The Original birthplace of Northern Soul, and UK Motown

[Stone Diamond]

Ace have just released a CD with the title "THE SCENE CLUB, HAM YARD, LONDON 1963-1966"
And claim that the Scene was the "The Original Sound Of Northern Soul!
The Scene wasn't "The Original Sound Of Northern Soul", that distinction belongs to The La Discotheque in Wardour Street.
I started going there in late 1960, after it had become the first and only club in the UK to play solely records.
By 1961 I was DJ'ing there, and buying import 45's from US Marines just up the road in the Flamingo Club.
The Scene opened in the summer of 1963 to cash in on the success of La Discotheque, and became the place for media darlings to hang out in.
But the La Discotheque stayed true to it's roots and was a working class club, till the end.
We were the first to play Cameo/Parkway, Motown, Sue, Fire/Fury, Doo-Wop, & down home dirty Southern R&B.
We were the first club to do the Twist back in 1960, together with the Mashed Potato, Hully Gully, and all the other dance crazes that came and went before the Scene opened.
I do wish the media darlings would get their facts right. Even the last Chance Saloon on Oxford Street was open a year before the Scene!

[motownmorph1]

that is a massive claim to be the birthplace of Northern Soul, I thought The Flamingo Club was the club most recognised as one of the earliest?

morph

[Stone Diamond]

that is a massive claim to be the birthplace of Northern Soul, I thought The Flamingo Club was the club most recognised as one of the earliest?

morph

The Flamingo was a great club, but it was a live venue, yes it played R&B, but was very limited in it's play list.
Mind you it did play Blue Beat first! And we picked up on it and started playing it.
The flamingo was the "IN" place to see the US acts on tour, [[the very thing that attracted the US Marines and Sailors).
I loved the Flamingo, and it was a sad day when it closed it's doors.