Old Skool Legend 2 – DJ Greg Wilson

In February 2009 I was lucky enough to hear Greg Wilson play at the Loft in Brighton. I had bought my ticket well in advanced for this event as my gut feeling was it was going to be a special night. That evening there was an incredible buzz of excitement, tickets had sold out and everyone was desperately trying to gain some to get to hear the legend. This was the first time I had heard Greg play live and I was blown away by the music and the whole atmosphere. I was only talking with someone last night about when the Frankie Knuckles Hallucinogenic Dub of Rufus & Chaka Khans “Ain’t Nobody” got dropped, the build up was immense, and the place went off completely when the lyrics eventually hit. Another stand out tune for me personally (that I got id’d later) was Pete Herbert’s Mix of Tony Orlando’s – Don’t Let go. I remember being at the bar at the time when this came on and thinking how one element of the the tune had a similar kind of sound to Jimmy Bo Horne’s – Spank. If I had not actually just ordered the drink having queued up for about 15 mins, I would have rushed straight back to the dance floor for this. Both myself and my wife stood at the bar nodding heads with big grins while this tune played agreeing this was a special night.

The Acid House proudly presents the 2^nd DJ in the series of Old Skool Legends, the Godfather of UK Electrofunk Greg Wilson.

To trace some of the origins of dance music as it is today, you have to go back in time to the days of when disco and funk were the choice of the dance floor. So it’s not a surprise to find that hundreds of samples in house music were lifted from disco, funk and Electrofunk tunes in the 70’s and early 80’s, therefore directly shaping the sound and movement of modern dance music.

With a DJ pedigree stretching back to the original disco era, Greg Wilson first came to national prominence in the early 1980’s as the first to champion New York’s emerging Electro-Funk sound.

From day one, his support for this radical new electronic dance music caused deep divisions within the jazz-funk fraternity.

‘Electro-Funk’s legacy is huge. It announced the computer age and seduced a generation with its drum machines, synthesizers, sequencers, dub mixes, bonus beats and samples… Its influences lay not only with Kraftwerk, and British Futurist acts like the Human League and Gary Numan, but with pioneering black artists, including Miles Davis, Sly Stone, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Norman Whitfield and George Clinton (Greg Wilson)

Electro-Funk is unquestionably the source from which much of today’s house, techno, and breakbeat-oriented club music originated.

1982-84

Braving outright hostility from jazz-funk and soul purists, Greg Wilson’s brave new world of electronic funk could be experienced at largely black dance nights, in clubs such as Legend in Manchester, the Wigan Pier, the Stars Bar in Huddersfield, and at numerous all-dayers in places like Preston, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby, Blackpool, Wigan and Sheffield.

‘I had fantastic support, Legend was always packed to the rafters on a Wednesday and it was the norm for about 450 people to head up to Wigan on a Tuesday from all over the North and Midlands… and double that on a special occasion!’ (Greg Wilson)

Electro-Funk heralded the arrival of New York’s ‘Hip Hop’ culture in the UK, and Greg was among its earliest and most enthusiastic ambassadors…He cites Malcolm McLaren’s ‘Buffalo Gals’ video (1982) as a defining moment for the arrival of Hip Hop in the UK:

‘For here, before our very eyes, was scratch mixing, graffiti art, and the most amazing sight anyone could remember – a man spinning on his head! The age of the breakdancer had arrived.’ (Greg Wilson)

Then, in 1983, Greg became the first dance music DJ to become resident at Manchester’s Hacienda, then very much an indie and ‘alternative’ music venue.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the future of UK Club Culture began here…. Nothing would be quite the same again.

1982–84 was a time of intense musical creativity, an ‘anything goes’ era, before house and techno standardised both the tempo and rhythm of club music.

1984 – 94

Greg retired from DJ’ing in 1984, but his involvement with music continued.

That same year he co-produced the landmark Street Sounds ‘UK Electro’ album. Later in the decade, he returned with the cult Manchester Ruthless Rap Assassins, who he managed and produced.

In 1994, his role as ‘Electro-Funk Pioneer’ was acknowledged when he compiled the best-selling ‘Classic Electro Mastercuts’ album, which reached the Top 20 of the UK album chart.

2003-

As the importance of Electro-Funk’s musical legacy has become increasingly apparent, more attention than ever is being focused on the crucial 1982-84 period, which apparently shaped so much of what followed. Now, through his website (www.electrofunkroots.co.uk), Greg is once again acting as an ambassador for Electro-Funk.

Head over to Greg’s website www.electrofunkroots.co.uk to read more about the Legend, view historical charts he compiled, interviews and other interesting information.

Also join Greg’s Facebook Group to keep up to date on up and coming gigs around the UK and the rest of the world.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greg-Wilson/17586590755?ref=s

And if you are in Brighton next weekend, Greg Wilson will be playing at Audio, Brighton, on Friday the 17^th, there are only a few remaining tickets left so head down to the following outlets.

Tickets will be on sale £8 in advance from:

Rounder, Brighton sq 01273 325440

Dance 2, Western rd 01273 329459

412 Fashion, Middle st 01273 325336

Or online from http://www.residentadvisor.net/gregwilson

http://www.electrofunkroots.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/djgregwilson
http://www.youtube.com/user/electrofunkr…

And if you cannot make it to Brighton, here is a little something for you to listen too.

GREG WILSON

NYC PRIME TIME

SANTOS PARTY HOUSE

25.10.08

1. Fantastic Four got to have your love

2. Commodores machine gun (situation edit)

3. Jazzy Dee get on up (situation edit)

4. Northend tee’s happy

5. Telemusic baby’s band (leo zero edit)

6. Chic I want your love (todd terje edit)

7. Escort starlight (gw version)

8. Rvng Of The Nrds 07 cosmic dj delight (gw edit)

9. T Connection do what you wanna do

10. Captain Rapp bad times (I can’t stand it) (gw ruff edit)

http://www.mediafire.com/?u3lzz0ctkux

Massive respect and thanks to Greg Wilson for the resources and for being a true Legend.