of classic cuts. The shift-conscious DJ’s look on like loving guardians: is everyone having fun? Is the record lineup contributing to a lively mood? Is anyone feeling left out?
Shaun Callon can be spotted easily among the crowd in his jet-black fedora. His white tee and black waistcoat show off his muscular physique. He exudes confidence simply by walking across the crowded room, or stopping briefly to chat with an old friend or curious newcomer.
At one point, a technical problem arises, so a quartet of DJs confer and burst into action, like first responders at a five-alarm fire. Again, like caring parents, they keep watch of the collective, making sure that those who came to party remain calm and free of angst. After a discrete, brainstorming session, the DJ’s rifle through their records, as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened. The beats grow louder and more effusive. It’s back to square one.
These non-stop activities, which span key cities, offer a respite from the grind--the participants will return to their normal schedules and catch up on their sleep. But what they dream about may tell a different story, an evergreen, constantly growing, all-inclusive family.
All images courtesy of Debbie Benjamin-Koller.
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