Liverpool black music film to remember The Timepiece Published duration 14 October 2011

image caption Timepiece resident DJ Les Spaine (right) met Stevie Wonder (centre)

Legendary Liverpool nightclub the Timepiece is the focus of a new documentary about the black music scene in the city in the 1970s.

The film tells the story of the nightclub in Fleet Street which, at the time, was the only club in the city playing black music.

Soul, reggae and funk music was introduced to Liverpool's youth by local DJ Les Spaine.

Back To The Timepiece is screened at the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday.

'Wonderful injection'

Les Spaine, who now runs a music management company in London, said the influence of black American music impacted on British culture.

He said: "Between the seamen bringing it in and the Yanks coming down it really changed the perspective of a lot of English music. The Timepiece broke some big stuff."

The club was also popular with American GIs based in Warrington who travelled over to the club.

"We had that wonderful injection of the American Yanks," he said.

"We didn't have all these motorways then and people were coming from American bases all over for the all-nighters.

"People who came from Scotland, from London, even Europe. They became really big."

'Don't always realise'

He said he hoped the film would help people to recognise the influence the Timepiece had on English record companies.

"When you have something in your own back yard you don't always realise," he continued.

"Everybody knew everybody, so there was this kind of extended family vibe - that was the nucleus of the Timepiece, but I didn't realise how big the Timepiece was until I left.

"People in London and people abroad - they still bring it up to me. People need to look back on Liverpool's affect on music."