Despite being open since 1960, the Two Red Shoes Ballroom would be just another forgotten dance hall had it not been for one event: the dance on Thursday, January 3rd 1963. The Northern Scot, which carried weekly adverts for the venue never even mentioned who was playing that night. The advert seen below came from the Elgin Courant. Promoter Albert Bonici must have assumed that while no-one would have heard of the group booked for that night, people might be aware of the single that was climbing the chart at the time, hence his describing them as the “Love Me Do Boys”.
The next few years would see the Two Red Shoes become one of the best known venues in Scotland playing host to some of the most famous names in British pop and rock but by the end of 1966 the magic started to disappear. 1967 saw only a few big names but it did include one of the biggest in the history of rock music – Pink Floyd. It doesn’t detract from what took place in this small dance hall and the music that was played here.
So, take some time to browse the years, watch the clips and hopefully relive some happy memories. If you want, share them with everyone.
January 01 – Special late night New Year’s Day Carnival Ball
January 03 – The Elgin Folk Music Club presents the “Love Me Do” boys The Beatles plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
January 10 – Findhorn Water Ski Club present the easy beat vocal trio The Dale Sisters plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
January 17 – The Scottish Promotion Association present a double starred attraction with the boy of “Steel Men” fame Roy Whitaker plus The Cresters featuring Mike Sagar
January 25 – Anita Harris
January 31 – Elgin Jazz Club present Mike Berry
February 21 – The Elgin Ladies’ Hockey Club dance featuring Jeannie Lambe plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
February 28 – The Elgin Folk Music Club present The Baron Knights (sic) plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
March 01 – Anita Harris
March 14 – The Scottish Promotion Agency presents The Federals plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
March 21 – Lossiemouth Racing Pigeon Club Dance with Lorne Gibson Trio plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
March 28 – Findhorn Water Ski Club present Craig Douglas plus The Ed Corrie London Jazzband
March 29 – Charities Ball
April 04 – The Moray Dance Club presents The Original Checkmates plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
April 11 – The Malcolm Nixon Agency presents The Grampian Teenbeat Showband featuring Andrew Tully, Sheila Mitchell, Johnny Hudson, Tony Sinclair
April 18 – The Moray Rugby Club presents The Alan Elsdon Jazzband with Mick Emery
April 24 – Over 25s Night Dancing to The Alex. Sutherland Sextet Waitress service from the cafe will be available during these Wednesday dances. Coffees, teas, snacks, meals, etc. will be served
April 25 – Dance featuring The Alex. Sutherland Sextet after the Karl Denver show in Town Hall
May 02 – The Elgin Jazz Club presents The Alex Welsh Jazz Band seen above with “Beale Street Blues”
May 09 – The Elgin Ladies’ Hockey Club presents Malcolm Clarke And The Cresters
May 16 – The Elgin Dance Club presents The Big Three
May 23 – Lossiemouth Racing Pigeon Club presents Danny Williams plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet. It wasn’t uncommon for Albert Bonici to place two adverts in the papers for the same event. The two above come from the Elgin Courant. What surprises me is that no-one bothered to check and see that on one it’s the Racing Pigeon Club while the other has it listed as association. What on earth was going on?
May 30 – The Elgin Ladies’ Hockey Club presents Brad Newman plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
June 06 – Findhorn Water Ski Club presents Mike Berry And The Innocents plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
June 13 – The Moray Rugby Club presents a 3-Band Show. Johnny and Mike plus The Shades plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
June 20 – The Elgin Folk Music Club present Eden Kane‘s younger brother Wes Sands plus The Le Roys plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet. Wes Sands was in reality Clive Sarstedt, who was managed by the legendary Joe Meek. Despite being in the business at this time, it would take him another 13 years to get into the charts as a one-hit wonder. In 1976, using his middle name of Robin he eventually made it with a cover of the old Hoagy Carmichael hit, “My Resistance Is Low”.
June 27 – The Moray Dance Club presents two Star Attraction – Don Charles – The Irish International Monarchs Showband plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
July 04 – The Scottish Jazz Promoters Association presents Don Spencer plus Fireball XL5 plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet. While the advert clearly states Fireball XL5, I doubt there was such a band. Don Spencer hit the U.K. charts in March with a song called “Fireball” which was used as the theme for Gerry Anderson’s hit TV series, “Fireball XL5”. Here it is in all it’s glory. Spencer would later make his name as Australia’s favourite children’s TV entertainer and found the Australian Children’s Music Foundation. He also happen’s to be Russell Crowe’s father-in-law!
July 11 – Findhorn Water Ski Club present The Clearways plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
July 18 – The Malcolm Nixon Agency presents Soul Byron and The Impacts plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
Tuesdays 7.30 – 11.30 p.m. Record Roundabout. Your disc jockey – Alex McArthur
July 25 – The Elgin Jazz Club presents Rockin’ Henry and The Hayseeds plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
August 01 – The Moray Dance Club presents Neil Landon and The Burnettes (featuring Noel Redding on guitar)
August 08 – The Elgin Ladies’ Hockey Club presents Jill Graham plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
August 15 – The Moray Rugby Club presents Elgin Holiday Dance with 2 top London groups. Originator of the “Sidewalk” Tony Holland and the famous Packabeats plus Malcolm Clarke And The Cresters
August 20 – Record Roundabout. Guest band The New Sabres
August 21 – Over-25s Night. Miss Anita Harris
August 22 – The Elgin Folk Music Club presents the young American singer Ronnie Hall plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
August 29 – The Moray Dance Club presents the young Decca recording artist Dev Douglas plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet (Hear ‘Dev’ on Saturday Club this Saturday)
September 12 – The Elgin Ladies’ Hockey Club presents The Original Checkmates plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
September 19 – Lossiemouth Racing Pigeon Club presents Jimmy Justice and The Excheckers plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
September 26 – The Elgin Jazz Club presents The Barron Knights with Duke D’Mond plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
October 10 – The Moray Dance Club presents The Caravelles (pictured above) plus Ben Richmond
October 14 – The Scottish Promters Association presents Elgin Holiday Dance with Eddie Le Pard And His Leopards. As from Tuesday, 15th October, the newly formned Eddie And His Leopards will be playing as guest stars each Tuesday night.
October 12 – Teen Beat dance recommences today with Eddie And His Leopards
October 31 – The Elgin Folk Music Club presents The Alex Harvey Big Soul Band plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet. The album above was recorded around this time but released in 1964. It’s the only record of Alex and his band from this time. I’ve found a free download of the whole album that you’ll get by clicking this link.
Tuesdays and Saturdays – Eddie Le Pard And His Leopards
November 07 – Moray Dance Club presents the new Merseyside group Ricky Bowden and The Unit ‘4’ plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
November 09 – (afternoon) Eddie Le Pard And His Leopards
November 09 – (evening) The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
November 14 – The Elgin Jazz Club presents the new Merseyside sound The Druids plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
November 21 – The Moray Dance Club presents Johnny And The Copycats plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
November 23 – (evening) The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
November 28 – The Scottish Promoters Association presents Mike Cadillac And The Playboys plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
December 05 – Findhorn Water Ski Club presents Neil Landon and The Burnettes plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
December 12 – The Moray Dance Club presents Shane Fenton And The Fentones plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
December 18 – Over-25s Night
December 19 – The Scottish Promoters Association presents Malcolm Clarke And The Cresters plus The Alex. Sutherland Sextet
December 20 – Late Night
December 21 – Palais Nite
December 23 – Xmas Roundabout with Eddie Le Pard
December 24 – Moray Rugby Club’s Xmas Eve Carnival Dance
December 25 – Aberdeen University Students’ Campaign Beatnik Ball
December 26 – The Moray Dance Club presents the ex-Big Three group The Seniors
December 27 – Big Beat Echoes
December 28 – Palais Nite
December 30 – New Year Roundabout with Eddie Le Pard
December 31 – Hogmanay Dance
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Two Red Shoes Ballroom, Elgin 
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