Northern Soul

by
Ben Hardyment

Name Ben Hardyment

Benhardyment@icloud.com
BLACK

THUD. A microphone is switched on.

VOICE 1
Are you ready, Clyde?

VOICE 2
Yeah man, I'm cool.

VOICE 1
One ... two ... three.

The tom-tom kicks in and a soul song starts up.

TITLES

FADE IN:

INT RECORDING STUDIO - DAY

CLYDE SOLOMON (28) is in the booth, turtle neck and tight

slacks squeezing sublime soul from his lips. He sings as if
his life depends on it.

Through the glass, three pasty STUDIO HACKS mix the track,
fags dangling below nonchalant moustaches. Spools of tape
record this vocal majesty.

INT FACTORY - DAY

45s are pressed and stacked. Large and small piles on the
production line. A TEENAGER takes and boxes a small pile.

He wheels them onto a lorry.

INT RADIO STATION - DAY

A CHUBBY DJ, sleeves rolled up, smokes. He picks the top

disc from a pile and listens to a few bars. He then
indifferently whips it off and onto a pile marked REJECT.

INT WAREHOUSE - DAY

Stacked with boxes of vinyl. An OLD TIMER wheels a trolley

along, carrying a box of 45's. He stops and places the box
containing the rejected record on a shelf and walks off.
 2.

EXT SHIPYARD - DAY

Crates of white goods are being loaded up. As they are

packed and sealed we see one marked BALLAST, full of discs.
One pile has the white label 45 on top. It is then sealed.

EXT DETROIT PETROL STATION - DAY

Clyde Solomon, now dressed in gas station overalls, fills a

car up. His face is a picture of despair.

FADE TO:BLACK

INT SOAP FACTORY, LANCASHIRE 1973 - DAY

The production line CLATTERS as the mixed-race multitude

efficiently keeps up with the pace.

JAKE (19) is at the end of the line, slotting freshly

wrapped soaps into boxes. He has eyes that would pierce the
gloom of a coal-mine in a power-cut and, as the BELL
SOUNDS, he back-heels the final soap-bar into its box with
the agility of a Copacabana hustler.

INT LOCKER ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Jake slides into some natty slacks whilst BOB GREEVES (55)
snips nasal hair. His leathery features and generous folds
of chip-butty flab seem to befit his cheery demeanour.

JAKE
Grows fast, eh Bob?

BOB
Shut it, you cheeky runt ... you off
on your disco dancing tonight?

JAKE
Yeah, I'm playing down at The Hole.

BOB
Bet you get some lasses down there.

JAKE
One or two.

BOB
One or two? One would do me, I haven't
had a shag for two years. My missus
gone off sex after she had her
"hysterical tummy". You young buggers
... all you do is get each others
knickers off.

(CONTINUED)
 3.
CONTINUED:

DANNY (20) - a greaser - whips his armpit-length mane of

hair back and adjusts the belt of his rocker's leather
jacket.

DANNY
That's right. We shag. All we have to
do is look at them.

BOB
Get off, you daft buggers. When I was
your age we used to think we was lucky
if we got a snog, let alone a shag. I
had to drag my missus down the park to
get 'em off.

JAKE
You should try treating your missus
right. Take her out, romance her a
bit. Then you might get something
instead of jumping on her and shoving
it up.

Bob picks up a bar of soap from his bag and throws it at

the boys as they dodge out of the door.

EXT FACTORY YARD - DAY

They pass out into the 1920s factory yard, laughing.

DANNY
So, how's the DJing going?

JAKE
We had 120 through the door last week.

DANNY
You should try playing down the Bulls
Head.

JAKE
Really?

DANNY
Yeah. You'd go down a ton of shit.

JAKE
And get me head kicked in by all your
greaser mates.

DANNY
Aye.
 4.

EXT FACTORY CAR PARK - DAY

A ramshackle assortment of two-wheelers. Danny pulls an

impressive motorbike from the grid and mounts it. Jake
looks like he is about to take a smart scooter but instead
pulls out a mangy push-bike.

JAKE
See you Monday, then.

Danny revs up and rides off as Jake clatters off in the

opposite direction.

EXT BLEAK STREET - DAY

Jake skedaddles past a ramshackle assortment of shops,

stopping at a record store.

INT RECORD SHOP - DAY

LAURA (16), cute but already world-weary, sadly, takes down

a poster of The Bay City Rollers and replaces it with one
for a soul disco. DING DONG.

JAKE
(peering in)
Any of them singles in?

LAURA
One. Them American ones are a right
bugger.

JAKE
I know. That's why I ordered them.

Laura reaches under the counter and pulls out a black bag.

LAURA
That's seventy-five pence. Many people
coming to your disco?

JAKE
Better be. Them posters cost me a
fiver ... you'll bring your mates,
won't you?

LAURA
Oh yeah. We're coming alright. Me,
Fiona, Sharon, Helen ...

A group of sixth-form school girls are walking past,

chatting and laughing. RACHEL (17) is one of them.
Aphrodite amongst mortals.

(CONTINUED)
 5.
CONTINUED:

Hers and Jake's eyes meet briefly and the world comes to a
standstill. Cupid volleys an arrow and strikes.

The group pass.

LAURA (CONT'D)
... we'll go down the Blue Bell first,
then come down your place about nine.

JAKE
Er, yeah, right ... right, see you
there then.

LAURA
See you, Jake.

EXT WINDSWEPT PARK - DAY

Young thugs-in-the-making kick a ball around, in the shadow

of a hideous 1950s council estate. Jake rides up the drive
of one of the houses where a dismantled car graces the
driveway.

EXT JAKE'S HOUSE - DAY

Two TEENAGE GIRLS lean sultrily over the neighbour's fence.

1ST GIRL
Hi, Jake.

JAKE
Ayup.

2ND GIRL
When are you going to let us hear your
records, then?

JAKE
When you're old enough.

1ST GIRL
(suggestively)
We're old enough now.

JAKE
I think I'll be the judge of that ...

INT KITCHEN - DAY

JAKE'S MUM (45) stands at the working surface. Years of

thanklessly running the home of a low-income family have
given her the thousand-yard stare that completes this
ghoulish scene.

(CONTINUED)
 6.
CONTINUED:

Her hands and apron are covered in blood and she brandishes
a cleaver. A pair of motionless legs jut out from under the
sink.

JAKE'S MUM
Hello, love ... are you alright?

JAKE
(ignores the horror)
Yeah, not bad.

MUM
Don't go playing your music too loud.
Your Dad's having a lie down.

Jake has gone.

The legs beneath the sink twitch. It's a PLUMBER who has
been fixing the pipes. The blood and gore - a liver she has
been cutting up.

PLUMBER
(from beneath)
That should fix it, love.

INT JAKE'S BEDROOM - DAY

Posters of Marvin Gaye, Bruce Lee and James Brown.

Jake puts the needle on a record. Then he throws himself

around the room gyrating wildly to the intoxicating soul
rhythms.

He's got dynamite moves.

BANG!

The door crunches open to reveal his apoplectic DAD (48),

in his dressing gown. His wonky, teddy-boy quiff lends a
soft, comedic air to an otherwise gruff, work-worn
comportment.

JAKE'S DAD
TURN THAT POOFY RACKET OFF!

He takes a deep breath.

DAD
I'm on nights.

JAKE
I'm just testing it out.

DAD
Well test it quietly or not at all.

(CONTINUED)
 7.
CONTINUED:

MUM (O.S.)
Dinner!

Dad gives Jake a withering look and turns away muttering to

himself.

INT KITCHEN - EVENING

The family sit around the table. Mum dishes out fried
liver, mashed spuds and mushy peas to MARK (12), Jake's
brother, whose NHS specs are sharpening the text of his
"Spiderman" comic. Ted Heath is talking about strikes on
the television.

DAD
So you're playing your music tonight,
then?

JAKE
Yeah.

DAD
Do you make ought of it?

JAKE
Twenty quid.

DAD
And how much have you spent on them
records?

JAKE
I don't know ... two hundred?

DAD
Two hundred quid! What a bloody
tragedy, you could have had a car by
now!

He shovels some spuds into his mouth.

MUM
Robert, watch your language.

DAD
Well I mean, two hundred quid on that
load of old crap, it takes me two
months to earn two hundred quid.

MUM
He loves them records and he makes a
few bob on the side.

(CONTINUED)
 8.
CONTINUED:

DAD
Aye, a few bob on the side is alright
but he's wasting his time if he thinks
he's going to make a living out of it.
There's only one Jimmy Saville and I
don't think he's retiring just yet.

MARK
(mock Jimmy Saville)
"Now then, now then, guys and gals".
Do you do all that talking then?

JAKE
Of course I don't, it's just music.

DAD
So you're telling me they pay good
money to hear you play them rubbish
records. They can bloody well come
here and hear them and I'll charge em
fifty pee to get in.

Mark pulls a face at Jake.

INT BATHROOM - NIGHT

Jake, in Y-fronts, combs his hair in the bathroom mirror.

THUD! THUD!

DAD(O.S.)
I've got work you know ... you going
to spend all night poncing yourself up
like a bloody peacock?

INT HALLWAY - NIGHT

Jake comes out of the bathroom in a burst of steam. His dad

shakes his head, then enters and starts to work on his
quiff.

His vanity matches his son's.

INT BEDROOM - NIGHT

Jake gets kitted out for a night on the razz.

He kneels down, ready, by his record box and slams the lid.
 9.

EXT COBBLED STREET - NIGHT

Jake struts towards a run-down Victorian pub. He carries

two record boxes.

INT THE WHIPPET - NIGHT

The acrid fog of Benson and Hedges. Pot-bellied bar-

slouchers tip back tankards of dark ale with half-glances
to the busy darts game taking place in one corner of this
iniquitous den.

The BARMAN froths a greeting to Jake, which judders the fat

sac of his swinging chin.

A tatty, red-velvet curtain hangs at one end behind a disco

unit and speakers.

Jake presses the power button and flicks the switches.

A hum of power ... a lowered needle ... a crackle ...

Music.

EXT COBBLED STREET - CONTINUOUS

A group of TEENAGE GIRLS clatter down the street. They

enter the pub.

INT THE WHIPPET - NIGHT

It's now full. As they pass through into the back the music
grows louder. Boys and girls dance to soul music. The
lights are low and there is steam everywhere. Boys do back-
flips and the music drives them on. Two of the girls come
up to Jake at the DJ booth.

1ST GIRL
Can you play "One in a million" by
Maxine Brown?

He bends over to find the record. The girls admire his bum.

JAKE
Found it, I'll play it later.

They look away, shy.

2ND GIRL
You'd better. Our friend likes it.

(CONTINUED)
 10.
CONTINUED:

JAKE
Who's that then?

1ST GIRL
Over there with the blue dress.

He sees Rachel, the girl he saw outside the record shop.

She is more dazzling than before, dancing coquettishly with
her friends.

JAKE
Why won't she come over herself?

2ND GIRL
Oh, she's above all that.

They head to the dancefloor.

Jake puts on the 45. Rachel turns round as the track

begins.

She smiles and looks straight into his eyes, then continues
dancing with her friends.

He's riveted to her.

BANNER (24) struts in like a preening panther. He sports a

leather, double-breasted coat, belted. Alone, but self-
assured. He scans the room ...

The dancing, the girls, the money changing hands at the

bar.

Finally his eyes settle on Jake. He focuses on the

effortless panache with which Jake selects the next record.

He clocks two lads who are sat on a table on the edge of

the dancefloor and nods towards the toilets, he goes in
ahead and they follow.

INT PUB TOILETS - NIGHT

Banner leans against the wall with a small bag of pills.

BANNER
This is a real steamer, no Mickey
Mouse stuff, this ... keep you on your
feet all night. Don't over-do it ...
three or four each, tops, alright?

1ST LAD
Are these any good, mate?

BANNER
Are you having a giraffe?

(CONTINUED)
 11.
CONTINUED:

They pop a pill each and scarper whilst Banner adds their
cash to his silver money clip.

INT THE WHIPPET - LATER

It is the last record of the night. Couples slow-dance.

Jake notices Rachel and her friends getting their coats and
leaving. The tubby landlord looms.

LANDLORD
Here you go, lad, another decent
night.

JAKE
Cheers mate, nice one.

He hands Jake the money, whilst scooping up glasses. One of

them belongs to Banner.

BANNER
Nice set, mate ... Banner's the name.

JAKE
Thanks ... Jake.

BANNER
Got any white labels?

JAKE
A few. They're a bugger to get hold
of.

BANNER
Not in the States.

Banner flicks through the collection.

BANNER (CONT'D)
Gloria Jones - "Tainted love", Judy
Street - "What". Just Brothers -
"Sliced Tomatoes". Not bad ... you
should see the stuff I've got.

JAKE
Where do you get yours from?

BANNER
The States, New York, Philli,
Pittsburgh, Detroit. Go over there a
couple of times a year, buy up old
stock.

JAKE
Sweet.

(CONTINUED)
 12.
CONTINUED:

BANNER
What are you doing after you finish
packing up?

INT WIMPY - NIGHT

Two greasy patties are flipped into eager buns. We follow

their journey past some ROCKERS to a booth where Banner and
Jake slurp shakes.

BANNER
Bollocks. Most of these tracks were
never released commercially in the
States. Maybe 500 white labels for DJs
and radio stations. Some of the best
soul music ever made is sitting in
warehouses in the arse end of America
waiting for people with taste to find
it.

JAKE
How do you find it?

BANNER
Its like being a detective, a clue
here, a clue there, then suddenly you
hit the jackpot. I was hanging out
with some heavy black dudes who put me
on to this shop in Detroit.

He wolfs a big slab of egg-burger.

BANNER (CONT'D)
Bloke who runs it told me about this
warehouse where they dump unreleased
45s.

Yolk and mince is going everywhere.

JAKE
So what are you going to do?

BANNER
Sweet Soul Music, Mail Order ...
but ... I gotta keep the wolf from the
door. And that's where you come in.

JAKE
How?

BANNER
Well how much do you make?

JAKE
Twenty quid a night.

(CONTINUED)
 13.
CONTINUED:

BANNER
Twenty quid's twenty quid. But that's
wedding money. You've got a rare skill
and that's worth more.

JAKE
I suppose so.

BANNER
You should know so. I could get us
playing venues for five hundred ... a
thousand people. Your DJing, my
records, my business acumen. Think
about it. The kids want it and no
one's giving it to them.

Some fries arrive. Banner grabs a fistful.

BANNER (CONT'D)
All we need is a decent venue.
Somewhere we do a deal. They take the
drinks, we take the door.

JAKE
Do you think it can work? I mean, it's
a risk.

BANNER
Don't risk nothing, don't get nothing.
What else do you do?

JAKE
Shifts at Lux.

BANNER
Is that your life's ambition?

JAKE
Yeah. Since nursery.

BANNER
Then let's do something about it.

He finishes his shake with a resounding slurp.

BANNER (CONT'D)
(to the waitress)
Bill please, love.

INT JAKE'S HOUSE - MORNING

Jake skips out, wearing a brown bomber with elasticated

waist and cuffs. The two Lolitas lean over the fence.

1ST GIRL
Ooh ... in a hurry?

(CONTINUED)
 14.
CONTINUED:

2ND GIRL
We come to your disco one night?

JAKE
I've said ... when you're old enough.

1ST GIRL
I can tie my shoelaces.

Jake rolls his eyes and walks on.

INT RECORD SHOP - DAY

Laura is stacking vinyl as Jake steams in.

BANNER
Well? Ready to change the world ?

JAKE
What?

Banner pops up from behind some shelving.

BANNER
The world of soul music.
Lets see what we've got then.

He flicks around the discount pile. Pauses. Selects one.

BANNER (CONT'D)
I knew there'd be a gem.

He passes the 45.

JAKE
That's just a crappy ballad.

BANNER
Have you heard the B-side? Stick it
on.

Laura slaps it on the turntable. A catchy soul track

punches out of the speakers.

BANNER (CONT'D)
Some of the best tracks end up on B-
sides. I'll take it.

LAURA
(unimpressed)
Twenty pence.

BANNER
You should lighten up, love.
 15.

EXT HIGH ST - DAY

Jake and Banner meander up the High Street, with "Bunny

Ears" ice creams.

JAKE
I thought we were going to find a
venue.

BANNER
(Chinese accent)
In time, grasshopper. In time.

JAKE
What about The Queens? They've got
nothing Wednesdays.

BANNER
They do heavy rock. They won't be
interested. Anyway, it's tiny. We've
got to think big.

JAKE
The Hole In The Wall didn't know about
soul nights till I started doing them.

BANNER
Alright - we've got the Fallen Knight,
Tiffany's, The Cellar Bar at the
Bull's head and the Miner's Welfare,
can you think of any more?

JAKE
What about the Whiskey Club in
Salford?

BANNER
(eyes widening)
Jesus. It's crazy, but it might just
work.

INT WORKING-MEN'S CLUB - DAY

Mirror ball. Velvet curtain. The BARMAID has an

extraordinary hairdo.

BANNER
Can we see the manager, please?

BEEHIVE WOMAN
You're looking at her.

BANNER
Oh sorry, I didn't realize.

(CONTINUED)
 16.
CONTINUED:

BEEHIVE WOMAN
Don't worry love, most people don't.
What can I do for you?

BANNER
Well, me and my partner here are DJs
and we were wondering if we could put
on a night here. A Soul Music night.

BEEHIVE WOMAN
What night did you have in mind?

JAKE
Well, what's your worst night?

BEEHIVE WOMAN
I think me wedding night was the
worst.

She's pleased with that one.

BEEHIVE WOMAN (CONT'D)

Oh, in the club? Tuesday. Oh no. The
Comedy. To be honest love we ain't got
one.

BANNER
I see. Well do you know anywhere ...

BEEHIVE WOMAN
... you wanna go over Blackpool. Loads
of clubs. Loads of dead nights and
all.

BANNER AND JAKE

Blackpool?

EXT BLACKPOOL SEA FRONT - DAY

Shoppers and day-trippers mingle on the seafront. The boys

are getting off a tram. It's hectic.

BANNER
Let's try that one.

Banner points to a tacky looking disco on the sea front.

JAKE
Crikey.

INT ANOTHER WORKING-MENS CLUB - DAY

A comedian is in session on stage. Pitiful crowd. This is a

quite extraordinarily decrepit hall of entertainment.

(CONTINUED)
 17.
CONTINUED:

COMIC
So there's an Irish man. Driving a bus-
load of Pakistanis on a day trip.

He pulls his trousers over his paunch.

COMIC (CONT'D)
And the bus crashes, right. When the
police and ambulances arrive on the
scene, the Irish fella's got a shovel
out and he's digging up the road and
burying the Pakis.

A ripple of laughter.

COMIC (CONT'D)
So the policeman comes up to the Irish
man and he says: "Are there any left
alive?"

We pan around the audience waiting for the punch line.

COMIC (CONT'D)
And the bus driver says: "Two said
they were. But you know what liars
these Pakis are."

ROARS of laughter.

The lads are at the bar, shocked.

FAT MAN
Right lads, what you having?

BANNER
Two pints of bitter please. You the
manager?

FAT MAN
Does the Pope shit in the woods?

BANNER
Erm ... We're DJs looking for
somewhere to hold a Soul Night.

FAT MAN
Use your eyes, lads. We're basically
chock-full of old timers here and
that's just the way we like it.
Spewing and Scrapping. No place for
that here. Youngsters. No respect.
Eighty pence, please.

Jake starts rifling for his change. Banner places a

restraining hand onto his arm.

(CONTINUED)
 18.
CONTINUED: (2)

BANNER
I've got a nasty taste in my mouth. I
don't imagine the beer would improve
it.

They make for the exit.

EXT LOCARNO, BLACKPOOL SEA FRONT - DUSK

Faded glory. The dilapidated "LOCARNO: BINGO AND TEA

DANCING." Jake and Banner push the door. Opens with a
CREAK.

INT LOCARNO - DUSK

A vast ballroom. An atmosphere of neglected charm.

A WEARY GEEZER sweeps up in the far corner. They cross the

dancefloor to approach him. He nearly jumps out of his
skin.

GEEZER
You're not bailiffs, are you? We
won't have bailiffs in here, you know.

BANNER
No, no. We're not bailiffs. We just
want to see the manager.

GEEZER
He'll be in the upstairs office. Jean
will take you up. JEAN, JEAN! There's
two young masters to see Mr Connor.

JEAN (70) appears from behind a curtain and ambles over.

She was once lovely but frailty is eclipsing her charms.

JEAN
Better not be from the council, we
don't want the council coming round
here.

JAKE
We're DJs.

She throws them a puzzled look.

INT LOCARNO BALCONY - DAY

Rows of faded seats.

(CONTINUED)
 19.
CONTINUED:

JEAN
He's awful busy at the moment. Tax
returns. Terrible trouble with tax
returns.

They reach the office door. The radio plays racing results.
Jean KNOCKS.

JEAN (CONT'D)
Two young gentlemen DeeGees to see
you, Mr Connor.

The door opens.

INT TONY CONNOR'S OFFICE - DAY

TONY CONNOR (65) has his feet up. A playboy in his time -
though whiskey and Players have now taken control, and his
mind is much like his body - jaded. He speaks with a
gravelly Scouse accent, peppered with a showbiz American
twang.

TONY
You're not from the tax office, are
you? This isn't some sneaky trick is
it?

BANNER
Hello, Mr Connor. Name's Dave
Bancroft, and this is Jake, we're DJs.

JAKE
Looking to put on a night.

They have his attention.

TONY
Entertainers, eh? What is it, a
double- act? Bit of comedy and a few
numbers. Dinner jackets and bow ties.
I can see it. I can see it!

BANNER
No, we're DJs. Disc jockeys.

Tony deflates.

TONY
Oh ... well, we're more music-hall
here, you know ... showbiz, singing
and dancing, we've never had any disc
jockeys.

(CONTINUED)
 20.
CONTINUED:

JAKE
Well we've got a plan ... to put on a
night of soul music here in this ...
ballroom.

TONY
Jean, can you fetch us a round of
teas, love?

Jean waddles off, obligingly.

JAKE
Tony, we are looking for a venue to
put on the best soul music night in
England and we decided we'd go to the
top ... to you.

TONY
We've had big acts over the years -
George Formby, Gracie Fields.
Morecambe and Wise did a season here
in 1955. Wonderful time it was ... but
these days there's no demand for
quality acts.

BANNER
What we've got in mind is different.
We'll play a night of soul music and
fill this place with youngsters.
You'll take a fortune on the bar.

TONY
Let's get this straight. You want to
play gramophone records. You reckon
the kids will go for that? No acts? No
warm up guys? No comperes?

Jean enters with a wobbling tray of tea.

JEAN
Here we are.

Tony gets up and clears a space.

TONY
Thanks Jean, wonderful.

Tony waits till Jean has left, then takes a hip flask and
puts a dash of scotch in each cup.

TONY (CONT'D)
This will warm you up boys. So, what
music are we talking about?

BANNER
Soul music.

(CONTINUED)
 21.
CONTINUED: (2)

TONY
I beg your pardon?

JAKE
It's beautiful music. And we want to
play it all night.

TONY
All night? And you think it can work?

BANNER
The first soul all-nighter in the UK.
Jake's a brilliant DJ. You're a
brilliant manager. It'll work.

TONY
(To Banner)
And what are you exactly?

BANNER
Lets just say ... I'm the one who'll
make it work.

TONY
I booked Tom Jones in '64. Fantastic
act, great guy. Everyone thought I was
mad booking this kid from the valleys.
Said he'd never sell out but I could
see the raw potential he had.

Banner has never been a fan.

TONY (CONT'D)
The thing is I can see the same thing
in you two. Raw potential ... I can't
see Tom making a comeback, though.

Tony takes a large red book down from the shelf and flicks
through it.

TONY (CONT'D)
Let me see, Bingo Tuesday, Thursday,
Saturday. Afternoon tea dancing,
Wednesday and Friday. Er, I could let
you have Wednesday, Monday or Saturday
night. You could go on after
Saturday's bingo session. What's it to
be?

JAKE AND BANNER

Saturday night!

MONTAGE
 22.

EXT RECORD SHOP - DAY

Jake and Banner put up posters.

INT JAKE'S BEDROOM - DAY

Jake sorts through vinyl.

INT SCRUFFY PRINTER'S WORKSHOP - DAY

Primitive flyers are printed.

INT RECORD SHOP - DAY

Jake and Laura put up a new poster. There is a PING on the

doorbell. Rachel and two friends enter. Jake is stricken
with love-nerves.

RACHEL
Looks groovy.

LAURA
That's Jake's.

RACHEL
You doing a new one?

JAKE
Yep. You going to come?

RACHEL
When is it?

JAKE
Friday. But its going to be big. It's
a ballroom in Blackpool.

Jake nervously edges out.

RACHEL
Wow.

JAKE
Well, I'll see you there then.

Jake, outside now, mounts his bike. Rachel looks on

lovingly as he rides off.

Laura throws her a filthy look, unseen.

 23.

INT HI-FI WORKSHOP - DAY

A scruffy workshop full of speakers and turntables. ERROL

(40) is getting to grips with s set of turntables as Jake
and Banner look on. He doesn't look like he's ever left
this dusty dump, nor ever will.

ERROL
That's your woofers and tweeters. Then
you've got the twin decks. These have
got multi-speed. That's 45 and 33 to
you, which means you can speed em up
or slow em down.

He clicks the switch firmly.

ERROL (CONT'D)
Now with this deck you've got the fade-
in system from one deck to another.

He slips into a deep mid-Atlantic voice.

ERROL (CONT'D)
"That was Mott the Hoople with All the
young dudes and this is Sweet with
Ballroom Blitz".

JAKE
So the fade-in system means you can
cut out a record if its say,
scratched, and bring in another.

ERROL
Better than that, you could actually
mix two records in and out of each if
you wanted to. But who'd want to do
that?

BANNER
Quite.

A ridiculous notion.

BANNER (CONT'D)
So how much for the lot?

Errol points his screwdriver at parts of the stereo and

holds up a primitive telephone listening device.

ERROL
The speakers, the decks, the listener,
amp ... four hundred quid the lot.

BANNER
FOUR HUNDRED QUID!

(CONTINUED)
 24.
CONTINUED:

ERROL
It's a rare beast, this machine. Tony
Blackburn uses one very similar. Top
dog professional system.

BANNER
How about three fifty. Hundred down
and the rest next week?

ERROL
Why don't you take it on a week
rental. That's twenty five quid. Do
your wedding or whatever. Then if you
still want to buy it, I'll knock off
the rental money. I'll need a forty
pound deposit, of course.

JAKE
Sounds good to me.

ERROL
Right. I'll get it packed up. You'll
be needing a microphone won't you?

JAKE
No mate, we don't need one.

ERROL
What? DJs that don't talk between the
records?

JAKE
That's right. Just music.

He hands them a mic, chuckling.

ERROL
That's a good one.

EXT JAKE'S HOUSE, FRONT DRIVE - DAY

Jake's dad is under the bonnet, covered in grease.

DAD
Bloody ... get in ... you ... come on.

The Lolitas are leaning over the fence, eating ice creams
and intermittently poking their tongues out at Mark, Jake's
brother, who sits in the driving seat.

Jake saunters up.

DAD (CONT'D)
Just in time to make yourself useful.

(CONTINUED)
 25.
CONTINUED:

JAKE
What do you want?

DAD
Get hold of this.

Jake's dad hands him a dirty rag.

DAD (CONT'D)
Now, hold that valve.
Go on ... give it a go, kid.

Mark hits the gas. The engine splutters and turns over. Dad
pulls himself out of the bonnet, beaming.

DAD (CONT'D)
That's it. The jobs a good'un.

Jake nods.

JAKE
Er, Dad? I was wondering ... now that
the car's going ...

DAD
I just knew it. He comes in for the
final furlong and expects to take away
the bloody first prize. On your bike.

JAKE
I'm doing this disco at the Locarno
and we've got to take the speakers
down there.

DAD
The Locarno. Why didn't you say so,
son? Me and your mum used to go
dancing down there, bit of Bill Haley.
Rock 'n bop.

He does a rock 'n' roll spin as he walks to the garage,

turning to Jake as he spins.

DAD (CONT'D)
But the answer's still no.

EXT JAKE'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Jake and Banner break into Dad's car.

BANNER
(whispering)
Are you sure this is a good idea?

JAKE
He'll be glued to the telly all night.

(CONTINUED)
 26.
CONTINUED:

They start to wheel the car down the drive. It brushes the
dustbin causing a CLANG.

INT JAKE'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Jake's Dad is momentarily roused from his ale-induced

stupor. He quickly settles his gaze on "Man about The
House", which drones on with both Mark and Mum's eyes
caught in its transfixing glare.

EXT DRIVEWAY - CONTINUOUS

The boys have got the car round the corner. The hot-wiring
done, Jake takes the wheel and they drive off.

EXT HI-FI SHOP - NIGHT.

The boys load the speakers into the car. Banner gives Errol
notes from his wad of cash.

ERROL
You're making a big mistake not taking
the microphone.

JAKE
We'll be fine.

ERROL
Audiences need a bit of patter.

JAKE
See you Monday, Errol.

Jake slams the boot.

INT LOCARNO BALLROOM - NIGHT

The doors of the Locarno CREAK open. The place is deserted.

Jake and Banner are like ants in the vast interior and
can't help but stop and take it in.

TONY (O.S.)
Boys, Boys!

He staggers in.

TONY (CONT'D)
Got yer kit?

(CONTINUED)
 27.
CONTINUED:

JAKE
No, Tony ... we thought we'd burn it.

TONY
You're going to be up on the same
stage as the greats! Frankie Howard,
Charlie Drake. You name 'em, they've
stood on that stage. JEAN! Have you
got them till receipts sorted out?

Tony wanders off towards the stage.

TONY (CONT'D)
Fred! You got the main beam sorted for
centre stage? I want them fire doors
on the balcony shut. You remember when
Cilla played in '66? We don't want
that trouble again.

INT BALLROOM - NIGHT

The gear is set up.

Jake whips open his box of 45s and slaps a single on the
turntable.

The needle slots into the groove.

A crackle.

The drum beat kicks in.

MONTAGE

EXT SEA FRONT - NIGHT

A tram pulls up and TEENAGERS pile off. They reach the

doors of the Locarno.

INT LOCARNO - NIGHT

Jean does her knitting by the till. She takes money off the
throng and gives out tickets.

Jake on stage, working the crowd that has filled out. Kids
dance in the energetic Northern Soul style.

Banner takes over on the decks. The kids dance faster.

Jake strolls around the ballroom, delighted.

(CONTINUED)
 28.
CONTINUED:

Rachel and her friends sashay into the glittering melee.

Jake motions to Banner to let him take over.

He sticks a special record on.

CUT TO:

Rachel turns to look at Jake on stage.

She sweeps onto the dancefloor.

Jake materializes beside her.

She turns and they dance.

A picture of harmony.

RACHEL
I see you've got taste.

JAKE
Call it inspiration.

RACHEL
Nice moves.

JAKE
(James Bond style)
I like to dance.

He descends into a nifty split.

RACHEL
Gosh. Good thing they stretch.

The DJ box is empty - Banner is oblivious.

JAKE
I'd better get back.

The song finishes. They look like they are about to kiss
but Rachel pulls away.

RACHEL
My friends are leaving.

She motions over to her smirking friends.

JAKE
So, see you next week?

RACHEL
(leaving)
If you're lucky.

We float to the ceiling. The whole ballroom. Jake is alone.

(CONTINUED)
 29.
CONTINUED: (2)

INT BALLROOM - NIGHT

Empty. THUD. The house lights go on.

Jake and Banner pack up their kit. Tony meanders over.

TONY
Well boys, not a bad start. Hundred
and twenty-five on the door. One-
fifty, the bar.

BANNER
Sixty two pounds fifty each then...

TONY
Not exactly. I have to take a small
maintenance charge, you know. Wear and
tear. That kind of thing ...

BANNER AND JAKE

FIFTY QUID?

TONY
That's more than my bingo tellers get
and they bring in the boozers. Look,
this is just a start. If it takes off,
we'll all be driving Jags.

Tony dishes out a pitiful wad to each.

Observing slyly is STEVE DIVINE(25), his feather-cut hair

the perfect foil to his natty white flares.

STEVE
Steve Divine - "Blues and Soul
Magazine". Great. Brilliant.
Fantastic. Whose idea?

BANNER
Hi, Dave Bancroft. Maestro Supremo.

Jake and Tony frown.

STEVE
You're onto something.

BANNER
I've put a lot into it.

STEVE
Quick interview?

BANNER
Sure. Let's sit down.

Jake looks on, agog, as they saunter off.

(CONTINUED)
 30.
CONTINUED:

TONY
It's always the way. One with the
talent. One with the blag. Seen it a
thousand times. Flannagan and Allen
were just the same.

Jake throws him a sidelong glance.

TONY (CONT'D)
Before your time. Point is, it has to
be that way. You've got talent.
He's got the gab. In show business you
need both.

JAKE
You reckon?

Jake is not exactly rapturous in his agreement.

INT BALCONY BAR - NIGHT

Banner strokes his chin.

STEVE
The Mecca of the North. A real centre
for soul music ... I mean some of
those sounds you were playing tonight.
Where did you get that rare stuff
from?

BANNER
States - Philli, Detroit.

STEVE
Do you know the Snake House in Philli?
Great spot. Saw Curtis Mayfield there
last year.

BANNER
Yeah right. So when will this article
come out then?

STEVE
Next issue. They're going to be
queuing round the block.

Banner's satisfied smile.

INT JAKE'S HOUSE - DAWN

A copper pan arcs through the air ... CRASH!

(CONTINUED)
 31.
CONTINUED:

MUM
It's not alright! We had the bloody
police round. Lucky for you the
neighbours saw.

JAKE
I'm sorry, mum.

MUM
Sorry is not enough. I can only stick
up for you so much. Now get up to bed
and stay there. Dad's on an early, so
he might have calmed down by the time
he gets home. I hope you parked it
nicely.

Jake goes upstairs. His brother, Mark, passes him on the

stairs.

MARK
You're in the shi-it! You're in the
shi-it.

Jake goes into his bedroom, takes out a 45 from his box of
singles and lies on his bed. He closes his eyes and drifts
off, smiling.

INT KITCHEN - DAWN

Jake's Dad shakily makes tea.

DAD
Look, son. Don't think I don't know
what you're into.

He hands a cup to his son.

JAKE
What do you mean?

DAD
All this music and stuff, I was the
same. Mad on rock 'n' roll, buying
records, clothes, the lot. And you
know how I met your mam down the
Locarno.

JAKE
Was it good--

DAD
--bloody brilliant. Best nights out I
ever had.

(CONTINUED)
 32.
CONTINUED:

JAKE
So what have you got against me having
a good time? I'm making money out of
it.

DAD
I've nothing against it. I'm proud of
you but you've got to think about the
future. You could have stayed on at
school. Done an apprenticeship. But
instead you're wasting away in that
soap factory.

Jake is uncomfortable.

JAKE
I've got to go to work.

DAD
Go on, get on with you.

Jake puts a jacket on nonchalantly. His dad grabs his arm.

DAD (CONT'D)
Take the car again and you'll be
sitting on cushions for a week.

MONTAGE

EXT FACTORY - DAY

The PEAL of a whistle.

Jake rides through the gates, parks his bike and clocks on.

INT FACTORY - DAY

The production line teems with workers.

Bars of soap pour down the line.

He replaces an older man and starts to pack.

Scenes of mundane factory life.

Time elapses via clocking-on cards.

Jake picks up his Friday pay cheque from the counter.

 33.

EXT FACTORY YARD - DAY

Jake mounts his bike and rides off.

EXT NEWSAGENT - DAY

Jake emerges with "Blues and Soul" magazine.

He flicks through to find a full-page article - "Northern

Soul".

It's a corker.

INT BALLROOM - NIGHT

Tony reads aloud, between sips of scotch and fag-puffs. He

clearly doesn't understand much of the jargon.

TONY
"Some of the rarest grooves and
hottest cuts can be heard belting out
from the decks of resident DJ Dave
Bancroft."

He looks up, confused.

TONY (CONT'D)
Does this mean they like it?

JAKE
What about me? It's all about you.

BANNER
These journalists. They only remember
the bare facts.

TONY
"Despite the run-down surroundings the
atmosphere is amazing..."
I had this place refurbished in 62!

BANNER
Look, it don't matter if they didn't
mention you and it don't matter that
they say the club's run down. The
point is, we got a double page.

TONY
(to Jake)
He's right, kid. He knows.

JAKE
I suppose so.

(CONTINUED)
 34.
CONTINUED:

TONY
Tonight we're going to see the
results.

Tony takes a big tug on his fag.

EXT LOCARNO - NIGHT

Smoke from the exhaust of a bus. KIDS pile off and join a
massive queue. The crowd starts to push forward.

INT BALLROOM - NIGHT

Tony and Jean look nervously at each other.

TONY
Alright Jean, lets have 'em.

Jean unlocks the door and a huge crowd SURGES forward.

They attempt to take money and issue tickets.

Kids pass through into the dance area.

Jake turns to Banner and they allow each other a satisfied

smile. Banner hands Jake a bag of pills.

Jake necks a couple with swigs of coke.

INT BALLROOM - LATER

Energetic dancing. Back flips. Spins.

The club is like a sauna. Steam rises from the floor. Kids
spray themselves with anti-perspirant and shake talcum
powder on the floor.

They pass pills to each other. Lots of them.

Jake up on the decks. He spots a girl that looks like

Rachel. Jake nods to Banner and makes his way to the girl.

He taps her on the shoulder but when she turns, it's

another girl.

Jake heads back, embarrassed.

 35.

INT BALLROOM - NIGHT

Jake plays the last song of the night.

Couples dance together and people leave.

We follow them out into the dawn light.

Jake grinds his teeth, alone.

INT TONY'S OFFICE - DAWN

Piles of cash. Tony chomps a fat cigar. Jake and Banner

chew gum furiously.

TONY
Fantastic. I can't believe it. Best
takings since Frankie Vaughan in '66.
Now he was a mover, you should have
seen him.

JAKE
Yeah, me dad--

TONY
--the thing is, boys, we're going to
need some muscle. The crush on the
door last night ... Jean and I. We was
mobbed. Jean's good, but she's not
what she used to be.

BANNER
Doormen?

TONY
Security, bouncers. Whatever you want
to call 'em.

JAKE
We don't want thugs or ex-criminals on
the door.

TONY
Leave it to me, boys.

INT BALLROOM - DAY

CARL and SHAMUS. Carl is slim, shaven headed and looks like
a gargoyle. Shamus is a scary, walking brick and utterly
brainless.

TONY (O.S.)
Carl and Shamus - a couple of
sweethearts.

(CONTINUED)
 36.
CONTINUED:

Jake and Banner are aghast.

TONY (CONT'D)
You name it, they've chucked 'em out
of it.

CARL
Hi.

SHAMUS
Alright?

BANNER
So how do you intend to work this
place?

CARL
Well, first we check the crowd for
jeans or trainers. If so, no chance.
Gangs of lads? Bad. Couples? Good. We
give 'em a quick frisk, nothing heavy,
just show
'em who's boss. And if there's any
trouble ...

Shamus makes a cut across his throat with a finger.

Jake and Banner look to the heavens in despair.

BANNER
Carl. Shamus. How can I explain? This
club is different.

JAKE
We want people in trainers. We want
gangs of lads. If they like soul
music, they're welcome.

BANNER
We don't want anybody done in.

SHAMUS
Never?

BANNER
By and large ... no. Except in extreme
circumstances.

JAKE
Control the crush. Be hosts.

CARL
Hosts?

Carl and Shamus look perplexed.

(CONTINUED)
 37.
CONTINUED: (2)

TONY
The boys are right. This is a new
concept.

CARL
So. We are nice doormen.

SHAMUS
Nice.

CARL
Except in extreme circumstances.

SHAMUS
Right.

INT FACTORY SHOPFLOOR - DAY

Jake is at the packing machine.

He looks tired. His eyelids close.

INT EXPENSIVE HOUSE - DAY

Rachel leads Jake up an open staircase. She giggles.

RACHEL
It's alright. My parents aren't back
for hours.

They continue to her bedroom.

She takes his face in her hands and starts to kiss him.

They move to the bed.

He slides his hand under her skirt ...

MANS VOICE (O.S.)

You must be joking--

INT FACTORY SHOP FLOOR - DAY

Jake is asleep on the machine. Bars of soap spill off the

production line.

FOREMAN
--you dozy twat.

Jake looks shocked. Other workers start to laugh.

(CONTINUED)
 38.
CONTINUED:

FOREMAN (CONT'D)
You lot can shut up an' all.

JAKE
I was tired.

FOREMAN
Well you should get some sleep then
instead of disco-dancing all night.
Now get back and do your job.

JAKE
Sod the job.

FOREMAN
You what?

Jake has stopped working. Soap flies off the end at an

alarming rate. The foreman struggles to pick them up.

FOREMAN (CONT'D)
Jake.

JAKE
I said sod the job. I earn more in one
night than a week--

FOREMAN
--I take it this is a resignation
speech.

Jake kicks a box over and storms off. Workers CHEER.

FOREMAN (CONT'D)
You'll never make nothing of yourself,
Jake! Nothing!

EXT GRAMMAR SCHOOL GATES - DAY

Jake pulls his bike up and watches pupils stream out.

Rachel appears.

A group of rock-loving, sixth-form boys catch up with her.

Dismayed, he rides off the other way.

EXT COUNCIL ESTATE - DAY

Jake skids to a halt. The Lolitas lean over the fence as

usual.

(CONTINUED)
 39.
CONTINUED:

1ST GIRL
Hi Jake, can we hear some of your
records?

Jake ponders.

His resolve dissolves.

JAKE
Father, forgive me ...

INT JAKE'S BEDROOM - DAY

Jake puts a 45 on the turntable.

2ND GIRL
What's this called?

JAKE
"Shack up".

1ST GIRL
Show us how to dance then.

Jake takes both by the hand and they spin around the room.

Then, they trip, and all fall on the bed laughing.

CUT TO:

INT JAKE'S HOUSE - DAY

Mum waddles in.

She picks up towels from the cupboard on the way upstairs

and makes her way along the corridor.

She hears a muffled GIGGLE.

INT JAKE'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

The door flips open.

A scene of wanton abandon. Jake and the Lolitas, legs

akimbo.

Flabbergasted, she closes the door on the way out.

The girls fall about laughing as Jake winces.

 40.

INT JAKE'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Mum inserts tiny forkfuls into a stony face. His dad eats,
uninterested. Mark reads "Spiderman".

MUM
This is a decent home.

Another mouthful.

MUM (CONT'D)
Never ... honestly, Jake.
Our neighbour's daughters.

Mouthful.

MUM (CONT'D)
I held them baby girls in me arms.
For God's sake ... animal!

DAD
What were you doing home?

JAKE
I packed my job in.

DAD
You what?

JAKE
I earn fifty quid a week at the club--

DAD
--how long is that going to last, eh?
A month? A year? Then what you going
to bloody do?

JAKE
Well, I can't end up worse than you,
can I?

DAD
What exactly do you mean by that?

JAKE
Well, look at you.

DAD
You cheeky--

Robert SLAPS him across the face.

MUM
--Robert, NO!

DAD
OUT!

(CONTINUED)
 41.
CONTINUED:

Jake is frozen.

DAD (CONT'D)
I said - out. Pack your bag. You see
what it's like, you pitiful bag of
shite.

He looks deranged.

INT BANNER'S FLAT - NIGHT

Fags. Ashtrays. Beer cans. A tip.

Jake and Banner smoke and drink Newcastle Brown.

BANNER
Cheers. Look what I got hold of.

Banner hands Jake a white label 45. The pressing stamp

reads "C.SOLOMON 66475".

BANNER (CONT'D)
It's a killer.

Banner's stereo is a posh one. He sticks the disc on.

JAKE
Tasty.

BANNER
States. Found in some warehouse.
Didn't make the play-lists and got
dumped ... sweet.

JAKE
Got Friday Night written on it.

BANNER
Indeed ... I might even set up a stall
and flog off me oldies.

JAKE
Feeling inspired today, my friend?

BANNER
Out of misfortunes, spring epiphanies.

MONTAGE
 42.

INT JAKE'S GROTTY FLAT - DAY

Jake moves his stuff to a cosy rat-hole.

EXT TRAIN STATION - NIGHT

Northern Soul kids jump off a train.

EXT BUS STATION - NIGHT

More Soul kids jump off a bus.

INT LOCARNO BALLROOM - NIGHT

Rammed. Carl and Shamus control the crush nicely.

Banner has set up a record stall in the corner.

INT PRESS HEADLINES - DAY

Press headlines about the club.

Months pass.

EXT LOCARNO - NIGHT

A huge banner is draped outside the club.

It reads "FIRST ANNIVERSARY DANCE COMPETITION".

INT LOCARNO - NIGHT

A ripper of a night throngs below the DJ booth, in which

Jake and Banner gyrate spasmodically.

Tony takes the microphone. The music stops.

TONY
Alright boys and girls! I just want to
say a few words. This soul night has
been going for a year now. I can
honestly say it's breathed new life
into this place. None of this could
have happened without these two - Jake
Williams and Dave Bancroft!

(CONTINUED)
 43.
CONTINUED:

CHEERS as Tony gestures towards Jake and Banner.

TONY (CONT'D)
Nor without you lot!

ROARS.

TONY (CONT'D)
So to celebrate we are going to hold
the first Northern Soul dance
competition. First prize is free
entrance for life and fifty pounds
worth of records from the music stall.
So lets get going!

Carl leads the first contestant on. He has a number on his

chest and as he starts to dance, the crowd forms a circle.

Each dancer is given a short spot in the limelight. They

perform back-flips and spins. All are devilishly good but
number five stands out.

He is DENNIS (17), with mullet hair, dressed in oxford bags

and a vest. A likeable little whipper-snapper but none too
bright.

Banner observes Dennis from the stage, transfixed.

TONY (CONT'D)
Alright boys and girls! That was
fantastic, could have done it myself a
few years back. It was the fox-trot in
my day you know. Anyway, whoever gets
the biggest score on Tony's clapometer
here--

Gestures to a primitive fairground machine with a big

arrow.

TONY (CONT'D)
--will be the winner. Alright let's
hear it for number one.

A medium-size cheer goes up. The arrow of the clapometer

goes half way.

TONY (CONT'D)
Number two!

A bigger cheer goes up.

The arrow goes higher.

Dennis looks nervous.

Banner looks on with interest.

(CONTINUED)
 44.
CONTINUED: (2)

TONY (CONT'D)
Number Three!

A small cheer.

The disappointed muggin of number three.

TONY (CONT'D)
Number four!

The arrow heads up as a big cheer goes up.

TONY (CONT'D)
And finally, number five!

HUGE CHEER.

The arrow goes higher than before.

Dennis looking amazed.

TONY (CONT'D)
And the winner is ... number five!

ROUSING APPLAUSE. Dennis makes his way onto the stage. He

sticks his arms up in triumph and shakes hands with Tony,
Jake and Banner.

BANNER
That was great. You should come and
have a drink.

DENNIS
Yeah. Sound.

BANNER
(to Jake)
You okay?

JAKE
Yeah, no problem. Break a leg.

Banner and Dennis head off.

As Jake's tune kicks in the crowd goes loopy.

He spots Rachel dancing with her friends. She holds his

gaze, then smiles.

INT BALCONY BAR - NIGHT

Dennis and Banner swig pints.

BANNER
It's cool, man. I am the bloody
management.

(CONTINUED)
 45.
CONTINUED:

Banner whips out a sack of pills. They bosh a couple.

BANNER (CONT'D)
We're looking to expand things around
here. Promotions. Maybe put some acts
on. You sing?

DENNIS
Dunno. Suppose so.

BANNER
Stick with me, mate, and I'll see you
alright. I reckon you and I could make
something of all this.

He looks wired.

BANNER (CONT'D)
I can always spot talent. Always.

INT TONY'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Tony sneaks in a sly dram of Scotch and tucks the bottle

back into his safe. When he withdraws, it contains a wad of
cash.

He looks around, then pockets it.

Then settles back to read the racing papers.

INT STAGE - NIGHT

The palm of Banner's hand holding four blue tablets.

Jake is by his side at the decks.

JAKE
Can you take over?

BANNER
Yeah, go on.

JAKE
Stick this on will you?

BANNER
If you neck one of these.

Jake takes one and swallows.

He descends into Babylon. Limbs flail to the music.

(CONTINUED)
 46.
CONTINUED:

He passes a HORNY COUPLE. They seem to be devouring each

other. A LUNATIC takes a dive at the dancefloor and goes
into a spin.

Everywhere: Grinding teeth. Gum chewing. Coke swigging.

Jake steams on through the crowd.

Rachel turns around and greets him.

In an electric union, Rachel and Jake celebrate in a

frenzied and erotically charged dance.

And then they kiss.

EXT PARK - DAY

A secluded parkland grove.

Rachel is cross-legged, Jake's head in her lap.

Jake gently pulls Rachel's head down. Rain begins to fall.

RACHEL
I thought it was going to be beautiful
all day.

JAKE
You should see the view from here.

Sprinkles of rain catch glints of sunlight. Her eyes shine

like constellations.

RACHEL
(giggling)
Jake, you're a real romantic, aren't
you?

JAKE
(mock James Bond)
Thank you, Moneypenny.

RACHEL
I want you, Jake.

She pulls her shirt up and off.

The moment has arrived.

INT LOCARNO - DAY

Thirty well dressed pensioners wiggle to an old polka.

Jake, Banner, Tony and Dennis smoke. Jean dispenses teas.

(CONTINUED)
 47.
CONTINUED:

Banner pulls out a copy of a magazine.

BANNER
"Best club in the UK, third best in
the world after the Apollo Harlem and
Studio 54. Third best club in the
world!" Even bloody NME gave us a good
review!

TONY
The best we got was top spot on the
Lancashire coast, 1948, and that was
in the Burnley Gazette.

JAKE
What acts you got in mind?

Banner flicks a cigarette into his own mouth, deftly.

BANNER
The Greats. The Best. Edwin Starr is
on his uppers. We could get him for a
few hundred quid. We'll do a soul
review. Some of these guys don't even
know they're famous over here.

TONY
How much do you think they'll be? I
mean we're doing well but--

BANNER
--Look. They play US airbases in
Europe. If we can book 'em when they
are already over here, we'll get 'em
for a pittance.

TONY
Ooh, he's sharp.

He turns to Jake.

TONY (CONT'D)
Watch him, kid. He's a bloody cut-
throat razor.

BANNER
Let's get young Dennis here trained up
on the decks.

JAKE
What?

BANNER
I'm busy with the record stall. You
don't want to be on the decks all
night, do you?

He does.

(CONTINUED)
 48.
CONTINUED: (2)

BANNER (CONT'D)
Anyway. Marketing.

He pulls badges and embroidered patches from his bag -

"Keep the Faith" and "Northern Soul".

BANNER (CONT'D)
Got these made up in Rochdale. Ten
pence a throw. I can sell for fifty.

All are impressed. Except maybe Jake.

BANNER (CONT'D)
Class acts. Professional marketing.
Dennis trained up. Agreed?

INT TONY'S OFFICE - DAY

Jake flicks paper balls at Banner, who has the phone

attached to his ear.

BANNER
Okay. Two hundred quid plus transport
and accommodation ... yes, we supply
the PA ... what brand of Bourbon? Pass
us a pen.

He scribbles it down.

BANNER (CONT'D) (CONT'D)

Great. Look forward to it.

Banner slams the phone down, triumphant.

BANNER (CONT'D) (CONT'D)

Edwin Starr.

JAKE
Shiver me timbers.

EXT LOCARNO - DAY

Carl and Shamus - up a ladder - struggle to put up a banner

- "EDWIN STARR SHOWCASE".

EXT GARAGE FORECOURT - DAY

A row of fancy cars. Jake goes over to a red Ford Capri.

BANNER
Bang on. That's you, mate.

(CONTINUED)
 49.
CONTINUED:

EXT STREET - DAY

Jake cruises up to the Grammar School in his new wheels.

Rachel and some chums steam out of the school gates. One of
her friends nudges her ...

EXT COUNTRY LANE - DAY

The Ford Capri hammers along, soul pumping out of the

cassette deck.

INT CAPRI - CONTINUOUS

Jake passes the joint to the deliriously happy Rachel.

RACHEL
Dominic in the sixth form, he's really
funny right, he reckons that if you
listen to "Dark Side of the Moon"
stoned--

She takes a drag and coughs a little.

RACHEL (CONT'D)
--you can hear the "Wizard of Oz" ...
or something.

Giggling, she leans over and starts to kiss him

passionately.

JAKE
Whoa!

RACHEL
I've got a plan, fancy man.

EXT SMART DRIVEWAY - DAY

Jake pulls up a gravel drive next to a Range Rover.

JAKE
Flipping heck. Posh gaff.

RACHEL
Rather minted, wouldn't you say, old
bean?
 50.

INT RACHEL'S PARENTS HOME - DAY

Solid, upper middle class taste.

Jake is a tad overwhelmed. RACHEL'S MOTHER (45) appears

from the conservatory - she's been watering houseplants and
is carrying a small gardening basket. A picture of
considerate, charitable sweet-natured grace.

RACHEL'S MOTHER
Hello, darling.

RACHEL
Mother. This is Jake, a friend.

MOTHER
Well, hello. Jake.

INT DRAWING ROOM - DAY

Sunlight filters in through the french windows.

MOTHER
Are you in Rachel's year?

JAKE
No. I left school a few years ago.

MOTHER
Ah, university.

JAKE
No, I'm a DJ ... a disc jockey. In
Blackpool.

MOTHER
Oh really?

Rachel enters with a tray of tea.

MOTHER (CONT'D)
Jake tells me he's a disc jockey,
darling.

RACHEL
He's not just any DJ. He's the best.

MOTHER
Ah, well its good to be the best at
something, I suppose. Which station?
I'll tune up the wireless.

JAKE
It's not a radio--

BEEP BEEP. A car pulls up outside.

(CONTINUED)
 51.
CONTINUED:

MOTHER
--that will be your father, dear.

Rachel's mother gets up.

JAKE
I'll tune up the wireless!!

RACHEL
Jake.

JAKE
What does your dad do?

Rachel pulls a face.

RACHEL
Conservative Councillor.

MOTHER (O.S.)
Rachel's brought a friend home
darling.

RON TAYLOR (O.S.)

Good, good. Like to meet potential
voters, ha, ha, ha!

RON TAYLOR (50) enters, he is a big bluff man, with saggy

jowls. He sports a pinstripe with hair swept into a side-
parting. He has the confidence of a man who has shaken some
of the most powerful hands in the land.

FATHER
Ron Taylor. Pleased to meet you.

Ron thrusts out his hand.

JAKE
Jake.

MOTHER
Jake's a DJ. Not a pirate, on the open
wave or anything, I hope?!
(turning to Rachel)
Which station?

RON
I'm sure Jake can speak for himself.

JAKE
I play at a club called the Locarno.
It's in Blackpool.

Ron sits down and loosens his tie. Mother dishes out a
scotch.

(CONTINUED)
 52.
CONTINUED: (2)

RON
The Locarno ... isn't that down by the
seafront. It's closed, isn't it. What?

JAKE
Not any more.

RON
Bloody good spot. What? Decent bit of
real estate. Who's the manager these
days?

Mother passes Ron his drink.

JAKE
Tony Connor.

RON
That old soak. Ha ha! Tony Connor.
Thought he'd kicked the bucket years
ago. Do you know we damn nearly took
his licence away in ... when was it? I
had just got on the County Council at
the time. When would that have been
darling?

MOTHER
1959?

RON
That's it, '59. He was selling some
dodgy booze brought off the back of a
lorry behind the bar - no tax. No,
nothing. Tony Connor ...

Another chuckle.

RACHEL
Jake's good friends with Tony, dad.

RON
Well. Watch your silver. That's all I
can say. What, what?

MOTHER
Would you like a drink, Jake?

JAKE
No thanks. I'm driving.

He looks at his watch.

JAKE (CONT'D)
Now, in fact.

RON
Well. It was jolly nice to meet you,
Jake.

(CONTINUED)
 53.
CONTINUED: (3)

JAKE
The pleasure's all mine, I'm sure.
What?

Rachel winces.

EXT LOCARNO - NIGHT

A minibus pulls up.

A pair of crocodile, cuban-heeled boots struts out.

Tight nylon slacks. Open shirt and crushed, velvet jacket.

The charismatic face of EDWIN STARR. The soul funkster. He

drinks in the surroundings and turns to his SEVEN HOMEBOYS.

EDWIN
I can dig this shit.

The band pick up their instrument cases and steam in.

INT CLUB STAGE - NIGHT

The band tune their instruments. Tony, Banner and Jake

approach.

TONY
Mr Starr.

EDWIN
Edwin, please.

TONY
Edwin ... there's something you should
know.

Edwin adjusts a velvet lapel.

EDWIN
What's that, brother?

TONY
The kids here. They've got specialized
taste, so to speak. There's a couple
of songs you'll have to play.

EDWIN
Like what?

JAKE
"Can't hide your love" and "Run around
girl".

(CONTINUED)
 54.
CONTINUED:

EDWIN
Hell, man, I can't remember them
songs.

BASS PLAYER
Ain't "Run around Girl" that thing we
did down in Memphis in '66. Ended up
on some B side?

JAKE
It was on the B side of "Gone too
Long" in the states but it was on a
compilation album called "Soul
Explosion" in the UK, and I think you
recorded it during "The Sweetest
Thing" sessions in New York in '67.

The band are impressed.

EDWIN
And the other song?

JAKE
"Can't hide your love" was recorded in
1965 in Detroit's legendary Spencer
Street studios. Didn't get pressed
until '67 when it was track two, side
two of "The more you move me".

EDWIN
Serial number?

JAKE
I think it was--

EDWIN
--Man, I was pulling your chain.
We got a whole new show these days.

Tony seems slightly sloshed.

TONY
Frankly, "Reet Petite" is more my kind
of thing, but the kids here. They get
attached to certain songs. And might
be upset if they don't hear them. They
come from all over the country you
know.

EDWIN
"Reet Petite" was Jackie Wilson, but I
dig where you're coming from. Let's
see if we can drag ourselves down
memory lane.

TONY
I never had this trouble with George
Formby, you know.

(CONTINUED)
 55.
CONTINUED: (2)

All turn to Tony, frowning.

INT LOCARNO - NIGHT

Steam rises from a crowd in a heated frenzy, CHEERING.

Edwin Starr and his band are tearing the place up with
screaming soul majesty.

Jake and Rachel are entwined like snakes, gyrating to the

hypnotising rhythms.

They consume impressive quantities of narcotics and,

eyeballs rolling all over the shop, devour each other with
Dionysian fortitude.

Banner and Dennis are both in a similar mess, though not

entwined.

INT SWIMMING POOL - MORNING

The high diving-board in a Victorian swimming pool. A

bleached Adonis is poised on the high board. He arcs
through the air. A SPLASH as he hits the turquoise water.

It splashes Jake, Banner, Rachel and Dennis but they don't

flinch. They're coming down off speed and make for a sorry
sight.

BANNER
(mildly gibbering)
Fanfuckingtastic. Did you see the way
he moved? Killer voice.

He turns to Dennis.

BANNER (CONT'D)
We'll have you singing like that,
soon.

RACHEL
(giggling inanely)
Are you learning to sing?

DENNIS
Yeah. I'm going to sing this song
Banner's got.

JAKE
Which one's that?

(CONTINUED)
 56.
CONTINUED:

BANNER
You know, that one I played you. The
white label, I've got a band of
session guys lined up to record it in
Manchester. Our kid's perfect for it.

RACHEL
How fab! You're going to be a pop
star, Dennis. You'll be great. You
dance and everything. I can't wait.
Woo-hoo.

JAKE
What about the royalties?

BANNER
Oh, bollocks to that. The bloke's
probably dead. I'll think of something
anyway.

Rachel is starting to look dizzy.

JAKE
But you can't just nick it. You have
to pay something.

Rachel hiccups, then collapses behind Banner.

BANNER
Look mate, we can change some of the
lyrics.

Jake jumps up.

BANNER (CONT'D)
(doesn't notice)
You see legally, as long as you change
a certain proportion of the track then-
-

Rachel is unconscious in Jake's arms.

JAKE
--Put a sock in it, will yer!

EXT STREET - DAY

Jake leads the staggering, pallid Rachel to the Capri.

INT CAR - DAY

Rachel has her head back on the seat, gulping air.

 57.

EXT RACHEL'S HOUSE - DAY

Tyres SCRUNCH on pea-shingle.

Rachel's mother is in her dressing gown at the door.

MOTHER
My poor darling! What happened?

JAKE
She's not been well.

Rachel slumps over and is sick on the doorstep. Ron

appears, also still in his dressing gown. He takes in the
scene.

RON
What have you done to my daughter?
What?

JAKE
Nothing, I brought her home. She
wasn't feeling well.

Rachel looks up, wiping her mouth.

RACHEL
(slurring)
It's my fault. He didn't make me take
them.

MOTHER
Take what?

RON
You've drugged her, you filthy oik!

JAKE
No. Mr Taylor--

RON
--Get off my property before I call
the police. You pusher!

Rachel is taken inside. Ron stands defiant.

RON (CONT'D)
Clear off!

His face is wracked with rage.

INT RECORDING STUDIO - NIGHT

An ENGINEER with handle-bar side-burns and a "Cream" t-

shirt twiddles knobs. Banner smokes a reefer beside him.

(CONTINUED)
 58.
CONTINUED:

Dennis, in a booth, wears headphones.

ENGINEER
Fab! Fucking fab, this is a great
little track.

He passes an album cover with razor and lines of coke.

BANNER
You're damn rootin', tootin'.

Banner whacks the powder up his nostril with flair. His

head tips back, eyes roof-ward.

BANNER (CONT'D)
You're the man.

ENGINEER
Mama Coca, yes siree.

A microphone THUDS.

DENNIS
Any going?

INT RECORD PRESSING FACTORY - DAY

White labels are pressed.

INT JAKE'S FLAT - DAY

Jake's record player spins the disc.

Banner and Jake share a huge joint.

JAKE
You've cleaned the sound up a bit.

BANNER
You've got to clean it up. I bet they
only had four tracks when the original
was cut. We probably couldn't get that
rough sound even if we tried.

JAKE
So what are you going to do with it,
then?

BANNER
Play it. Put it out on mail order, see
if we can get some airplay. Push it.

JAKE
We only play pure stuff.

(CONTINUED)
 59.
CONTINUED:

BANNER
We've got to move on. This is the
future. Anyway we're running out of
stuff to play.

JAKE
Well, let's go to the states then, see
some of your suppliers.

Banner mulls it over.

BANNER
It's mad but it might just work.

EXT DETROIT AIRPORT - DAY

A plane touches down.

INT AIRPORT - DAY

Passport control.

PASSPORT OFFICER
And what is the nature of your trip to
the United States?

JAKE
We're Soul Brothers, on the hunt.

He inspects each passport.

PASSPORT OFFICER
You have a nice day now.

EXT AIRPORT - DAY

A taxi rank. Detroit looks scary already.

BANNER
Let's have a look at one of them hotel
guides.

JAKE
I thought you'd been here loads of
times?

BANNER
Things change, man.

Jake gives Banner a quizzical look.

(CONTINUED)
 60.
CONTINUED:

BANNER (CONT'D)
Come on, lets get a cab ... TAXI!

A cab pulls up and the boys enter.

INT CAB - DAY

Gritty, city sights from the cab window.

INT HOTEL BAR - NIGHT

Two beers slide into place. The BARMAN looks bored out of
his skull.

A couple of middle-aged SALES REPS in slacks and sports

jackets arrive at the bar next to Jake and Banner.

1ST REP
Carter's a pinko as far as I'm
concerned. Pussy down with the
Russians the first chance he gets.

2ND REP
Hear he's done a good job as governor.

JAKE
Got a light, mate?

Fag in mouth.

1ST REP
Hey - you fellas from England?

JAKE
Yeah.

1ST REP
London?

BANNER
No. Blackpool.

2ND REP
Black Pool?

JAKE
Near Liverpool.

1ST REP
Right. The Beatles. What you doing in
Detroit?

JAKE
We've come to buy soul records.

(CONTINUED)
 61.
CONTINUED:

1ST REP
You like that Nigger music?

The boys drink up.

INT HIRE CAR - DAY

They're lost. Banner pulls a cassette out of his pocket and

puts it on. It's Dennis's song.

BANNER
It's got to be round here.

JAKE
You're the veteran.

BANNER
That I am. Relax.

They're both far from relaxed.

JAKE
Hey. This looks promising.

Banner swings the wheel.

EXT RUN DOWN AREA - DAY

Chicks in funky hot pants, guys in leather coats. A fashion

boutique, a fried-chicken place and shop a called Boogaloo
Records.

The car pulls up. Engine stops, music stops. They're the
only white boys around.

INT BOOGALOO RECORDS - DAY

Funk music. Saturday crowd.

Jake and Banner strut in.

Silence descends like a cold fog.

JAKE
(through gritted teeth)
Play it cool, brother. Got the list?

BANNER
I don't need no list, you dig?

Jake eventually strikes gold and takes a pile up to the

till.

(CONTINUED)
 62.
CONTINUED:

The MANAGER (40) is a cool looking mother, in Kaftan shirt

and woolly beanie. He doesn't look like he takes any shit.

SHOP MANANGER
I help you, pilgrim?

JAKE
How much for this lot, mate?

SHOP MANANGER
You Tommys like soul, huh?

JAKE
Oh yes.

The shop manager pulls a disc out and inspects it under the
light.

SHOP MANANGER
Clyde Solomon. For honkys with ears.

JAKE
Clyde Solomon!

SHOP MANANGER
That's right. Neighbourhood guy. Cut
this in '66. Fifty pressed. Ten left.

JAKE
I'll take the lot.

The shop keeper thumbs through the 45s.

SHOP MANANGER
He's working in a Southside gas
station. Been there ten years. More
sorry mother you ain't met, but a
proud brother, for sure.

He stares off into the distance, as if waiting for

something.

BANNER
Look mate, why don't you give me your
number then we can get some mail-order
going.

SHOP MANANGER
It's on the bag man. On the bag.

Banner pulls out a large wad of cash to pay. Two SHADY

CHARACTERS watch, with interest.
 63.

EXT RUN DOWN AREA - DAY

Jake and Banner chill on the sidewalk - a right couple of

stooges.

BANNER
I'm trying to remember a really good
one. It's kind of different now.

The two shady guys come out the shop.

1ST BLACK GUY

Hey fellas! You looking for soul?

Metal teeth.

BANNER
Yeah, why?

1ST BLACK GUY

There's a gold-mine. Smokin'. Stax,
Atlantic. Cheap, real cheap.

2ND BLACK GUY

Round the corner. We're going that
way.

The lads shrug and follow the two guys down an alleyway.

BANNER
Is it far?

1ST BLACK GUY

Far enough, man.

He pulls a knife and holds it to Banner's throat.

2ND BLACK GUY

Now how about some of your soul money,
brothers?

Jake takes a step back. Another knife whips out.

2ND BLACK GUY (CONT'D)

Far enough, honky mother.

Banner pulls his cash wad out.

The hoodlum's eyes widen.

Jake takes a chance and BOOTS him in the bollocks.

He goes down. Banner lunges but gets cut in the face and
hits the deck.

Jake comes in with a flying head-butt, followed by two

punches to the face and one to the gut.

(CONTINUED)
 64.
CONTINUED:

He yanks Banner in the direction of the car.

EXT RUN DOWN AREA - DAY

The car SCREECHES away.

INT CAR - DAY

Banner's bleeding head is in his hands.

BANNER
They cut my fucking face.

JAKE
You're alright, its only a nick.

BANNER
My face, my face, get me to a
hospital, man!

JAKE
That was fairly stupid. You've never
been to America before, have you?

Blood seeps through his cupped hands.

JAKE (CONT'D) (CONT'D)

HAVE YOU?

BANNER
Oh fuck it. NO.

JAKE
You bloody TIT!

EXT HOSPITAL ER - DAY

A crazy skid.

INT CAR - CONTINUOUS

Banner looks like a male "Carrie".

JAKE
Sort yourself out. We came here to buy
records and there's no time to waste.
Don't be a poof.

Banner is dumbstruck.

(CONTINUED)
 65.
CONTINUED:

JAKE (CONT'D)
Well, go on.

He pushes his bleeding friend out.

JAKE (CONT'D)
Meet me back at the hotel.

BANNER
(through the window)
You bastard.

JAKE
Your mess. You clear it up.

Jake floors it.

INT CAR DETROIT STREET - DAY

Jake cruises Detroit.

EXT GAS STATION - DAY

Jake asks directions from a gas station attendant.

EXT HARD SHOULDER FREEWAY - DAY

He leans against the car with a street map.

INT CAR - DAY

A flyover. A sign reads "South Side".

EXT GAS STATION - DAY

Jake pulls up.

CLYDE SOLOMON (40) ambles in slow motion towards the car. A

towering hulk, he has the gait of a man beaten by life's
rigours. He leans into the window.

CLYDE
What do you want, man?

JAKE
Fill her up, please.

(CONTINUED)
 66.
CONTINUED:

Clyde starts pumping gas. As he's done a thousand times

before.

Realization dawns on Jake's face.

Clyde puts the petrol cap back on and starts to give the
windscreen a wipe. Jake leans out.

JAKE (CONT'D)
Excuse me ... you're not Clyde
Solomon?

CLYDE
Who wants to know?

JAKE
Sweet Jesus. Name's Jake Williams. I'm
a big fan of your music.

CLYDE
You mean my song.

JAKE
Can we talk?

INT HOTEL BAR - NIGHT

A round of beers. Jake and Clyde in hugger-mugger at the

walnut bar.

CLYDE
Shi-it. Only got two hundred bucks
when you got back from Nam. Now you
gotta understand, every mother was
cutting a disc back then. Motown
opened the gates.

JAKE
Did you know the Motown lot?

CLYDE
Hell, yeah! I knew all them cats!
Marvin, Smoky, even Jimi Hendrix one
time when he played session with the
Isley Brothers.

JAKE
Whoa.

The two racist reps arrive at the bar. Shocked and

confused, they quickly take their drinks and leave.

CLYDE
When I got back. After two years of
hell, crawling round in the mud,
dodging Charlie.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
 67.
CONTINUED:
CLYDE (CONT'D)
I thought - Clyde, you gotta get some
of this! You could cut a disc for
fifty bucks. I thought, why not?
Hooked up with this honky producer and
cut it in four hours. Right here in
Detroit.

JAKE
What happened then?

CLYDE
Big mother-fucking nothing! Got
squeezed. Want to know about soul
music?

Jake is on tenterhooks.

CLYDE (CONT'D)
Brothers made the music. White man
made the money.

JAKE
I can change that. Your track is
massive in our club.

Banner blusters in, facially bandaged.

BANNER
You're such a good, good friend, Jake.
Who's this?

CLYDE
Clyde Solomon, gas station attendant.

JAKE
This is the guy who sang the song
you've covered with Dennis.

Banner feels and looks awkward.

BANNER
No shit?

CLYDE
So you cats got some kind of soul club
in England?

BANNER
That's the truth.

CLYDE
And you got some clean-cut white kid
singing my song?

BANNER
Well ... he's not that clean cut. All
we've done is record it.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)
 68.
CONTINUED: (2)
BANNER (CONT'D)
It's not been released yet, but if we
do you'll get your share.

Jake gives Banner a darting look.

CLYDE
Any mother tries to rip me again - I'm
gonna get mine. You know what I'm
saying?

BANNER
You got my word. My word is my bond.

They all smile and clink glasses.

CLYDE
Let's break out of this honky hell.
You fellas allow me to introduce you
to some of the brothers and sisters?

INT RUNDOWN APARTMENT BLOCK - NIGHT

Scary hallway. Door whips open.

CLYDE
Luther, my brother.

LUTHER
Clyde, my brother.

CLYDE
These honkys want to party.

INT HOUSE PARTY, DETROIT TENEMENT - NIGHT

This is some funked-up party. Quite a crowd of hipsters.

Soul Power posters, Martin Luther and James Brown. A few
guys and chicks on a sofa, snorting coke.

Clyde high-fives various people as Jake and Banner look on.

In the corner is the record shop owner. He raises his glass
towards them.

Clyde starts to jive with an EBONY MINX, ending with a spin

towards the lads.

CLYDE
The queen of the scene. Charleen. Say
hi, boys.

JAKE
Hello, Charleen.

(CONTINUED)
 69.
CONTINUED:

BANNER
Hi.

CHARLEEN
So you guys from England?

JAKE
(nervous)
Yeah. British as chips.

CHARLEEN
(mildly confused)
Mmm Hmm. You got the Funk?

Charleen peels away. She leads Jake to the dancefloor where

they start to get down to the dirty funk.

Banner is deep in conversation with a TOUGH GUY. Banner

nods like a donkey.

TOUGH GUY
(ranting)
I don't know about the brothers in
England, but the only way a nigger is
going to make it in this country is by
doing it for himself and even then
he's going to be judged. No matter how
much money he's got. He's going to be
judged by the colour of his skin.

BANNER
So, what's the solution?

TOUGH GUY
Power, man. Be it through work.
Through violence. As the man said - by
any means necessary.

The record-shop owner slides by.

RECORD-SHOP OWNER
How about love, brother?

TOUGH GUY
Love? Love's just fine if you're some
middle-class honky or hippy. Me, I
roll with the panthers.

Elsewhere, Jake and Clyde chew the cud.

CLYDE
Soul was more than just music, it was
a way of expression, a means of
standing up, showing our pride.

JAKE
A state of mind.

(CONTINUED)
 70.
CONTINUED: (2)

Clyde chops up lines of coke on a small mirror with a

razor.

CLYDE
That's it, my man. A state of mind.

He takes a long snort, then offers the mirror to Jake.

CLYDE (CONT'D)
And you, my brother, have a darn
soulful state of mind. Too darn
soulful.

Jake takes the dollar bill and inhales.

The coke smacks into his brain.

EXT JUMBO JET - DAY

A jumbo-jet lands at Manchester airport.

EXT AIRPORT - DAY

The lads struggle under the burden of record boxes.

INT LOCARNO - DAY

Jake and Banner trundle in. Jean fusses around, sweeping

up.

JEAN
You'd better go and see Tony. He's in
his office.

INT TONY'S OFFICE - DAY

Tony sits quaffing scotch, opposite Jake and Banner.

TONY
Dennis. The pillock.

JAKE
What's he done?

TONY
Only got us in this. That's all.

Tony holds up the local paper.

BANNER
What happened?

(CONTINUED)
 71.
CONTINUED:

TONY
Well he reckons he's Mr Big, running
his own club and all. So he invites
some young fillies of his. One of 'em,
it's her seventeenth birthday or
something.

INT LOCARNO - NIGHT

YOUNG LADIES enter the club and are greeted by Dennis.

TONY (VOICE OVER)

Now Dennis has put them all on the
guest list, so I'm quids down for a
start and to make matters worse, he
slips some of them pills they all take
into her drink.

INT LOCARNO - NIGHT

Dennis slips pills into the drink.

TONY (V.O.)
Next thing, she's on the dancefloor,
spinning round, doing all that fancy
dancing they all do.

INT LOCARNO - NIGHT

The girl is in the middle of the dancefloor. She looks

dizzy.

TONY (V.O.)
Then she only goes and collapses.

She crumples to the floor.

INT HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - NIGHT

The girl is rushed down a sterile corridor.

INT HOSPITAL TREATMENT ROOM - NIGHT

A group of nurses tend to the stricken girl.

TONY
They pumped her out, belly like a
chemist's, know what I mean?
 72.

INT TONY'S OFFICE - DAY

Jake and Banner are freaked out.

JAKE
Did she live?

TONY
Oh, she lived alright. Trouble is, her
dad's some bigwig Freemason - you know
- with the apron and the funny
handshake.

INT COUNCIL OFFICE - DAY

Ron Taylor and another middle-aged man talk earnestly in an

oak-panelled office.

TONY (V.O.)
He goes off and causes a stink down
the bloody council. Turns out he's
only mates with old Ron Taylor the
Tory councillor.

INT TONY'S OFFICE - DAY

Jake is ashen.

TONY
So now we've got the council, the
press and every other pillar of
society up in arms, saying we are a
haven of drugs and underage sex!

JAKE
Sex?

TONY
He gave her one round the back.
Birthday present.

EXT REAR LOCARNO - NIGHT

Dennis in action up against the wall.

 73.

INT TONY'S OFFICE - DAY

The newspaper headline reads "TEENAGER IN LOCARNO DRUG

ORGY".

TONY
We're ruined.

BANNER
Not by half, Tony.

EXT REAR LOCARNO - DAY

Jake and Banner have Dennis up against a wall.

DENNIS
This Janet. She's gagging for it. So
it's her birthday right, and she has a
shot of every white optic behind the
bar.

INT PUB - NIGHT

A GANG OF LASSES at the bar. They cheer as JANET downs a

Vodka, followed by a tequila, followed by gin.

DENNIS (V.O.)
By the time she gets to the club she's
pissed out of her head. I mean I'd
collapse if I had that lot. Then she
starts nagging me for whizz or pills
or anything.

INT LOCARNO - NIGHT

Janet's pissed, nagging Dennis.

DENNIS (V.O.)
So I says "you've had enough". But she
goes on and on, so I gave her some,
then she starts saying she wants a
birthday present. So what can I do?

EXT REAR LOCARNO - NIGHT

Dennis shags Janet against the wall.

(CONTINUED)
 74.
CONTINUED:

DENNIS (V.O.)
Next thing I know I'm up on stage and
I look down and see her going all
dizzy.

INT STAGE - NIGHT

Dennis looks into the crowd and focuses on Janet collapsing

in the middle of the dancefloor.

DENNIS (V.O.)
And she ends up in hospital. I mean,
its not my fault is it?

EXT REAR LOCARNO = DAY

Jake and Banner have released Dennis. They are standing

around smoking.

JAKE
Not your fault?

BANNER
Nah mate, relax.

DENNIS
Oh, cheers man.

BANNER
But next time, mind you keep THESE--

Banner KNEES him in the groin, hard.

BANNER (CONT'D)
--in your pants.

Dennis crumples to the deck, sobbing.

BANNER (CONT'D)
Dickhead.

Jake is taken aback.

INT COUNCIL OFFICE - DAY

Press conference. A ranting mouth. Ron is on the stage.

RON
Under-age sex! Drug-taking! Young
people dancing themselves into a
frenzy!
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)
 75.
CONTINUED:
RON (CONT'D)
This is nothing more than a hotbed of
everything that is vile in this so-
called permissive society!

JOURNALIST
Mr Taylor, don't you think that
perhaps drug-taking is within a
minority in the club and that the
majority of young people just want to
have a good time?

RON
A minority of one is more than this
town is prepared to tolerate.

2ND JOURNALIST
Mr Taylor. The club attracts a great
deal of business to this town.
Shouldn't we take a broad view of this
incident?

RON
This isn't the kind of business we
want to attract to this town and as
far as drugs are concerned, I have
never taken a broad view!

1ST JOURNALIST
What action do you intend to take?

RON
I will be looking at the licensing of
the premises.

INT COUNCIL OFFICE CORRIDOR - DAY

Ron is joined by his CAMP ASSISTANT.

CAMP MAN
Well Ron, how did it go?

RON
Very well. I think it will play with
the constituency. Got to be seen to be
doing something by the house as well.
Get the bloody place shut if it kills
me.

INT LOCARNO - NIGHT

A slammer of a night in full swing. A row of dancers has

formed a line. They stamp feet and clap hands behind their
backs in union. Banner is loving it, at the decks with
Jake.

(CONTINUED)
 76.
CONTINUED:

There is a BANG from the foyer.

Banner scarpers.

INT LOCARNO FOYER - NIGHT

The doors BURST open. Dozens of police appear, brushing

Carl and Shamus aside. They grab kids and frisk them.

INT TOILETS - NIGHT.

Banner, panicking, flushes his bag of pills.

INT FOYER LOCARNO - NIGHT

All is chaos. KIDS are dragged out and into police vans.
Girls SCREAM.

INT BALLROOM - NIGHT

The house lights come on. Tony grabs the microphone by

Jake's side.

TONY
Now come on, there's no need for
panic.

A policeman appears at Tony's side.

POLICE OFFICER
There may well be, as far as you're
concerned, Mr Connor. My officers have
found drugs on these premises.

TONY
You can't blame me for that, we don't
even sell booze for Christ's sake!

MONTAGE

Press headline: "POLICE CLOSE DRUG-INFESTED NIGHTCLUB".

 77.

INT LOCARNO - DAY

Jake and Banner move their equipment out of the club.

EXT STREET - DAY

A despondent Jake moves out of his flat.

INT RECORD SHOP - DAY

Laura takes down a poster advertising the Locarno and

replaces it with a Bay City Rollers poster.

INT TONY'S OFFICE - DAY

Tony drinks alone in his office, heavily.

EXT JAKE'S FAMILY HOME - DAY

Jake arrives with his bags.

INT KITCHEN - DAY

Jake's mum turns to him from the sink as he enters. A hug

with wet rubber-gloves.

MUM
Your dad's upset. He's had people at
work calling him "drug dealer's dad"
and stuff like that.

JAKE
Its not all true what they said about
us in the paper. I never sold drugs.

MUM
I know, love, I'll talk to him.

INT LOCARNO - DAY

Tony and Jean prepare for "Afternoon Bingo". Tony puts on a

brave face.

TONY
Thank God for the bingo and tea-
dancing.

(CONTINUED)
 78.
CONTINUED:

JEAN
I always thought going along with all
this fashion stuff would lead to no
good.

Tony checks his watch. He walks over to open the front

doors. Two pensioners stand outside. One with a piece of
paper.

PENSIONER
We've signed a petition, all of us who
play bingo.

TONY
Well that's very nice of you, I knew I
could rely on your support.

PENSIONER
It's not for you. Its against you.
We're boycotting your drug-infested
club.

2ND PENSIONER
It's disgusting! To think I courted my
missus in this place and you've turned
it into a bloody opium den. You should
be ashamed of yourselves.

He pushes the paper defiantly at the dejected Tony.

INT JAKE'S BEDROOM - DAY

The needle of a stereo on a 45.

A crackle. The track begins.

The stereo is attached by a cable to a tape recorder. There

is a cassette in the machine, on record.

As the vocals come in on the 45, the hand hits the pause
button then repeats the sequence again.

The hands belong to Jake. He rewinds the tape and plays it,
it sounds like a scratchy form of sampling.

Rachel observes from the bed.

RACHEL
What are you doing?

JAKE
I thought if I took bits from a song
and cut them up on this tape I could
make a new song.

(CONTINUED)
 79.
CONTINUED:

RACHEL
You mean stealing bits from other
people's songs?

JAKE
Just a drum-beat over and over again
until it sounds like a new track.

RACHEL
Sounds insane.

JAKE
Yeah. That's what Banner said too.

Rachel moves closer to Jake. A pause in conversation.

RACHEL
It looks as though I'm going to
Warwick Uni. I've been accepted. Are
you going to come to this party on
Friday? Help me celebrate!

JAKE
I've got to pick some stuff up from
Manchester for Banner. He's buying
some singles for his mail-order
company.

RACHEL
You're not running around after him,
are you?

JAKE
We're partners. We do stuff for each
other.

RACHEL
You mean you do stuff for him! I'm
having a party, now are you coming or
what?

INT MIDDLE-CLASS HOUSE - NIGHT

A bevy of drunken sixth-formers. Rachel's in the kitchen

talking excitedly with a group of her friends. Naff rock
music is order of the day here.

Banner steams in, checks the scene then slinks over to

Rachel.

RACHEL
Oh, hi. Where's Jake?

(CONTINUED)
 80.
CONTINUED:

BANNER
Oh, Jake's gone off to some new club
in Manchester. Dark horse. Fancy a
dance?

RACHEL
Oh. Why not?

Banner and Rachel go into the lounge and dance.

INT COUNCIL FLAT MANCHESTER - NIGHT

Grotty. A SKINNY COUPLE, young, but haggard by years of

drug abuse, observe Jake manically rifling through records
at their feet.

JAKE
Is this all there is?

GUY
There's some sound stuff there.

JAKE
I know, but I can't see why he got me
to come over on a Friday night for a
dozen singles?

GUY
I dunno. I said he could come any
night.

Jake stands up.

JAKE
I'll give you five for the lot.

GIRL
We can't score on five.

GUY
It's ten down Moss Side. Come on mate.

JAKE
I can't go over five.

The guy looks pleadingly. He gestures at the girl.

GUY
You can have a go with her if you
want, for the extra fiver.

He glances over at the girl. She nods consent.

JAKE
Look, er that's very kind... well, not
kind but ...

(CONTINUED)
 81.
CONTINUED:

This is going badly.

JAKE (CONT'D)
Well, what I mean is ... whatever.
I'll give you ten, but try to get a
bit more stuff next time.

Jake hands the notes to the guy. The girl gets up, grabs
the money and pulls her coat on.

GIRL
I'll be back in half an hour.

GUY
Yeah, sound. There should be some more
stuff in soon, there's a fella in
Liverpool buys 'em off sailors. They
come in ballast in the cargo crates
... you know, to keep the weight up.
Piles of 'em.

JAKE
Yes. I know.

EXT COUNCIL FLAT MANCHESTER - NIGHT

Jake returns to the Capri to find a Pit Bull Terrier

crapping on the hood to the amusement of it's owners, two
SCALLYWAGS.

JAKE
Oh, for fuck's sake.

They scarper as he approaches.

He checks out the steaming turd, then his watch. It's late.

INT MIDDLE-CLASS HOUSE - NIGHT

The party winds down. Some snogging and snoring. A few

rugby types finish off a drinking game.

Jake bumbles in. He sees one of Rachel's friends and goes

over.

GIRL
Hiya.

JAKE
Alright. Have you seen Rachel?

GIRL
She left with your friend. The one you
do the club with.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
 82.
CONTINUED:
GIRL (CONT'D)
I think he walked her home.

Jake is confused and concerned.

EXT BANNER'S FLAT. - NIGHT

Jake, in the Capri, checks his watch. Very late.

Rachel and Banner appear at the front door. Banner kisses

Rachel and she gets into a cab.

INT WIMPY BAR - DAY

Banner looks chipper, Jake - stony-faced. They dunk chips.

BANNER
Well, we had a good run. Not bad for
beginners.

JAKE
So. Got any plans?

BANNER
Taking Dennis down to London. There's
a producer down there who's interested
in the song and in Dennis as it
happens.

JAKE
What about the royalties?

BANNER
He reckons if we change a bit here and
there we can get away with it.

JAKE
And Clyde Solomon? You going to pay
him?

Banner chuckles.

BANNER
Oh yeah. Set up a standing order.

JAKE
You said that if it was a hit you'd
sort him out.

BANNER
Well it isn't a hit. Yet.

JAKE
But you're still going to cut him out?

(CONTINUED)
 83.
CONTINUED:

BANNER
Listen, my friend. This is show
business.

Emphatic chip-dunk.

BANNER (CONT'D)
I haven't bust a nut on this track
just to piss money up the wall to
some petrol-pump attendant.

JAKE
He wrote the song!

BANNER
And I give a toss.

He smears ketchup nonchalantly around the plate.

BANNER (CONT'D)
I'm not stealing it. I'm adapting it.

JAKE
You just take everything. You see
something - you just take it.

BANNER
You should be grateful. You'd still be
playing in squalid pubs if you hadn't
met me.

JAKE
Grateful, for learning how to be a
cunt. From a master teacher.

The waitress puts the bill down in front of Banner.

JAKE (CONT'D)
Your shout, Judas.

Jake storms off.

EXT LOCARNO, THREE MONTHS LATER - DAY

Jake strides towards the club.

INT LOCARNO - DAY

He enters. Footsteps echo. It's deserted.

 84.

INT TONY'S OFFICE - DAY

Tony quaffs Scotch.

TONY
For a while, there it was like the old
days. Frankie Vaughan, Shirley Bassey.
We had 'em all, but I thought it was
all over. I never thought I'd see
young kids laughing and dancing in
this place again.

Jake takes a sip. Winces at the strength.

JAKE
The future?

TONY
Time to retire. Open a little bar in
Spain, maybe. Somewhere classy.
Torremolinos.

He stares wistfully at Jake. His eyes pierce through.

TONY (CONT'D)
There was someone else in my life
once. Lovely girl. Ruby, her name was.
Lovely young thing. I was so wrapped
up in this place, I didn't take enough
notice of her.

JAKE
What happened?

TONY
She married a yank in '47. Went out to
Texas, started a new life. I never
stopped thinking about her. Every time
I see something about Texas on TV I
get a twinge.

A wistful chuckle.

TONY (CONT'D)
When Kennedy got shot all I could
think about was whether she was in the
crowd and if I could catch a glimpse
of her.

JAKE
I didn't know.

TONY
You don't get to my age without a bit
of pain kid. I just never thought it
would last this long.

(CONTINUED)
 85.
CONTINUED:

JAKE
The Locarno?

TONY
Don't worry, I've got an idea that
will solve all our problems.

INT NATIONAL EXPRESS BUS - DAY

Jake on a bus as it trundles along the motorway.

EXT UNIVERSITY CAMPUS - DAY

A sparkling white, neo-modern 60s Campus. Jake looks out of

place in his sharp clothes and short hair among the long
haired students.

INT STUDENT UNION COFFEE BAR - DAY

Rock music on the jukebox. The scene speeds up and becomes

manic. Students move around Jake at an alarming speed, but
he stays static.

When Rachel walks in it all slows. She has transformed into

a a bit of a hippy. HUGH (19) wears a long leather green
trench coat and an upper-class sneer.

RACHEL
Jake! What are you doing here?

She's nervous.

JAKE
You know, passing through. How's it
going?

RACHEL
Oh. Great ... party city.

Awkward giggle.

JAKE
Your friend?

RACHEL
Oh, that's Hugh. He's doing politics.

JAKE
Interesting.

(CONTINUED)
 86.
CONTINUED:

RACHEL
Look, I've got to get off to a
lecture. Meet me here at 7.30, there's
a disco. You'll love it.

Jake watches Rachel walk off with her friends.

INT STUDENT DISCO - NIGHT

Air guitars abound. Jake, Rachel and her friends are at the
bar. Hugh holds court.

HUGH
The thing is, the Tories will never
get into power with a woman leader. I
mean, the working class just won't
wear it.

STUDENT GIRL
That's a bit sexist, isn't it?

JAKE
(into his pint)
Snobbish even.

HUGH
I've got no problem with a woman
running the country, but you'll never
sell it to the "Proles". No way.

An emphatic swig of G and T.

HUGH (CONT'D)
Anyway. This country's going to a far
more state-run model after the next
election. More state ownership, more
left-wing model. The writing's on the
wall. It's the only way to go.

RACHEL
Yeah. I think there will be far more
women's rights and worker's rights
coming in soon. There has to be.

HUGH
And what about you, Jake? Rachel tells
me you're a DJ.

JAKE
That's right.

HUGH
And what kind of music is it again?

JAKE
Northern Soul.

(CONTINUED)
 87.
CONTINUED:

HUGH
Ah, cloth caps and hobnail boots, sort
of Orwellian Road to Wigan Pier stuff,
ha ha ha!

Everyone laughs, except Rachel and Jake. A new song comes

on and Hugh grabs Rachel's arm.

HUGH (CONT'D)
Come on, Rachel. Lets dance. Such a
great track.

RACHEL
I'm alright. I'll sit it out.

Hugh and the others go off to dance, leaving Jake and

Rachel alone at the bar.

RACHEL (CONT'D)
Enjoying yourself?

JAKE
Vaguely. He's a right buffoon.

Jake nods towards Hugh, who plays air guitar with

intermittent head-bangs.

RACHEL
Don't be horrible. Hugh's lovely. He's
really clever too. Well, he would be.
His Dad's a judge.

JAKE
Never mind that jackass. I came here
to see you ... to tell you I want to
be with you. I know what happened with
Banner... but I can live with it. I
want you.

Rachel looks nervous.

RACHEL
The thing is, Jake, I've started
seeing someone else.

JAKE
What?

Rachel looks over to the dancefloor.

Hugh dances like a complete arse.

JAKE (CONT'D)
You've got to be kidding.

RACHEL
Right now? I wish I was.

(CONTINUED)
 88.
CONTINUED: (2)

Jake puts a hand inside his bag. Pulls out a 45.

JAKE
I was going to give you this.

Jake marches over to the dancefloor, straight past Hugh and

up to the DJ booth. He thrusts the 45 at him.

JAKE (CONT'D)
Play this.

He means business.

DJ
I've got Thin Lizzy and Genesis lined
up.

JAKE
Play it.

A look of fire in Jake's eyes. The DJ takes the 45

nervously.

DJ
Okay man, I'll play it.

Jake walks back to Rachel. The song starts as he reaches

her.

He takes her hand and leads her to the dancefloor.

Hugh looks on as Jake and Rachel dance beautifully

together.

It feels like their last dance.

EXT BUS STATION - NIGHT

Jake gets off the bus, back in his home town.

INT CORRIDOR COUNCIL OFFICE - DAY

Tony is led down a long plush corridor by Ron Taylor's camp

assistant. He knocks on a door at the far end.

RON
Enter!

CAMP MAN
Mr Taylor will see you now.
 89.

INT RON TAYLOR'S OFFICE -CONTINUOUS

Teak, veneer furniture.

RON
Ah. Mr Connor. Nice to see you, take a
seat. It's been a long time.

TONY
Thanks for seeing me, Mr Taylor.

RON
Please. Call me Ron.

TONY
We're both businessmen, Ron. You with
your property development, me with the
club.

RON
Absolutely. Awful shame about the
club. Never intended you to lose your
licence. It's the board, you know, so
extreme sometimes. Seem to think
they're on some kind of moral crusade,
what?

The phone RINGS. Ron picks it up.

RON (CONT'D)
Hello? What planning permission? The
whole stretch. Splendid. Take him out
for one of those steak-house things,
that's about his standard ... no, no,
my pleasure. Jolly good. Bye.

He nestles the phone back into the cradle.

RON (CONT'D)
Sorry about that. Wearing my other hat
for a moment. Now where were we?

TONY
Ron. I'm sure we can find some kind of
solution that helps everyone.

RON
I'm sure we can. After all we're both
businessmen. Can't stop the wheels of
commerce turning can we?

INT RECORD COMPANY OFFICE LONDON - DAY

Chrome and leather. Gold discs.

(CONTINUED)
 90.
CONTINUED:

The smarmy DAVE HOLTERMAN (34) sits on the opposite side of

the desk. Dennis's song is playing on a stereo. Dave hits
the stop button.

DAVE
I can see the potential. Good-looking
boy next door. Nice song.

BANNER
Oh, he's got the lot.

DAVE
A whole group of young guys like
Dennis here. That would be a concept,
you know -say five of them standing
in a row singing this. What do you
call it?

BANNER
Northern Soul.

DAVE
That's it. Northern Soul. Have to drop
that, though. No one's going to go for
a name like that.

BANNER
Well, Northern Soul is more the name
of the movement really. We can call
Dennis anything we like.

The phone on Dave's table rings, he picks it up.

DAVE
God, they are so up their own arses
... I know, I know. Could be the next
big thing. It's all that spit and
vomit I can't stand ... okay. Yeah,
don't sweat. I'll be there. Bye.

Dave puts the phone down.

DAVE (CONT'D)
I hope this punk thing doesn't catch
on and ruin everything.

DENNIS
What's punk?

DAVE
Disgusting, filthy yobs. Can't play
their instruments.

BANNER
Think it'll be big?

(CONTINUED)
 91.
CONTINUED: (2)

DAVE
Hopefully not, but I'll sign a few of
them to be on the safe side. Can't let
the competition get in first.

BANNER
That wouldn't do.

Banner reaches into a drawer.

DAVE
Just sign here and we can get the ball
rolling. Now, what about the rights to
this song? Better buy them up to be on
the safe side, don't want some
gangster type turning up demanding
half the royalties!

BANNER
Good thinking.

INT JAKE'S FAMILY HOME - DAY

Jake is on the blower.

JAKE
That's right, copyright. No. Make sure
you own everything. Yeah, I'll do what
I can over here. No mate, you deserve
it.

Jake puts the phone down and smiles.

INT JAKE'S FAMILY HOME - DAY

The Family watches "Top of the Pops". Jake looks

distracted.

DAD
You going to sit on your arse or get a
job? They're taking on, down the
crisp factory, you know. You ought to
get yourself down there.

MUM
He's got a job, haven't you, love?

DAD
What job?

JAKE
I'm doing wedding discos at weekends.

(CONTINUED)
 92.
CONTINUED:

DAD
You're not still wasting your time
with that lark are you? What you going
to do? Sell drugs to the bride's
mother.

Dad finds this most amusing.

The presenter introduces another song.

MUM
Hey, isn't that the lad who used to
work at the club with you, Jake?

Jake bolts upright.

Dennis is on "Top of the Pops" singing the Clyde Solomon

song.

DAD
Look at him dancing like a poof.

Jake stares at the TV. His eyes glazed with sadness.

INT WEDDING DISCO - NIGHT

A typical wedding reception, except this one has Jake at

the decks looking utterly bored.

The BRIDE and GROOM jive spasmodically.

A five-year-old spins until he falls.

All to Dennis's song.

EXT JAKE'S FAMILY HOME - DAY

Jake unloads record boxes from his car and lugs them up the
drive. The Lolitas from next door pass him. They are older
now and pay him no heed.

INT JAKE'S BEDROOM - DAY

He packs up his records. His dad enters.

DAD
Good boy. Time for a tidy, eh son?

JAKE
No, Dad. I'm selling them.

(CONTINUED)
 93.
CONTINUED:

DAD
I had tons of records you know, Eddy
Cochrane, Gene Vincent. Sold 'em all
when I got your mam in the club with
you.
I was mad on rock 'n' roll, used to
get the bus over to Liverpool, buy
records off the merchant seamen at the
docks. Coming in from America.

JAKE
I didn't know.

DAD
I thought I'd be a Ted all me life, go
dancing, get off with birds, have the
crack ... but life catches up with
you. Before you know it, you've got
some girl with a bun in the oven and
work fifty hours a week in a factory
wondering what happened. I just wanted
a bit more for you and Mark that's
all.

A knock from downstairs. We hear Tony's voice.

INT HALLWAY - DAY

Mum and Tony talk at the door.

TONY
And I bet you were a picture to behold
... still are, if you ask me.

Jake comes downstairs.

TONY (CONT'D) (CONT'D)

Kid. You're going to love me.

JAKE
What?

TONY
Old Tony's still got some moves. We've
got the club. We've got the licence
back. It's been repealed. We're back!

Hugs all around. Dad appears.

DAD
What's all this. What's going on?

TONY
Tony Connor.

(CONTINUED)
 94.
CONTINUED:

DAD
I know.

TONY
You may not realize it, Mr Williams,
but you have got one hell of a
talented son.
Come on kid, we've got work to do.

INT RECORD SHOP - DAY

Laura puts up a poster for the Locarno reopening.

INT LOCARNO - DAY

Carl and Shamus on a ladder, put up a banner.

Jean sweeps the floor, looking happy for once.

EXT LONDON COFFEE BAR- DAY

A richer and slicker Banner digests the news in a music

periodical.

INT COUNCIL OFFICE - DAY

Ron Taylor scans the front page of local broadsheet:

"LOCARNO IS REBORN".

INT TONY'S OFFICE - DAY

Tony adjusts his tie in the mirror. He momentarily looks

wistful.

EXT BUS STATION - NIGHT

Gangs of kids pile out in Northern Soul clobber.

EXT LOCARNO - NIGHT

A documentary film crew are busy with the queue of people.

Banner crosses the road towards the club. His straight-leg

jeans and leather jacket, lend him the air of a pop star.

(CONTINUED)
 95.
CONTINUED:

A FEMALE PRESENTER(30), sporting a brown mac, interviews

members of the crowd.

FEMALE PRESENTER
We are here in Blackpool, to report on
the reopening of the premier Northern
Soul venue - the Locarno. The club was
closed down six months ago due to a
drug bust by the police, but it has
had its licence repealed. Lets see
what these kids have to say.

She gestures the microphone towards a group of girls.

FEMALE PRESENTER (CONT'D)

So how do you feel about the club
reopening?

1ST GIRL
Brilliant! We've had nowhere to go for
six months.

FEMALE PRESENTER
And what does Northern Soul mean to
you?

1ST BOY
(Butting in)
It's magic. Its the best scene there
is.

A huge crush.

Banner squeezes through the mob and up to the door where he

passes Carl and Shamus trying to control the mob.

INT LOCARNO - NIGHT

They nod at him. He gets to Jean on the counter and pays.

He struts into the mania that awaits.

The sweat and dancing have begun. Banner drinks it in.

A guy does the splits in mid-air.

Girls slide effortlessly around the sides of the

dancefloor. Banner reaches the middle and looks up to Jake.

Jake sees him.

Tony makes his way up to the balcony. At the top he looks

down at the dancing throng. He takes a puff on his fag, a
swig of his drink and moves on down the corridor to his
office.
 96.

INT TONY'S OFFICE - NIGHT

He takes down photos and packs them into a cardboard box.

He then puts his head in his hands and weeps.

Two PETROL CANS sit in the corner.

INT BALLROOM - CONTINUOUS

Banner joins Jake on stage.

BANNER
Back in business, then?

JAKE
Looks like it ... want a go?

He's taken aback.

BANNER
Why not?

INT LOCARNO FOYER -NIGHT

The film crew are working hard. Straight to camera.

INTERVIEWER
So what is it about Northern Soul?

SCOTTISH BOY
It speaks to you.

YORKSHIRE BOY
It's the only scene worth being into,
no trouble, no fighting - it's just
great.

GEORDIE GIRL
Its the only place where the blokes
don't bother you. You can just have a
good time with your mates. I mean, if
you fancy someone its not a problem -
you can get off with em - but its not
the main reason for coming.

BRUMMIE BOY
People can't understand why we come,
but if you've been, you understand!

SCOUSE GIRL
I could never go back to a normal club
after this. No way!

(CONTINUED)
 97.
CONTINUED:

INTELLECTUAL GUY
Basically the soul music of black
America speaks directly to the
disaffected working class youth of
northern England. The parallels are
obvious. Lack of opportunities and a
social order which inhibits movement
if you come from the bottom section.
Once again we see an example of
British youth taking the best elements
of a subculture America has largely
rejected and making it their own. And
of course - a great beat!

INT LOCARNO - DAWN

The club is empty. Tony arrives at the stage.

TONY
That was fantastic, boys!

BANNER
We're going down to the sea front for
a spliff. Do you want to join us?

TONY
Not me, kid. Not the wacky backy ...
er, why don't you pack your stuff away
before you go? Stick it all in the car
to be on the safe side.

JAKE
No, can't be bothered.

TONY
There's been a lot of thieving around
here recently. Wouldn't want you to
lose anything. Some of them records
are collectors items, you know.

Jake and Banner laugh.

EXT LOCARNO - DAWN

Car boot SLAMS. Jake and Banner have loaded up.

BANNER
Right - Bob Hope?

JAKE
Yeah.

They walk to the sea front, its a beautiful morning, the

sun is rising. Banner sparks up a joint.

(CONTINUED)
 98.
CONTINUED:

BANNER
I'm going to give Clyde a writing
credit. Pay the man.

JAKE
You surprise me, Banner.

BANNER
Call it an epiphany.

JAKE
You what?

BANNER
I've been jealous. Of you. Your talent
and integrity.

Jake cleans out his ears with a finger.

JAKE
Come again, my friend?

BANNER
Things change. I've changed. Sod that
London bullshit.

He tokes the reefer.

BANNER (CONT'D)
Mind you, I've just had a dab so I
might just be saying something I'll
later come to regret!

Jake laughs and is handed the spliff.

The smoke rises from his toke.

Through it we see smoke rising from the club. Then FLAMES.

JAKE
Jesus.

BANNER
Fucking hell. Tony's in there.

INT LOCARNO - DAWN

Scorching Hell. Fire and Brimstone.

Jake and Banner run about searching desperately.

JAKE AND BANNER

TONY! TONY!

(CONTINUED)
 99.
CONTINUED:

The heat and smoke are, however, too much and they're
beaten back.

EXT LOCARNO - DAWN

Fire engines spray the facade.

Ruins.

Jake and Banner observe, in despair.

EXT UNIVERSITY CAMPUS - DAY

Rachel beaming from ear to ear. A real hippy beauty.

INT RECORDING STUDIO - NIGHT

Dennis hoofs cocaine over a mixing desk. He looks messed

up.

INT WORKING MEN'S CLUB - NIGHT

Mum and Dad do a bit of old time rock 'n' roll jiving.

EXT DISCO - NIGHT

Carl and Shamus enjoy ejecting an objectionable customer.

INT BINGO HALL - NIGHT

Jean, loving the game with a bunch of her cronies.

INT RECORD SHOP - DAY

Laura, who has an impressive green mohican, takes down a

soul poster and sticks up a punk one.
 100.

INT RECORD COMPANY OFFICE, LONDON - DAY

Banner seals a big deal in a fancy boardroom. Quite the

yuppie.

EXT LOCARNO - DAY

Ron Taylor stands on rubble next to a foreman with a hard

hat and looks at plans.

Bulldozers are busy and signs read "RON TAYLOR

DEVELOPMENTS".

EXT GAS STATION DETROIT - DAY

Clyde Solomon pumps gas.

A postman hands Clyde a letter.

He opens it and grins broadly. It's a royalty cheque.

EXT SPANISH BEACH - SUNSET

Stunning stretch of sand, bordered with flash high-rises.

Tony chomps on a fat cigar with a drink by his side.

A sign reads "Tony's Bar". A crowd of NUBILE YOUNGSTERS

dance around the bar to a Latin funk beat.

The DJ booth. Jake is on the decks. He's tanned, with open

neck shirt and beads.

Looking good. Feeling good.

The cat that got the cream.

FADE OUT: