EAST of SCOTLAND SOUL CLUB (ESSC)

EDINBURGH 1974  -  1980 

(From an interview with BRIAN JOYCE)

There cannot be many people on the soul scene who did not go to the East of Scotland Soul Club when it first started back in 1974 at The Grovesnor Hotel in Edinburgh, so it was with great pleasure that Maureen and I went over to meet BRIAN JOYCE who it has to be said is one of the main reasons that Soul Music took off in such a big way in 1974 when he had the vision and the nerve to put on Soul Nights in Edinburgh. Remember that in these days you also had the restriction of the licencing laws which said that you could only be open for drinking up to 10pm and that on a Sunday it had to be in a Hotel !, so what did Brian choose - yes a Sunday at The Grovesnor !, and to think that here we are 34 years on in 2008 still having big well attended Soul Nights at the same venue.

How did Brian get into Soul Music, well he used to meet some of the US guys that were posted to Kirknewton in the 60's and found himself at a few parties, needless to say some of the guys from the USA were bringing over with them there tastes in Soul music and the rest as they say is history, a great story that Brian told us was of when he was in London in 1966 and OTIS REDDING was on at TILES club on Oxford Street, Brian had just moved into a bedsit in Nottinghill Gate and along with some like minded people went along to see OTIS REDDING, it was pay at the door and on getting in he really wanted to meet the great man, Brian saw a guy from the USA doing interviews which was going to be sent back to the states, Brian goes over and tells the guy that he has come all the way from Scotland to see OTIS which impressed the interviewer so much that he began to interview them, have you really come all the way from Scotland !! (of course said Brian !!), towards the end Brian said that it was one of his great wishes to meet OTIS REDDING and get his autograph, so this guy from the states takes them over to OTIS REDDINGS dressing room and tells OTIS how these guys had come all the way from Scotland just to see you !, come on in says OTIS and Brian spent about ten minutes in his dressing room before having to leave, great story and one that makes me slightly green with envy !!

Brian had been working in London for many years and came back up during 1974 to Edinburgh, looking for his fix of Soul Music to satisfy his love of dancing, he went to places such as the Fire Island in Princess Street and the Forth Bridges Hotel where BOB MALCOLM of radio Forth fame years later was a Dj at what was called a Disco night playing a mix which included some soul records, this was not enough for Brian as he wanted Soul Music from the start of the night to the end, so as promoting was part of the skills he had collected down in London he started to look at the possibilitys of running something in Edinburgh.  Brian had been at The Grovesnor Hotel for some reason and found that The Rosebury Suite was empty, so he went and saw the manager, everything went ok and it was left for him to organise things and also make assurances to The Grovesnor that this was being organised properly, door staff hired, assurances that no under age drinking or drugs would be tolerated in any way, anyone caught was thrown out and banned.  They were not allowed to charge an entrance fee then so to get around that there was to be a donation to Club Funds of 40p (how times have changed !!) on some occasions a late licence would be granted, this was got round by putting the night down as a Fancy Dress Party !.  Music policy in those days was simple, if it was a black Soul Star and it was music that you wanted to dance to then play it, still works today.

The Soul Nights at the Grovesnor Hotel lasted from late 1974 through to 1980 and was on every week on the Sunday night from 6pm until 10pm with the resident Mobile Disco of RONNIE COWAN from Dunfermline as the supplier of both equipment and also Dj expertise.  Other special nights were held at other venues, one that I can remember was at STEWARTS BALLROOM in 1975  (check out the pictues in Soul History Album.) 

Following the closure of ESSC at The Grovesnor it re emerged as the 3B's club at the same venue but only lasted about another year, following that there were also a few revival dances as well that went on between 1981 and 1985. 

Having know BRIAN since the first days of the ESSC in 1974 it was and still is a pleasure to see him enjoy his love of Soul Music, now at the age of 60 (61 during 2008) he still has some things in life that he wants to get done !:

1.     To visit Atlanta - Otis Redding Museum, Memphis to see the STAX museum, Detroit and a visit to Hitsville plus throw in Chicago and New York to round things off, some trip !

2.     To put on a live show with Jimmy James           

I personally hope that Brian gets to do all that he wants as in my mind he was one of the main people in the early days of the scene here in Scotland, ok so if he had not done it then someone else might have !, yes I know that but at the end of the day Brian did get off his arse and did run what was to this day one of the great early Soul Clubs in Scotland and I thank him for that.

EDINBURGH  2004

The Hib's club All-Dayers were the result of John Sim having "a bit of time on his hands", pondering as to which venue's would be the best quality for a Soul All-Dayer, this did'nt take much thinking about as the Hib's supporters club on Sunnyside came out tops, John knew the club only too well as a Hibernian supporter, this was in 2004.

John discussed his idea with his brother Jim and myself (Clarky) and we both agreed that this was a great venue and forwarded an action plan, the wheels were in motion for a first Soul night and advertising commenced.

The three of us needed some assistance with the project so along came Mark Manson (aka) "Shaggy Brown" and Gordy Gibson along with Davie Carson, the first All-Dayer was in motion for November 2004.

The Hib's club All-Dayers have now been going for 4 years with bi-monthly All-Dayers on Sundays offering the customers quality Northern Soul, crossover and 70's soul in great surroundings with cheap drink prices. 

Rob Strachen joined the team in 2006 supplying the Hib's club with his high quality sound system, along with young Adam Feeney (our apprentice Dj).

Just about every Soul Dj in Scotland has played at the Hib's club, we now look further afield for our Dj's and feature many Dj's visiting us from England.

We also offer our customers free patches and CD's every year on our Anniversary, our 4th Anniversary is due in December 2008.

We would like to thank all our customers who travel far and wide for all their support and we look forward to another 4 years of giving you quality Soul All-Dayers in Edinburgh.

^{Paul Clark (Clarky) September 2008}