Soul survivors - Russ Winstanley

In the early hours of a September morning in 1973, a huge WWI building tentatively opened its doors to the cult followers of an underground dance scene. The unfashionable Casino Club was open for business for its first-ever Northern Soul all-nighter. Little could the promoters have realised the phenomenon they were creating - a phenomenon that would put Wigan and the Casino on the map, not only across the length and breadth of Britain but also in Europe and America. For eight years the Wigan Casino all-night Nothern Soul sessions achieved fame, notoriety and, eventually, legendary status among youngsters all over Britain. It was loved by each of its 100,000 members, voted the world's best disco by the American-based magazine Billboard and started its own record label and magazine. Its DJs unearthed rare 1960s American soul recordings and launched them into the national pop charts, reviving the careers of many black artists. Northern Soul was the youth culture of the 1970s and is still a major influence on many artists recording today.