The majority of people on your dancefloor’s today probably won’t know that once upon time you were part of the whole Soul, Hip Hop and Funk scene in the early 80s that brought us the likes of Pete Tong and Nicky Holloway who made it on to centre stage whilst the likes of Chris Hill and Froggy never stepped up into the limelight but were still, very important in creating our very special clubland. What, once upon a time, made you want to get into the world of DJing? What musicians were blaring out of your radio as a teenager that got you into the groove?
“Hi Dan, well my mate down the street was a DJ when I was 9 and he inspired me along with listening to radio day and night.”
Did you come from a musical family?
“My brother is a great drummer who played in a few garage bands and wasted his talent by not sticking with his gift of music, thats about as musical as it gets – not forgetting though my deceased uncle Johnny Porter who was one of Ronnie Knight’s and the South London underworld’s favorite after-hours’ private club singers.”
What were the big London clubs back in the 80s that saw a starry eyed Danny Rampling jumping around at?
“The clubs that I used to frequent pre-house were Legends on Old Burlington St, Dirtbox, the Raw club, Heaven and Nicky Holloway’s one-offs and the commercial bird pulling Bon Boni in South London.”
What was your stance on the argument when Electro-Funk took over from Jazz-Funk as the dominant force on the club scene, the purists regarded the new ‘electronic’ sound with contempt, rejecting its validity on the grounds as it was not real music due to it’s technological nature…?
“Music is music, I therefore never got embroiled in that nonsense as I was on the peripherals of a cliquey DJ soul scene, although some years later the same closed minded comments we’re made from dinosaurs towards Acid House.”
Who do you regard as your big DJ mates?
“David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, Oaky,Steve Mac, Norman Jay, Dino Moran, Alex Gold and John Kelly.”
What was the first record you bought?
“Credible? ‘Stoned Love’ by The Supremes and Mark Bolan ‘Deborah’.
So what was your first DJ break?
“Playing in a south London bar broom cupboard for £8.00.”
This week in the magazine, we are featuring leading lights that hail from the city’s that have music as we know it. How important do you think London is/has been? Why has such a small country shown the rest of the world how to do it? The Beatles?
“The Beatles never understood their music until later in life, great band though. London and the rest of the UK has shaped global dance music culture. We have a unique way with street fashion creativity and diverse musical culture with the roots of black music, fused with white rock and electronic punk funk. London will always be buzzing with its international mix – just look at Brick Lane in east London today as an example.”
Big tunes you’re playing at the moment ?
“Wolfgang Gartner ‘Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony’. Mark Knight ‘Good Times’. Erick Morillo ‘I Get Lifted’. Tom Sawyer’s new tune and The Tomie Snshine edit of Mia & Adonis’s ‘No Way Bang'”.
The best album ever made?
“‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ by Pink Floyd”.
Your favourite ever vocalists?
“Marvin Gaye, George Michael, Celia Cruz, Aretha Franklin, Bono, Luther Vandross, MIchael Jackson, Sinatra, Gwen Macrae, Jocelyn Brown and Martha Wash”.
The record that always make you cry?
“Well on many occasions ‘Love is the Message’ by MFSB has brought tears of sadness and joy. Also Frankie Knuckles mix of ‘Rock With You’ by Michael Jackson”.
Your ‘guilty pleasures record?
“Hey Mambo’.
Your favourite ever dance label?
“Defected”.
The worst piece of clothing you shudder thinking about?
“Girls wearing UGG boots in the heat of summer – yuk!”.
Dead or alive, the five people you’d invite round to dinner?
“No stiffs at my dinners Dan, so that rules the dead out – alive guests only! Anthony Robbins, Keith Richards, Quincy Jones, Simon Napier Bell (pop manager supremo), AC Grayling (a Philosopher and leading author)”.
The best club night you have promoted and why?
“Apart from ‘Shoom’, ‘Voluptous’ at The Wembley Film Studios with NY legend Tony Humphries. This was an amazing one off where 1500 music heads came from far and wide to dance all night with me and Tony – there was so much love and unity in the air.
The best and worst thing about living in London?
“The best thing is the melting pot of culture. Openess, people, fashion, art, music, history, restaurants, bars, clubs, parks, the river, architecture, attractions and vibrant buzzing energy. The worst thing is knife crime, aggression, pollution, out dated public transport, restrictions on all night off booze and sales in shops.”
Do you miss your times at Radio 1?
“I enjoyed my time there The UK dance scene misses the platform for promotion of quality music, apart from Pete Tong, Radio 1 is dreadful. Now we have Blue Peter style presenters with little musical heritage culture playing crap music! Radio 1 is not important any longer with the wealth of internet radio and podcasts.”
London’s best kept secret?
“The bar in the Soho Hotel and the secret garden in Regents Park.”
How is London going to crack ‘knife culture’?
“Clearly the obvious thing to do is increase sentencing to 20 years mandatory. Kill and you stay in jail forever, carry ing a knife should get you ten years 10 years. Enough is enough of political correctness, get tough – people are sick of it all. Theres too many families who have had there lives shattered by the actions of a minority of society with little understanding or respect for human life. Bring back corporate punishment in schools – it works. Introduce NLP personal development teaching into all schools and more mentoring funding. Break the pattern of gang culture, I feel the streets in London are not safe at present in many areas. I lost my mate to knife crime at thirteen – 35 years ago which has scarred my memory to this day.”
Four years ago you decided to hang up your headphones and quit DJing, following your dream to open your own restaurant…what made you come back?
“I missed it too much and was inspired by a leading business guru to step back into my core competence. Thank god I didn’t open the restaurant in these troubled economics. I’m now with partners building eco friendly carbon neutral houses by the sea in Hastings, Sussex www.phoenixtrinity.co.uk – perfect for DJs and producers.
Where did you last go on holiday?
“Cape Town last Christmas.”
Wednesday November 9th 1988 – a major night in your life – what did you expect from your opening night at ‘Shoom’?
“The start of my professional DJ career and the UK Acid House scene? I was nervous as hell! I learnt to mix on the night and it was an incredible feeling of new begining’s. A great life change.”
What is your view on drugs in clubland?
“Drugs will always be present in clubland, people take them to escape pressures and to travel into different realms. Drugs can be positive in certain circumstances, too many take the route of excess though and ruin themselves and the lives of others. E changed a generation’s mindset and shifted a paradigm. Hard drugs will continue because there so many social problems.”
Your favourite record store in London?
“I no longer sadly buy vinyl – although vinyl junkies are still leading the way, it’s tragic that all the great shops where a strong sense of community and networking would take place are nearly all gone – Soho just isn’t what it used to be, they were great days in all those wonderful stores.”
What do you think about the current state of London clubland?
“It’s still very strong with 48 hour weekend’s. People are more selective with clubbing these days in the capital though.”
Which DJs from outside of the UK do you really rate today and which foreign DJs from back in the day do you think have been essential in our journey?
“Lars Behrenroth www.deepershades.net, Michael Ruetten, Marcello Castelli at present and from the past, Larry Levan, Froggy, Frankie Knuckles, David Mancusso and Francoius Grasso.”
What is next studio wise from Mr Rampling?
“Back in the studio in September with Steve Mac doing co-production. We finished a great track with Cevin Fisher earlier this year, but a certain individual with a win lose business mindset prevented the track being released through complete ignorance and greed.”
Best club you’ve ever played at over the years?
“Shoom.”
Photo Courtesy Of Stefan Sieler Photography