Rowntrees owned four popular clubs,
- Top of the Town
- Sound
- Seen/Takis and
- Spring Gardens
with all but the last featuring groups two or three nights a week. Top of the Town was my favourite venue - the clientele a little more "souly" than "poppy".
I remember working there with Jimmy "What becomes of the brokenhearted" Ruffin, very much down on his luck and coming over to us as a bighead. We had to clear the stage for him and then found out his band - Campus, a Manchester based backing band - had arrived with no gear. Out it all had to come!
Paul Mlynarz
Phoenix City Smash
Phoenix City Smash outside The Spin Inn record shop, managed by DJ Gary Laine and next to Top of the Town (hey that's webmaster Paul, crouched on the left)
I particularly remember Top of the Town on Cross Street which used to have a record shop called Spin Inn at street level. The DJ in the late 60s and early 70s was called Gary Laine, I seem to remember and he managed the shop too.
My friends were Glenys Withington, Kath Walker, David Holt and Mike Curtis.
Happy days!
Melanie McNeeney
I remember so fondly Top of the Town on Cross Street. I also remember the DJ, Gary Laine, where is he now, does anyone know. My friends at the time there were Brenda Smith, Leslie Cooper, danced many a night away there. Happy days.
Catherine Barrow (nee Dillon)
I remember many enjoyable nights spent in my youth at Rowntrees Spring Gardens, after travelling down from Rossendale and I bought most of my early soul records for deejaying at the Spin Inn.Fond memories indeed.
The rest I got from FL Moore in Leighton Buzzard, who had a mail order business at the time.
Those were the days. The strange thing is I am still playing some of these records which I played as 'new releases' then, to this day.
Keith Gunton
I have just read Paul Swarbrick's account of when he was working on Whitworth St in Manchester and how he used to go to Takis at lunchtime and enjoy the music. I was really pleased to read that as I was the DJ during those lunchtime sessions.
My DJ name was Pete Roscoe and as well as the lunchtime sessions I also did Top of the Town,and Rowntrees in the evenings. Does anyone recall the Miss Supertakis beauty contest that we had, I arranged that together with Mr Paul Partakis who was the Manager and part of the family that owned the group of clubs
Peter
Just to say after having lunch at Sam's Chophouse with a friend who works at 15 Cross Street. I asked him if i could take a nostalgic walk around. Such memories - we stood where the bar was as I remember it, needless to say it's now an internal car park.
But never mind, I still felt in good spirits. The dance floor is now offices - none of the wall plan remains.
I can add it to my yearly sojourn to the Oasis which as you already know is a car park.
What have they done to Manchester?
Alan Fildes
28/2/09
I spent every Friday and Saturday night dancing to Tamala Mowtown at Takis.
As you walked down the stairs to enter the club There was a minor bird in a cage on the wall. It would whistle at the girls coming down the steps in the dark.
I remember being there the night Otis Reding died and the DJ Paul Pender anounced it. Everyone was so shocked.
I remember the dinnertime sesions. As I worked on Lever street i would nip in for the lunch break.
Takis and Tamala Mowtown were the best times of my life.
Anne Bostock
11/4/09
I remember Gary Laine when he was DJ at the Can Can in early 1967. He then did a stint at Sound but came back to the Can Can for a while. I went to Takis in late 67 and it was always really busy. Great times, great music.
Liz Williams
2/8/09
I think Top of the Town was one of the best clubs in Manchester when they became mainly discoteques after 1966.
All the guys wore brown or green mohair suits, with Jaytex or Sherman shirts with Slazender v-neck jumpers or slipovers. The girls often in mohair suits too with short feathered hair like Julie Driscoll.
The music was great not just soul but lots of Bluebeat, Carolina by the Folks Bros, Ethiopians etc. The DJ Gary Laine was great too.
There was an upstairs a kind of long room with a bar at the end, was this the Red Barn of the former Bodega?
Warren Taylor
9/8/09
My brother was a dj at Roundtrees Spring Gardens for a few years, his name Malcolm Just. He went on to be a doorman at Rountrees Hanging Ditch, plus other clubs.
9/8/09
Top of the Town was THE best club in Manchester, I used to go every Saturday with my friend Lorna, travelling on the train from Bury - and getting the last possible one back which was probably about 10:30 in 1968!! Well, we were only about 15......
The soul music played there set me on a lifelong love for Motown - I have lived down south for many years but have happy memories of this club.
Also can remember DLT at Mr Smiths I think it was, and used to go to the Twisted Wheel, and Rowntrees Spring Gardens. I have never seen any pics of Top of the Town - do any exist?
Kathy
27/5/10
Love this site. I used to go to Rowtrees Sound 1967/8/9/70. Wwe all went every Saturday night then after it closed, we went to a mini club on Spring Gardens forget what it was called now but you had to knock on the door to get in and they only sold Doubble Diamond - used to make you sick after a skinfull lol.
My favorite songs from then were Chairman of the Board.
John Walker
8/7/10
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