Danny,
describe your personality:
Compassionate, loving, considerate, adventurous, sexy and at some
times mischievous.
What's
your first memory of music and when it became important to you?
My early memories of music were at family parties; my family are
a very close-knit unit and the Christmas parties will always stay
in my memory. There would probably be about 40 people in my grandmother's
house; she had a rather large record player at the time. They would
all bring their records; there would be the two generations, and
play music all night and dance and drink and have a great time.
That's where I was really introduced to music.
Did
you feel an urge to perform: to grab the record and stick it on?
Well we were encouraged to put a record on; the records we liked,
it was part of it, the children were encouraged to share in that
party, which is important as a family unit.
Are
your brothers and sisters into music as well?
My brother; no, sadly he's got great talent as a drummer but he
didn't pursue that career path unfortunately. He is a fantastic
drummer and he had a drum kit at a young age. I used to beat myself
up that I couldn't play with his rhythm and timing.
Did
you ever try singing?
No I didn't! I recognised that at a young age when I was in the
choir.
What
was the first record you bought?
The one that really sticks out is 'Stoned Love' by The Supremes
on Tamla Motown.
Who
were your music and fashion icons at the time?
David Bowie and Marc Bolan, they where the fashion/ music icons
at the time, closely followed by Gary Glitter! With his sound I
really liked that large stadium sound and the heavy 4/4 drum-beats
behind it and the chanting in those productions back then.
Were
there any Soul influences at the time?
Most definitely! The Supremes and The 4 Tops, they were the influences,
later followed by the Jackson 5. That whole era of Motown was a
strong influence in terms of black music. I loved that. That was
my introduction to Soul. I grew up through that period, the golden
era of Soul music with Tamla Motown, following on from Stax and
Atlantic.
Would
you consider those your favourite labels?
Motown I would say, yes, in the early years Tamla Motown: number
one label. And Atlantic.
What
did you do for a living before you became a DJ?
I left school pretty early because it was just around the time of
Punk in the UK. It was anarchy in the UK, you know, quit your jobs,
do what you want. It was DIY culture. I’m in an apprenticeship
at college, I don’t need this shit!
What
were you doing at college?
I was an apprentice Carpenter, and I was terrible at it! I had an
Uncle who was very much into building, he said this is the career
path to take; you’ll never be short of any money.
First
gig you went to?
I don't know. I used to go to the Marquee a lot and the Croydon
Greyhound. I used to go and see Siouxse and the Banshees, The Clash,
The Ants, Generation X, Chelsea, The Buzzcocks, I saw all those
bands. We used to go to a club in South London called The Crystal
Palace Hotel at 15 and a half years old.
You
must have been celebrating Disco for a while.
I was yes. I was buying records like Sydney B, One Love, T-Connection,
Do What You Wanna Do, those records stand out, also Cerrone, Cocomotion
and Dan Hartman. So I had a Disco period then, and a Reggae period.
Through listening to the radio and from the youth clubs we used
to hang out before being able to get into a club. And just through
the connection of friends. I collected records from the age of maybe
8 or 9 so it developed over those years and heightened into the
teenage years.
Where
did it go after Punk then?
It went from Punk into Mod and it became far too violent.
So
after that there was the Ska influence.
That's were the whole Mod thing emerged from. The bands had a more
Soulful influence to them, there was a lot of live music on that
scene as well as DJs. I found the combination of DJs and live music
really interesting.
How
did it change into dance music?
One of the friends I met though that scene was working at a bar,
he said they need a DJ. He knew I had a lot of records. I said yeah,
I’ll come along and play some records on a Tuesday night, I
got £8. In Gillies in Bermondsey, it was a piano bar, a glitzy,
swishy South London bar.
I
guess that was your first break!
It was! Yes I was my first break, playing in the broom cupboard
for 8 quid. I was hooked, I am now playing records to the public
here, I'm not just opening my windows at home. I'm now playing music
in a venue, which is something I had aspired to for quite a few
years. I seized the opportunity immediately. Thereafter that work
developed; I got more nights in that place and then some of the
other bars in that area.
Is
that where you got bitten by the bug to be a DJ?
Most definitely so, yeah. I had had that lying within for many years.
I was a burning passion for many years. That was my opportunity
to play music and get paid for it, which would therefore enable
me to buy more music, it escalated from there.
Was
that a viable career aspiration at the time?
Yes, it's what I wanted to do. From radio, and going to clubs and
looking at DJs from a young age.
What
was the catalyst for Shoom, were you looking to the House music
coming out of the US?
I danced with 500 people in Amnesia. That was my introduction to
House music. I went to Ibiza on holiday with Oakenfold, Holloway
and Jonny Walker and the stage was set. I was aspiring to be a DJ
but the doors were closed in leading up to that. There was no way
to become a DJ on any of London's cool scene like the Warehouse,
Rare Groove, Funk, Special Branch or the Soul scene. That's why
I went to America, I had always wanted to go there. I stayed there
for a year, I returned and that trip to Ibiza was the turning point,
that's where everything became complete and clear to me. I learned
a lot of promotion techniques through Nicky Holloway and a lot about
being a DJ through him. I had this major, burning, desire, ambition
and passion to become a DJ due to a car accident which fuelled my
zest for life.
So
you went for it?
In every sense of the word! Then going into Amnesia and having the
whole experience there of what was going on in Ibiza at that time,
which was a legacy of the Paradise Garage in New York. Amnesia had
close links with the Paradise Garage both in terms of its music
policy and some of the clubbers and people that frequented the Garage,
a very international, cosmopolitan crowd and the wildest atmosphere
I have ever experienced in a club, it was just incredible! Open-air
environment, under the stars, huge sound system and the most amazing,
eclectic mix of music played by an Argentinean mentor - Alfredo.
I knew after that night this was my opportunity to become a DJ.
What
did it feel like to be one of the people who kicked dance music
off in the UK?
I am eternally thankful and grateful that I was there at the forefront
of it all in '87 at least with a handful of other people that were
connecting this music to a wider audience and sharing it with a
wider audience.
Who
was around at the time?
Jazzy M and Steve Jackson were on radio, Colin Favor, who was a
major hero of mine at the time, Ian B, Lawrence Batchelor and Mark
Moore spring to mind.
So
you guys were paving the way for everything.
In our own way, yes. Colin Favor was playing on Kiss, I was playing
on Kiss also. Colin also played at Pyramid and Jungle. Those clubs
used to be the venues we would go to, to hear House music. Colin
was a real favourite of mine as a DJ, I really loved his style.
I also used to listen to Jazzy M's show.
Did
anyone start any rival clubs at the same time as you opened Shoom?
At that time Clink Street, emerged, about a year after we opened
The Fitness Centre, in about '88. It was an unlicensed venue of
course, in Borough on the south bank on the Thames. They opened
an after hours there so people could party there until midday. It
was a little bit rough round the edges at times, some nights it
would be cool and other nights it would be a bit too edgy, but this
was in quite a hard part of South London at the time, and there
wasn't much of a door policy.
What
were the right reasons to come along?
To come along and party and share in this music, and become part
of this free state which existed within those four walls. It was
very limited - 300 people, after a few months there was 1000 people
in the street outside. All kinds of things went down in there.
Anything
you want to describe?
There was a lot of sex going on in the club, behind the DJ booth.
There was a lot of nocturnal pursuits; it was very chemical at times!
There was this underlying sense of unity, that's what I was pushing
through the music, and my approach to life and how I was feeling
about life. Having this great opportunity to at last play the music
that I love and adore so much to the most fantastic crowd of people;
open minded, freespirits that were all in a sense connected.
Can
you name check a couple of people outside of music who helped to
bring that whole scene together?
Patrick Lilly and Jack Kay, they were partners in a public relations
company. Mark Moore was very much at the forefront.
Were
you a good DJ at the time?
The first few months I could barely put two House records together.
I had been playing Soul and Funk before that so I didn't need to
mix, this was a different ball game. I think it's a continual process;
you will never be totally happy with it, you can always go the extra
mile. In the early days I was coasting it a bit, but it was about
the vibe, the vibe was carrying it. So no, I wouldn't say I was
skilful in any way in terms of mixing records, but in terms of playing
to the crowd and keeping the excitement going, yes, that’s
certainly something I had experience at.
At
that time did you realise you were going to be part of this complete
musical revolution in youth culture?
I did when I came back into England and started Shoom. We took influences
from Ibiza and inserted those into a London experience. Shortly
after, with 1000 people queuing outside the door you knew this was
special. Within a few months it had gone from a hundred people to
thousands and thousands of people in the summer of '88. That was
the first summer of love. That was an incredible period to live
through, in terms of youth culture. It’s hard to replay it
and say it in words, but living through that experience I guess,
was comparable to living through the '60s hippy experience to a
certain degree.
Was
that the time when you really started to become well known as a
DJ?
The summer of '88 was when I started to get guest spots; at Heaven
nightclub, I opened the first night at Rage, and the first Sunrise
at Wembley film studios where I later put Tony Humphries on. I also
played on some of the Boys Own things and some smaller underground
things going on in London. This was still ahead of the massive raves;
they followed in '89 really.
How
much of a part did you play in Rave culture, after Shoom?
People like Carlton Hater, who were involved with the Rave scene,
were at Shoom and really capitalised on what we were doing there.
They took elements of that and commercialised it and sold it at
a high price, to the public. I didn’t play on any of those
big Raves because I was against the commercial aspect of it; the
high ticket prices. Looking back I should have played on one of
them, I was offered the chance to play on most of them at that time
but I declined out of principle. It was just the way it was presented
and handled, we had our priorities and we stuck to them.
What
happened for you after Shoom and Rave?
The travelling DJing started to develop nationwide in '89. The first
gig I did out of London was at the Hacienda at the end of '88, with
Mike Pickering. At that point when Manchester was really going off,
it was as friendly as London was. The Hacienda was a great room
to play in as well fantastic monitors, great sound system, very
New York.
You
were working really hard, and things got on top of you.
Yeah, in that period of time I had a very dark couple of years.
My long-term marriage broke down, I had this strong love and solid
partnership and it just disintegrated. That was a lot to take. I
went into destructive mode. I was running myself into the ground.
I would go out and play at a club, then party until Monday morning
at ten o'clock, try and recover for a few days and then do it all
over again, and then have all the stress of a divorce going on as
well. I burned myself out completely. That was a very dark time
in my life. I would never like to experience a period like that
ever again in my lifetime.
A
lot of people are doing that whole boom bust thing every weekend.
Well I was going out thinking it was going to eradicate all the
problems with my personal life and relationship, and it had the
complete opposite effect.
Where
is your spiritual home, musically?
In terms of Ibiza; Pacha. It always has been, I've played the other
clubs but Pacha is the one were I feel most connected and comfortable
in.
Will
Pacha be featuring for you this summer?
Yes two gigs; Saturday July 30th with David Morales for Def Mix,
I shall be doing the last set and the Ibiza DJ Awards, the party
that follows that will be my last Ibiza gig actually.
What
was it like being one of Radio 1's main representatives for such
a long time?
In terms of playing on Radio 1, I fully understood my role; I was
there to platform music, and that is solely what I did. I sacrificed
opportunities worldwide, as I was contracted to be live every week
apart from one or two shows a year. I lost seven years when everything
was at its peak, when my contempories were travelling the world
and raising their profile on the international stage. But in terms
of pushing new music, that's what I endeavour to do, week in week
out on Radio 1. I returned to my roots, and continued playing Funky,
Soulful 128 BPM House, and really contributed to the sale of those
records. It was a peak-time show that brought a lot of new listeners
who might not have otherwise heard that sound. I feel happy that
I reached that level of radio broadcasting, from being on a pirate
station and not being able to string a sentence together, to going
to the top of the tree and presenting a slick show.
Do
you think you will be as passionate about your next project as you
are about music, and will you work as hard?
I'm gonna have to work twice as hard with the next project! Whatever
I do, I do it with a fierce passion. This is something is have been
preparing myself mentally for a few years, and sowing the seeds
for future projects and I love it dearly, as much as I have loved
the beginning of House music. There are parallels with my motivation,
my passion, my desires and ambitions also.
I’ve always had a real passion for food. When I was thirteen
I had a diary and all it consisted of was what I ate for the whole
year! It's also a people-led business it's very expressive and creative.
It’s also incredibly demanding, but then from an outside point
of view the role of the DJ may look like a piece of cake! The hours
are very long in the restaurant world, but the hours are very long
in transit and working through the night in the DJ world. I’m
looking forward to being based as a team rather that a solo operator,
because on the road it can get very lonely. I'm at a point in my
life where I have a family and it’s about being part of a team.
There is so much to learn. I'm 43 and I've been constantly thinking
about this, I've been living a life as though I am having an affair
with food. I'm tied into this strong love affair with music, and
then I've got the food thing going on as well.
Now
that you've made the decision to retire, how does it really make
you feel?
Happy and sad. There's no question about it, I'm going to hear a
piece of music and it will bring a tear to my eye, and the last
gig I do will be highly emotional, content, strong and excited at
the same time.
How
would you like to be remembered in Dance music history?
I certainly have played a role of being out there at the end of
the night on the dance floor enjoying it with the crowd. I've never
been one of those DJs who went to the gig took the money and cleared
off home. I didn't treat it 100% as a business, that's also added
to this change as well. I got paid well, maybe not to the level
of some of my contempories, but that's irrelevant, we're all on
different levels, I'm content from what I made from this scene.
I've lead a great lifestyle, whether it was dancing to Erick at
Ministry, Tony Humphries at Zanzibar or Frankie Knuckles at the
Sound Factory.
So
you really were an integral part of the scene.
I was absolutely obsessed with the scene. I lived the life to the
full. The whole scene was my life.
Having a child dramatically changed all that. The changes began
when I left Radio 1 and then shortly after becoming a father, I
accepted that, but now I still love to party. I had a good dance
at Underdog on Sunday, I nearly returned to my old ways at midnight,
my wife said we've got to go. Before I would stay for three more
hours, but not now, you've got a son you have to go!
I
think you have eventually grown up!
I have, and I'm enjoying it. I've got into my forties and it's taken
a lot to accept that I am now approaching mid life and accepting
your age and your responsibilities. I accept them 100% and commit
myself to them. For a couple of years at thirty nine I was in complete
denial of going the other side forty and was quite confused by it
all, and sad that I was letting go of my youthful, rebellious side!
It was hard to say goodbye to that, being torn between the two worlds
of responsibility and hedonism!
I'm enjoying my age; there is a lot to enjoy and a lot still to
experience.
When
you become a father you become a man, before that you are a kid!
I'm certainly not going to stop dancing, I love music. I'm not going
to stop going to Ibiza, a lot of my friends have houses there, I
may have to take a year away to disassociate, to stop too many memories
getting in the way. But I will still go, and I will still dance
to my favourite DJs who will still be playing there.
I
get the feeling we haven't seen the last of
Rampling!
-
- - - -
DJ
TESTOMONIALS
Nicky
Holloway - "As a DJ and friend I would like to award
Danny Rampling 5-Michelin stars. Who knows, this time next year
we might all be doing the same for his restaurant".
Todd
Terry - "When it comes to dance music few have done
as much to promote the scene as Danny Rampling."
Carl
Cox - "One day I was playing for Ben & Andy the
Boiler house crew on a Tuesday night in Kingston at a very Ritzy
Club and I played Acid house music in 1988. Danny was there and
he came up to me and ask me if i would like to play at a new club
called Shoom in a fitness centre and bring your sound system as
he heard it was mine was quite good at the time and I said yes I
would love to. Now for me this was great because Danny was the only
man ever! To believe in me and my music and gave me the chance to
play music he at the time believed in to and as we all know that
history was made there and then".
Erick
Morillo - "he was one of the first British DJs to
support me and soulfull house as well".
Louie
Vega - "Thank you for the decades my friend. You are
a Master".
Paul
Oakenfold - "I've known Danny since the beginning
of his DJ career – he’s always added a creative edge
to clubbing, and is a hard worker, relentless in his belief in music".
DANNY RAMPLING – BREAK FOR LOVE IS RELEASED
ON 17TH OCT 05 BY DEFECTED RECORDS
TRIPLE PACK MIXED CD + DJ FRIENDLY DOUBLE PACK VINYL |
