Casino Classics, Complete Collection [2015] (3 x CDs) + Casino Classics (The Forgotten Floorshakers) [1999] + Casino Classics Two [2000]

NORTHERN SOUL

Casino Classics, Complete Collection [2015] (3 x CDs) + Casino Classics (The Forgotten Floorshakers) [1999] + Casino Classics Two [2000]

Released in 2015 by Cherry Red Records under the Soul Time imprint, Casino Classics, Complete Collection is a 3-CD box set that compiles every track ever issued under the original Casino Classics label, an imprint born from the legendary Wigan Casino Northern Soul scene. This release is the first time the full series has been gathered in one place, remastered and annotated for archival clarity.

The original Casino Classics label was founded in 1978 by DJ Russ Winstanley and Wigan Casino manager Mike Walker. Between 1978 and 1980, they issued a stream of 45s and two LP compilations that captured the heartbeat of the Northern Soul movement: fast-paced, emotionally charged American soul singles that had flopped commercially but thrived on UK dancefloors. Cherry Red’s 2015 edition includes all those tracks plus bonus material, totaling 75 songs across three discs.

The set features classics like Tobi Legend’s Time Will Pass You By, Dean Parrish’s I’m On My Way, and Jimmy Radcliffe’s Long After Tonight Is Over—all staples of the famed “3 before 8” closing set at Wigan Casino. But it also digs deeper, including rarities from artists like Diana Foster, Gerri Granger, and Lenny Gamble, many of which were originally pressed in tiny quantities and are now virtually impossible to find on vinyl.

Remastering is handled with care, preserving the punch and grit of the original recordings while enhancing fidelity for modern playback. The packaging includes extensive liner notes detailing the history of the label, the club, and the scene, making it a valuable resource for collectors and historians alike.

This Cherry Red edition stands as the most complete and cleanly presented version of Casino Classics to date, fully validated, historically grounded, and tailored for serious Northern Soul archivists. (B)

ALSO included in this post 

VA - Casino Classics (The Forgotten Floorshakers) [1999]

VA - Casino Classics Two [2000]

Released in 1998 by Goldmine Soul Supply, Casino Classics: The Forgotten Floorshakers is a 25-track CD compilation that digs into the lesser-known corners of the Northern Soul scene. Compiled by Ady Croasdell, it focuses on high-energy soul singles from the 1960s and early ’70s that once filled dancefloors at Wigan Casino and other UK venues but never made it into the mainstream canon.

Unlike the original Casino Classics volumes, which spotlighted anthems like Time Will Pass You By, this set highlights rarities, tracks that DJs championed for their groove, urgency, and emotional punch. Standouts include The Inspirations’ No One Else Can Take Your Place, The Precisions’ Take a Good Look, and The Jades’ I’m Where It’s At. Many of these were regional U.S. releases, pressed in small quantities and rediscovered through the UK soul circuit.

Goldmine’s remastering preserves the raw fidelity of the original vinyl while enhancing clarity for CD playback.  (B)

Released in 2000 by Goldmine Soul Supply, Casino Classics Two is a 25-track CD compilation that continues the label’s mission to spotlight rare and underplayed Northern Soul singles. While the first volume, The Forgotten Floorshakers, focused on overlooked dancefloor favorites, this second installment digs even deeper into the crates, offering a fresh batch of high-tempo soul tracks that once echoed through venues like Wigan Casino and Stoke’s Torch Club.

Compiled by Ady Croasdell, the set features a mix of obscure U.S. releases from the 1960s and early ’70s, many of which were pressed in limited quantities and rediscovered by UK DJs decades later. Standouts include The Shalimars’ Stop and Take a Look at Yourself, The Perfections’ Girl You Better Hurry, and The Royal Five’s Peace of Mind, each track delivering the urgency, emotional grit, and rhythmic drive that defined the Northern Soul sound. even Australia's Doug Parkinson & The Southern Star Band makes an appearance withthe great "I'll Be Around"

Goldmine’s remastering is clean and punchy, preserving the raw energy of the original vinyl while enhancing fidelity for CD playback. Casino Classics Two reinforces the idea that the soul scene thrived on discovery, and that the best grooves weren’t always the most obvious. (B)

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Track lists

Casino Classics, Complete Collection [2015]

CD1

01 Ron Grainer Orchestra - A Touch of Velvet - A Sting of Brass 3:48

02 Lorraine Silver - Lost Summer Love 2:04

03 Ron Grainer Orchestra - Theme From 'Joe 90' 2:43

04 Reparata and The Delrons - Panic 2:11

05 James & Bobby Purify - Shake A Tail Feather 2:09

06 Lenny Gamble - I'll Do Anything (Anything She Wants Me To) 2:44

07 Allnight Band - Six By Six 2:15

08 Allnight Band - The Joker (The Wigan Joker) 2:58

09 Flirtations - Little Darling (I Need You) 2:54

10 Diana Foster - I'm Gonna Share it With You 3:20

11 Gerri Granger - I Go to Pieces (Everytime...) 2:29

12 Jimmy Radcliffe - Long After Tonight is Over 2:22

13 Tobi Legend - Time Will Pass You By 3:05

14 Dean Parrish - I'm on My Way 2:41

15 Autumn - Time Out 2:40

16 Nicky Wilson - Stone Soul Loving 2:18

17 Nicky Wilson - Cry Like A Child 3:27

CD2

01 Gloria Jones - Tainted Love 2:09

02 Show Stoppers - Ain't Nothing But A House Party 2:35

03 Just Brothers - Sliced Tomatoes 2:21

04 Tommy Hunt - You Got Me Where You Want Me 2:44

05 Allnight Band - I Can't Seem to Hold You 3:15

06 Diana Foster - I've Got A Feeling 2:33

07 Gene Latter - Sign on The Dotted Line 2:39

08 Diane Ducane - Better Late Than Never 3:05

09 Carstairs - It Really Hurts Me Girl 3:29

10 Eloise Laws - Love Factory 3:23

11 Ron Grainer Orchestra - When Love Grows Cold 3:19

12 Reflections - Gonna Love You Longer Stronger Baby 4:25

13 Tommy Hunt - Loving on The Losing Side 3:01

14 Short People - Why'd You Put it to Me Baby 2:10

15 J.J. Barnes - How Long 3:30

16 Ron Grainer Orchestra - Playing it Cool 2:38

17 Samantha Jones - Stop 2:37

18 Mods '79 - Green Onions 2:56

19 Mods '79 - High on Your Love 3:29

CD3

01 Tams - Hey Girl Don't Bother Me 2:23

02 Ramsey Lewis Trio - Wade in The Water 3:48

03 Playthings - Stop What You're Doing 2:37

04 Jackie Trent - Send Her Away 2:50

05 Len Barry - I Struck it Rich 2:56

06 Jason Knight - Our Love is Getting Stronger 2:12

07 Al Wilson - The Snake 3:30

08 Tammy St. John - Nobody Knows What's Going On 2:18

09 Javells - Goodbye Nothin' to Say (feat. Nosmo King) 2:46

10 Lorraine Silver - I Know That You'll Be There 2:04

11 Family Affair - Love Hustle 3:34

12 Playthings - Surrounded By A Ray of Sunshine 2:15

13 Toys - A Lover's Concerto 2:34

14 O'Kaysions - Girl Watcher 2:37

15 Jackie Trent - You Baby 2:34

16 Val McKenna - Love Feeling 2:36

17 Brad Stevens - I'm Your Number One 2:30

18 Rainbow People - Living in A Dream World 2:42

19 Tommy Hunt - Never Can Say Goodbye 2:13

20 Tommy Hunt - Sign on The Dotted Line 3:00

21 Tommy Hunt - You Got Me Up There 2:59

Casino Classics (The Forgotten Floorshakers) [1999]

01 Deon Jackson - That's What You Do to Me 2:27

02 Wade Flemons - Jeanette 2:59

03 Gil Blanding - Rules 2:29

04 Little Edith - I Couldn't Take It 2:29

05 Bobby Diamond - Stop 2:36

06 Funky Sisters - Do it to It 2:22

07 Feathers - Trying to Get to You 2:32

08 Melody Makers - Walking Up A One Way Street 2:19

09 Willie Mason & The Fred Martin Revue - I Love You Once 2:57

10 Bobby Moore - I Carefully Checked Your Heart 2:06

11 Bonnie Miller - What Are You Trying to Do Me 2:57

12 Towana & The Total Destruction - Help Me Get That Feelin' Back Again 3:06

13 Divines - I Gotta Make It 2:36

14 Isonics - Sugar 2:41

15 Freddie Hughes - Take Me as I Am 2:25

16 Kenny Smith - Lord What's Happening to The People (Alt. Version) 2:50

17 Jewel Akens - A Slice of The Pie 2:11

18 Viki Adams - I'm Drowning 2:07

19 Azie Mortimer - Haunted 2:44

20 Herb & Doris - Somebody (Somewhere Needs You) 2:33

21 Clay Hunt - Love's Gone Bad 3:07

22 Pat Thompson & Archie Powell - Darling, Darling 2:38

23 Otis Blackwell - It's All Over Me 2:45

24 Dave Newman - Make Up Your Mind 1:45

25 Lord Thunder - Thunder 2:24

26 Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - Spreadin' Honey 2:13

27 Doug Parkinson & The Southern Star Band - I'll Be Around 3:17

Casino Classics Two [2000]

01 Jay Traynor - Up and Over 2:59

02 August & Deneen - We Go Together 2:45

03 Jeanette Williams - All of A Sudden 2:32

04 Barbara English - You Got Me (Sittin' in A Corner) 2:11

05 Exciters - Weddings Make Me Cry 2:06

06 Embers - It Ain't Necessary 2:11

07 Adventurers - Nobody Can Save Me 2:55

08 Reflections - Like Adam and Eve 2:32

09 Toni Lamaar - Just in The Nick of Time 2:33

10 Four J's - Love My Love 2:59

11 Honey Bees - She Don't Deserve You 2:21

12 Danny Wagner - I Lost A True Love 1:59

13 Cheryll Ann - I Can't Let Him 2:26

14 Sound Judgement - Happy Without You 2:21

15 George S. Clinton - Please Don't Run From Me 4:14

16 Mamie Lee - (I Can Feel Him) Slipping Away 2:25

17 Bobby Jason - Wall to Wall Heartaches 2:30

18 Billy Harner - What About The Music 2:36

19 7 Dwarfs - Stop Girl 2:50

20 Terri Nelson - Sweet Talkin' Willie 2:19

21 Tommy Hunt - Loving on The Losing Side 3:08

22 Mitchell Braithwaite - You've Been A Long Time Coming 2:12

23 Posse - Evil 3:22

24 Gerri Thomas - Look What I've Got 2:34

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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