Winstanley had already stocked an impressive arsenal of US imports thanks to his uncle and contacts at Selectadisc. His music policy proved to be as strict as it was simple: keep playing the mids rarities, stompers and classic oldies.
He was a face on the scene, a bit of a character, business-minded, but also had an unbelievable ear for these records. We were hungry to get these records through and constantly on the phone to find out what each other had lined up to play next Saturday. Then, moving into , you'd likely hear the sounds of Dana Valery, Bunny Sigler and Lou Pride ringing round the main hall. Legend has it that he borrowed one of only two known original copies from Tom DePierro, a Motown exec, in before pressing 2, bootlegs on In Records under the name Eddie Foster; Soussan and others claim he bought the record from DePierro fair and square.
Either way, the disc ended up in Winstanley's hands in ready for the Casino floor. The Casino stage also played host to an impressive alumni of live acts, and artists like Edwin Starr and Jackie Wilson were noted for their powerful performances. There's even the story of James Brown, who rocked up to the venue one night on the premise of a hefty booking fee, and peered down at dancefloor from the upstairs balcony, before eventually refusing Winstanley's invitation to play.
Share on twitter Tweet. Share on linkedin Share. Share on whatsapp Chat. Sign-up to our newsletter:. Don't miss out on top stories. Subscribe to newsletter Read more on Manchester music. Have you read? Manchester has more coffee shops than Milan — the home of the espresso Read More ». Next read Wigan Casino was the name of the last incarnation of a Wigan ballroom called the Empress.
Young people from all over the UK regularly attended Wigan Casino to hear the latest northern soul artists and to dance. There were long queues to get in. The second dance floor, Mr M's, stayed open until 6 am. Over the following eight years through to December 6th, the weekly events in this North-West mining town became world-famous, putting Northern Soul firmly on the UK's music map and in the process sending several Casino classic 45s into the national 'pop' charts.
On Saturday, September 23rd , it will be exactly fifty years since Wigan Casino opened her doors, and in that time has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of Northern Soul fans.
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