Batley Variety Club

Last updated

Batley Variety Club
BATLEY-VARIETY-CLUB-SIGN.jpg
Iconic sign at Batley Variety Club
Inside-Batley-Variety-Club.jpg
Batley Variety Club interior
Batley Variety Club
General information
Address260 Bradford Road, Batley, West Yorkshire
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates 53°42′23″N1°37′36″W / 53.7065°N 1.6266°W / 53.7065; -1.6266
Construction startedJanuary 1967
CompletedMarch 1967

Batley Variety Club was a variety club in Batley, West Yorkshire, England. During its existence, the club staged concerts by performers including Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Eartha Kitt, Morecambe and Wise, Gene Pitney, Neil Sedaka, Ken Dodd and Helen Shapiro. [1] At the peak of its success, the club had 300,000 members. It closed about 1978 and reopened as "Crumpets" night club. It closed again shortly afterwards and its contents were auctioned off. It reopened as the "Frontier" in the early 1980s and this eventually closed in 2016.

Contents

On hearing the news that the building was no longer to be used as a venue, singer Shirley Bassey commented, "I have many happy memories of singing at the Batley Variety Club so sorry to hear it is closing." The building was converted to a gym in 2017. [2]

Origins

The club was designed and built by James and Betty Corrigan in early 1967 on top of a disused sewage site on Bradford Road in Batley. [3] The build was interrupted when local authority inspectors discovered that the building was six inches too close to the road. Demolition took place and work continued but, despite this setback, the club managed to open on 27 March 1967 as planned. The headline act on opening night was The Bachelors. [4]

The Corrigans had travelled to Las Vegas to research how the clubs worked there in order to work out a design for Batley. The ground floor of the club was excavated so that on entering, the public would walk down to their tables which would be arranged in tiers, five in all, forming a horseshoe embracing the stage from the bottom up, thus giving the audience unobstructed views. The ceilings were low, offering an intimate atmosphere, and the resident band was situated at the back of the stage rather than in a traditional orchestra pit so that the artistes could be closer to the audience. The club held 1,750 people seated, with standing room for more, and it was this large capacity which facilitated low admission prices for major acts. Food was served in baskets with plastic cutlery to avoid clinking noises that could disturb the acts on stage. There were two long bars than ran down either side of the club. [5]

Performers and events

The club was known as the "Las Vegas of the North" and attracted the best acts in show business, both from the UK and USA. James Corrigan travelled with the booking agent, Bernard Hinchcliffe, to the USA to attract major acts, and offered Dean Martin's manager £45,000 for a booking, but the manager replied that Martin would not "get out of bed for a piss for that amount". Undeterred, Corrigan and Hinchliffe travelled to New York to meet Joe Glaser of Associated Booking Corporation and secured the booking of Louis Armstrong for £27,000. Corrigan revealed this figure to the press and later said this was a big mistake as it led other agents to believe that "Batley had very deep pockets" and would ask for bigger fees for their artists and subsequently cause problems for the club. [6] When Corrigan went to Capri to bring Gracie Fields out of semi-retirement to play at the club, Fields asked Cilla Black what fee she thought she should ask for. Black's husband, Bobby Willis, recommended that she asked for "the same as Satchmo got". [7]

The format of the nights was generally a speciality support act followed by the headline act, and all would be held together by a compère. The regular compère at was Jerry Brooke. [8] Headline artists were booked for a week-long run, from Sunday night to the following Saturday, sometimes longer. The biggest draw to the club, Shirley Bassey, was sometimes booked for three-week runs. [1]

Many of the artistes stayed as guests of the Corrigans at their home in Batley, Oaks Cottage. Dame Vera Lynn and Eartha Kitt cooked for their hosts. [9] During her stay in Batley, Kitt sampled tripe at the local market and joined the shoppers in a chorus of "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at". [10] During one of Shirley Bassey's appearances, James Corrigan invited her out for dinner, and she dressed up in a fur coat thinking she was being taken to a restaurant, but instead she was driven to a fish and chip shop in the back of Corrigan's Rolls-Royce. [6]

The club was a boost to the local economy, with nearby restaurants, flower shops, clothes shops and taxi firms benefiting financially from the attraction of the club. [6]

Roy Orbison's album, Live From Batley Variety Club, was recorded on 9 May 1969. It was re-released as Roy Orbison - Authorized Bootleg Collection by Orbison Records in 1999. [11] BBC Radio recorded a performance from the first week of Gracie Fields' first performance, which was broadcast on 5 January 1969, and Philips made a recording of a performance from the second week, with a view to a commercial issue, which Fields later rejected. The only song not broadcast by the BBC was Fields' encore of "There'll Always Be an England". Some of the recording made by the BBC was later issued on the album, The Best of the BBC Broadcasts.

In 1974, Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees met his future wife Yvonne Spenceley while he was playing at the club and she was working as a waitress. Gibb said, "I just saw her eyes and said to myself, 'This is the woman I'm going to marry'." A week later, she handed in her notice at the club and announced she was going on tour with the band. [12]

In 1977, the club hosted Katharine, Duchess of Kent, for a charity night to raise funds for the Queen's Silver Jubilee Appeal. [13]

Closure

Batley Variety Club closed in 1978 when the Corrigans separated. It re-opened briefly as Crumpets nightclub [14] by Betty Corrigan, before reopening as the Frontier Club in the early 1980s. The Frontier remained open until 2016. The building still stands and has been converted to a gym. [15]

In 2017, there was a campaign for civic recognition for the contribution that James Corrigan and Batley Variety Club made to the area. [16]

King of Clubs

The book, King of Clubs (2017), written by Maureen Prest, recounts the history of Batley Variety Club and the life of James Corrigan. [5] Prest worked in PR for the club. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Bassey</span> Welsh singer (born 1937)

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batley</span> Town in West Yorkshire, England

Batley is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England, south-west of Leeds, north-west of Wakefield and Dewsbury, south-east of Bradford and north-east of Huddersfield, in the Heavy Woollen District. In 2011, the population was 48,730.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleckheaton</span> Town in West Yorkshire, England

Cleckheaton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated south of Bradford, east of Brighouse, west of Batley and south-west of Leeds. It is at the centre of the Spen Valley and was the major town in the former borough of Spenborough. Cleckheaton has a history as a mill town and forms part of the Heavy Woollen District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eartha Kitt</span> American singer (1927–2008)

Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby".

<i>The Good Old Days</i> (British TV series) BBC television light entertainment programme

The Good Old Days is a BBC television light entertainment programme produced by Barney Colehan which ran for 30 years from 20 July 1953 to 31 December 1983.

<i>The Big O</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Roy Orbison

The Big O is the fifteenth music album recorded by Roy Orbison, and according to the authorised Roy Orbison biography, his second for London Records in the United Kingdom. The music and backing vocals were provided by English group, the Art Movement on all tracks except for "Penny Arcade", which was a studio recording and was released as a single in 1969, peaking at #27 in the UK and would be Orbison's last UK chart success during his lifetime. "Penny Arcade" was also his biggest hit in Australia, spending four weeks at Number One around Christmas, 1969. The second single, "Break My Mind", was Orbison's last Australian chart success during his lifetime, reaching #24 in March 1970. The album was released in Europe in early 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Orbison</span> German American entrepreneur, music producer and publisher (1950-2011)

Barbara Orbison was a German-born United States-based entrepreneur, music producer and publisher, and the second wife of American musician Roy Orbison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batley and Spen (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom

Batley and Spen is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The current MP is Kim Leadbeater, a Labour politician, elected in a 2021 by-election by a 323-vote margin. The seat has returned Labour MPs since the 1997 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Orbison discography</span> Cataloging of published recordings by Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison was an American singer-songwriter who found the most success in the early rock and roll era from 1956 to 1964. He later enjoyed a resurgence in the late 1980s with chart success as a member of the Traveling Wilburys and with his Mystery Girl album, which included the posthumous hit single "You Got It". At the height of his popularity, 22 of Orbison's songs placed on the US Billboard Top 40 chart, and six peaked in the top five, including two number-one hits. In the UK, Orbison scored ten top-10 hits between 1960 and 1966, including three number-one singles.

<i>Little Voice</i> (film) 1998 British film directed by Mark Herman

Little Voice is a 1998 British musical film written and directed by Mark Herman and made in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The film starred Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine, Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent and Ewan McGregor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birstall, West Yorkshire</span> Market Town in West Yorkshire, England

Birstall is a market and mill town in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Birstall and Birkenshaw ward, which had a population of 16,298 at the 2011 census. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and part of the Heavy Woollen District, Birstall is approximately 6 miles (10 km) south-west of Leeds and situated close to the M62 motorway. The town is situated between Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield and Wakefield.

The Heavy Woollen Derby refers to the rivalry between Batley Bulldogs and Dewsbury Rams, both located in the Heavy Woollen district of West Yorkshire. The two sides compete an annual friendly on Boxing Day to celebrate their rivalry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy Brabin</span> Mayor of West Yorkshire

Tracy Lynn Brabin is a British politician who has served as the first Mayor of West Yorkshire since the office was established on 10 May 2021. She previously was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Batley and Spen from 2016 to 2021 under the Labour and Co-operative banner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where Is My Man</span> 1983 single by Eartha Kitt

"Where Is My Man" is a song from 1983 by the American singer and actress Eartha Kitt, which appeared on her 1984 album I Love Men. The song was co-written by comedy writer Bruce Vilanch along with musicians and producers Fred Zarr and Jacques Morali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glasgow Empire Theatre</span>

Glasgow Empire Theatre, known as the Glasgow Palace Empire until the early 1900s, was a major theatre in Glasgow, Scotland, which opened in 1897 on the site of the Gaiety Theatre at 31–35 Sauchiehall Street. It was one of the leading theatres in the UK chain of theatres owned and developed by Moss Empires under the chairmanship of Sir Edward Moss, who served his apprenticeship in Greenock and elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pigalle Club</span>

The Pigalle Club was a supper club and live music venue in Piccadilly, in the West End area of Central London. It was owned by John Vincent Power. Dave West also owned shares in the Pigalle Club.

<i>The Performance</i> 2009 studio album by Shirley Bassey

The Performance is an album by the Welsh singer Shirley Bassey, released on 9 November 2009. It is her first studio album of original compositions in three decades. The album was executive produced by music executive Paul Carey and English film composer David Arnold co-produced the entire album with Mike Dixon. Songs on the album were written specifically for Bassey by renowned writers such as Rufus Wainwright, Gary Barlow and Pet Shop Boys. The recording of the album became the subject of a BBC documentary titled The Girl from Tiger Bay named after the song written for the project by James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire of Manic Street Preachers. The album gained favourable reviews and was certified gold in the UK for sales of over 100,000 copies.

<i>Stars on Sunday</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

Stars on Sunday was a religious request programme produced by Yorkshire Television (YTV) and broadcast on the ITV network between 1969 and 1979. It aired on Sunday early evenings during what was known colloquially as "The God Slot", the time in television schedules set aside for religious broadcasting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilf Auty</span> English rugby union footballer and coach

Frederic Wilfrid "Wilf" Hoyle Auty, also known by the nickname of "The Emperor", was an English rugby union, and amateur rugby league footballer who played as a winger or centre in the 1890s and 1900s, and rugby union coach of the 1900s, and 1910s.

A by-election was held in the UK parliamentary constituency of Batley and Spen on 1 July 2021, following the resignation of the previous Member of Parliament (MP) Tracy Brabin, who was elected Mayor of West Yorkshire on 10 May. Under the devolution agreement, the position holds the powers and responsibilities of a police and crime commissioner, meaning the occupant of the office cannot simultaneously sit as an MP. The by-election was the fourth of the 58th Parliament, elected in 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 "STARRY STARRY NIGHTS AT THE VARIETY CLUB". Batley & Birstall News. 13 April 2005. Archived from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "Famous variety club hosts final night". BBC News. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "Batley Variety Club". Yorkshire Reporter. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  4. ↑ [ dead link ]
  5. 1 2 Prest, Maureen (26 March 2017). King of Clubs. Route Publishing Ltd. ISBN   978-1901927702.
  6. 1 2 3 "The variety club that made Batley the 'Las Vegas of the North'". Yorkshire Post. 26 March 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  7. ↑ [ dead link ]
  8. ↑ "Remembering variety club legend Jerry Brooke". Wakefield Express. 5 December 2014. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  9. ↑ [ dead link ]
  10. ↑ [ dead link ]
  11. ↑ "Roy Orbison - Authorized Bootleg Collection". Discogs. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "Wife who mourns Bee Gee Maurice". Dewsbury Reporter. 16 January 2003. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "My Royal Flower". Batley & Birstall News. 29 March 2007. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  14. ↑ Teale, Connor (27 December 2020). "The star power of Batley Variety Club - by those who knew it best". YorkshireLive.
  15. ↑ "Famous variety club hosts final night". BBC News. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "Book tells the story of Mr Variety Club". The Press. 3 February 2017. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "Star-studded history of Batley Variety Club to be retold as 'King of Clubs' book launches". ITV News. 24 March 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.