Wardour Street - 20th Century

20th Century

During this period, it became a centre of the British film industry, with the big production and distribution companies having their headquarters in the street. By the end of the century most of the big film companies had moved elsewhere, leaving some smaller independent production houses and post-production companies still based in the area.

Number 90 was the site of the Marquee Club from 1964 to 1988 and is mentioned in the title of a song by The Jam, "A-Bomb in Wardour Street". It is also mentioned in the song "The London Boys" by David Bowie and in the spoken introduction to Long John Baldry's "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll". In 1985, "90 Wardour Street" was also the title of the 1st LP by NY based garage-pop band Mod Fun. It is now home to a restaurant and bar called Floridita and above it Soho Lofts, an exclusive block of flats. The Underworld song Stagger includes the lyric "I found you shopping in Europa on Wardour Street". A branch of the supermarket Europa was at number 178, which is now a branch of the Ryman stationers' chain.