Northern Soul: The Story

Northern Soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in the 1960s and reached the peak of its popularity in the mid to late 1970s. The expression was first used publicly by journalist Dave Godin in an article for Blues & Soul magazine in 1971. Godin ran a record shop in London's Covent Garden and apparently coined the phrase in 1968 to help his staff to differentiate between the modern, funkier sounds that were emerging at the time, and the earlier Mowtown-sounding, fast-tempo dance music which still remained popular with soul-fans in the north of England.

The Northern Soul movement, which grew out of the mod subculture, eschewed mainstream music and popular artists in favour of rare recordings by relatively unknown performers. Playlists at clubs were updated by the discovery of previously overlooked tracks produced by small, regional record companies in the United States such as Ric-Tic and Golden Records (Detroit), Mirwood (Los Angeles) and Shout and Okeh (New York/Chicago). The up-tempo beat of the music, together with the influence of stage performances by 1960s American soul acts such as Jackie Wilson, led to the development of a unique dance style incorporating kicks and spins; by the mid-1970s, acrobatic flips and backdrops were added to routines.

Jackie Wilson - "You Better Know It"

Extraordinary dance moves were no the only peculiarity of Northern Soul devotees; they also introduced a fashion of comparable extreme - created with equal measure of form and function. The earlier mod-style of Sta-Prest trousers, Ben Sherman shirts and multi-buttoned blazers gave way to skinny-fitting vests, shirts and tank tops worn over high-waisted, wide-legged Oxford bags - the latter of which not only offered ventilation and freedom of movement, but also cut a dramatic dash mid-pirouette.

Sports vests were often adorned with sew-on patches, representing affiliation to the movement and/or membership of various soul clubs. The design of these badges was often formed around the image of a clenched black fist (a symbol associated with the Black Power salute given by African-American athletes at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City .... and on the soul circuit - a reference to the origin of the music genre).

The Twisted Wheel nightclub in Manchester is widely regarded as being the birthplace of Northern Soul. It opened as a music venue in 1963 and soon developed a reputation for being the place to listen and dance to Rhythm and Blues tunes imported from the United States. It also became a regular scene of drug raids by the police as the club began promoting all-night parties frequented by amphetamine-fuelled dancers ... this became a contributing factor in the clubs closure by the authorities in 1971, and the scene moved on to other locations.

Whilst a number of Northern Soul clubs began to emerge across the North of England and the Midlands throughout the 1970s, the most important venues were the Golden Torch in Stoke, Blackpool Mecca, and the fabled Wigan Casino (which remains the spiritual home of the movement). Wigan began its weekly all-nighters in 1973. It had a much larger capacity than the other clubs on the scene, and by 1976 it had amassed 100,000 members. The club's highest accolade arrived two years later, when Billboard magazine in the US declared Wigan Casino the "Best Disco in the World" - high praise indeed given that New York's Studio 54 had opened it's doors the same year. However, to many of the original crowd, Billboard's commendation was the death knell for the club and the turning point in the life-cycle of what had been an extraordinary subculture. The Casino closed in 1981, and whilst crowds continued to attend other venues around the country, the club's closure marked the end of an era.

  

At the turn of the century, Northern Soul experienced a quiet revival. In 2002, the reborn Twisted Wheel began to host soul nostalgia nights, and the same year, Sheffield based pop-duo Moloko released the single "Familiar Feeling" accompanied by a soul-styled video directed by long-time Northern Soul enthusiast, Elaine Constantine. Subsequent music videos produced for Duffy's 1998 song "Mercy" and Plan B's "Stay Too Long" in 2010 also featured Northern Soul dancers.

Moloko - "Familiar Feeling"

In 2012, Elaine Constantine realised a lifetime ambition by directing her first feature-length film entitled "Northern Soul" which, set in 1975, tells the story of how the lives of two young men are changed forever when they discover American soul music. Nutters of Savile Row were delighted to have been invited to help with the wardrobe for the production together with designer Paul Smith and British menswear brand Peter Werth. The film is scheduled for release in Spring 2013. 

Further information:

http://www.northernsoulthefilm.com/ 

      

STUDIO 54: the most famous nightclub in history

Halston, Bianca, Andy and Liza illustrate the glamour of Studio 54

During the 1970's, Tommy Nutter, the founder of Nutters of Savile Row, dressed everyone, from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to Elton John and Eric Clapton, from Jacko (before the Wacko) to the high priestess of Motown, Diana Ross. Nutter and his clientele defined "bon vivant" and their destination of choice at the time was the hedonistic New York discotheque, Studio 54.

Mick Jagger and John Lennon at the most famous nightclub in history

The establishment, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, was originally built in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House. Three years later it was transformed into the New Yorker theatre, then in 1942, CBS purchased the space and made it the home of renowned television programmes such as "The Johnny Carson Show". In 1976, CBS moved most of its broadcast functions to the Ed Sullivan Theatre and put the property up for sale.

In 1977, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager acquired the premises, with financial backing from Jack Dushey, and in just 6 weeks transformed the former theatre into what was to become the most famous nightclub in history. It was a playground for the rich, famous, and infamous. The eclectic group of guests were hand-picked from the crowds that gathered outside by Rubell himself. It was an interesting mix. "It's bisexual", Rubell told Interview magazine. "Very bisexual. And that's how we choose the crowd too. In other words we want everyone to be fun and good-looking" ... and have sex and do drugs on the balcony.

A hopeful crowd gathers outside the club

By December of 1978, Rubell was quoted as saying that Studio 54 had made $7 million in its first year and that "only the Mafia made more money". Shortly thereafter the nightclub was raided, and Rubell and Schrager were arrested for "skimming" $2.5 million. They were found guilty of tax evasion and spent 13 months in prison.

Lawyer Roy Cohn, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell, following a raid on the club

Before their internship, Rubell and Schrager closed Studio 54 with a party on February 4th, 1980, where Diana Ross personally serenaded the founders. The guests that night included Ryan O'Neal, Mariel Hemingway, Jocelyn Wilderstein, Richard Gere, Gia Carangi, Jack Nicholson, Reggie Jackson and Sylvester Stallone.

Richard Gere hits the Studio 54 dancefloor

On their release from prison in 1981, Rubell and Schrager sold the building, but opted to keep a lease. The club reopened on September 12, 1981, with a guest list of Andy Warhol, Clavin Klein, Cary Grant, Lauren Hutton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Gina Lollobrigida and Brooke Shields. During this period, emerging artists, Madonna, Wham, Duran Duran, Culture Club and Run-DMC performed at the club before going on to future success.

Calvin Klein and Brooke Shields with Steve Rubell for LIFE

Soon after selling Studio 54, Rubell and Schrager purchased the Executive Hotel on Madison Avenue and renamed it Morgan's. It was an instant success and introduced the boutique lifestyle hotel concept to the world. It was followed by the Royalton and the Paramount which pioneered the idea of "lobby socialising" where guests and New York residents alike could gather. They later opened the Palladium, a large dance club famous for displaying art by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, and considered central to the New York club scene of the 1980s.

In 1985, after discovering he had contracted AIDS, Rubell began taking AZT, but his illness was furthered by his continued drug use and drinking, which affected his already compromised immune system. Rubell died on the 25th July, 1989.

Rubell and Schrager understood how to create desire

Schrager has seen continuing success with both hotel and residential property developments. His latest venture is a partnership with Marriott International to develop a chain of hotels under the brandname EDITION, the first of which has now opened in Istanbul.

And Studio 54? It is now the permanent home of the Roundabout Theatre Company, but in most minds it will the remain the place that defined the Disco-Era. Star-studded, glamorous, eccentric, stylish and exclusive .... it was the Nutter of nightclubs.

Stars of the Disco-era Diana Ross & Michael Jackson at Studio 54