What Era Had The Best Djs?

[Guest Simon]

What era do you think had the best djs?

Was the 7ts the era of the proper dj where you only djayed if you had the patter on the mic etc & obviously the records?

Or maybe the 8ts where the real hardcore stalwarts were still around?

Or maybe the 9ts to now where everyone seems to be a dj, a lot of people seem to want to give it a go & as long as you've got some quality rare soul records you can get behind the decks, the patter etc. doesn't seem to be as important?

Apologies for the broad generalisations, please feel free to post the way you see/saw it.

Simon

[Simon M]

All the best, got better in the 80's IMVHO

[Pete S]

Was the 7ts the era of the proper dj where you only djayed if you had the patter on the mic etc & obviously the records?

You obviously never heard Keith Minshull dj

[grant]

each era had its good and bad dj's - much easier to be a dj these days as more opportunities around probably and records easier to come by via the internet etc.

[Chalky]

I think it all comes down to what era you grew up and who influenced your musical taste......

[Chalky]

each era had its good and bad dj's - much easier to be a dj these days as more opportunities around probably and records easier to come by via the internet etc.

personally don't think the buying of records on the internet, makes a good dj, especially when they are all chasing and playing the same stuff.

At least prior to the revolution in the mid 90's DJ's used their imagination, granted up to the late 80's records were there to be found still and thats not really the case these days but still loads of underplayed stuff out there to get a DJ's imagination working.

[Guest Baz]

personally don't think the buying of records on the internet, makes a good dj,

Whats that got do with making a good DJ?

95% of my records have been sourced on the net, usually alot cheaper than dealers (but thats another thread) would say its more common sense than anything else

[Guest Simon]

There seems to me to be more relevance on playing oh so soulful records nowadays than creating an up party atmosphere, obviously ideally you'd like the dj to be able to do both.

Was the 7ts for instance the main era when the djs were able to pull this off or are there plenty of djs around nowadays who have both these qualities?

I must admit i saw Ian Levine dj about 8 years ago at a weekender & thought to myself i'd never seen anyone able to hold the attention & influence an audience like this before, not sure how many djs around nowadays can do this, i've seen a few but a lot just seem to play records with a bit of chatter here & there, they don't have the audience in the palm of their hand so to speak like that time i saw IL, i must also say i'm not a fan of the man by any stretch of the imagination.

Simon

[Winnie :-)]

I think it all comes down to what era you grew up and who influenced your musical taste......

===============

agree with the sentiment of the above, but also think DJs in the 7Ts had it easier because most of the crowds were young and actually wanted to dance. These days current DJs have to give a little more thought to their sets to get a floor moving. So would give my vote to the current crop of DJs, although a lot of them were around in the 7Ts anyway

[soulfulsaint]

I also think it has something to do with your age, knowledge, collection. I used to be one of those pests that looked through Richard's box at Wigan and hung around Curtis at the Mecca. I was often in awe of the records they had. Now as my collection has grown and playlists have diversified, I'm less in awe of DJs. I also don't think a great DJ should have too many cover-ups. I've always seen this as a weakness or an ego-trip rather than a strength. I also think DJs have 'moments' when they are so 'on-form' they shape the scene. Levine at the early Mecca, Searling at Wigan, Dave Thorley at Stafford, Ady at 100 Club in 9ts.

What I would love to see is a clash of playlists from different eras - anyone provide that thread?

[grant]

Whats that got do with making a good DJ?

95% of my records have been sourced on the net, usually alot cheaper than dealers (but thats another thread) would say its more common sense than anything else

Baz has hit on what I was saying Chalky - not saying it makes a good or bad dj, but the internet has made a lot of records easier to track down via ebay, gemm, even people selling privately on this website. As with Baz a lot of my stuff came via these routes - give up djing now but - hopefully it didnt make me a bad dj - remember an great dj could go down like a lead balloon if he doesntr play what the masses want to hear in a certain venue. I know a certain dj who plays nothin but boots and usually all floorfillers but to a crowd who think he's the bees knees coz he plays all that stuff they know - try and offer them something different (like i used to) and they just sit on their arses and almost refuse to like change

[Chalky]

Whats that got do with making a good DJ?

95% of my records have been sourced on the net, usually alot cheaper than dealers (but thats another thread) would say its more common sense than anything else

what I'm trying to say (not very well ) the majority of us can associate a record with a time in our lives, i.e venue, dj etc and that most of the records available these days, whatever the source, already have a place in our memories and that many of the DJ's these days you can't compare to eras past due to the fact they are all playing what the previous DJ's played, except for a small percentage who are lucky enough to have the right contacts.

These days, certainly the past ten years or so too few DJ's prepared to use their imagination a bit and many have the sheep mentality and just follow the trends, rather than try and set a few trends, the records are out there if they look hard enough.

Thats why I can't compare many of todays DJ's with DJ's of the past, when many used their imagination and had their own identity and playlist.

As for common sense, that goes out the window much of the time

[Chalky]

I know a certain dj who plays nothin but boots and usually all floorfillers but to a crowd who think he's the bees knees coz he plays all that stuff they know - try and offer them something different (like i used to) and they just sit on their arses and almost refuse to like change

it's getting the balance right of filling the floor and introducing some lesser known records, majority of venues it can't be done on masse, need to throw one in every few records and keep plugging away, but there are plenty of venues where you can offer something different and the reaction is there from the punters, Lifeline, Middleton, Greatstone, Wilton, 100 Club etc.

[Chalky]

95% of my records have been sourced on the net, usually alot cheaper than dealers (but thats another thread) would say its more common sense than anything else

I know many who have sourced most their stuff from net, expensive stuff as well and when I heard them couldn't put a set together to save their lives, just didn't flow, tempos all over the place. Sometimes the very fact thaty some get bookings is becaause they spend thousands not because of their ability to DJ.

[Chalky]

anyway back to the question the 80's

[Guest Baz]

what I'm trying to say (not very well ) the majority of us can associate a record with a time in our lives, i.e venue, dj etc and that most of the records available these days, whatever the source, already have a place in our memories and that many of the DJ's these days you can't compare to eras past due to the fact they are all playing what the previous DJ's played, except for a small percentage who are lucky enough to have the right contacts.

These days, certainly the past ten years or so too few DJ's prepared to use their imagination a bit and many have the sheep mentality and just follow the trends, rather than try and set a few trends, the records are out there if they look hard enough.

Thats why I can't compare many of todays DJ's with DJ's of the past, when many used their imagination and had their own identity and playlist.

As for common sense, that goes out the window much of the time

I knew you were implying that bit more, than on the whole buying on the net.

The net suits me down to a T, can't be arsed anymore plouging through mounds of records on a night out, so sit at home and do it at night, havent got the time in the day to go to record shops ect, so it works for me, plus i can trade/sell and have all the money put into paypal for other purchase's so im not wasting any of it on junk (some might say some of my records are junk but thats another story )

[Guest ShaneH]

chalky,you keep knocking current dj's on a regular basis (which is probably fair enough - i am not going to disagree with you) but you will not tolerate the criticism of playlists. i find this a bit strange but hey what do i know!

so to even things up i do not expect you to name names as you are not that type of bloke. however, what dj's would you travel to see these days? the ones omitted will be the ones you believe lack imagination in the current climate

cheers

Shane

[Chalky]

chalky,you keep knocking current dj's on a regular basis (which is probably fair enough - i am not going to disagree with you) but you will not tolerate the criticism of playlists. i find this a bit strange but hey what do i know!

so to even things up i do not expect you to name names as you are not that type of bloke. however, what dj's would you travel to see these days? the ones omitted will be the ones you believe lack imagination in the current climate

cheers

Shane

I still travel all over Shane as sometimes have no choice as to what is on offer. I love the northern soul scene but it can get tiring and boring hearing the same records every week when it doesn't have to be the case.

I'm not knocking the DJ's as such, there are plenty of good ones out there today, it's I just wish more would use some imagination and seek out many of the forgotten and underplayed records that are out there.

DJs, well it's pretty well documented as to who my faves are but the venues I prefer to attend are places like Lifeline, Middleton, Wilton 100 Club (though not been down for sometime) etc...Greatsone was good and will have to get back there, Lowton is another good soul night with a wide range of DJs given the licence to play what ever suits them as is Piercebridge, plenty of others too I will no doubt have forgotten

I was brought up in an era when most DJ's had to be different ands seek out different records, piush the boundaries I guess, supose thats spoilt me as that ideal is still what I crave.

Edited September 5, 2006 by chalky

[Guest Netspeaky]

Punters don't have to travel now to hear anything, the local DJ can cater for everything, it's actually amazing that the big name DJ's still get booked to do local soul nights because they don't play anything that the local DJ can't play. In the 70's you had to travel great distances to hear certain sounds that only certain DJ's had so it was easier for a DJ to get a repution back in the 70's / 80's now it's hard work as every man and his dog can get behind the decks and as long as he/she plays what the local crowd want then they are the bees knees.

Edited September 5, 2006 by Netspeaky

[Guest Baz]

Punters don't have to travel now to hear anything, the local DJ can cater for everything, it's actually amazing that the big name DJ's still get booked to do local soul nights because they don't play anything that the local DJ can't play.

Cant agree with that in the slightest

[Guest Netspeaky]

Cant agree with that in the slightest

Baz why not I've seen lots of local DJ's playing boots/cd so almost everything is available to the local DJ, can't see Butch going down a storm at our local oldies nights playing his all night spot, as they wouldn't be interested in the tracks they don't know. All nighters are totally different, people still travel to hear a DJ. back in the 70's & 80's I used to travel to lots of soul nights when certain DJ's were on it was the only way to get to hear 90% of what was being played, now you are lucky if you hear 10% you don't know being played at a local venue.

[Chalky]

Cant agree with that in the slightest

me neither unless you're not bothered as to what you hear at your local night. I wish venues local to me could or would play what I want to hear, wouldn't have to spend my time at weekends driving about the place, do enough of that in the week these days Unfortunately I still have to travel to satisfy my musical needs as do many others.

Baz why not I've seen lots of local DJ's playing boots/cd so almost everything is available to the local DJ, can't see Butch going down a storm at our local oldies nights playing his all night spot, as they wouldn't be interested in the tracks they don't know. All nighters are totally different, people still travel to hear a DJ. back in the 70's & 80's I used to travel to lots of soul nights when certain DJ's were on it was the only way to get to hear 90% of what was being played, now you are lucky if you hear 10% you don't know being played at a local venue.

I'd be happy with that 10% sometimes

[Winnie :-)]

Punters don't have to travel now to hear anything, the local DJ can cater for everything, it's actually amazing that the big name DJ's still get booked to do local soul nights because they don't play anything that the local DJ can't play. In the 70's you had to travel great distances to hear certain sounds that only certain DJ's had so it was easier for a DJ to get a repution back in the 70's / 80's now it's hard work as every man and his dog can get behind the decks and as long as he/she plays what the local crowd want then they are the bees knees.

============

I think this is a very good point. In days gone by the scene was more centralised, places like the Mecca, Wigan, Stafford all drawing in the main crowds. But then the DJs didn't travel about as much so the only alternative was to go and see them. These days it's reversed with top line DJs being the ones who travel to local venues to play out their sounds. Maybe it's a way of advertising themselves, should think they'll get more bookings if they prove popular, so in turn more money. That's not to say they're doing it for money only, I really don't think that's the case, but it must have a bearing. Most of us would like to earn our living doing something we loved.

The other point is that lots of local collectors are coming to the fore and a lot of them have as good a collection as regular nighter DJs, plus they have the knowledge of what the local crowd want to hear.

Finally, we're not as young as we were, 3 hour journeys at 8 o'clock Sunday morning don't appeal to many any more, far easier to get a fix for 5/6 hours at a local soul night and still have some weekend left to do other things.

Winnie:-)

[grant]

Cant agree with that in the slightest

Mmmm....a few 'big named' djs have djed here in stockport and didnt play anything that probably any of the local djs didnt have - e.g. Carstairs, Majestics, Contours, Bobby Paris etc etc

[Baz Atkinson]

LUCKY ENOUGH TO SAMPLE SEARLING CIRCA 78 /79 AT THE CASINO,FOR THOSE ABOUT THEN THIS PERIOD WOULD TAKE SOME BEATING ,THERE AGAIN SO WOULD THE 6TS MAFIA AND THE EMERGENCE OF BUTCH IN THE EIGHTIES.BUTCH TO ME IS STREETS AHEAD OF THE GAME AND HAS BEEN SINCE THE MID TO LATE EIGHTIES.TO ME SINCE THE EARLY NINETIES THERE HAS BEEN ALOT OF BIG SOUNDS BUT NOT MUCH ORIGINALITY.

ONE GUY WHO WAS ORIGINAL FOR THOSE WHO CAN REMEMBER WAS ROB MARRIOT ,HAD SO MANY GOOD NIGHTS WITH HIM IN THE EIGHTIES,SO ON REFLECTION I WOULD SAY THE EIGHTIES SHADES IT FOR ME.

THIS IS A PERSONNEL THING DEPENDING ON PERSONNEL TASTE,NOW EVERYONE IS A DJ BUT EVERTYONE DOES NOT HAVE RECORDS THAT SHAKE YOU TO THE CORE IE BUTCHES MASQUERADERS COVER UP IS ONE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND,AS CHARACTERS DROP FROM THE SCENE DUE TO POLITICS ETC WE LOSE SOME OF THE ORIGINALITY [THATS SAD IN MY EYES]

BAZ A.

[Guest Baz]

Mmmm....a few 'big named' djs have djed here in stockport and didnt play anything that probably any of the local djs didnt have - e.g. Carstairs, Majestics, Contours, Bobby Paris etc etc

Who would that be then?

[Mark Bicknell]

LUCKY ENOUGH TO SAMPLE SEARLING CIRCA 78 /79 AT THE CASINO,FOR THOSE ABOUT THEN THIS PERIOD WOULD TAKE SOME BEATING ,THERE AGAIN SO WOULD THE 6TS MAFIA AND THE EMERGENCE OF BUTCH IN THE EIGHTIES.BUTCH TO ME IS STREETS AHEAD OF THE GAME AND HAS BEEN SINCE THE MID TO LATE EIGHTIES.TO ME SINCE THE EARLY NINETIES THERE HAS BEEN ALOT OF BIG SOUNDS BUT NOT MUCH ORIGINALITY.

ONE GUY WHO WAS ORIGINAL FOR THOSE WHO CAN REMEMBER WAS ROB MARRIOT ,HAD SO MANY GOOD NIGHTS WITH HIM IN THE EIGHTIES,SO ON REFLECTION I WOULD SAY THE EIGHTIES SHADES IT FOR ME.

THIS IS A PERSONNEL THING DEPENDING ON PERSONNEL TASTE,NOW EVERYONE IS A DJ BUT EVERTYONE DOES NOT HAVE RECORDS THAT SHAKE YOU TO THE CORE IE BUTCHES MASQUERADERS COVER UP IS ONE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND,AS CHARACTERS DROP FROM THE SCENE DUE TO POLITICS ETC WE LOSE SOME OF THE ORIGINALITY [THATS SAD IN MY EYES]

BAZ A.

Spot on Baz.

Mark Bicknell.

[Guest vinylvixen]

I also think DJs have 'moments' when they are so 'on-form':

Spot on

They shape the scene. Levine at the early Mecca, Searling at Wigan, Dave Thorley at Stafford, Ady at 100 Club in 9ts:

Again, spot on...with the addition of Ian Clarke, Mick Smith, Butch and Tony Rounce....and Guy Hennigan and Keb Darge....

Would you also say that you would associate/ equate certain djs with certain venues - and they can't be seperated from that club even though over the years they've travelled, been resident at other clubs or retired....Ady will always be the 100, Searling is Wigan....you get my drift.... but maybe that's another thread

What I would love to see is a clash of playlists from different eras - anyone provide that thread?:

Did Backbeat used to feature playlists??....Steve Guarnori and Kev Griffins mag back in the 8Ts - can't remember...i'm getting old

Jo

[Guest vinylvixen]

Oops...I didn't answer the question....hmm, tough one...I was off the scene in the 8Ts but I get the feeling that I missed out on an awesome line-up of djs and sounds....bleedin' typical, eh but from '98 onwards, I was introduced to a whole variety of new djs...John Weston, Alan Handscombe, Carl Fortnum, Carl Willingham, Mick H, Irish Greg, Val Palmer, Kenny Burrell, Keith Money, Terry Jones, Dawn Brown, Chris Dale, Ady Lupton, Yann Vatiste, Cristina Naggar, Nick Hackett...they all made a big impression on me - ooh err, missus Not seen Joan dj yet but having seen her playlist, I'll add her by proxy Jo

[Guest dundeedavie]

These days, certainly the past ten years or so too few DJ's prepared to use their imagination a bit and many have the sheep mentality and just follow the trends, rather than try and set a few trends, the records are out there if they look hard enough.

it is happening to often but i agree

[Winnie :-)]

Just thinking about this, unless you've been present through all the different incarnations, isn't it an impossible question to ask. I thought initially current DJs, but I don't know what the wheel and Torch DJs had to offer, and what sort of atmosphere they were able to create.

Winnie:-)