Although the nightclub is not there in its physical form, it lives on, through the people and it’s music.

Northern Soul emerged in the economically disadvantaged regions of Northern England during the late 1960s. From Manchester and Sheffield, including Newcastle, Blackpool, and various parts of Southern Scotland, such as Glasgow and Edinburgh. Previously renowned for its significant contributions to the Industrial Revolution during the 19th century, these areas had transformed into a hub of widespread joblessness, menial labor in factories and mines; however, Northern soul music dramatically changed the culture in these areas, bringing a music that was outspoken about racism, ecology, war, and drug abuse, among other topics. Motown mixed with R&B, and dance vibes was introduced in nightclubs by DJ’s, it saw songs from Marvin Gaye “This love starved Heart“, Frankie Valli “You’re Ready Now” and the renowned song “Out on the Floor” by Dobie Gray. The music genre become popular among the younger generation and gave a voice to the working class.

The weekend kicked off with Craig’s special edition of his regular Saturday night Funk and Soul show, dedicated to Northern Soul, his introduction to the all-nighter began at 6pm and concluded at 9pm. The show showcased a ten-piece soul house band known as The Signatures, alongside esteemed guests such as Richard Searling, a renowned figure from the iconic Wigan Casino, and the talented all-female R&B group, The Flirtations.

Additionally, Craig was set to embark on a quest to locate the most elusive Northern Soul record, which was recently sold for an astounding £100k. Then from 9pm, Stuart Maconie joined the festivities and collaborated with Craig to present a broadcast of the Northern Soul Prom.

This extraordinary event was conceived by Stuart and featured a captivating performance by the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Richard Searling recalls, “As soon as those doors opened, there’d be a flood of people. Once inside, they went upstairs, paid the entry fee, passed through a set of double doors and entered the dance hall. There, the wall of sound would hit you. The club’s cocktail of aromas would also hit you. “That smell of condensation, of Brut, of sweat… It was absolutely amazing.”

The all-nighter playlists continued with Golden Torch, Wigan Casino, Twisted Wheel and The 100 Club. The Northern Soul’s morning after mix, saw a Northern Soul Special from 4am unitl 7am and Lights On With Stuart Maconie 7am until 8am.

The amazing weekend was recorded by BBC Radio 6 and is available on BBC iplayer, click here.

The Wigan Indie rock band who featured on Granada Introducing in 2020 and played their first gig just two years ago, said their “smiles couldn’t be any wider” as they celebrate their chart-topping debut.

They released their first full-length last week (September 24), and held off competition from fellow UK band Public Service Broadcasting, as well as North American stars Drake, Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X. You can hear the band’s lead single from their debut album below.

It has recently been confirmed that the band has hit the top of the charts, beating Public Service Broadcasting, whose new album Bright Magic charts at Number Two.

This means that British bands have accounted for more than a quarter (28%) of album chart-toppers so far in 2021 – compared with 17% in 2020 and 15% in 2019.

Speaking of the honour of finishing at number one The Lathums frontman Alex Moore told Official Charts: “We’re four friends from Wigan who just love making music and are at Number 1 with our debut album, it’ll take a while for this one to sink in. It proves what’s possible for young, British artists with a pure-at-heart ambition to reach people with songs like ours, making friends every step along the way and finding that dreams can come true.”

He then went on to say “‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’ is about seeing the good in things, holding on and coming through difficult times with a smile at the end. Today our smiles couldn’t be any wider. Thank you.”

You can see the band celebrating their number one position in the charts.

Watch @thelathums react as How Beautiful Life Can Be claim a “momentous” Number 1 debut on the Official UK Albums Chart: https://t.co/Zh394hTJDr pic.twitter.com/JiX4j638Sf

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) October 1, 2021

The band celebrated the release of the album last Friday, with a special hometown show at The Monaco in Hindley. Fans gathered to sing along to many of the band’s popular tracks.

A few days later, the group then treated fans to an extended version of the album, which included the tracks that didn’t make the initial cut. At one point during the week, both versions occupied number one and two positions in the Itunes chart.

Elsewhere on this week’s Official Albums Chart, last week’s chart-topper from Drake, Certified Lover Boy, drops to Number Three, while another new entry in the Top Ten comes from Natalie Imbruglia, whose album Firebird charts at Number Ten.

In May, the band also released a new live album with their full performance at May’s Sefton Park pilot event. The band also joined acts such as Zuzu and Blossoms last month in performing to 5,000 people at the Liverpool park as part of government research into the safe return of live music. The Lathums are also set for their biggest UK tour to date later this year.

However, fans looking forward to hearing the album will still have to wait two months for it to drop, while some fans also got the chance to meet the band today at Wigan Market’s ‘Lathums Emporium’, as well as ordering an exclusive ‘first edition’ pressing of ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’

Below you can see the track-listing and album artwork.

 ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’ Tracklist:

1. ‘Circles Of Faith’
2. ‘I’ll Get By’
3. ‘Fight On’
4. ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’
5. ‘The Great Escape’
6. I Won’t Lie’
7. ‘I See Your Ghost’
8. ‘Oh My Love’
9. ‘I’ll Never Forget The Time I Spent With You’
10. ‘I Know That Much’
11. ‘Artificial Screens’
12. ‘The Redemption Of Sonic Beauty’