ELECTRO FUNK - GREG WILSON ARTICLE

[Greg Wilson]

Jazz Pilgrim: Thanks for the insight into what being part of a 'tribe' was like. How many of you were there in the Jazz Pilgrims and were there other 'tribes' in the area you came from, or did just the one tribe normally represent the one area? Have you any idea how many of these 'tribes' there were?

As I said, it was different in the North, never as involved as it was in the South. People would travel to club nights and All-Dayers from near and far, but their only identity would be via the area they came from (Manchester, Birmingham, Huddersfield, Liverpool, Leeds, Bradford, Wolverhampton etc etc).

The reason why the Electro-Funk scene was able to develop so quickly in the North was as a result of the vacuum left by John Grant when he stopped deejaying in 81. Had he continued, it would have undoubtedly taken longer for the changes to take place, but his departure left a space for something new to happen, whereas in the South anybody straying from the music policy of the Soul Mafia would have been instantly outcast, and as a result marginalized to the extent that it would have been almost impossible to make a living on the Southern scene. The only DJ to challenge the Mafia guys at that time was Steve Walsh, who in essence was doing a similar kind of thing but with a different crew of DJ's.

Like you said, it wasn't until London's pirate radio boom that the monopoly was broken, and the Mafia gradually begun to lose their grip on the scene (although some of the individuals went on to enjoy highly successful careers afterwards).

[jazz_pilgrim]

There were about 10 -15 of us in the Jazz Pilgrims - and we all came from West Kent - primarily Tunbridge Wells and one of two from Sevenoaks. I can't recall any other tribes in our area - I probably knew everybody who was in on the music scene in T Wells.

As far as numbers - there seemed to be a helluva lot! When I used to go to the All-Dayers there
were many different tribes to be seen...

[billywho]

Originally Posted by Greg Wilson

I know from another thread that Manchester DJ, Stu Allen, was someone you greatly admired. Stu was hugely influenced by the music from the Electro-Funk era, which, as you've already told me, he featured on his radio show as oldies. Living in Manchester at the time, what tracks from this period do you remember him reviving on air?

Yes, Stu was a huge influence on me, as you appeared to be on him. He often mentioned you on his radio shows. I started listening to him in 86, when the "classic" Electro period was well over, though Stu kept the flag flying through his shows on Piccadilly and played many Electro and other disco-funk tunes from the 82-84 period. Piccadilly also gave him a few special shows, often during Bank Holidays, on which he played tracks from the 81-84 period exclusively. Stu shaped my taste in music, not only in Electro; I also received an education in the classier bands of the early 80s such as Change, The BB&Q Band, and High Fashion (in fact just about everything produced by Jacques Fred Petrus).

I probably heard about two thirds of the tracks on the Electro Top 100 list on these shows. I developed a massive affection for Sandy Kerr's "Thug Rock", which was a favourite of Stu's and was featured many times, often mixed with I-Level's "Give Me". Like yourself, Stu was a big fan of instrumentals and dub versions. The Streetsounds Electro albums were prominently featured, and Morgan Khan was interviewed on several occasions.

Stu later became a well known and influential DJ on the early 90s rave scene, but it was his 86-89 period radio shows that hold such fond memories for me. At that time he also DJed at Legend.

Some songs which are on the list that Stu played extensively, and which became big favourites of mine, are:

Stone - "Time" and "Girl I Like The Way That You Move"
Visual - "The Music Got Me"
Electrik Funk - "On A Journey (I Sing The Funk Electric)"
Raw Silk - "DO It To The Music"
Warp 9 - "Nunk"
Sharon Redd - "Beat The Street"
Tyrone Brunson - "The Smurf"
Toney Lee - "Reach Up"
Reggie Griffin - "Mirda Rock"
Midnight Star - "Freak-A-Zoid"
Cybotron - "Clear"
Captain Rapp - "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)"
Sinnamon - "Thanks To You"

Some songs I remember Stu playing which didn't make it onto the Top 100 list are:

Newcleus - "Jam On It" (this was the only Newcleus track I remember him playing - never remember hearing "Jam On Revenge")
LA Dream Team - "Rockberry Jam"
Egyptian Lover - "Egypt Egypt" and "My House (On The Nile)"
Key-Matic - "Breakin' In Space"
Man Parrish - "Boogie Down Bronx" (got played much more than "Hip Hop, Be Bop, (Don't Stop)")
C-Bank - "One More Shot" (instrumental)
Visage - "Pleasure Boys Remix" (Always wondered if this is *the* Visage? - it sounds so unlike their other stuff)
Connie - "Funky Little Beat"
Debbie Deb - "When I Hear Music" (Debbie Deb also did "Funky Little Beat")
Double Dee and Steinski - "Lesson 1 (The Payoff Mix)"
World Class Wrecking Cru - "Surgery"

[billywho]

Originally Posted by billywho

Some songs I remember Stu playing which didn't make it onto the Top 100 list are:

Newcleus - "Jam On It" (this was the only Newcleus track I remember him playing - never remember hearing "Jam On Revenge")
LA Dream Team - "Rockberry Jam"
Egyptian Lover - "Egypt Egypt" and "My House (On The Nile)"
Key-Matic - "Breakin' In Space"
Man Parrish - "Boogie Down Bronx" (got played much more than "Hip Hop, Be Bop, (Don't Stop)")
C-Bank - "One More Shot" (instrumental)
Visage - "Pleasure Boys Remix" (Always wondered if this is *the* Visage? - it sounds so unlike their other stuff)
Connie - "Funky Little Beat"
Debbie Deb - "When I Hear Music" (Debbie Deb also did "Funky Little Beat")
Double Dee and Steinski - "Lesson 1 (The Payoff Mix)"
World Class Wrecking Cru - "Surgery"

Forgot to add Fatback's "Is This The Future" to this list, which also received a lot of airtime. Would this song be considered Electro, or an influence on Electro?

[Greg Wilson]

Billywho: Thanks for the info on Stu Allen's radio show. The tracks you mentioned that didn't make it into the 100 were all later releases (with the exception of C Bank). The list only goes up to the end of 83, when I stopped deejaying. Some good stuff on there though.

Special mention to 'Lesson 1 (The Payoff Mix)' by Double Dee & Steinski. This originally came into the UK in early 84 as the 'Play That Beat Mr DJ Medley' - the winner of Disconet's mix competition (based around G.L.O.B.E & Whiz-Kid's Electro monster). This mix was truly mindblowing! I can remember listening to it for the first time, it was a total revelation! It would inspire a whole new generation of UK DJ/Producers, not least Coldcut. A majorly influential moment in the history of Dance music.

'Is This The Future' was, as with C Bank, a popular track that didn't make the 100 list. I started playing it as an album cut in March 83, and it fell in with The Rake's 'Street Justice' and, of course, 'The Message' as examples of a new and more thoughtful type of Rap. Rap had previously been regarded as little more than a fad by most people, but during the Electro-Funk period it began to acquire a conscience, with the lyrics now beginning to explore the social issues of the time.

[Greg Wilson]

Billywho: Forgot to mention, yes it's the same Visage ('Fade To Grey', 'Mind Of A Toy' etc), the British Futurist band.