Guest Posted January 2, 2008 Posted January 2, 2008 I heard that on one occasion 'Soul Mafia' DJ Chris Hill played at a Ritz all-dayer in Manchester. Did anyone happen to see him play, I wondered how he went down with the crowd ?
Guest Rich Posted January 12, 2008 Posted January 12, 2008 I heard that on one occasion 'Soul Mafia' DJ Chris Hill played at a Ritz all-dayer in Manchester. Did anyone happen to see him play, I wondered how he went down with the crowd ? I remember him late 70s at Reading - Top Rank???? Can't place if he was on the main-room bill or he was in the Jazz Funk room and came in and took over the stage. A vague memory of him sticking 'Space Bass' on the deck
Guest RobCadiz Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Chris Hill DJ´d at Romeo & Julietts in Oldham at an All Dayer...Colin Curtis also featured if im not mistaken. Me and my mates were there. Great All Dayer from memory....also saw Chris Hill at his residency, The Gold Mine, Canvey Island and at the first 6 Caister Soul Weekenders.....
Guest Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Chris Hill DJ´d at Romeo & Julietts in Oldham at an All Dayer...Colin Curtis also featured if im not mistaken. Me and my mates were there. Great All Dayer from memory....also saw Chris Hill at his residency, The Gold Mine, Canvey Island and at the first 6 Caister Soul Weekenders..... Chris Hill did J/F orientated spots at several locations in the north in the late 70s / early 80s . Good bloke , and believe it or not , very knowledgable about the NS scene . Malc
Mister Fish Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 l was there with Mark Bicknell believe it or not ,think it was Summer 78...When all The Funkys came down to the big-room and started doing the conger to Green Door.... Record on deck was 'Magic Fly' by Space l think.......think they were French.......And Daft Punk owe a lot to them ..and one of the 'northern' dj's broke the record/took it off the deck and threw it away. There were far more 'funkies' in that little room upstairs than the NS boys in the main room.
Mister Fish Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 (edited) Also, a well known dealer was selling a box load of Yvonne Baker 'you didn't say a word' on Cameo Parkway as ''ORIGINALS'' for £5!!! Edited January 27, 2011 by albertfish
manus Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Chris Hill DJ´d at Romeo & Julietts in Oldham at an All Dayer...Colin Curtis also featured if im not mistaken. Me and my mates were there. Great All Dayer from memory....also saw Chris Hill at his residency, The Gold Mine, Canvey Island and at the first 6 Caister Soul Weekenders..... I remember Alex Lowes bringing him up to Durham for a night - I couldn't make it but I did get to the Gold Mine and I was a wee bit disappointed - maybe it was just an off night as there is no doubting the mans pedigree. Cheers Manus
Ian Dewhirst Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 (edited) I was there along with Ian Levine, Colin Curtis, Paul Schofield, John Grant and all the other Northern-based DJ's. We were all expecting (and probably hoping) he'd fall on his arse but happily that wasn't the case. He was great full stop. It was a revelation to be honest. I remember him kicking off with Ashford & Simpson's "Don't Cost You Nothing" with Fred Dove from Warner Bros on the stage and he rocked it all the way through his set. The floor was packed. He also utilsed some gimmicks and sang along to some of the records and it all worked like a dream. A lesson in total professionalism in my view and most of us upped our game after seeing him perform that gig. I had the utmost respect for him after that. A total pro in my opinion. I got to know him personally a bit better some 30 years later and I haven't changed my opinion one iota. One of the greatest live DJ's of our era. Ian D Edited January 27, 2011 by Ian Dewhirst
Guest TONY ROUNCE Posted January 28, 2011 Posted January 28, 2011 I'm sure that I've told the story on here before of taking Mr. Levine to see Chris and his then DJ partner Mike Franz in action at my local pub, the Orsett Cock, in early 1971. If not, I probably shouldn't... But having been entertained by him for nearly 42 years, on and off, I would have to say that Chris Hill is unquestionably the best DJ I've ever had the pleasure of being in the same room with. And that's not just four pints of decent ale talking either. It was largely the enthusiasm that Chris brings to every set I've ever seen him play - and there have been hundreds - that made me want to give DJ'ing a serious go myself. A top man with tremendous taste. If the government can give someone like Norman Jay an MBE then what price a knighthood, at least,. for Chris?
Jerry Hipkiss Posted January 28, 2011 Posted January 28, 2011 I remember him kicking off with Ashford & Simpson's "Don't Cost You Nothing" with Fred Dove from Warner Bros on the stage... Ian D Ah yes, Fred standing behind feeding you new product...memories...a year or so before that I met him for the first time when I covered at short notice for a DJ in a newer, smarter club than the one I usually worked (just around the corner) - Fred turned up and insisted I play this test pressing he had, first time out to a crowd I didn't know. "Who's it by" asks I, "A new outfit called Chic" says he - and the rest, as they say, is history...
Ian Dewhirst Posted January 28, 2011 Posted January 28, 2011 Ah yes, Fred standing behind feeding you new product...memories...a year or so before that I met him for the first time when I covered at short notice for a DJ in a newer, smarter club than the one I usually worked (just around the corner) - Fred turned up and insisted I play this test pressing he had, first time out to a crowd I didn't know. "Who's it by" asks I, "A new outfit called Chic" says he - and the rest, as they say, is history... You mean you hadn't already got it on import Jerry......? How's your sis by the way? She used to pop into EMI in the mid 80's but I haven't seen her since........ Ian D
Guest ritchie Posted January 28, 2011 Posted January 28, 2011 June 77 Silver Jubilee Bank Holiday. Reading- All dayer I remember this event so well, probably something to do with the amount chemicals consumed or breaking up with my girlfriend re the above incident. C.Hill and his minions konga'd down from the small upstairs room to the main hall and proceeded to place himself behind the decks ( cant remember who was playing could have been Brian Rae?) In the spirit of bon homie and brotherly love and blatant self promotion CH started to play MF -Space ( although jazz funk fans have their own take on events, some stating it was Roy Ayres, others Idris Mohammed.( creditability is far more important than the truth.) Not the DJ but an elderly NS fan Mick?(probally in his mid twenties ) removed said record from the deck and dispatched it post haste stating" he hadn't paid 2 quid to listen to that shit":lol: Then ensued the Mexican stand off CH and the Essex hordes departed back to their room in the sky ( should have been well comfortable there as most had traveled from the Lacy Lady & Room at the Top in Ilford, fair enough the R@TT did have a lift) Me and my girlfriend again argued all the way home re NS v Jazz funk and the relevant fashions ( she was at the London college of fashion at the time and weren't avin none of it ) Talk of credibility I brought Lorraine Silver that day and played it twice during a warm up set Most of the above is probably true or not depending who you are, and distant memory is subjective after all. Good night and sleep tight That's right!! Ah memories
Neil Rushton Posted January 28, 2011 Posted January 28, 2011 I promtoted hte Ritz All-Dayer featuring Chris Hill.The date was Sunday February 26,1978. The other DJ's were Ian Levine, Colin Curtis and myself. For some reason I can still vividly remember playing "Heads" - Bob James that day. Chris was superb and went down really well with our crowd. I was very impressed. He thought our sound system was shite! He brought Fred Dove from WEA up with him and I can remember them being stunned when Ian Levine did his spot and olayed "Shame" - Evelyn "Champagne" King. Neither they or anyone else had heard it before, somehow Ian had got an exclusive on what has gone on to be one fo the great classics. Ian and Chris are great mates. Chris played some other Northern based venues, but the Ritz was the first one. The first 100 admissions to the All-Dayer were gvien a free 12" of "Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me" - Peter Brown. The ad says on 12" Disco Disc! Have got to know Chis since ,and he is a great lover of Black Music, and was very close to Dave Godiin from the 60's onwards. Chris gave me some superb quotes/stories for my book "Northern Soul Stories". All The Best, Neil www.soulvation.biz
Eamesy Posted January 29, 2011 Posted January 29, 2011 Not the DJ but an elderly NS fan Mick?(probally in his mid twenties ) removed said record from the deck and dispatched it post haste stating" he hadn't paid 2 quid to listen to that shit":thumbsup: Record was taken off & broken by Cockney Mick - Mick Webb from Slough - never a man to mince his words!!! Alan
Ian Dewhirst Posted January 29, 2011 Posted January 29, 2011 Certainly wasn't Roy Ayres or Idas Mohemmad as l would have danced to them Seem to remember those 2 being massive at Wakefield Unity Hall It was definitely a synthesized instrumemtal... The 12" remix of Crown Heights Affair "Dancin'" by any chance? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSqN5gGde7Y Ian D
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