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Is there ever any circumstance that a specific DJ owns rights to DJ with a record?
For example, at the last Jacks at the start of the night I asked Ady if he was going to play his Nancy Wilcox "Gambler's Blue's" acetate that only he and I have copies of, as if he was not would it be ok for me to play it. Of course this was the right thing to do given the history of the record and my huge respect for him. Ady said he wasn't planning on it so it was perfectly ok for me to play it if I wanted to.
All very nice, gentlemen enjoying the night, the DJing and each others company.
That example is very black and white IMO.
Another example:
A DJ plays bootlegs of Mello Souls and the Primers amongst others. The said DJ is well respected on the scene and most of the people dancing do not even question what he is doing, after all why should they suspect he is DJing with bootlegs? Should this be allowed? Should the records be removed from the decks by people who realise what is going on especially if there are people in the room who own the originals of the records?
I think that example is pretty black and white as well. It doesn't matter who you think you are, you can't be playing bootlegs at northern soul events and I think there is a case there for militant action against the offender. Maybe I should say who it is?
Are there greyer areas?
For example, somthing like Johney Howard. Of course a bit of an oldie. But I think most people on the scene concider it a bit of a Butch play, I think most concider him to be responsible for it becoming a floor packer over recent years. Perhaps tunes like Demanding Man and the Vanguards would be similar tunes. As would Tim Brown being the first to play Jo Jama. Soul Sam was arguably responsible for Ellipsis + Hamilton Movement being what they are, although we all know where they were both played first, but let's not bring other scenes into this... Andy Dyson and Dynamite Exploded are very well assotiated I think, and I wouldn't even bother packing it in my box if I was DJing at the same night as him.
Personally I would not ever concider playing a tune on the same night if a DJ who is associated with a record is DJing, and certainly I would not play the record the set before the DJ assotiated with the record came on. I think it would be concidered a bit rude. I was surprised when Butch played Jo Jama before Tim Brown came on at Prestatyn. Should Tim have taken the record off the deck or spoken to the promoter or taken it in good humour? I think he took it in good humour as he played "Butch's" Johney Howard the next set. And although it was a bit funny, is this a serious issue?
What about if things get a bit darker. Is there ever a case for militant action against a DJ playing an original record like I believe should be used against a DJ playing bootlegs of things like Mello Souls and The Primers?
Is there ever a case for another DJ to remove an original record from the deck while another DJ is DJing with it?
Obviously I'm a bit bored this afternoon, and of course I know what I believe in. I personally would never play a record at the same night as a DJ assotiated with that record is playing at, for my own personal self respect and just because I think it's the 'right thing' to do. But has there ever been a situation in the strange and wonderful world of northern soul where one DJ has removed another DJ's record from the decks proclaiming the record to be "their" record? I'm sure somthing that ridiculous has not ever happenned, has it?