A lost Liverpool club once perched on top of multi-storey car park was a place were clubbers "laughed and danced all night long."
The Liverpool ECHO recently took a look back at the former Top Rank Suite - which later became known as Bailey's, Romeo and Juliet's, Studio 54 and Rotters. Back in 1969, when St John's Shopping Centre first opened in the city centre, the site that would become a big destination for clubbers was also opened in the precinct.
Built on top of the multi-storey car park, Top Rank was a chain of nightclubs across the country owned by the Rank Organisation. Often known as Top Rank Suites or Top Rank Ballrooms, the glitzy night spot and conference venue opened in time for Christmas in 1969.
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ECHO readers have since been sharing their fond memories of the nightclub site through the years. On our Liverpool ECHO What's On Facebook page, Linda Johnson said: "I used to go every Saturday when it first opened as Top Rank Suite about 69/70 I think. Used to love it there as it seemed so new and modern."
Marie Oiger said: "Worked there with my cousin Betty when it was Baileys , brilliant acts on , happy days." John Aspinall wrote: "Was always The Top Rank to us even with all the name changes." Susan Turner posted: "I remember going when it was Studio 54 and Romeo and Juilets and Rotters. Good times."
Jenny Morton commented: "Use to go there on a Saturday morning to the disco feel really old." June Hartley wrote: "Went not long after it opened, was very impressed at the time."
Graham Munns said: "I'm sure I went to this place when it was called Baileys and saw the chilites." Anne Tayler posted: "Saw the chilites here in baileys 50p a ticket and there was a bomb scare we all had to go on the roof !!! Went with my best friend lin who I still see today."
Stephen Hughes posted: "Had quite a few Littlewoods Christmas parties there on last day of work before Christmas." Janet Oakes commented: "It was Rotters when I went, late 70s, on a Thursday nite."
Denise Edwards wrote: "I loved this place." Susan Molloy wrote: "Worked there when it was Romeo and Juliet’s, great time."
Mark Lewis said: "The Top Rank, Romeo and Juliets and Rotters to name a few i spent a large portion of my nightclubbing days in there happy days." Jacqui McGillivray said: "Loved Rotters, laughed and danced all night long! Funny little powder room with little make up tables in for the girls. Think we must have fallen down the escalators every week, leaving! Great music and atmosphere, we knew loads of the regulars. What a venue!."
Carolyn Clarke commented: "I remember going to the disco on a Saturday morning." Ruth Murphy posted: "I still have my Romeo and Juliet's membership and Rotters membership."
Pam Ridley wrote: "Was amazing in here had some fab times x." Gi Sen said: "Romeo & Juliet's dancing in lines to Saturday Night Fever."
Alan Hodson posted: "My introduction to Liverpool as Baileys with Gerry and the Pacemakers performing. The place erupted when they sang the "Anthem". What a night."
Paul Williamson commented: "Remember seeing the ramones think it was Rotters at the time , only time I ever set foot in the place." And Brian Owens wrote: "Loved it .romeos,then rotters dance competitions."
Do you remember this nightclub site? Let us know in the comments section below.
On December 18 1969, the ECHO reported how the venue was a "complete breakaway from the traditional type of ballroom." The article reads: "New ideas and Ingenious designs are in evidence from the moment you step into the building.
"The ground floor contains administrative offices, the main dance area, a buffet bar, two licensed bars, revolving stage, large kitchen and other service rooms. The second floor, the balcony level, on three sides of the dance floor overlooking the stage, has three bars and a self-contained function room."
Many will remember Liverpool's Top Rank being the "in place" for the city's Saturday Night Fever revellers in the 70s. Author Jade Wright, formerly the Liverpool Echo’s music writer, collected memories and pictures from people across Merseyside for her book, The Dirty Stopouts' Guide to 1970s Liverpool.
In the book, Jen Murray said: "The Top Rank was absolutely massive. There was à stage, shiny dance floor in front of that and then loads of tables and chairs. A really long bar along one side, so the boys could eye up the girls at the tables!
"Then it had an upstairs, where you could look down and people watch, and another long bar of course. They had some well-known people perform there."
In its time, 10cc performed with Queen as their support act at Liverpool's Top Rank. But many people's claim to fame was seeing David Bowie there.
On September 4, 1972, seven months after his Ziggy Stardust character was unleashed into popular culture for ever more - and just three after a show at the Liverpool Stadium - Bowie made an appearance at the Top Rank Suite in the city centre. The ECHO previously reported how that night was recalled by Walton’s Simon Archer.
He said: "I didn’t know much about David Bowie apart from Space Oddity and Starman and even less about the Ziggy Stardust tour. What a performance, though. Bowie, with his classic Spiders line-up of Mick Ronson on guitar, Trevor Bolder (bass) and Woody Woodmansey (drums) just blew us away."
But the site's life as Top Rank was short lived, as it would later become known under a number of different names. Eventually, the club became part of the Baileys chain of clubs, like many of the other To Rank's across the country.
Live music remained a focus and acts like Billy Ocean, Showaddywaddy and Roxy Music are said to have performed there. Bailey's, in their turn, closed the club in 1976, and sold the lease the following year.
It reopened as Romeos and Juliet's in December 1977. And after a stint as Studio 54, its final life was as Rotters - another club chain that had sites in other big cities such as Manchester.
Remaining till the 1980s, The Ramones famously played there, after rescheduling to perform on Top of the Pops instead. On April 21, 1983, the ECHO reported how Rotters nightclub in Liverpool was up for sale at £100,000.
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Four years after opening Rotters closed, "blaming competition from the increasing number of discotheques and clubs in the city." Earlier that year, financial pressure became too much and the receivers were called in.
And by April 1995, the top night spot where a generation of Merseysiders danced the night away bit the dust. At the time, the ECHO reported how the large ballroom had been empty for years and efforts by the owners to generate commercial interest in the building failed.
But many still have fond memories of nights at Top Rank, Bailey's, Romeo and Juliet's, Studio 54 and Rotters. To find out more about the Dirty Stop Outs Guide to Liverpool, click here.
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