Blackpool Mecca

The Blackpool Mecca was a large entertainment venue on Central Drive in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, in North West England, first opened in 1965. In the 1970s, it was particularly known for The Highland Room, which was a major Northern Soul music venue. The building was closed down in 1980s and was finally demolished in January 2009 to make way for new campus buildings of Blackpool and The Fylde College. However, following an issue with funding B& FC withdrew and as of 2013 the site is planned for residential development. Northern soul at The Highland RoomThe Highland Room was used as a soul venue from 1967 to 1979 and it became one of the most popular venues on the Northern soul scene. Unlike similar clubs such as the Wigan Casino and the Golden Torch, these events were not "all-nighters" and ran from 8pm until 2am on Saturday evenings. The two main DJs for the Highland Room soul nights were Ian Levine and Colin Curtis. Several classic 1960s Northern soul records were discovered and "broken" by the aforementioned DJs at the venue, including Tony Clarke's "Landslide", Morris Chesnut's "Too Darn Soulful", Frankie Beverly & the Butlers' "If That's What You Wanted" and R. Dean Taylor's "There's A Ghost In My House".

The Blackpool Mecca was a large entertainment venue on Central Drive in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, in North West England, first opened in 1965. In the 1970s, it was particularly known for The Highland Room, which was a major Northern Soul music venue. The building was closed down in 1980s and was finally demolished in January 2009 to make way for new campus buildings of Blackpool and The Fylde College. However, following an issue with funding B& FC withdrew and as of 2013 the site is planned for residential development. Northern soul at The Highland RoomThe Highland Room was used as a soul venue from 1967 to 1979 and it became one of the most popular venues on the Northern soul scene. Unlike similar clubs such as the Wigan Casino and the Golden Torch, these events were not "all-nighters" and ran from 8pm until 2am on Saturday evenings. The two main DJs for the Highland Room soul nights were Ian Levine and Colin Curtis. Several classic 1960s Northern soul records were discovered and "broken" by the aforementioned DJs at the venue, including Tony Clarke's "Landslide", Morris Chesnut's "Too Darn Soulful", Frankie Beverly & the Butlers' "If That's What You Wanted" and R. Dean Taylor's "There's A Ghost In My House".