Having
spent some twenty five years playing all kinds of music to
audiences in pubs, nightclubs and private functions I thought
I might shed some light on what is undoubtedly my passion in
all things disco.
I
started out as a roadie at just fourteen years old. Then by the age
of fifteen, I was working every weekend as a DJ for the "Barrier Arms" public house in Woolwich SE18,
then, going to school on
a Monday morning still very tired from the weekend's
activities. At sixteen I secured a residency at "The Ashes
Restaurant" in New Ash Green which in turn gave me an
understanding of all types of music necessary for a variable
"Dinner-Dance" audience.
It
was about this time my own musical interest in Soul, Funk and
Jazz Fusion started to move me to visit other DJ's in action.
During the 1980's I would go to the Caister "Soul
Weekenders", the "Kent Soul Festivals",
"Stage 3" in Leysdown, "The Goldmine" on
Canvey Island and "Flicks" in Dartford to name but a
few of these now so legendary places. The resident DJ's at these
illustrious venues would also fuel my pre-mentioned passion, and, being an avid record collector
I would buy
anything tuneful and groovy from "the proper record
shops" as were abundant in those days.
Having
started buying records from the very early age of around six,
and, remembering that as a family the radio was always on. I
became acutely aware that music would be a huge part of my
life for many years to come. Given that I had always had a full time
job, much of my wages would be indulgently spent on my rapidly
growing
vinyl collection.
Although
I'm equally at ease with playing any type of music, I thought
this next little section might be of interest to some people
wishing to engage me for their own event or give me their
thoughts in return.
Here
are a few tunes I think might provoke some thoughts and
memories:-
- 01/ George
McCrae - "Rock Your Baby" (1974)
- 02/ Odyssey
- "Native New Yorker" (1977)
- 03/ Gary's
Gang - "Keep on Dancing" (1978)
- 04/ GQ -
"Make My Dreams a Reality" (1980)
- 05/ Slick -
"Space Bass" (1979)
- 06/ Ripple
- "The Beat Goes On" (1978)
- 07/ Tavares
- "Don't Take Away the Music" (1979)
- 08/ Kool
& The Gang - "Ladies Night" (1979)
- 09/ Luther
Vandross - "Never Too Much" (1983)
- 10/ Gwen
McCrae - "Keep the Fires Burning" (1983)
