Blackpool Mecca
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The Blackpool Mecca was a large entertainment venue on Central Drive in the seaside town of
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
, Lancashire, in
North West England North West England is one of nine official regions of England and consists of the ceremonial counties of England, administrative counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The North West had a population of ...
, first opened in 1965. In the 1970s, it was particularly known for The Highland Room, which was a major Northern Soul music venue. From 1977 onwards it was also host to the Commonwealth Sporting Club. The building was closed down in 1980s and was finally demolished in January 2009 to make way for new campus buildings of
Blackpool and The Fylde College Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) is a further and higher education college in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. Facilities include four main campuses located across the Fylde Coast, all of which have recently undergone or are currently unde ...
. However, following an issue with funding B&FC withdrew and as of 2013 the site is planned for residential development.


Northern soul at The Highland Room

The Highland Room was used as a soul venue from 1967 to 1979 and it became one of the most popular venues on the Northern soul scene. Unlike similar clubs such as the
Wigan Casino The Wigan Casino was a nightclub in Wigan, England. Operating between 1973 and 1981, it became known as a primary venue for Northern soul music. It carried forward the legacy created by clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, the Chateau ...
and the Golden Torch, these events were not "all-nighters" and ran from 8 pm until 2 am on Saturday evenings. The two main DJs for the Highland Room soul nights were
Ian Levine Ian Geoffrey Levine (born 22 June 1953) is a British songwriter, producer, and DJ. A moderniser of Northern soul music in the UK, and a developer of the style of Hi-NRG, he has written and produced records with sales totalling over 40 million. ...
and Colin Curtis. Several classic 1960s Northern soul records were discovered and "broken" by the aforementioned DJs at the venue, including
Tony Clarke Anthony or Tony Clarke may refer to: * Tony Clarke (British politician) (born 1963), English Labour Party politician, MP for Northampton South from 1997 to 2005 * Anthony Clarke (judoka) (born 1961), Australian athlete *Tony Clarke (activist) (born ...
's "Landslide", Morris Chesnut's "Too Darn Soulful",
Frankie Beverly Frankie Beverly (born Howard Beverly, December 6, 1946) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and producer, known primarily for his recordings with the soul and funk band Maze. Beverly formed Maze, originally called Raw Soul, in his ...
& the Butlers' "If That's What You Wanted" and
R. Dean Taylor Richard Dean Taylor (May 11, 1939 – January 7, 2022) was a Canadian musician, most notable as a singer, songwriter, and record producer for Motown during the 1960s and 1970s. According to Jason Ankeny, Taylor was "one of the most underra ...
's " There's a Ghost in My House". Later in the 1970s, the Highland Room became synonymous with a more contemporary and less frenetic style of Northern soul music, typified by records such as
The Carstairs The Carstairs were an American group of the 1960s and 1970s whose 1973 single, "It Really Hurts Me Girl" is credited with starting the modern soul music scene and genre. Modern soul A male vocal group from the U.S., The Carstairs releases met wit ...
' "It Really Hurts Me Girl",
Voices of East Harlem The Voices of East Harlem was an African-American vocal ensemble of up to 20 singers, aged between 12 and 21. Founded as a community initiative in 1969, the group performed with top soul and R&B musicians and recorded four albums in the early and ...
's "Cashin' In" and the Charisma Band's "Ain't Nothing Like Your Love". Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. ''Last Night A DJ Saved My Life'' Chapter four, page 106, ''Fighting for the soul of soul'' Because of the change in tempo, a slightly different ''shuffling'' dance style developed at the venue. This newer sound and dance style caused some controversy and led to the formation of the parallel Modern soul subgenre, which still exists today within and alongside the mainstream Northern soul movement.


Discography

The Northern soul music of the Highland Room has been commemorated by several compilation LPs and CDs, including: *''Mecca Magic: the Soulful Sounds of Blackpool's Mecca 1973–1979'' (LP, Kent Records 1990) *''The Blackpool Mecca Story'' (CD, Goldmine 1999) *''Spirit of the Mecca'' (CD, Goldmine 2000) *''Reachin’ For The Best: The Northern Soul of the Blackpool Mecca'' (CD, Sanctuary Records 2004) *''The Northern Soul Story Vol 3: Blackpool Mecca'' (CD, Sony BMG 2007) *''Highland Room – The Golden Era: 24 Highlights From Blackpool Mecca'' (CD, Soulworld 2009) *''Blackpool Mecca "Legends"'' (MP3 compilation, Soul Food 2009)


Commonwealth Sporting Club

In 1977 the Commonwealth Sporting Club was opened at the Mecca. It included a 25-table snooker area and boxing, squash, badminton and gym facilities.
Joe Davis Joseph Davis (15 April 190110 July 1978) was an English professional snooker and English billiards player. He was the dominant figure in snooker from the 1920s to the 1950s, and has been credited with inventing aspects of the way the game i ...
performed the opening ceremony, and
Steve Davis Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, musician, DJ, and author. He is best known for dominating professional snooker during the 1980s, when he rea ...
described it as the "best club in the country of its time". In 1989 the club was closed and replaced by a bowling alley.


References


Bibliography

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External links


The Blackpool Mecca
Web article containing music samples and collection of images
Blackpool's Highland Rooms: why can't the north keep its pop culture heritage?
Article in
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
, January 2009
Ian Levine , DJHistory.com
Interview with Ian Levine
YouTube: Blackpool Mecca
Video montage commemorating the venue
YouTube: Blackpool Mecca playlist
Blackpool Mecca Highland Room playlist on YouTube {{Blackpool buildings 1965 establishments in England Buildings and structures in Blackpool Buildings and structures demolished in 2009 Tourist attractions in Blackpool Music venues in Lancashire Demolished buildings and structures in England