Music of Black Origin

The man who taught the Hacienda how to dance, New Brighton's Greg Wilson shares the sounds of a very special summer with us in this week's Spotify Sessions...

It was a special night for lots of reasons, not least because it marked what was a triumphant homecoming for Les and a long-overdue appraisal of his contribution to the city’s musical legacy. Many of those in attendance were active within the Liverpool music scenes of the 60’s and the 70’s – there was a real tangible sense of history surrounding the event.

Who do you rate these days?

I like people like The Revenge, Todd Terje and less well known names like Duff Disco, Situation, Leftside Wobble and Cosmic Boogie who are working in a similar area to me, drawing from the past but informing the future via their edits. I feel that we’re at a point in time where there needs to be a connection to the past, but not in a nostalgic way. Music evolves, regardless of when it was first made – it’s all about context and presentation.

Tell us about your ‘living to music’ idea: where did that come from?

Just from reading a piece written in 1967 about how people would sit silently in a room and truly listen to music. This rarely happens now, people chat away or are busy texting, twittering, facebooking, or whatever they might be doing, but not giving their full attention to the music. We take it for granted, but we shouldn’t.

My idea is for people to set aside time to do this, linking up with others, not just in your own homes, or the home of a friend, but as far and wide as the idea travels – the internet allows us to connect together in ways that weren’t possible in 1967, so we should use it in a constructive way, inviting people to share the experience in our separate locations, before re-connecting later online. The listening part is individual, but the overall vibe is communal.

I’d hope it would develop in an organic way with increasing numbers of people sharing the experience as we go along, and branching off to have their own sessions. The main thing is that people set the environment to properly listen, being careful to avoid the distractions that are generally keeping us from doing this. You can read about it more in my blog.

What’s your plans for the summer?

It’s festival season now, so that’s the mainstay of my summer, playing at events like Bestival, Big Chill, T In The Park, V etc…

Will New Brighton ever rise again?

It’s on the rise as we speak. Its Renaissance will work hand in hand with Liverpool – New Brighton has a lot going for it, it’s just been down on its luck.

Greg Wilson’s Summer Spotify Playlist

I find it impossible to do lists of favourite records – there are far too many to choose from. But, speaking of New Brighton, the summer of ’76 was particularly special, so here are a few tunes I was playing at the Chelsea Reach and Penny Farthing during that long hot sun drenched year. Enjoy…

Candi Staton: Young Hearts Run Free
Diana Ross: Love Hangover
Vicki Sue Robinson: Turn the Beat Around
James Brown: Get Up Offa That Thang
Parliament: Tear the Roof off the Sucker (Give up the Funk)
Banbarra: Shack Up
Real Thing: You To Me Are Everything
Isley Brothers: Harvest For The World
Bee Gees: You Should Be Dancing
KC & The Sunshine Band: (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty
Tavares: Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel
Lou Rawls: You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine

Spotify failed us on -

Chi-Lites: You Don’t Have To Go
Brother to Brother: Chance With You
Strutt: Time Moves On

Greg on Soundcloud