The Chicago House don gets ready to sprinkle his magic at the return of Hard Times in London
Interview : Rob Chadwick
Welcome to DMCWORLD Terry, we are all looking forward to next month’s massive Hard Times night at Cable in London which we will come to later. But let’s start with you young man. I think it’s fair to say you were quite a lonely child, whilst other kids were out throwing balls around outside, you were holed up in record stores. You caught the vinyl bug quite early, was this partly down to your father who was a DJ at The Family Lounge tavern on Chicago’s West Side?
“Hey man, how are you sir? Yeah pretty much, I started going to record shops at a really early age with my cousin and getting the vibe of all the music that Chicago had to offer. My dad also played a lot back when I was young so I had a lot of cassettes to listen to and it kind of grew from then.”
At what point did this expensive hobby develop into a potential career in the makings?
“Well like I mentioned, my cousin was a big influence. He used to give me cassettes and it all just sounded like one record which really overwhelmed me on how someone could do such a thing as mix. You have to realise when you’re 10-11 years old that’s a really eye opening picture to take in. My cousin used to play at these house parties, which were huge in Chicago (almost as big as the club nights that were going on) and that made me notice how much power a DJ had and how he could relate to an audience. As soon as I got home, that was it, I asked my mum for a mixer and I started to play out with friends.”
Who were some of your Chicago DJ peers at that time – you were bowled away by the Frankie Knuckles Warehouse mix tapes for sure…
“Well unfortunately I was a little too young for those mixes at Warehouse, but they really made me realise how I wanted to be as DJ. Frankie and Ron Hardy used to do some amazing shows in peoples’ basements (like I said, those were huge in the day). Another guy was Bret Morrison, I managed to get up close and personal with him and see how a DJ really worked behind a booth and that’s also when I got my first Gemini mixer.”
What did you think when you first heard an actual mix with no interruption between the records?
“Wow man, I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, I just couldn’t believe it. I was like, how is he doing that? The excitement was just great. You know, the big difference between us an New York was the mixing patterns. In New York it was all quick mixing, where in Chicago it was all about holding the beats in. We didn’t really hear anyone from New York as they were all mixing disco, which was cool but we were all about raw beats and knowing those records inside out. If you didn’t get it right it sounded like a stable or horses.
So how did the DJing begin?
Right, well what happened was, Chicago was getting really big – Brett Morrison played for my cousin at my aunt’s house, that was my first time. I was just like, man, I want to do a party. My aunt had a huge basement so I asked her and she said yes. All the communities in Chicago were throwing parties pretty much every weekend. We charged 99 cents to get in every other month, all the local promoters would come and promoter their club nights from the city. This is also when they kind of noticed me and asked me to play for them.”
I love the story of Mr Marvin Terry trying to get $75 out of you for playing at one of his parties until your grandfather stepped in. What happened and what did he say?
“Well Marvin was one of the first promoters I worked with, he was dong huge events here. He caught up with me and asked me to play at Hummingbird, which was more of an adult club. I was so excited and really wanted to play for him. However one snag was to put my name on the flyer he wanted to charge me. I was like…what? So I had to talk to my parents or my grandparents who were looking after me. My grandparents invited Marvin round to talk to him and have a chat about the party. My grandfather was old school and you couldn’t get nothing over him, he was so street. So after sitting down, my grandfather just explained that ‘you’re not charging any of the other DJ’s to perform so why charge Terry?’. I laugh about it now but man, I thought my career was over before it started and that he had ruined everything for me by laying the law down. My grandfather understood that I had to pay my dues and play for free but I wouldn’t be paying to play. After that it was all settled and all my friends came to support me and the rest is history.”
A famous quote from you…”Without Armando, there wouldn’t have been any Terry Hunter.” How important was this man in your life?
“Well yes for sure on the production and remix side he certainly is. We grew up around the same time and he became a promoter. It’s safe to say he was the first person to take a chance one me. We started when we were kids and didn’t know what we were doing. We hooked up the drum machine and keyboards and just simply tried our hardest. We also had a Pioneer 707 reel to reel which was great fun. We asked ourselves what was going to make us stand out? At the time there were a lot of edits flying round, but we wanted to make full tracks, so we got in the basement. Armanda was also in the process of starting a night which was great timing as we could play our tracks. Ron Trent was also around at this time and befriended us, which is why we put a deal together. Warehouse records was huge that this time and that was what got us noticed. He took a chance on us.”
The world began to sit up and take notice when you released your first record ‘Madness’, a tune that you helped break yourself by spinning it yourself at all your gigs. What was your studio set up like back then?
“Well the one you hear now is not the original. We recorded it on the reel to reel without any mixing on the record. We just wanted it to be raw and dirty. However we had to get it finally in the studio so we could release it out in the open. We had the 909 and Poly 800 keyboard which were just great to work with. So versatile.”
You were a hip hop head originally but can you recall some of the early tunes that helped you fall in love with house music…?
“Well house music has always been the big player in Chicago, but I loved hip-hop too. Hip-hop was never really in the limelight like house was so it was always hard to keep up with that genre. My routes are really with house though.”
Greatest hip hop record ever made?
“Yeah that’s a difficult one but I would say Grandmaster Flash – ‘The Message’.”
You famously ‘fell out of love with house music’ in the mid 90s. Why was that and what brought you back?
“It was never that I got out of it, but it wasn’t the same when I was a kid and when I was coming up. I didn’t just want to trundle along not enjoying it. I used to look back and we used to have all the best music, the best women the best parties and I just saw it taking a slight decline, but the love was still always there.”
What is the current top 3 you are spinning?
Ralph Gum – Only Way – my remix
Black Coffee – Traveller
Unreleased – The Bang Track – reminds of my Sunday nights
Which brings us to Hard Times next month. Steve Raine’s Yorkshire grit was one of the finest house music nights Europe has ever had in the 90s. What are your memories from the night?
“In the early 90’s we were doing lots of crazy stuff in Europe. London, Liverpool and Nottingham were all great places to play but I will never forget going to Leeds for the first time. Man, they have beautiful women, a great party vibe and everyone loved to dance. For me, I’d say it was the ultimate party in the 90’s in Europe without question. I mean they had all the major players, Todd Terry, Tony Humphries, Louie Vega and son on. It’s great to see the brand back and to see they are converting them events towards the younger guys too.”
London loves the Terry Hunter sound. You must have had some great nights in our capital – where sticks out for you?
“Wow, well my first time definitely stands out. I used to get booked at Heaven around 1990, Feel the Rhythm was the party. Man, that was mind blowing, I still remember. I used to think it was amazing people dancing to my records, especially when the melody dropped in, it was just so overwhelming. When I first played The Loft, we used to go to Bobby and Steves radio show and then play at their night after. Those were also great parties. The 90’s were a time like no other. We all supported each other and I see it getting back to that now which is nice. Especially with the parties, everyone seems to be enjoying the Chicago sound again.”
DJ Sneak has been very vocal in his recent approach towards music recently, now with Seth Troxler, whats your thought on that?
“You know what, we all talk about who started house music. I don’t lie or hold it personally as I can’t tell you now who actually started it. I know something that we are all very lucky, you, me and everyone who is involved in the industry. I really don’t get involved unless some actually takes a stab at me. I like the fact that if someone disses him, he stands right up and speaks up. You should never let me anyone walk over you, especially in this business. If Sneak feels as though he should speak his mind then that’s cool.”
You have remixed some mighty artists – which rework are you especially proud of and why?
“I would have to say Terisa Griffin – Wonderful. I am very proud of that one. Originally it was a ballad. So we had to go in and totally re-work it. I listened to the vocals on the original which were great for a ballad, but we wanted to make a dance track. We kept all the same melodies and changed the vocal. That one blew up in the clubs. Every time I DJ now I always get asked to play it. I’m also a huge fan of Mary J Blige and I worked with her too. How can I also forget Michael Jackson, I hold that special working on some of his work too.”
Who is your greatest friend in the DJ world today?
“Wow, tough one. I’d have to say – PJ Wayne William, Jazzy Jeff, Mike Dunn who I’m currently working with and Kenny Dope. We are like family. I hold a lot of people highly, but those I would say are the closest.”
Tell us about the champagne bottle story at Red Zone in New York at the NMS…love this story…
“Man, you have done your homework! Ha, this is funny. I will never ever forget this. It was the New Music Seminar in New York, that’s’ right. We were at this club, I think David Morales was playing and it was the same time Armando and Todd Terry had just sampled the same track and vocal for ‘Missing You’. Why they sampled the same track I don’t know. We were sat behind the booth in this little room, just me and Armando and couple of friends and Todd Terry walks in with two huge guys and one of his friends. He just looked at Armando and reached and grabbed his name badge that was pinned to him from the Seminar. Todd Terry just looked right at him and said why the hell you sampling the same track, even though Armando was trying to be friendly. Todd wouldn’t let it go and continues to argue. I’m just like what is going on here? These big guys then step up while David is still playing. I was just thinking, I’m a street kid that’s so new to this scene, I just reacted in the best way I could. I just grabbed the biggest champagne bottle from the booth and smashed it on the side. Then I said, ‘if I’m going down then you guys are coming with me’. Man, I was so upset with Armando for not sticking up for himself. I was only 20/21 but I told him off for being weak with those guys. Anyway the next day I was at the Seminar going up a huge escalator. Todd and Kenny Dope were coming down the other side. I was like, man, I’m going to get beaten up here. Anyway they spotted me and we went to one side and Todd just explained he had total respect for me for last night. This is when me and Kenny got introduced and he had been listening to my records and selling them in his NYC shop. We exchanged numbers and now we are best friends.”
What are your thoughts in the new EDM sound dominating America? Is it a passing fad or is this sound going to be around for a while?
“I hate to say it and without sounding old, the EDM situation is all about current artists getting bored with the sound and creating all these sub-genres. I personally don’t get it or like it but who am I to say it’s right or wrong? Now everything revolves around drugs and you need to be on something to enjoy it. With house or real house music, you don’t need that, mark my words man. In a few years time it will be something else with these guys and house will still be there, trust me.”
Finally, what is coming out next from the Terry Hunter studio…
“Carla Prapher – Just Do It – coming out next week on my label. Hunter Dunn Project will also feature soon. J Adams – We Are One – this is personal as there has been a lot of violence in Chicago recently and this one is uplifting. It’s keeping everyone close like a family.”
Thats great Terry, thank you so much for your time.
“No problem Rob, great to chat with you.”
Hard Times present Legends…
Saturday May 4th
Cable London
33 Bermondsey Street, London Bridge, London , SE1 2EG
Todd Terry
Terry Hunter
Joey Negro
Norman Jay
CJ Mackintosh
Ticket available at – residentadvisor.net