In this approximately chronological history of Glasgow I have reached a time that I remember well, namely the mid to late-1970s.

It is always dangerous to write about the history of 50 years ago because so many readers will have lived through that period and will no doubt have a different recall of places and events, so I will try to stick to established facts.

Throughout this series I have tried to reflect the experiences of the ordinary people of Glasgow – not that anyone in this city has ever been just ordinary – so today I am recalling a place that sometimes literally shook its occupants from its inception in 1973.

I refer, of course, to the wonderful and legendary Apollo Theatre. When I tell people that on successive nights in June 1979, I saw The Who and then Dire Straits at the Apollo, they look at me in wonder.

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(Image: Early morning queue for tickets at the Apollo, March 1979. Pic: Herald & Times)

Then I tell them about May 27, 1982, when the Rolling Stones didn’t even come on stage till well after 9pm because they had been watching the FA Cup Final replay – it turned out Keith Richards was a big fan of Queen’s Park Rangers, who lost 0-1 to Spurs. I forgave them because it turned into one of the best gigs of my life.

For fact checking for this column, I am indebted to the popular Apollomemories website (glasgowapollo.com) and I applaud the efforts of its enthusiasts who are doing their bit to preserve the Apollo’s reputation.

As they say on the website: “The Apollo is unique in the memory of Scottish music, dance hall and cinema fans over the age of 50 and for many, the venue which was situated at the top of the City’s Renfield Street from 1927 to 1985, is closely associated with Glasgow’s history.”

(Image: Early morning queue for tickets at the Apollo, March 1979. Pic: Herald & Times)

Indeed it was historic and what memories it held. The Apollo began life as a cinema and dance hall complex named Green’s Playhouse after the family which owned it.

The Greens were originally an English travelling showground business that relocated to Glasgow where they developed a film rental and production company, George Green Ltd.

It was George’s sons Fred and Bert, plus their mother and four sisters, who expanded the company, yet it was still basically a family business when in 1922 they decided to build their own cinema in Glasgow city centre.

They began to buy up properties around the top of Renfield Street which was an area already known for entertainment venues, and employed architect John Fairweather who devised what became known as the Playhouse style – he would later design the Edinburgh Playhouse. Green’s Playhouse was not just any cinema.

With more than 4000 seats it was the largest cinema auditorium in Europe and had a dance hall and tearoom that could host thousands of customers at a time. The complex with its sprung floor ballroom was luxurious and the golden divans in the cinema were a popular feature.

It opened in September 1927, and was an immediate success, having its own orchestra and group of dancing girls as well as hosting all the major big bands of the era.

By the late 1950s the Playhouse was in decline as cinemas reeled at the impact of television on the entertainment industry, and the decision was taken to diversify and bring in more concerts.

These were successful, and included concerts by all the chart toppers of the day, as well as major rock bands such as Deep Purple, King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Contrary to some accounts, The Beatles played the nearby Odeon Cinema and not the Playhouse.

The state of the building continued to decline, however, and with a refurbishment beyond their finances it was decided to close the cinema and either convert it to a bingo hall or demolish it.

Impresario Frank Lynch, the man who discovered Billy Connolly, had turned the former ballroom into Clouds Disco and based his firm Unicorn Leisure there. When he found out about the closure plan, he offered to lease the whole complex as he felt it could have a future as a music venue.

Legends have grown up about Lynch’s redevelopment of the Playhouse at minimal cost – did he really rename it Apollo to save money on signage? – but he did spend money on what became known as the bouncing balcony while the stage was massive, standing more than 15ft (5m) high with a slight slope towards the audience.

After only a few months of refurbishment, the Apollo Theatre hosted its first concerts in September 1973, with two shows by the late great Johnny Cash. He was followed just days later by two barnstorming performances by the Rolling Stones.

(Image: Early morning queue for tickets at the Apollo, March 1979. Pic: Herald & Times)

(Image: Early morning queue for tickets at the Apollo, March 1979. Pic: Herald & Times)

News of the extraordinary atmosphere generated by the Glasgow audience was soon spreading throughout the music industry and bands like Roxy Music, Status Quo and AC/DC all recorded live performances at the Apollo.

So did Muhammad Ali – not in person but live on a closed-circuit screening of his epic contest against Earnie Shavers. All the top bands played at the Apollo, while Lynch turned Clouds into a venue that promoted lesser-known bands – Simple Minds kickstarted their career there, and Clouds later became known as Satellite City and The Penthouse. In 1977, Apollo manager Jan Tomasik became known for defending new age music when the council was asked to prohibit one band in particular – The Stranglers.

They would play the Apollo in 1978, before a four-show stint by none other than David Bowie. Lynch decided to move to the USA – he died there last year aged 84 – and the Apollo Leisure Group took up the lease, with concerts continuing through the late 1970s and into the 1980s. In 1979, the Apollo hosted ABBA playing their last ever British live performance at the end of a tour of the UK.

Inspired by the Apollo audience, the Swedish group paid Glasgow a unique tribute by including the name of the city in their number one hit Super Trouper.

Regular attendees could see the Apollo deteriorating in the early 1980s, and it was no surprise when the venue closed for good in 1985. It was demolished and the site now houses the Cineworld complex.

The Apollo lives on in many memories, however, and retains its own special place in Glasgow’s history.