Influences: Ashley Beedle

The first track that has had a massive impact on me would be ‘You & the Music’ taken from Donald Byrd’s 1975 ‘Places & Spaces’ LP. The whole album has been a constant since my teens – I bought it at Greensleeves record shop up the Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush in London. The production by the Mizzell Brothers, the stellar line up of musicians and the glistening trumpet of Donald Byrd makes each track a joy to listen to. ‘You & The Music’ is the standout production for me – with that beautiful drum intro at the beginning – a break to die for!

My father Colin Beedle along with my mum, Oslyn brought different influences into my life early on. My dad was anything from Bach to Big Youth and my mother was Al Green, gospel, music from the Caribbean, spooge, calypso….I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be in the music industry where I am now. It was fantastic being in my household – one day you’d be listening to James Brown and the next day it would be Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and after that, Big Youth’s ‘Dreadlocks Dread’ album. The impact on me was hard – just massive. One of my first purchases was Sparks 7” ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both of Us’ – bought from a greengrocers in Harrow Road – fruit & vinyl – you couldn’t make it up!

My apprenticeship in DJing began in the Soundsystem culture in London where I began as box boy and ‘cheerleader’ with Wembley sound, Stateside. We would travel around London and have clashes with outfits like Sovereign Roadshow in Luton and if I remember rightly, Norman Jay & his brother Joey – GT Sound which became ‘Good Times’. I progressed onto Shock Sound System and along with the Zepherin brothers, Dean & Stanley, our MC Ricardo de Force (RIP), Paul Denton & Cecil Peters, we became the 1st Sound System to play House at Notting Hill Carnival. They were Incredible days – literally tearing it up at Powis Square for a few years, learning the trade of DJing, reading crowds, selecting – when we dropped sounds like Public Enemy ‘Rebel without a Pause’, NWA ‘Express yourself’ – you have never seen scenes like it – people literally went mad!! But the sound that reminds me most about those time is Adonis No Way Back

As a result of being involved with Carnival and being immersed in the diversity of the Sound System culture, I hooked up with Eddie Jones – I was going out with his sister Susie at the time, and we produced my first track ‘Physic Vitamins’ https://youtu.be/Bnd3mxhLAoQ. But what I would call my first ‘proper’ production was a Shock collaboration with Dean Zepherin and Paul Denton (both on cover of 12”) called ‘Give me back your love’ by Boyz in Shock ft Carol Leaming – which featured a Marshall Jefferson remix and credited by many as the first UK Garage track.

In the 90’s, there were a sleuth of producers who had a massive impact on me – Masters At Work, Frankie and Kevin Hedge & Josh Milan aka Blaze – l loved their productions and I was blessed enough to become involved with Blaze via a phone call from A&R at the UK label, Slip & Slide. My remix of their track, ‘Breathe’ was a distinct homage to Earth, Wind & Fire. No ego intended, it’s one of my favourite remixes.

There have been particular US cities and their musical output that have influenced me. The first is the City of Brotherly Love – The Sound of Philadelphia – Philly – Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff – huge. This lead to myself and Rob Mello forming the Black Science Orchestra in the early 90’s. Our track ‘Where Were You’, which was championed by Frankie Knuckles, was based on the Trammps – ‘Where were you when the lights went out’ – Norman Jay found the original track for me in Cheapo Cheapo Records in Rupert St, Soho and the rest is history!

Chicago House was a MASSIVE influence, not just for me but for a lot of UK producers. I listened, stuck it in the UK blender and created my own take on it. It’s one of the later tracks – Ten City ‘Whatever makes you happy’ with the strings, horns, pounding beat and soaring vocals of Byron Stingly backed up by Herb Lawson and Byron Burke, all masterminded by the Maestro, Marshall Jefferson – here’s the David Morales NYC remix – what’s not to like?

Detroit – home to Derrick May and Carl Craig – I looked up to them for their groundbreaking productions. For me, the astonishing ‘Strings of Life’ inches it. When I heard it, it was like being hit with a truck – economical electronic business, minimal and yet so danceable. Life would never be the same after this! Watch Derrick and Carl perform it live.

The most notable cinematic moment that blew me away was the scene from ‘Flash Dance’ with one of the Rocksteady Crew dancing in the park to Jimmy Castor Bunch ‘It’s Just Begun’ – forget about the rest of the film – I sat through it five times just to watch that scene!! I finally tracked down the 12” to Power Records in Green Lanes – released on the Dutch label Ramshorn. On the same record buying spree, I also bought the bootleg of Double D & Steinski (Lessons 1, 2 & 3 – Lesson 3 featured here) https://youtu.be/OMEVqCz8mNw. Although I was ‘aware’ of hip hop’, it was still in my line of peripheral musical sight and it was Jimmy Castor that brought it into focus.

If I had to go for one Frankie track (and that’s a tough choice) – a lot would go for ‘Your Love’ – it’s one of his Director’s Cut remix with Eric Kupper of the magnificent Holly Johnson’s ’Follow Your Heart’. It took my breath away the first time I heard it and it’s the combination of Holly’s vocals and Frankie’s touch along with Eric’s that makes this a very rare and beautiful song – an inspiring, uplifting masterpiece which sends me into raptures every time I play it out. This is what music is about and all praises due.