Terry Farley – Influences

Now as a primary school kid I had watched older boys strut around like peacocks in their expensive Wing-tip brogues and Crombie Coats that cost far more than my old man had ever spent on clobber and had discovered the power that dressing the part has when it comes to girls and (probably more important when you’re a nipper) other boys. Suddenly, out of that Suede-head drabness came Adam Faith’s Budgie, a London low-level thief with a great barnet, brushed denim flares from Petticoat Lane and, on the odd occasion, sporting white clogs. Yep.White fucking clogs. He looked the bollocks. Adam Faith’s ‘Budgie’, the bloke I always wanted to be when I grew up.

George came along and became the Funk kids uber-hero. Not just Funk but P-Funk, uncut-funk. In his Chocolate City LP in 1975 he told the world about the day when a Black president would sit in the White House. Him and his crew (inc. Bootsy Collins) wore Fur Boots and star-spangled shades and came onto stage via the Mothership Connection and then did 20 minute guitar solos while hundreds of teenagers stood there with their jaws open. He’s playing London in August and you should all go along and see some cat who’s as old as your grandad but cooler than you’ll ever be.

London DJ from the late 70s and 80s who was the first cat to mix records using turntables he brought back from a trip to NYC at a time when they were unavailable in the UK. He became pals with Larry Levan and learnt how to mix in NY and how important a sense of drama was when playing to a crowd. The sound system he had was respected all over London and hundreds of kids would follow him around on his DJ circuit. A man who every DJ playing in his home turf of East London should know about but sadly most have not got a clue about a real dance music legend who really carried the swing back in the day.

Now my love for Chicago’s Frankie Knuckles will never fade and I doubt there will ever, EVER be another DJ to have such a story BUT there is one man who in London’s eyes came first and that is Tony Humphries from NYC. London in the ’80s shared a bond with NYC. Many London DJs went over to play the city and just as many (if not more) young NY DJs came over here. The one DJ who set the city on fire was Tony Humphries, his 98.7 Kiss FM Mastermix Dance Party NY radio show was a thing of legend and kids would bring back tapes from visits and bootlegs would sell for top dollar. When he played London for Danny and Jenni Rampling it was like a visit from Elvis – he could do no wrong, the crowd adored him and his style of DJing was such that a sub-genre was termed ‘Tony Humphries Sandwich’ for his way of top and tailing big vocal tunes with dubs. Still in the game at the top.

Many years ago when Carl had ‘Throw’ released on the Ministry of Sound’s ‘Open ‘ label (they had a friday Techno night that was amazing around 1990 – 91) Carl played at a all-dayer for Full Circle. After the finish we had a convoy of cars that drove to the closed Ministry in London and Carl and the other kid playing (some kid from Canada via the UK – Richie Hawtin…). Full Circle played mid-Monday morning to about 50 ravers (someone had the fucking keys, don’t ask…) – pure HOUSE AND TECHNO HEAVEN. Since then I’ve always checked his fabulous music. One of the very few dance producers whose music stands up to the likes of George Clinton and whose modern brand of African-American dance music will stand the test of time. In 30 years someone will be writing a blog like this one you’re reading and shouting loudly just how important he still is to the music of 2045.

What can you say about Danny that’s not already been said a million times? A true NY heritage DJ who can hook you in to a groove for literally hours upon end, I once went to a party in Miami where he played for 24 hours non-stop. We were all there at the start, went to bed around 7am came back at 5PM and he had hundreds in the palm of his hands. First saw him DJ in 1992 at a Sunday afternoon Pub (Full Circle) with a big garden and 500 E’d up ravers and loved his passion and desire to find new music ever since.

The Divine Ms H first played for us at Faith in the mid-00s at some gangster run after hours in Central London. Honey is so HOUSE it’s hurtful. A DJ like Danny T who knows how to join the dots of our heritage with the most up-to-date music and culture. The legend is that she is Derrick Carter’s favourite DJ and you can see why! Not only selection and technical skills but that added sense of drama that most DJs simply don’t understand.

1975 and walking down the stairs of Antiquaries market on the Kings Road into the basement for A.C.M.E. Attractions took some bottle for suburban white teenagers. The Reggae blared out loudly, a beautiful shop assistant dressed in rubber with a ’60s Mod Bob barely acknowledged your existence and Don Letts sat astride a ’60s Vespa, his hair in Natty dreadlocks and sporting ’50s style clobber. Don sold us tapes of music that included the likes of Big Youth, Culture and Prince Far I as well as ’50s deadstock shoes and pegged trousers. Don went on to be in one of London’s all time bands for me – Big Audio Dynamite – as well as working with The Clash and becoming a top-notch Reggae DJ who around 10 years ago played for us at Faith alongside Andrew Weatherall at a big Easter party at the much missed Turnmills. Proper Don of Dons.