I worked at Washingtons on Deansgate in 1965. It was a store where people who paid weekly for goods from their homes purchased during the year from the major store in Manchester. Where agents or "tally" men or "collectors" used to go every week to houses all over Manchester to collect money and they, the customers, got issued with a "Chit" for £25-£100 about three times a year to "spend" in the store.
Alan Clarke and Graham Nash (of the Hollies) both worked there just leaving at about the time I started. Alan Clarkes mum used to be the "char lady" there.
I worked in the "boutique" in the basement and sold psycedelic shirts and ties as well a striped hipsters and paisley patterned things.
I particularly remember I used to queue up to go into the Oasis club on a Thursday night after work, as we worked until 8pm on that night.
I later managed the club "Rubens" which was situated on the same site as The Oasis and it opened in 1972.
It was owned by 3 people at the same time (an arrangement that never works) and after a particular heated exchange with one of the owners I was told to "piss off", on boxing day 1973, by David Johnson. Colin Burn and another guy Maurice, (Dave's right hand man) were the other two owners.
ITN covered the opening and it was on the 10pm News sometime in the February of 1972. Dahlia Lavi was used to promote the club as she was going out with Colin Burn at the time, but that lasted about as long as he needed the publicity she brought, she left for Germany soon after the opening.
Rubens at the time was the ritzyist club in town, for the well healed entrepeuner type, rivalling but never quite beating "Blinkers" owned by the Demmy brothers on the site of another old club across the town. Rubens had the interior of a boys school used in its decor cost £60,000 then to open and they spent over £30 grand on the sound system, and it also boasted a really bad couple of Rubenesque oil paintings on the wall. A long way from the "old" Oasis decor.
I was asked back after Colin left in the Summer of 1973, but I never went back. David died at 33 a couple of years later. Maurice disapeared and Colin went on to own "Slack Alices" with George Best in 1974. I again like a fool went to work for him and then left shortly afterwards after another disagreement.
A nice guy called Tony Corless owned the restaurant at the side of the Rubens club, but he lost money too and quietly faded from the scene.
I used to go to the Top Ten Club from 1963-4 and saw Jimmy Hendrix, The Nashville Teens, Ike and Tina Turner, amongst others, with Jimmy Saville and Dave Eager both DJing. Later on used to go to Mr Smith's with the polystyrene balls on the dance floor.
I am suprised Geno Washington was not mentioned as part of the Oasis scene, he was nearly always appearing there.
The site of the old Oasis Club and Rubens in Lloyd St was re-vamped in the early 90's and it no longer exists.
Slack Alice's was opened on the same site as the Jazz/Blues club The Cossack Club, owned by "Russian Dave" at the Deansgate end of Bootle St, further down from where the police station is and the building is still standing.
The Mogambo coffee bar on Princess St was the only place in town in 1965 where you could get a "cold" glass of coke and a slice of lemon. "Cool" man!
Bought many of my clothes from "Guys and Dolls" in Oldham St. including a pair of "spats" 1966. What! a twonk.
Bought demo records from Shudehill market and American imports from the "Spinning Disc". Hyme and Addisons in John Dalton St was the best place to buy "Cool" American Soul and blues stuff. Bought the last copy available in 1967 of Billy Stewarts "Summertime" on the Chess label (still got it). They had booths where you took your chosen record and each booth had a danzig record player to take and listen to your record in privacy, before you had to pay the 6/8d or 29/11d or 32/- for the album you wanted. I was earning less than £4 a week. So a lot of money for an album. Twisted Wheel and the Heaven and Hell club other places to remember also
Mike Barlow
In 1964 the Oasis was my favourite club and as a 16/17 year old excitement not experienced before, no doubt due to leaving school and chasing girls. The Rising Sun nearby was the pub of choice - no alchohol on sale in the club. People usually circulated in pairs round the club looking for action.
I remember queuing up Lloyd St and into Albert square waiting for the club to open. When my mate Barry bought an 18cwt van we would just drive up to the entrance, park the van, and try to boogie in, pretending to be in the band. Notable bands I saw included: Screaming Lord Sutch; Temptations; Desmond Decker plus lots of local bands - St Louis Union was amounst the best.
Happy days.
David Metcalfe |