Flamingo Club (London)
| The Pink Flamingo | |
| Address |
Wardour Street London, W1 United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°30′41″N 0°07′56″W / 51.5113°N 0.1322°W |
| Public transit |
 Leicester Square; Piccadilly Circus
|
| Operator |
|
| Type | Nightclub |
| Opened | 1952 |
| Closed | 1967 |
The Flamingo Club was a nightclub in Soho, London, between 1952 and 1967. It was located at 33-37 Wardour Street from 1957 onwards and played an important role in the development of British rhythm and blues and jazz. During the 1960s, the Flamingo was one of the first clubs to employ fully amplified stage sound and used sound systems provided by ska musicians from the Caribbean. The club had a wide social appeal and was a favourite haunt for musicians, including the Beatles.
The club first opened in August 1952 under the management of Jeffrey Kruger, a London-born jazz fan, and his father Sam Kruger. Its first premises were in the basement of the Mapleton Restaurant in Coventry Street. Jeffrey Kruger's intention was to provide a centre for high quality music in comfortable surroundings. It was promoted as Britain's most comfortable club and male visitors were expected to wear ties. The club acquired its name from the song "Flamingo", which was used as a theme tune by the resident band, Kenny Graham's Afro-Cubists. Acts were introduced by Tony Hall. The club rapidly gained a strong reputation attracting visiting performers such as Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and in 1954, Billie Holiday.
In April 1957, the club moved to new premises at 33-37 Wardour Street, where it initially remained primarily a jazz venue with Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes as members of the resident band. The club became particularly well known for its weekend "all-nighters" staying open on Friday and Saturday nights until 6.00am, a practice which had started on an occasional basis in 1953.
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