Norman Jay (Notting Hill, London) is an innovative and pioneering British DJ. He first came to prominence playing unlicensed or 'warehouse' parties in the early 1980s, such as Shake 'n' Fingerpop. His diverse and deep musical knowledge and his refusal to be restricted to playing from any single genre distinguishes him from his peers. He has an ongoing radio show on regional station BBC London, and present his Funk Factory series on BBC Radio 2 which goes out every 6 weeks of the year.
Norman established himself through the London pirate radio station Kiss 100, which he co-managed alongside Gordon Mac and George Power. Kiss 100 was launched in 1990 and Norman's show became legendary, and he soon joined Gilles Peterson at his label Talkin' Loud.
His Good Times Sound System, which he started with his brother Joey, is a major attraction to many music fans who attend the two day August bank holiday Notting Hill Carnival . Good Times now attracts an estimated 3,000 revellers a day during the carnival.
Norman describes himself as a house music DJ, but the Good Times concept includes classic 70s and 80s funk, soul and Jazz-funk, previous carnival tracks have typically included Estelle's 1980; and tracks featured in recent radio shows have included Billy Griffin's Hold Me Tighter In The Rain and more contemporary tracks in the form of Heavy's track Wonderlove.
The BBC website describes his music as "the cream of 70s disco with the latest club anthems." Meanwhile the Good Times brand has extended into a series of compilation CDs.
Norman was one of 20 DJs who played one track each at the 2005 BBC Worldwide Awards which produced three specials for BBC Radio 1 over Christmas and New Year, hosted by Gilles Peterson.
He is an established regular at the Big Chill festival, where his Sunday afternoon slot on the main stage is widely regarded as one of the highlights of the weekend.
Norman Jay is also a dedicated Tottenham Hotspur football supporter and was awarded the MBE for services to music in 2002.
Gwen Guthrie
The last time I spoke with Gwen was over the phone in 1990, when she was celebrating the release of her "Hot Times" album with those wonderful Brian Jackson productions "Sweet Bitter Love", "Say It Isn't So" & "Hot Time In Harlem". This time she was in London, resting briefly at The Mariott in Swiss Cottage (formally the Holiday Inn) , before commencing rehearsals for a show at Le Pallais in Hammersmith.
Her circumstances had changed since our last discussion, primarily the focal point of her recording career which had moved from just outside her New Jersey home to right here in London.
"It all started with a phone call", reflects Gwen, following a tale or two about how things hadn't been working out too well at Reprise/Warner Bros.
"Sly Dunbar called and said he needed me in London, there and then. He was working with Erskine T on the production of a Maxi Priest album and, wanted me to come over and take care of all the backing vocals. Because of my relationship with Sly I came straight away and got deeply involved in backgrounds and vocal arrangements.
Just prior to my trip to London I had laid down the foundations to my production company/label Hot Times but, while working on Maxi's album, I was contacted by a UK distributor which wanted to invest money in the company, to put an album together on me. Quite honestly it was an offer I couldn't refuse and, I started work straight away, firstly on the single "You Never Really Cared", and a remake of "Rent" for a B- side.
"In New York they still play "Rent", as if it were a new record, so it seemed harmless fun to do it again, especially as the lyrics are still so relevant, and times still so serious,"
"As I proceeded with the album, I did have to ask myself whether working as an independent was really what I wanted, especially as I was getting calls to get involved with another major label. But to be honest, I decided that this route was something different and would at the very least, be an invaluable learning experience.
"Things are much harder in the music business, you've got A&R men at major labels who don't come from a particularly musical orientated background and, make some incredibly strange decisions, then you've got to battle for a budget to promote your releases. My last album came out the same time as Prince, Quincy Jones and Al. B Sure and I felt ignored.
"You've got to look at different ways to survive, and being independent could be one way that works for me".
GWEN'S new album has been produced jointly in New York and London, with the help of Sly Dunbar, but this particular visit was purely for promotional purposes, for both the single and album "You Never Really Cared", which is now ready for release (on the Hot Times Label via Jet Star/EMI).
I've had a great deal of fun, especially up in Warringtonat a club called Mr Smiths. I performed the record up there for DJ Kev Edwards who teased me a little just before I went on. In return, on learning it was his birthday, I called him to the stage and got the audience to sing him Happy Birthday before opening a bottle of champagne and christening him John The Baptist, as it soaked him!" Poor Kev is still recovering (bless him).
Shortly Gwen will go home and prepare for her return visit in October, when she will be doing some live shows with an English band at the Town & Country Club in Kentish Town. She'll also be devoting some time to her children's theatre company which she both runs and supports.
"I nearly lost my house over it once! It seems all the money I make, I spend on the theatre, something I've been involved with since I got my BA in children's education
"There are so many kids with talent out there, and it's no good sitting around waiting for a grant to get programmes going. I don't make money with this, but it's worth it just to see the smiles on their faces. (RT B&S)
For nearly three decades, pint sized, soul-stirring songstress Teena Marie has been an undeniable force in contemporary pop and R&B. Singer, songwriter, accomplished producer and arranger – she’s captured the hearts and spirits of millions of fans around the world with her versatility and style. Her star-status was reaffirmed with her triumphant return to the limelight after a ten-year hiatus in 2004 with the critically acclaimed and commercial success of La Doña. Now, ready to deliver her 13th album, Sapphire, (not counting numerous compilations), her second Cash Money Classics/Universal Motown Records release serves as more evidence that the passionate vocalist has never been in better form.
The four time-grammy nominated singer (her given name is Mary Christine Brockert) who grew up with a strong African-American influence from her godmother has been blessed with the ‘gift of music’ since early childhood. The Santa Monica, California native still has vivid memories of being raised on a diet of ‘pure’ Motown. Incredibly, she could sing Harry Belafonte by age two – fine-tuning her self-professed “Gift from God” throughout her wondrous career, including the heart wrenching sessions that made up the inspiring Sapphire.
Never afraid to forge personal heartbreak into awe-inspiring music, the sudden passing of Teena Marie’s lifelong mentor and friend Rick James in 2005 served as a touching backdrop for the evocative new album. Their often tumultuous, always fertile relationship served as a catalyst once again, for Ms. Marie, as she put pen to paper and recalled the indescribable experience of working with such a creative force of nature as Rick James. “I really couldn’t deal with my pain and I think that God intervened. Actually, I felt like Rick was with me writing.” Titled after an unreleased Rick James tune of the same name about the history of African-American women, Teena Marie also notes that the effusive Rick James would often refer to her as 'his sapphire.'
Her creative muse was also stirred by her relationship with her 14-year old daughter Alia Rose, who appears throughout Sapphire. Ms. Teena describes their musical relationship with her daughter comparable to Eddie and Gerald Levert, calling Alia ‘mini me’. Says Teena Marie: “When we sing together in harmony you can’t tell us apart. It’s like the whole family thing, there’s something so magical about that.”
With guest appearances by Smokey Robinson, Kurupt and Gerald Albright, the creation of Sapphire became a true family affair. As a member of first generation Motown, Smokey Robinson was Teena’s silent mentor and idol before she was even signed to the label. Collaborating with the legend for the first time on “God Has Created” and “Cruise Control,” the result is potent musical chemistry. “Smokey is just so brilliant. I just had to sit back, relax, and watch a master do his thing.”
Being the first R&B artist to rap and sing on her own records, Teena Marie has contributed much to the world of hip-hop. Kurupt, his wife Gail Gotti and her sister Queen all lend their talents to the new album, with Teena referring to them fondly: “They’re like my grown kids.” Intrigued by the rap-sung-spoken word combination, Teena Marie wrote the rhyme Kurupt performs on “Baby Who’s Is It,” while Gail Gotti and Queen do their own thing on “Ladies Choice.”
Teena Marie’s storied journey to music superstardom blazed a path of musical empowerment admired by artists from all genres. Signed to her dream label – Motown Records - at age 19, her magic would become fully developed under the tutelage of the legendary Rick James. Her 1979 debut Wild And Peaceful, produced by James, garnered a #8 R&B single with “I’m A Sucker For Your Love.” One year later, her second and third albums, Lady T and Irons in the Fire produced the hit classics “Behind The Groove” and “I Need Your Loving” respectively. Ms. Marie also took creative control of her projects by this time, and in 1981, released the platinum selling It Must Be Magic which featured the up-tempo “Square Biz” and slow jam “Portuguese Love.”
But, there would also be bumps in the road for the savvy writer/producer/arranger. In 1982, Motown sued Teena Marie for breach of contract after she informed the label that she no longer wanted to perform; in turn, Ms. Marie filed a countersuit and won. The landmark decision resulted in a monumental artists’ rights initiative known as “The Brockert Initiative,” - placing strict limitations on the length of artist/company contracts.
After winning the lawsuit, Teena Marie signed to Epic Records (1983), and went on to record five more albums throughout the late eighties and early nineties, including Starchild and the hit single “Lovergirl” and Naked to the World which features one of her seminal hits, “Ooo La La La.” Ms. Marie independently released Passion Play on her own Sarai Records in 1994, but it wasn’t until ten years later that she would again share her talent with the world. As the sole artist signed to Cash Money Classics, the subsidiary of New Orleans rap entity Cash Money Records, Teena Marie released the successful La Doña in 2004, which yielded the grammy nominated #1 hit “Still In Love.”
Forever young, Teena Marie is now more focused than ever: “What I think they [the listener] will feel is the sincerity of the lyrics. The younger people, I think will get to hear what we [Rick James & Teena] were and more of who I am.” “I’m most proud professionally, of the legacy I've been able to create through my music.”
“I also still get a charge when I see all those faces out there during a live performance. Faces that have looked back at me and touched me the way I hope I've touched them. That feeling shines as bright as any gem.”
Paul Nice
It was 1982 when Paul cut up a record for the first time (Jimmy Spicer's The Bubble Bunch) and 20+ years later he's still at it. Hailing from Poughkeepsie, NY (but also claiming the Bay Area as his second home), Paul made a name for himself in the indie hip hop scene during the last half of the 90's - producing and remixing the likes of Biz Markie, the Beastie Boys, Lord Finesse, AG, Masta Ace, Guru (Gangstarr), Talib Kweli, Black Thought (The Roots), Greyboy, Sharon Jones, Quantic, Nightmares On Wax, The Dap Kings, Mark Ronson, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Rasco, Planet Asia, Foreign Legion, Grand Agent, Abstract Rude, Swollen Members, San Quinn, Noble House, Jamalski (BDP), Lady Kier (DeeeLite) and Eek-a-Mouse among others. The general masses caught wind of Paul through a few critically acclaimed underground mix CDs like Breaks For Days & Soul On The Grill. He's also found fans among the turntablist elite like Q-Bert, Babu & Rob Swift with his world renown Battle Break series "5 Fingers of Death" as well as his "Drum Library" series utilized most famously by Kanye West and Common. When not touring the worldwide DJ circuit, Paul is hard at work in the studio putting the finishing touches on his long awaited debut album "Nice One", on UK label Antidote (a subsidiary of Sanctuary Records), scheduled to drop in early '07.
Teena Marie
