6 WHITWORTH STREET, MANCHESTER - THE BIRTHPLACE OF NORTHERN SOUL

6 Whitworth Street, Manchester: The Birthplace of Northern Soul is the title of author Rob McKeever latest release.

To you and I, this address is better known as the little basement club Twisted Wheel, which created a worldwide music phenomenon, and set fashion trends.

Rob said: “It was not a salubrious venue at all, it had a concrete floor, painted walls, but the music was exciting, it was invigorating.

“It was the centre of my universe; it changed my whole life and it meant everything to me, even till this day, and a lot of other people feel the same.”

His book illustrates how the evolution Northern Soul music, which he defines as ‘quality, black music’, came to be.

Twisted Wheel originally emerged on Brazennose Street, Manchester in January 1963, thanks to the Abadi brothers – Ivor, Phillip and Jack.

DJ Roger Eagle was the first to showcase different types of black music at the club, playing blues, rock and roll, and RnB.

However, when the club moved to 6 Whitworth Street, Manchester in September 1965, during the prime years that defined the Twisted Wheels legacy, the music began to evolve into black soul music.

This was the ‘new music’ at the time as it originated from North America and it was mainly unheard of in the UK.

Rob said: “It’s hard to put into words, but the music joined black and white people together.

“Twisted Wheel was the only place to go in the country if you wanted to hear soul music outside of America.

“People came from all over northern England, the Midlands, North Wales and even Scotland.”

The club stayed open from 11pm all the way through to 7.30am in the morning on Saturdays, allowing visitors to dance all night long. This was permitted as no alcohol was sold so it was not restricted from any licencing laws.

But youngsters still got their teenage kicks in drug form, and the use of purple hearts and other amphetamine-based drugs was rife.

The psychological effects of amphetamines were desirable to those wanting to dance all night and stay active as users would experience an increase in confidence, sociability and reduced tiredness.

Rob added: “The club did have an awful reputation mainly because of the drugs.

“People used to take amphetamines to stay awake all night but it was greatly over-exaggerated.

“The local papers would report on it and that’s when the parents got concerned, but I never had any issues whatsoever, I just found it a great, friendly place.”