Wigan Casino 50th Anniversary Mix

Unless you've been living on the dark side of the moon, or have no interest in Northern Soul, you will be well aware that this weekend commemorates the 50th anniversary of the first all-nighter at Wigan Casino on 23rd Sep 1973. 

The main celebratory event is a weekender at Blackpool Winter Gardens organised by original Casino DJs Richard Searling and Kev Roberts but in recent weeks Casino mainstay Russ Winstanley has thrown his hat in the ring with a weekender in Wigan and there are other events up and down the country. 

Not to be left out, it is also the 44th Anniversary of 6Ts Rhythm & Soul Society, although all-nighters didn't commence until around 1981 at The 100 Club on Oxford St (London). It was founded in Aug 1979 by Ady Croasdel and the late Randy Cozens. An all-nighter is being held on Sat 23 Sep at The 100 Club which is ticket only and is sold out.

To get you in the mood we've put together a mix of Wigan 'classics'. It's 'wart's n all' as we have not attempted to 'sanitise' it. We wouldn't pretend that many are necessarily our favourite Northern Soul tracks of all time as many haven't stood the test of time and the Casino had a propensity of playing a lot of, what are now regarded as, white pop music, but they were all popular there in their day (you must appreciate that most punters were teenagers at the time). 

Most of the tracks are from the mid 70s (from memory attending). Some may have already been oldies from The Torch and before, but in the main they are Wigan sounds with some perhaps finding their way there from the Blackpool Mecca, however, they were all played at the Casino.

We've opened with the first record ever played there (The Sherrys "Put your Arms Around Me") and ended, obviously, with the 'Three Before Eight'. Running time is five hours (127 beat / key (where possible) matched tracks).

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved