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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. From 1977 onwards it was also host to the Commonwealth Sporting Club. The building was closed down in the 1980s and was finally demolished in January 2009 to make way for new campus buildings of Blackpool and The Fylde College. Piece of Blackpool History up for sale However, following an issue with funding B&FC withdrew and as of 2013 the site is planned for residential development.
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",Sleeve notes written by Ian Levine accompanying the CD Reachin’ For The Best: The Northern Soul of the Blackpool Mecca Morris Chesnut's "Too Darn Soulful",Sleeve notes written by Ian Dewhirst accompanying the CD The Northern Soul Story Vol 3: Blackpool Mecca Frankie Beverly & the Butlers' "If That's What You Wanted" and R. Dean Taylor's "There's a Ghost in My House".
Later in the 1970s, the Highland Room became synonymous with a more contemporary and less frenetic style of Northern soul music, typified by records such as The Carstairs' "It Really Hurts Me Girl", Voices of East Harlem's "Cashin' In" and the Charisma Band's "Ain't Nothing Like Your Love".Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. Last Night A DJ Saved My Life Chapter four, page 106, Fighting for the soul of soul Because of the change in tempo, a slightly different shuffling dance style developed at the venue. This newer sound and dance style caused some controversy and led to the formation of the parallel Modern soul subgenre, which still exists today within and alongside the mainstream Northern soul movement.
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