One of dance music’s legends releasing his new ‘Locked In The Vinyl Cellar’.
Hi Dave, great new album, thanks for talking to the DMC world. Your love of music is renowned… house, funk, disco, reggae and soul and your DJ sets always feature the odd little gem from yesteryear. Where did this passion for music originate – who were the artists you were listening to growing up?
“When I was little my mum had the sound tracks to hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, so we’d listen to them a lot, my dad used to collect Jazz records. As a kid, I used to love Glam Rock – Sweet , Gary Gilitter, Slade, T Rex etc. which were the first records I bought. it wasn’t until I heard heatwave boogie nights one Saturday morning on TV that I got the bug for disco.”
Talk us through the new album, two slices of absolute class kicking off with ‘Disco Dick’ and then CD2 sees you re-edit tunes from the album…
“its a mish mash of various styles – but rooted in black music. Maybe like a more soul/discoy back to mine. I try to look for tracks that haven’t been on compilations before and a few quirky numbers like the Disco Dick track. The first CD is blended but CD 2 features re-edits and full length versions of most of the songs from CD 1 for DJ usage.”
So you have over the years used many a pseudonym – obviously Joey Negro and also Jakatta, Sessomato, the Hed Boys, Doug Willis, Raven Maize, The Sunburst Band and Z Factor – what music you have made are you most proudest of? You were one of the first artists to incorporate disco samples in house music for instance and have released such classics as ‘Must Be The Music’, ‘American Dream’ and ‘Can’t Get High Without You’…
“Maybe the second Sunburst Band album “Until the End of Time”. Just because making an album is obviously much more work… especially when you are the label, act and A&R man. Though I’m proud of many songs other for different reasons.”
Best club you’ve ever played at/and what country have the craziest clubbers?
“It sounds like a bland answer but I’ve played so many great parties singling out one would be hard. Some of the outdoor clubs in hotter parts of the world obviously have their appeal though. I think the craziest clubbers are here in ole blighty…”
What’s the most surprising destination DJing has taken you to?
“I have been lucky enough to travel pretty much everywhere in the world spinning records but I would say it’s when you end up in an after party is a seedy club or flat in somewhere like Moscow that you realise where DJing has taken you.
So your record collection, how many records do you think you actually have?
“Not as many as some collectors, maybe 100,000. I’ve got rid of quite a few over the years. I could probably do with another clear out, but I guess I keep some records that aren’t great as possible sample sources
What other DJs out there have you rated over the years?
“I’ve had some great drunken nights nights dancing to Norman Jay, Giles Peterson, Paul Anderson. I used to like listening to John Peel, Paul Gambachini and Tony Monson on the radio too…”
Best album ever made?
“Mmmmm….hard to pick one. ‘Off the Wall’ is a superb LP, as is Earth Wind And Fire ‘I Am’, Roy Ayers “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” – though I’m sick of all of them. I thought Mr Fingers ‘Introduction’ from the early 90s was a really good listen throughout. Justin Timberlake’s debut was a very strong pop soul album. The recent Jazzanova was also varied but consistently excellent…”
How important hearing ‘Jack Your Body’ and ‘I Can Feel It’ whilst working at London shop Smithers & Leigh was to you?
“I’d always been a closet producer with ideas for tracks, basslines etc. Back in Clacton I was in a few bands and recorded some songs in the studio but it was more pet shop boys style. I guess up until that point I’d never thought I could make black club music, as you needed a good singer or rapper and a lot of musicians. House and the sampler changed that…. s soon as I heard it I knew I could have a good crack at producing some.”
Best live gig you’ve ever been to?
“George Duke at the Jazz Café in around 2005, fantastic energetic show from the ex Frank Zappa keyboard wizz…”
So we come back to Dave’s house after a gig for a ‘Back To Mine’ session, what tunes to chill to are coming out?
“I’ve got a strange Eastern European Jazz LP which is some sort of miss pressing, as on the b side it has audio of of various animals having sex then being brutally slaughtered, it gets any party started. Once that’s got everyone in the mood, then we’d move onto some of the stuff that Sonar Kollective have released recently – like Lars Bartkuhn, Sonar Kollective Orch and the excellent Secret Love comps. I’ve been buying quite a few melodic 70s rock LPs recently – Todd Rundgren, England Dan, Jess Roden etc. Then back to Animal Sex LP for a couple of hours – this time much louder!!!”
What’s next for Joey Negro in 2009?
“Apart from the ‘Locked in the Vinyl Cellar’ CD we have a ‘Sunburst Band Remix’ CD due in June with remixes from Dennis Ferrer, Henrik Schwarz, Grant Nelson, Yamwho and quite a few others. I’m always releasing lot of singles on my label Z Records – the latest is ‘Ride the Rhythm’ by Joey Negro, after that is an unreleased Marshal Jefferson song from 88 called Rainsong by Ragthyme – I’ve subtly brought that up to date and there is a more techy mix from Rocco. In between this, I’m working on an Akabu album, which I hope will be ready for Autumn release. Also, I’ve just finished a remix of the new Daniel Merriweather singe ‘Nothing Impossible’…”
Joey Negro ‘Locked In The Vinyl Cellar’ Compilation is out on April 27th on Z Recordings
