Wigan Casino
Encyclopedia
The Wigan Casino was a nightclub
in Wigan
, Lancashire
, England
. Operating between 1973 and 1981, it was known as a primary venue for northern soul
music. It carried forward the legacy created by clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester
and the Golden Torch
in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent
. It remains one of the most famous clubs in Northern England
.
This England, a TV documentary about the venue, was filmed in 1977. In 1978, the American
music magazine Billboard
voted Wigan Casino "The Best Disco
in the World", ahead of New York City
's Studio 54
. Russ Winstanley
and Dave Nowell wrote a history of the club, Soul Survivors, The Wigan Casino Story, which was published in 1996. A stage play by Urban Expansions, written by Mick Martin about the Wigan Casino years, Once upon a time in Wigan, debuted in February 2003 at the Contact Theatre
in Manchester
, and has since toured nationally.
, Edwin Starr
and Junior Walker.
Young people from all over the UK regularly made the trek to Wigan Casino to hear the latest northern soul
artists and to dance. Queues to get in were sometimes five or six people deep, and stretched quite a way up the road. The second dance floor, called Mr. M's, stayed open until 6am and played oldies songs from a variety of DJs. Every all-nighter traditionally ended with three songs that became known as the 3 before 8: "Time Will Pass You By" by Tobi Legend, "Long After Tonight Is Over" by Jimmy Radcliffe
, and "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish
. Parrish is still active on the northern soul circuit. Over Four Million people attended the Soul Sessions which also had early sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Wigan Council owned the building and wanted to extend the nearby Civic Centre, but due to running out of cash,it never went ahead. The Club was closed December 6, 1981; that final night of Wigan Casino in its northern soul state was DJed by Winstanley, and the 3 before 8 were played three times consecutively at the end of the night. The crowd refused to leave, so according to Winstanley, to "break this spell of hysteria" he picked a 7" at random from his box and played that. This final Wigan Casino song became one of the most famous northern soul songs of all time, Frank Wilson
's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)". Annual reunions are held in Wigan and hosted by the original DJs.
The site, as of 2009, is occupied by the Grand Arcade shopping centre.
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Operating between 1973 and 1981, it was known as a primary venue for northern soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
music. It carried forward the legacy created by clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and the Golden Torch
Golden Torch
The Golden Torch, more commonly known as The Torch, was a mod nightclub in Tunstall, Stoke on Trent, England. The club opened on January 30, 1965 with the headline act of Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas...
in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
. It remains one of the most famous clubs in Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
.
This England, a TV documentary about the venue, was filmed in 1977. In 1978, the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music magazine Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
voted Wigan Casino "The Best Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
in the World", ahead of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
. Russ Winstanley
Russ Winstanley
Russ Winstanley born October 1952 is an English DJ, originating from the Beech Hill area Wigan, Greater Manchester. He is best known for his championing of Northern Soul music, most famously when he founded the Wigan Casino in 1973 in his hometown. Since its closure in 1981, Russ has still been...
and Dave Nowell wrote a history of the club, Soul Survivors, The Wigan Casino Story, which was published in 1996. A stage play by Urban Expansions, written by Mick Martin about the Wigan Casino years, Once upon a time in Wigan, debuted in February 2003 at the Contact Theatre
Contact Theatre
-Contact:Contact is a multi-disciplinary arts venue in Manchester. Originally a traditional theatre Contact was rebranded in 1999 as a space specialising in producing work and providing opportunities for young people.-History:...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and has since toured nationally.
History
Wigan Casino was the name of the last incarnation of a Wigan ballroom called the Empress. Local DJ Russ Winstanley and Wigan Casino manager Mike Walker approached leaseowner Gerry Marshall to run Allnighters there. Walker brought Winstanley who had a DJ set at the local rugby club to the Casino Club, and Wigan Casino opened in September 1973, with Winstanley as the DJ. Many famous soul performers performed there, including Jackie WilsonJackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
, Edwin Starr
Edwin Starr
Edwin Starr was an American soul music singer. Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield produced singles of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".-Biography:...
and Junior Walker.
Young people from all over the UK regularly made the trek to Wigan Casino to hear the latest northern soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
artists and to dance. Queues to get in were sometimes five or six people deep, and stretched quite a way up the road. The second dance floor, called Mr. M's, stayed open until 6am and played oldies songs from a variety of DJs. Every all-nighter traditionally ended with three songs that became known as the 3 before 8: "Time Will Pass You By" by Tobi Legend, "Long After Tonight Is Over" by Jimmy Radcliffe
Jimmy Radcliffe
James "Jimmy" Radcliffe was an American soul singer, composer, arranger, conductor and record producer.-Biography:James Radcliffe was born in New York City...
, and "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish
Dean Parrish
Dean Parrish is an American soul singer from New York, best known for the song, "I'm On My Way", which became famous for being the last record that was played at Northern Soul all-nighters at the Wigan Casino.-Career:Anastasi was born to Italian and Spanish parents and was raised in Little Italy,...
. Parrish is still active on the northern soul circuit. Over Four Million people attended the Soul Sessions which also had early sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Wigan Council owned the building and wanted to extend the nearby Civic Centre, but due to running out of cash,it never went ahead. The Club was closed December 6, 1981; that final night of Wigan Casino in its northern soul state was DJed by Winstanley, and the 3 before 8 were played three times consecutively at the end of the night. The crowd refused to leave, so according to Winstanley, to "break this spell of hysteria" he picked a 7" at random from his box and played that. This final Wigan Casino song became one of the most famous northern soul songs of all time, Frank Wilson
Frank Wilson (musician)
Frank Wilson is an African American former songwriter and record producer for Motown Records.-Biography:He was born to James Wilson and Samantha Gibbs...
's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)". Annual reunions are held in Wigan and hosted by the original DJs.
The site, as of 2009, is occupied by the Grand Arcade shopping centre.
External links
- For Dancers Only The story of Wigan Casino by Chris HuntChris HuntChris Hunt is a magazine editor, journalist and author. He has worked in journalism for over twenty years, most often writing about football or rock music. He was managing editor of Match from 1993 to 2001, a period that saw the weekly title become Britain's biggest selling football magazine...
, published in MojoMojo (magazine)MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
Collections magazine, Spring 2002 - This England - Northern Soul - Granada TV documentary about Wigan Casino