Danny Rampling interview 2005
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 Ms 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!
End of interview
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Article by: Defected