Twisted - Other Clubs

Location

Now demolished, the Blue Note was a cellar club in the basement of a row of terraced buildings joined to the Waldorf Pub. Thankfully, at least the pub has been left standing.

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Rodger Eagle - 67

Play Lists

DJ’s Dave & Dave - 68 - 69

Play Lists

Dave - 1 / Dave - 2
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Links

Blue Note Memories

Disclaimer

Blue Note Club

The Blue Note Club, Waldorf Street off London Road and Roby Street Manchester originated as a Jazz Club (hence the name, from the famous Jazz Recording Company). 
In the true tradition of late night dives it was, like the Twisted Wheel, a cellar club. The Club had a bar and a drinks licence in it's first six months as a soul club but it had lost its drinks licence after a police raid around September 1966, but the ban didn't come into force until 1967. Debbie Fogel the owner's daughter decided to open up as a soul venue and coffee bar, but she only stuck it for 6 months then moved to Australia, the best thing she did was to get Roger Eagle as the DJ. John Fogel took over after his sister left and his girlfriend Viv (Vivian), had the bright idea of introducing catering in the shape of FREE baked potatoes. It was a success! (The three cloakroom girls were Denise, Joan and Marjory).

The major differentiation between the Blue Note and the 'Wheel' was the Blue Note was much smaller and did not have live performers. The major difference in sounds was that whilst the Wheel generally stuck to the Motown style, the Blue Note went with the Stax sound. For example you would hardly ever hear an Albert King track at the Wheel, whilst you would be certain too hear Albert at the Blue Note.

Soul enthusiasts would go for a few drinks in the Waldorf Hotel (Pub) which was next door, before going into the Blue Note. Pass-outs allowed patrons to move between both places as the Blue Note by this time had no drinks licence. 
Today the Waldorf remains but the celler that once housed the Blue Note is now a derelict lot.

The original DJ was Roger Eagle for around six months in 1967, then Dave ? (yes another) till the end of 67, then it was Dave, later joined by Dave for the all-nighters. 
Roger had left the 'Wheel' after falling out with the owners and after he left the Blue Note he started his own club called 'Staxx'.

The club was one of the smaller ones in Manchester at the time and did not have live soul performers, what it lacked in this area it made up for in the music played. 
The Blue Note 'reputedly' played the very best of Soul, it concentrated upon Stax. The first time I heard 'Knock on Wood' by Eddie Floyd and 'Marching Off To War' by William Bell was at the Blue Note. Many obscure recordings, and of course all the Tamla favourites too, were heard here. Many later 'adopted' Northern Soul Classics where in fact launched and heard for the first time at the Blue Note.

Examples being Mabel John - Abel Mabel, Tommy Neal- Going To A Happening, The Spellbinders - Chain reaction/Help Me, Shirly Ellis - Soul Time, The Delfonics - La La La La La . 
The Vibrations - Love In Them There hills 
Plus; virtally everything in the ' Original Northern Soul' original play list, available in this system.

DJ's Dave & Dave used to lock themselves into the DJ booth, closing the doors so that no one could pester them with requests. They played what they wanted to play and be damned. The fact that the Blue Note liqueur store was also hidden in the DJ back cupboard was only a slight, added reason for privacy!

You HAD to have an amazing record collection to be a soul DJ: the club did not provide its own. 
Dave & Dave always kept to the sounds of soul in the main during the weeknight and early Saturday night sessions. These DJs were evangelical about Soul, Blues and Ska. But by 1969 All-nighters at the Blue Note started to play more obscure Blue Beat, not just 'Oh Carolina, records such as Dr Kitch, Bang Bang Lu Lu……... (Great music but this move led eventually to attracting a predominance of second generation immigrants from Moss Side, trouble ensued. DJ's left, finally the Club closed down).

Dave and Dave's claim to fame was…

"My Grandmother's rent collector was Mr Lowrie, and my other grandmother's milkman was Freddie Gerrity"!