ONE of music's most enduring partnerships is heading to East Lancashire as part of a tour which will have lovers of dance music clamouring for tickets.

Throughout the 70s, Lillian Lopez and Albert Jackson had a string of chart hits as part of the hugely successful trio Odyssey.

Now they're heading back to Colne Municipal Hall and for the first time in over 10 years they will be joined on stage by fellow founder member of the group, Lillian's sister Louise.

"Yeah, I guess we do like keeping it in the family," laughed Al as he spoke before the start of the tour from his Florida home.

"We have been married for over 20 years," he said. "Some people just have wonderful marriages and we're two of them. It's made it even better that we can work together and perform together on stage."

Odyssey's back catalogue includes some great Seventies dance records, including Native New Yorker, Going Back to My Roots and Use It Up.

They have toured extensively in both the United States and Europe but show no signs of slowing down.

"We have never got tired of singing the songs that people know us for," said Lillian.

"We will bring in some new versions of old songs too which always goes down well."

Odyssey will be heading to Colne with the Real Thing and Rose Royce.

"Oh it's sure to be a party that night," said Al. "We played in Colne the last time we toured and we've got a lot of fans in that area."

As well as touring, Lillian has just put the finishing touches to her debut novel. "It's called Bowling Green, which is the town where we live, and it's taken me about 10 years to write," she said.

"It's a sort of fictional truth," she laughed. "I always felt I had a story in me." Copies of the book will be available at the gig.

Al and Lillian are great Anglophiles, having had a home in England for many years.

"We like Florida because it's warmer," said Al, "but we have a special place in our heart for the UK. We always get a great reaction from the crowds when we tour and we're really looking forward to heading out this time with such great bands as Rose Royce and The Real Thing. It'll be some night."

Odyssey play Colne Municipal Hall on Sunday, March 9. Further details from the box office on 01282 661234.