Mr.Bill Brewster,Grimsby, England - The Official Interview, 2002

Name: Bill Brewster
Age: 43
Sex: Male
Born: Grimsby, England
Location: London, England

1.For the not so clued up person in regards to the world of Black Dance music and music could you tell us how you got started in this game?

I've been collecting music - all kinds, not just black music - for 32 years. Over the last 20 years, I got more involved in dance music, got more and more bored with rock and other styles and began DJing in the last eighties, after a few forays on the decks before that.

My first 'break' in the industry came as a writer for Mixmag 13 years ago, through Nick Gordon Brown, who approached me when I was working for a football magazine called When Saturday Comes.

1a. Who or what had the greatest influence on what you listen to today? 1(a) Was through listen to your parents (Did they have an artists or performer that they constantly kept going on about that influenced you) 1(b) Was through listening at a early age to the Radio to a particular sound or artist 1(c) Was through going to the church (being part of a choir?) 1(d) Or was it by being forced to take musical lessons that influenced your choice?

There isn't one single thing that influenced me. For a start I was eldest in my family, so I didn't have anyone to follow. Also, my family is not particularly into music, so there was no particular encouragement there. I just bought what I liked, which initially was glam-rock and Motown and then got a bit more sophisticated as I got older.

My biggest early influences were John Peel, who introduced me to an enormously wide variety of music (he's still my favourite DJ) and a guy called Roy Bainton, who ran a local music equipment store in Grimsby, but had a vast knowledge of all types of modern music, particularly blues. I was also in the school orchestra.

2. Who was your first musical hero? Was it Artists from the.. Soul area Hiphop scene Rock/Heavy Metal scene Motown, The Sound of Philadelphia or Stax Records artists Jazz artists, Hip Hop Artist. Or just any particular artist?

My first musical heroes were David Essex and Marc Bolan.

3.You go back a few years now. Has your love for Black Dance music diminished over the years. Or is it as bright as ever. Are still enthusiatic about Black dance music?

I am still enthusiastic about all dance music. I don't differentiate between black dance music and dance music made by white people. While I appreciate it is a style largely formulated and created by black musicians, there have always been white artists involved in it, who I admire equally (such as Steve Cropper, for example).

4 Has this passion that you have had for dance music cost you in some ways in the past? (*ie - relationships!!)

Er, no. I'm extremely committed to what I do, and I spend a lot of time looking for new records, but I also appreciate that there are other things in life, too. Such as my wife, for example.

5. Are you a DJ or more of a record collector? If so (you being a Dj) where was your first venue that led you onto to becoming Dj? What did you music style/s did you play at your first gig?

I'd say I'm more of a record collector, though I'd like to think I've become a pretty good DJ. When I look for records, I don't only look for records that I can play on a dancefloor, I look for anything that is interesting. I gradually became a DJ. I don't ever recall a eureka moment where I suddenly decided I was a DJ. My first gigs were in Grimsby, playing a mixture of everything, from the Smiths to Troublefunk.

6. What is it about Djing that makes it special for you. Is it the thrill of seeing someone's face light up when their favourite tune hits the dancefloors, or is it the challenge of trying to get people up from the seats that are really being difficult that night?

The biggest thrill for me is watching people respond to records that they didn't previously know, but have realised that they like (or, even better, love). I love the community feeling of a room full of people sharing the same emotions; that everyone's feeling the same thing.

7. Have you got a Dj residency, or is it a case of freelancing around Djing here and there. What do you play these days. Can you play much about anything or do you specialise into one style?

I'm a monthly resident at Fabric(London), where I've been since the opening Saturday. I'm also monthly resident at WAGG in Paris, Faith in London and Lowlife in London. I also guest regularly in Spain, Scandinavia, Italy, Scotland and elsewhere in England.

If I play Room 1 at Fabric, I play mainly house. If I play Room 3 at Fabric I play a mixture of everything. What I play depends on where I'm playing and varies enormously from gig to gig.

8. Record mixing when Djing. Your technique when playing out. Do you use a style of blending when you playing out; or are you a person who like to jump straight in and out of a track without warning!!! What styles do you like to use when behind the decks? Or do you like to make the tunes do the "talking" instead of blending and chopping styles behind the decks?

It depends what style of music I'm playing and what records I'm playing as to how I would mix them. I've found over the years that as I've become more technically able, I've found myself becoming much less interested in mixing.

There are far too many mediocre DJs out there, who think that 'mixing' is important when it's such a small part of what makes a good DJ. I have to say, I've become almost anti-mixing lately, and it hasn't affected how the records I play are received.

9.As well know this is a website devoted towards Garage and Soulful House music in all its formats.. Are you surprised at the music longevity? Are you a fan of this music?

No, I'm not surprised at its longevity, but I am surprised at how commercially successful it's been for so long. I am a fan of this music and a collector of it.

10.I have been doing a little research with regards to your obsession in collecting Black Dance records. Its estimated that you have over 20,000 records in total. It could be more. Are you claming down these days, or are you still a Vinyl Junkie?

Mmm, well, I don't know how many records I've got (I've never counted them) but I doubt whether it's much over 10,000. I've got one room in my flat, which has wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling record shelves and they're all full, but I couldn't say for certain how many that is!

11."Northern Soul", is the title that more of the experienced music lover and clubber would have heard about on his travels. It is a music that has been written about and reviewed of by most of the music media industry within England for well over the last 20 years now. Did the Northern Soul Scene nurse you more then anything into Black music culture.Or was there another period in Black music history that did?

I flirted with Northern soul when I was younger. When I was at a local FE college in Grimsby, my two best friends Simon and Ross were both into Northern and used to go to the nighters at the Gardens and Pier in Cleethorpes.

I did go a few times and I started buying the bigger, more obvious tunes of the day (Rodger Collins, Esther Phillips, Silvetti), but I was never a proper aficionado in the way that some of my friends were. To be honest, Punk Rock came along in 1976, and I got caught up in that.

12.What was so good about that scene(Northern Soul scene) that is missing from today's Black music scene here in England, or around the world - in your opinion?

I suppose the thing that was great about the Northern scene was that it never became too commercial - save for a few crossover records - and so kept a certain amount of purity to it. Any scene which enjoys commercial success is inevitably going to be compromised in some way, which is why house music is in such a parlous state nowadays.

13. I have got to ask," did you ever get the chance to dance and soak up the atmosphere in various Northern Soul clubs such as the "Torch Club in Stoke", England, the "Wigan Casino" in Wigan, England, the "Mecca Club", Blackpool". Did you ever get to Dj there? Which was your most favourite club if you ever did go?

Sadly, I never went to Wigan or the Mecca. I went to Cleethorpes Gardens and Pier and I used to go the 100 Club (Ady Croasdell's night) in London during the 80s.

14. Changing the vibe I have to ask you a few questions on the book that you helped to write the book called, "Last night a Dj Saved my life". Was this something that you've always wanted to do? What or whom gave you the ideas of writing such a book.

The initial impetus came from wanting to write something that documented the scene in New York during the 60s, 70s and 80s (both Frank and I were living in New York when we met), but we never managed to find a way of doing it. Then our editor suggested writing a history of the DJ, which seemed like such a stupidly obvious thing to do that we couldn't believe that anyone hadn't done it before.

15. You teamed up with Frank Broughton, who helped you to write, "Last night Dj Saved my life". Is this someone that you have known over a long period of your life? Is he a good friend. Or just an associate?

Frank and I grew up very near to each other (he's from Lincoln, I'm from Grimsby, here in England), and we had mutual friends, too, but we only met when we were both living in New York. We've known each other 9 years. He's my best friend, as well as my collaborator, and he was also the best man at my wedding. It's very incestuous, really!

16.What were the most demanding parts of compiling such a book. Was it the sheer time required researching topics such as Disco history or Reggae history? Or was it a case of trying to do the interviews. Were they they most stressful times in making this book come to life?

Although it was hard-work, I don't remember any of it being stressful. It just felt exciting doing it. I loved doing the research, I loved tracking down all these old DJs to interview, and I really loved interviewing them. It was a privilege to be able to tell these forgotten DJs' stories, it really was.

We worked very hard and the last five months, we were doing 12-16 hour days 7 days a week, but it didn't feel stressful at all strangely enough. We knew we were doing something that no-one had done before and that drove us on.

17.Out of all the stories that you came across in making the the book - what story surprised you the most. What made you say, "wow".

Finding out about Jimmy Savile's (*ENGLAND) role in club DJing (he was the WORLDS first club DJ) was pretty bonkers.

18. With the book eventually becoming complete and everything, was it an easy task of finding a publisher? Or did you have to take it to a few before you found Headline books?

It was the other way round. We'd done a book for Ministry of Sound called The Manual through Headline and so they approached us to do this book.

19.Last night a Dj saved my life was released in the year 2000. What was the response like first by the music press, and then the general public. Was it all good?

Actually, it was published in 1999 in the UK and 2000 in the USA (it's also coming out in Japan and Korea this year and Spain next year). The response by the press was really good, with the occasional slagging off, which you have to expect, I think. The response from readers, however, has been amazing. We left an email address in the book and we still get emails today, three years after the book first came out.

20. Are they plans of doing a follow up to the book? Or we going to see you and Frank tackle another aspects within Black/ Dance music in the future?

Well, we've just completed a sort of DJ guidebook called How To DJ (Properly) and we're working on an updated version of Last Night… which will come out in 2006, the centenary of the DJ, which will have extra interviews incorporated and a new chapter.

21.Changing the subject just ever so slightly. Travelling is something that is familiar with you? Are you a person (*If you do do this!!) like to be in Leeds one moment, and say London the next with regards to Djing. Do you like the travelling aspect with regards to this profession?

I like DJing in different places and I love it when I'm there, but to be honest the travelling is a bind and very tiring. Sometimes, you only get an hour's sleep before you have to get up and get a plane somewhere else.

I'm not complaining though, because if you get there and the gig's great, you forget about the boring moments sat in an airport terminal…

22. Have you had the chance to write for Dj magazine/s? If so how long have you been writing, and who for? Is it fun to do, or plain hard work?

I've written for Mixmag for 13 years. I wrote for Muzik from 1996 to 1999. I wrote for Jockey Slut up until earlier this year. I was editor of Mixmag Update from 1993-94 and USA Update from 1994-96. I love writing about dance music. It's fun, not like work at all.

23.Have your ever been asked to do any T.V music shows and various Radio shows within your Djing/ music career? If so with whom?

A few radio shows - Ross Allen in London etc - but no TV.

24. With BBC Radio 1(England) championing the cause of dance music with its Digital Radio station called 1xtra Digital Radio. It has excited everyone now that its up and running. But is this fools gold? Is this only a case of dance music being so "fashionable" that the BBC are panicking and pressurised in putting on these Dance music shows. Or in the case of 1xtra - New Radio stations?

To be honest, I'm not really into having music stations that only play one kind of music. I think it's dreary and limiting and I don't think it does anything to further the cause of racial integration in this country. We've got enough divisions already, without the BBC imposing more.

25. Getting back to the book called "Last Night a Dj saved my life". I read a passage within its pages which states:

"After the 1998, Summer of love period (in England), kids in Britain were firmly enjoying the transcendent rituals on which the US evolution of dance music had been based. They (Usa) finally understood the real power of being a Dj, and in large numbers. Now having conquered Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, the music is spreading back to across the Atlantic. Having forged music more truly universal than anything preceding it. The Dj is arguably a conduit for celebration and commuinication on global scale."

What that reads to me is that Dance culture/Dj culture really exploded when the Uk took to it full heartedly. What is about the Uk, especially as it seems to that WE have taken in all the aspects of Black Dance music? Why have the English gone nuts over it?

I think one of the reasons we've had such a strong club culture here is that up until relatively recently the only places you could hear a lot of the music was to go to clubs.

In the States, they've always had loads of great radio stations that played this music. Pirates didn't really exist much outside of London (apart from the 60s offshore pirates), so there was a genuine need for clubs playing different music to exist.

26.As you well know this a Soulful House and Garage website. Out of all the many hundreds of artists/groups that you have collected and listen through out the years within the Soulful House and Garage musical movement which has impressed you the most. Anyone that keeps coming up in your mind?

I guess I like disco more than anything, partially because it really is the mother of all the modern music we listen to today and also because it has such optimism and there are still 100s of great disco records that are not well known.

27. I have to ask. I ask everyone else here. What are your thoughts on the music known as 2-Step Garage music that is busting out of London? (Artful Dodger, M.J.Cole,Ed Case, etc etc) The music has bulldozed its way into the Garage and House music world. Its the newest hybrid within the music gender. Some people hate it. Some people love it. What are your views on the scene and the music?

I like some of it, I don't like all of it, like most genres, really.

28. Will you be apppearing at next years Winter Music Conference (2003)? It has become the place where once a year Dj's from all over the world prodominently from the Soulful House and Garage World meets up. Will the world see Bill Brewster at the Winter Music Conference for 2003?

No, you won't. I don't go to industry events any more. I'm not interested in being part of the industry. I don't identify with it.

29.What does the future hold for Mr.Bill Brewster. Have you got any more ambitions left in you? Would you like to own your own record label for instance?

Keep writing, keep DJing, keeping doing what I'm doing, hopefully.

30.Lastly but not least. Have you got any advice for any aspiring Record label producer, DJ, Club owner, Music Journalist or Dj/producer within the world of House and Garage music - or Black Dance music in general. Any rules that he should adhere to?

Rules are there to be broken. Do your own thing.

Interview conducted by Carl Brown, Ipswich, England and Bill Brewster, Grimsby, England

All rights of the text and the images belong to Carl Brown and Bill Brewster, both from England.
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