Tiffany's Night Club

Hmmm... how can I describe this... the Leyton Buzzards single "Saturday Night Under the Plastic Palm Trees" just about says it all. Although in this case it was Mondays and Fridays. As the Junction crowd grew older, it became necessary to attend nightclubs. Hormones were running riot, and what better place to go but the local Tiffanys. I shall try and set the scene. Imagine a typical Mecca establishment of the seventies... large room, two bars, chicken in a basket, bouncers in Tuxedos, the aforementioned plastic palm trees, a DJ stand made up to look like a golden chariot, KC and the Sunshine Band, George McRae, The Bump... AAARGH!

BUT... hiding in the corner by the gleaming golden chariot hid a small group of northern soul devotees, half a dozen records gripped tightly in hand... "ere mate, bung a couple of these on" and there it was: the cat was out of the bag. The timing was critical. It was just after the Wigan Casino First Anniversary, and Pye's Disco Demand label had just been launched. Nosmo King and the Javells, Wayne Gibson, Frankie and the Classicals, The Casualeers, Al Wilson etc. were easily available from the local record shop, Russells in Castle Street (it'll be in on Tuesday... sorry, local joke). Also, you have to remember that these records were actually being played in discos as they were considered to be new records and in some cases, also in the charts! Anyone in possession of these groovy new tracks was considered to be trendy. Anyone with a record with a big hole in the middle was considered to be very trendy. Anyone who had been to an all-nighter was a god.

The local market had a record stall, which sold "pressings" as they were called then, for a pound, many cut (I believe) at Selectadisc in Nottingham. The comparatively rarer stuff like Paul Humphrey's "Cochise", Butch Baker "The Joker" (or "Jocker" as it was incorrectly spelt on the label!), Laura Greene "Moonlight, Music and You" etc. were snapped up and transported to Tiffs, where the DJ would play them due to the dance floor reaction they created. Men dancing on their own. Not known in Tiffs. Northern soul dancing always drew a crowd, and many an sad (and quickly aborted) effort from the "try to impress the girls" brigade. Due to the interest in this "new sensation", more people got drawn into the local scene, and it became apparent that it was time to do something about it. A local, dedicated northern soul night was needed.