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Features
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It’s all gone... yes you’ve guessed it... Pete Tong
Reported by K8-e
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Submitted 11-01-06 20:02
Really a man that needs no introduction, Pete Tong has been at the forefront of the scene since it began. Hosting Radio 1’s The Essential Selection he has been the soundtrack to the clubbing nation’s Friday night for almost fifteen years.
From humble beginnings as a mobile DJ in Kent, Pete’s career grew with the scene. Soon he was working for Blues & Soul magazine and appearing on pirate radio stations and at the same time DJ’ing and running his own club night [Family] Function in Baker Street. After Blues & Soul, an A&R position at London Records saw Pete move to the label as well as a more permanent slot on Kent’s Invitica radio. Then in the summer of ’86 Pete Tong and Nicky Holloway played in Ibiza, a year later Nicky, Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling went out to the white isle, and when they came back they brought Ibiza with them. It was the birth of the house generation. Pete was then snapped up by Capital, keen to broadcast to new found ‘clubbers’ and that soon led on to the creation by Pete of FFRR at London Records. Then in 1991 Radio 1 secured Pete for one of the most influential jobs in the business, broadcasting nationally to the nation’s record buying youth. And the rest, as they say, is history.
It’s not often you get the chance to talk to someone who is literally a household name (if your parent’s aren’t using the rhyming slang, they’ve probably heard of the film) so I was excited to be able to have the opportunity to put some questions to the man himself.
This year it will be 15 years since you joined Radio One in 1991. How does it feel to be a national institution?
Quite humbling, when I first started working in Radio I just wanted to play people some good music (of the non-playlist variety) and make them smile and forget the troubles of the day. Not a lot has changed except for the fact I’ve been lucky enough to hold down the same slot for nearly 15 years on the greatest radio station in the world. If I am in anyway a national institution then I am one lucky f*cker!
How have you kept your show fresh and appealing to new generations where others have fallen by the wayside?
A mad desire for the new and the next big thing and a healthy dose of humility in a sea of great talent... I have always tried to make the other guys the stars!
The Essential Mix has offered such a variety of guests since its inception, who are your personal favourites from the archives and is there anyone you would have liked to see grace the decks that hasn't?
I think back to David Holmes, Sasha and Oakie’s film inspired one. More recently Desyn Masiello and Bob Sinclar. Pretty much every major DJ had done an Essential Mix... I would like to have a studio based mix from Richie Hawtin and it’s a shame we were not around for Larry Levan.
You seem to be embracing the digital revolution — tell me more about Tongcasts?
Podcasting is without question the biggest revolution in the world of Radio since the introduction of the digital box. Arguably it’s already had more impact in a relatively short space of time and it‘s certainly had more press. Radio on demand, capturable and subscribable, it could be making digital radio look a bit like Betamax in a year or two.
To listen to Tongcasts you will need iTunes. Follow this link to install or listen to the latest Tongcast.
You’ve also got a ‘tv style show’ called Fastraxx on the 3 mobile network. How did all that come about and what exactly does it involve?
Again intrigued by a new space to broadcast too. There was no bespoke made-for-mobile content when 3g phones were launched so we thought we should make some!
Back to Radio 1 ‘The Residency’ (championed by yourself) was designed “to ensure Radio 1 continued to champion the most important new dance music genres from the UK, whilst also giving new and emerging talent their first chance to broadcast on national radio.” Looking back, how how successful do you feel the show has been, have any shows proved markedly more popular?
It’s really important that ‘potential’ new ‘specialist’ talent has a place to experiment and be heard, commercial radio in 2005 doesn’t the same opportunities that it for me 20 years ago. ‘The Residency’ on Radio 1 could be the first step on the ladder for these guys. It doesn’t gurantee they get their own show on Radio 1 but it’s a huge opportunity to be noticed.
Originally the show was planned to run for 36 weeks/8 months. As it started in May 2005 we’re nearing the end of that time now. Will the feature continue? Will there be a new crop of djs gracing the decks?
Yes it will continue, we have already announced year 2 (look out for more information on this coming soon) and we are looking to develop the idea further for 2007.
Given the advent of digital radio and the launch of 1Xtra do you think a solely dedicated dance station is the way forward or likely for the BBC?
‘Dance’ might not be the right word... I don’t feel the same need for that as there was for 1Xtra right now. Radio 1 has an excellent selection of specialist programmes that cover most of the bases... and as we have seen from experience a dance station finds it hard to live up to expectation in the commercial world as it has to go to the lowest common denominator during the day to attract the advertisers.
Last month you played at the launch of Pacha NYC alongside Louis Vega and Eric Morillo and you’ve spent the summer in Ibiza as Pacha resident. Evidently a club close to your heart. What was Ibiza like this year and how did it differ being a resident for Pacha this time round?
Last season was my third year of Fridays and the best yet, things take a while to ‘bed in’ in Ibiza. The classics night grew over time and I would like to feel we achieved that by last summer. Next summer, we continue with high quality, high velocity, clubbing, with the best electronica and house we can find together with a healthy does of glamarama...
You released a new Essential Classics CD last month (on Mercury) which was inspired by the reaction you were getting playing some classics on your show each week. Covering fifteen years of anthems can’t have been an easy task, what was the criteria you set for chosing tunes? Will there be a follow on or have you tried to lay a stake in the ground with this cd?
To be honest I probably should have done it sooner. When I saw how great Cream did with their first classics CD using a lot of old FFRR tracks that were not hits at the time, I thought I should really be doing this.... Despite the quantity of classics CDs out there we managed to put together a tracklisting that didn’t feature on any of the big ones during the past few years. I went for true club tunes rather than pop hits... it’s gone down well, I would like to think there will be another!
Early this year you were Executive Producer on the film It’s all Gone Pete Tong. How did it feel to be immortalised (if only in name) in a major film? I hear they actually started out with little more than your name at the beginning?
A great buzz... a real one off. I love film, I love working on music in film, so to have one with your name in will probably never be topped! It started out as a joke at a bar with the producers, but all credit to them, they made their dream come true!
What’s your favourite memory from your time at London/FFRR? (either tune-wise or artist- wise)?
88–90 was the purple patch... we could do no wrong, hot club tunes, Salt N Pepa won a grammy and Shakespear’s sister went to number one in the UK and the USA with ‘Stay’!
Ah, momentarily reliving my youth there..
What’s the most extravagenat rider you have ever seen an artist request (come on don’t hold back!)?
Live pole dancers and a bath tub full of vodka.
Who’s YOUR favourite dj and who are the ones to watch next year?
Demi... Bob Sinclar gets better and better as does Sebastian Ingrosso. James Talk is another fave.
Finally, what does 2006 have in store for Pete Tong?
More new music I hope, some great radio shows and a new TV show or film project... and to master the art of podcasting!
www.petetong.com
The Essential Selection is broadcast on BBC RADIO 1 Every Friday night at 6pm (GMT).
The Essential Mix is broadcast on BBC RADIO 1 Every Sunday morning at 1am.
Both are available to listen to on demand at Radio 1 online via the Listen Again player.
Pete has a new bi-monthly residency called Pure at the Ministry Of Sound starting on Saturday 25th February.
Photos courtesy of Pete Tong. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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Other Features By K8-e:
The One and Only Eddie Halliwell
PunchFunk & Geushky Presents "Let's Make Rave" with Ian Void & Chris Vaux
Cream @ Amnesia - Ibiza 2010 - Reviewed
Pure Gold: Interview with Will Gold
Turning the Corner - Interview with IAMX
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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Comments:
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From: Alan-Banks on 11th Jan 2006 22:37.19
The man is a LEGEND.
From: onthebass on 12th Jan 2006 12:47.04
BO-SELEKTAAAAAA - Big ups to the most inspiring man in dance music.
From: benz on 12th Jan 2006 18:41.08
 I wish he was my 2nd dad! leg-end!
From: Meena on 13th Jan 2006 01:00.27
He really is a legend. I've seen him close Pacha twice in Ibiza on saturday mornings and he smacked properly each time. And I always listen to him on the radio as a way of getting myself charged up for the night. Leg-end indeed
From: sunvisordude on 13th Jan 2006 16:53.53
a legend indeed - and still going! well done.
From: pk on 16th Jan 2006 23:17.05
the man,
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