FEW people are aware that king of the swingers Geno Washington was recorded singing live in Bolton.

The soul star, immortalised in the title of a Dexy's Midnight Runners hit from 1980, was performing at what was the Casino Club in Crompton Way.

The owner of X Records in Bridge Street, Bolton, Steve Meekings, was pleasantly surprised to make the discovery when browsing the cover of Running Wild, recorded by Geno and the Ram Jam Band, in the late 1960s.

He said: “I buy a lot of old records and a few months ago I discovered that one old album I had was Running Wild by Geno and the Ram Jam Band, who had done a session in Wigan the same evening, but it was actually recorded live at Bolton’s Casino Club.

“I played the album and it sounded absolutely fantastic. The quality of the musicianship is spot on, it’s so tight. And you can hear the crowd shouting Geno’s name as he comes on stage. And to think that this was recorded in Bolton at that time makes it special."

Steve featured the story about Geno and the recording on Facebook, and while it attracted the interest of many music lovers around the country, it didn’t bring forward anybody who had attended the live session in town.

In a recent write up for the recently released 3 CD Geno Live, who recounts that evening’s recording, music expert Alan Robinson says: “The third live album of this set, Running Wild, was recorded at Bolton’s Casino Club, apparently after Geno had played a gig in Wigan that night.

“This time around though the audience noise is pushed back further in the mix, muting the effect a little, and the fact that there is some track duplication from the first two live albums, shows perhaps, that the musical well was running dry.”

The songs they performed in Bolton that evening included Knock on Wood, Take What I Want, High Heeled Sneakers/ Mary Ann, Jumping Jack Flash and I Get So Excited.

Geno split with the Ram Jam Band in 1969 after the album failed to chart.

Steve, who has run X Records – the last specialist record store in the town – since 1990, said: “What would be really fantastic is if we could find somebody who actually attended the Bolton Casino on the night of that concert, just so that that this event in Bolton’s rich musical life is not lost.”

If you were there on the night, contact the Bolton newsdesk on 01204537271 or email us at newsdesk@theboltonnews.co.uk.