When American soul great Tommy Hunt first approached the Wigan Casino in Wigan, England to celebrate the nightclub's second anniversary on September 27, 1975, his first reaction was decidedly mixed.  He recalled in 2013, "When I got to Wigan, I refused to go in!  It scared me because it looked so rough!  I'd been playing these fabulous clubs.  When I looked at the outside, I said to the driver, 'you must be at the wrong place.'  He said, 'Tommy, wait 'til you get inside.'  When I walked in there, I couldn't believe it.  The place was a dump and there was so many people, masses of them."  Indeed, the Wigan Casino was the fulcrum of the northern soul scene; in 1978, it even topped the Billboard list of the Best Disco in the World, beating out New York's Studio 54.  In summer '78, the Casino Classics label was launched just a few miles away from the Wigan Casino, reissuing popular northern soul records and recording quite a few tracks of its own.  Cherry Red's Soul Time label has recently celebrated the label with a new 3-CD box set.  Casino Classics: Complete Collection features, on three CDs, Casino Classics' entire released output - every album track and every single side, both new and old - plus bonus tracks!

After the 1978 Granada television airing of the documentary This England, the northern soul scene - focused on 1960s-era, lesser-known American soul records brimming with powerful rhythms, passionate vocals, brassy productions and fast tempi - exploded to the masses, and the Wigan Casino's membership jumped to 100,000-strong. Casino owner Gerry Marshall teamed with manager Mike Walker and DJ Russ WInstanley (formerly of Spark Records, which had released Tommy Hunt's "comeback" records) formed the label and initially released singles.  In 1979, the label's first LP entitled Chapter One arrived.  It compiled tracks from Casino Classics' first seven singles plus the Three Before Eight EP.  Chapter Two followed in 1980 with more classics plus exclusive tracks from Hunt and Ron Grainer.  Chapter Three was in the planning stages when the Casino, and the label, closed their doors in late 1981.  With a resurgence in northern soul thanks to recent films and documentaries, the time has never been better to revisit the genre's timeless R&B music.  This set doubles as both a document of the Casino Classics label, and a survey of authentic, proven-on-the-dancefloor northern soul gems.

Chapter One (CD 1) features a number of artists familiar to northern soul, girl group, and vintage R&B connoisseurs, among them Reparata and the Delrons (1968's "Panic"), the Supremes-inspired trio The Flirtations (1971's "Little Darling (I Need You)," penned by Holland-Dozier-Holland and first recorded by Marvin Gaye), and James and Bobby Purify ("Shake a Tail Feather").  This disc also features Lorraine Silver's beguiling "Lost Summer Love," arranged by Johnny Harris, and Lenny Gamble's, a.k.a. DJ Tony Blackburn's, "I'll Do Anything (She Wants Me To)," co-written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and its originating artist, Doris Troy.  Instrumentals include a pair from The Ron Grainer Orchestra and two Casino-exclusive tracks by the Allnight Band a.k.a. the Grainer Orchestra as specially commissioned by Winstanley.  The original album ended with Winstanley's "3 before 8" - the three northern soul anthems he would spin to signal the conclusion of each all-nighter: Jimmy Radcliffe's 1964 Burt Bacharach/Hal David-penned "Long After Tonight is All Over," Tobi Legend's 1968 "Time Will Pass You By" and Dean Parrish's 1967 "I'm on My Way."  The CD adds three Casino Classics-exclusive tracks, the instrumental "Time Out" by Autumn and two sides from Nicky Wilson.

Gloria Jones' immortal 1965 recording of "Tainted Love" kicks off the second CD, Chapter Two.  Tommy Hunt appears with a couple of tracks (Casino-exclusive "You Got Me Where You Want Me" and "Loving on the Losing Side") and the great Eloise Laws is represented with her Holland-Dozier-Holland-written "Love Factory," from 1973.  Philadelphia's Show Stoppers are heard on "Ain't Nothing But a House Party," originally released in 1967.  More Casino originals come courtesy of The Reflections (not the "Just Like Romeo and Juliet" group), Diana Foster, and Ron Grainer's orchestra.  Bonus tracks on CD 2 encompass J.J. Barnes' cover of Paul Carrack's Ace hit "How Long," the oddly-named Short People's "Why'd You Put it to Me, Baby" and more original recordings for Casino Classics by Grainer and "Mods '79" including a cover of "Green Onions" which attracted enough noise on the northern scene to inspire Atlantic to reissue the Booker T. and the MGs' original on 45!

Perhaps the most famous names show up on Chapter Three and its bonus material.  The late Jackie Trent is heard on the vibrant pair of "Send Her Away" and "You Baby," both with driving arrangements by Tony Hatch and Johnny Harris, respectively.  Husband-and-wife Hatch and Trent are also represented as writers of Love Affair's 1976 disco track "Love Hustle."  Philly pop-soul man Len Barry's 1966 Gamble/Huff co-write "I Struck It Rich" is here along with Al Wilson's sinuous "The Snake" and a couple of songs that are still oldies radio staples today - The O'Kaysions' "Girl Watcher" and The Toys' Supremes pastiche  "A Lover's Concerto."  Showcasing a different side of northern soul, The Ramsey Lewis Trio's sleek jazz instrumental "Wade in the Water" appears, as do further classics by Lorraine Silver and Tommy Hunt.

Casino Classics: Complete Collection is housed in a clamshell case, with each individual disc in its own sleeve.  Original Casino Classics labels are recreated on each CD.  The box also contains a colorful 32-page booklet with track-by-track liner notes and an introduction by Russ Winstanley.  Make no mistake - the 57 tracks on these three CDs should be guaranteed to keep you dancing all night!  You can order this definitive Casino Classics collection at the links below!

Various Artists, Casino Classics: Complete Collection (Soul Time TOCKBX1, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. )

CD 1: Chapter One (Tracks 1-14 from CCLP 101, 1979)

1. RON GRAINER ORCHESTRA - A Touch of Velvet - A Sting of Brass (Casino Classics CC 5, 1978)
2. LORRAINE SILVER - Lost Summer Love (Pye 7N 15922, 1965/ CC 2, 1978)
3. RON GRAINER ORCHESTRA - Theme from "Joe 90" (CC 5, 1978)
4. REPARATA & THE DELRONS - Panic (Mala M 12000, 1968/CC 3, 1978)
5. JAMES AND BOBBY PURIFY - Shake A Tail Feather (Bell 669, 1967/CC 3, 1978)
6. LENNY GAMBLE - I'll Do Anything (Anything She Wants Me To) (Polydor 583082, 1969/CC 1, 1978)
7. ALLNIGHT BAND - Six by Six (CC 6, 1979)
8. ALLNIGHT BAND - The Joker (The Wigan Joker) (CC 6, 1979)
9. THE FLIRTATIONS - Little Darling (I Need You) (CC 1, 1978)
10. DIANA FOSTER - I'm Gonna Share It with You (CC 7, 1979)
11. GERRI GRANGER - I Go To Pieces (Everytime...) (Bell 969, 1971/CC 3, 1978)
12. JIMMY RADCLIFFE - Long After Tonight Is All Over (Musicor MU 1042, 1964/RK 1004, 1978)
13. TOBI LEGEND - Time Will Pass You By (Mala 591, 1968/RK 1004, 1978)
14. DEAN PARRISH - I'm On My Way (Laurie LR 3418, 1967/RK 1004, 1978)
15. AUTUMN - Time Out (CC 7, 1979)
16. NICKY WILSON - Stone Soul Loving (CC 8, 1979)
17. NICKY WILSON - Cry Like a Child (CC 8, 1979)

CD 2: Chapter Two (Tracks 1-13 from CCLP 1002, 1980)

1. GLORIA JONES - Tainted Love (Champion C 14003, 1965)
2. THE SHOW STOPPERS - Ain't Nothing But A House Party (Showtime 101, 1967)
3. JUST BROTHERS - Sliced Tomatoes (Music Merchant MS 1002, 1972)
4. TOMMY HUNT - You Got Me Where You Want Me (CCLP 1002, 1980)
5. ALLNIGHT BAND - I Can't Seem To Hold You (CC 9, 1979)
6. DIANA FOSTER - I've Got A Feeling (CCLP 1002, 1980)
7. GENE LATTER - Sign On The Dotted Line (Spark SLR 1022, 1969)
8. DIANE DUCANE - Better Late Than Never (Contact CON 2, 1979)
9. THE CARSTAIRS - It Really Hurts Me Girl (Red Coach RC 802, 1973)
10. ELOISE LAWS - Love Factory (Music Merchant MS 1013, 1973)
11. RON GRAINER ORCHESTRA - When Love Grows Cold (CC 10, 1979)
12. THE REFLECTIONS - Gonna Love You Longer Stronger Baby (CC 14, 1979)
13. TOMMY HUNT - Loving On The Losing Side (Spark SRL 01146, 1976/CC 11, 1979)
14. SHORT PEOPLE - Why'd You Put It To Me Baby (Gusto SD 179, 1978)
15. J. BARNES - How Long (Contempo CS 2123, 1977/CC 9, 1979)
16. RON GRAINER ORCHESTRA - Playing It Cool (CC 10, 1979)
17. SAMANTHA JONES - Stop (CC 11, 1979)
18. MODS '79 - Green Onions (CC 13, 1979)
19. MODS '79 - High On Your Love (CC 13, 1979)

CD 3: Chapter Three (Tracks 1-13 from CCLP 21103)

1. THE TAMS - Hey Girl Don't Bother Me (Paramount 45-10573, 1964/CC 17, 1980)
2. RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO - Wade In The Water (Cadet 5541, 1966)
3. THE PLAYTHINGS - Stop What You're Doing (Pye 7N 45212, 1973)
4. JACKIE TRENT - Send Her Away (Pye 7N 17047, 1966/CC 4, 1978)
5. LEN BARRY - I Struck It Rich (Decca 32011, 1966)
6. JASON KNIGHT - Our Love Is Getting Stronger (Pye 7N 17399, 1967/CC 11, 1979 & CC 17, 1980)
7. AL WILSON - The Snake (Soul City SCR 767, 1968/CC 16, 1980 & 1984)
8. TAMMY ST. JOHN - Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me) (Pye 7N 17042, 1966/CC 14, 1979)
9. THE JAVELLS (Featuring NOSMO KING) - Goodbye Nothin' To Say (Pye 7N 17042, 1974)
10. LORRAINE SILVER - I Know That You'll Be There (Pye 7N 15922, 1965/CC 2, 1978)
11. FAMILY AFFAIR - Love Hustle (Pye 7N 45609, 1976/CC 4, 1978)
12. THE PLAYTHINGS -Surrounded By A Ray Of Sunshine (Pye 7N 45399/CC 12, 1979)
13. THE TOYS - A Lover's Concerto (DynoVoice 209, 1965/CC 16, 1980)
14. THE O'KAYSIONS - Girl Watcher (ABC 45-11094, 1968)
15. JACKIE TRENT - You Baby (Pye 7N 17047, 1966/CC 4, 1978)
16. VAL MCKENNA - Love Feeling (Spark SRL 1038, 1970/CC 12, 1979)
17. BRAD STEVENS - I'm Your Number One (CC 12, 1979)
18. THE RAINBOW PEOPLE - Living In A Dream World (Pye 7N 17759, 1969/CC 14, 1979)
19. TOMMY HUNT - Never Can Say Goodbye (CC 15, 1979)
20. TOMMY HUNT - Sign On The Dotted Line (CC 15, 1979)
21. TOMMY HUNT - You Got Me Up There (CC 15, 1979)