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Getting My Dylan On

by on 07. Jun, 2011 in Black Culture, Documentaries, Film, Hear, Living To Music, Read, See, The Sixties

Looking deeper into Folk and Country music has been a case of overcoming the final prejudice in many respects. These were always genres I shied away from, even though I’ve happily cherry picked tracks that I’ve liked along the way. I suppose I dismissed Folk as antiquated, and Country as over-sentimental, and although I’ve had a basic understanding of their roles in shaping popular music, I’ve never had the inclination to look beneath the surface. Until more recently that is.

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Martin Rushent

by on 07. Jun, 2011 in DJ / Club Culture, Interviews, Read, Records, RIP, The Eighties

Just heard the sad news that record producer Martin Rushent died last Saturday, aged 63. His best remembered album, the electro-pop masterpiece ‘Dare’ by the Human League, issued in 1981, was a runaway success, becoming an international best seller and winning Rushent the Best Producer award at the 1982 Brits. Apart from the Human League, Rushent produced artists including The Buzzcocks, The Stranglers and XTC.

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Living To Music – Primal Scream ‘Screamadelica’

by on 28. Mar, 2011 in CD’s / Digital, DJ / Club Culture, Film, Hear, Living To Music, Manchester, Read, Records, The Eighties, The Nineties

This Sunday (April 3rd), at 9pm, you’re invited to share a listening session with some likeminded souls, wherever you might be. This can be experienced either alone or communally, and you don’t need to leave the comfort of your own home to participate. Full lowdown here:
http://www.gregwilson.co.uk/2010/06/living-to-music/

‘Screamadelica’, the third album by Scottish indie-rockers Primal Scream, was a departure from their previous recordings. Taking up the baton from Madchester’s Indie-Dance exponents, the Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, Primal Scream put their finger firmly on the pulse of cultural change, triggered by the Acid House movement of the late 80’s, and instinctively set about soundtracking it, capturing the essence of the era more than any other album – it was a zeitgeist bullseye.

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Elizabeth Taylor

by on 28. Mar, 2011 in Film, Read, RIP, The Eighties, The Fifties, The Forties, The Nineties, The Seventies, The Sixties

Having suffered ill health for some time, screen goddess Elizabeth Taylor died last week, aged 79.

Born in London in 1932 (of American parents), Taylor was a true Hollywood icon, a legendary violet-eyed beauty who was also a fine actress. Having become a child star, due to her appearances in ‘Lassie Come Home’ (1943) and the following year’s ‘National Velvet’ (her co-stars being a dog and a horse respectively), her reputation was further enhanced via roles in films including ‘Little Women’ (1949), ‘Father Of The Bride’ (1950), ‘A Place In The Sun’ (1951) and ‘Giant’ (1956), where she appeared alongside James Dean and Rock Hudson.

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Original Soulboy – Dave Godin

by on 23. Mar, 2011 in Black Culture, Hear, Read, Records, The Fifties, The Sixties

Dug out my copies of ‘Deep Soul Treasures’, the four volume series compiled by Dave Godin, for a recent road trip. Got me thinking about Godin’s role at the very roots of black music appreciation here in the UK.

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Coming Unstuck

by on 01. Feb, 2011 in Books, Read

Having made reference to it in the recent ‘Little Big Man’ blog post, I’ve just re-read Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’, a book I’ve returned to every four or five years since I first discovered it back in the 80’s – it’s one of those books I’ll always go back to as it contains some deeper truths, yet presents them in such a fantastically engaging and entertaining manner. Given the writing style and, with the book being just over 150 pages, this is a breeze of a read.

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Hooky’s Book

by on 18. Jan, 2011 in Black Culture, Books, DJ / Club Culture, Interviews, Manchester, Read, The Nineties

I was recently asked about Peter Hook’s book by Joe Rose on the Big Chill forum. He commented “just been reading about you in Hooky's 'Haçienda - How Not To Run A Club'... sounds like those early days at the Hac were bizarre!” To which I replied:

“I'm particularly happy there's finally a book about The Haçienda out there that gives props to the black scene and its key influence on the club. Generally this is missed out completely when people are writing about its part in dance culture...

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Catch The Beat

by on 24. Nov, 2010 in Articles, Black Culture, Books, Magazines, Manchester, Read, The Eighties

A great new book, documenting the London based dance publication, Soul Underground, is now available via DJ History. ‘Catch The Beat’ spans the pivotal years 1987-1991, as UK dance culture was breaking out of its previously specialist confines and coming right into mainstream focus.

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Where Were You In 1990?

by on 21. Oct, 2010 in Black Culture, CD’s / Digital, Documentaries, Hear, Interviews, Manchester, Read, See, The Nineties

Last month I came across a thread titled ‘Where were you in 1990?’ on the DJ History forum. It wasn’t until I was typing out the comment below that I realised just how momentous a year it was for me – tinged with the bittersweet I should add. Here’s what I wrote:
“I'd moved back North (from London, where I'd been since '86) and spent most of 1990 in Manchester, which was a great place to be that year...

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Remember Love

by on 09. Oct, 2010 in Books, Read, The Beatles, The Seventies, The Sixties

John Lennon would have been 70 years old today.
His music and his spirit live forever.

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