GREG WILSON

Greg Wilson first emerged as a teenage DJ on Merseyside, where, between 1975-80, he played largely funk, soul and disco. He would come to national recognition, initially as a jazz-funk specialist, but most-notably as a key champion of the electro-funk direction during the early-‘80s - his specialist nights at Wigan Pier and Manchester clubs, Legend and The Haçienda, where he played the latest US imports, helping join the dots to hip-hop, house and techno.

A UK pioneer, he was the first DJ to demonstrate mixing live on British TV, appearing on Channel 4’s ‘The Tube’ in 1983, the same year in which he’d show a young Quentin Cook (later Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim) how to cut and scratch. He received the then prestigious Blues & Soul award for Best DJ in the North, while his club nights at Wigan Pier and Legend came in first and second. He ‘retired’ at the end of 1983, aged 23 and at the height of his DJ success, to focus on record production.

Despite an encouraging start, when he produced and co-wrote the majority of tracks for the Street Sounds ‘UK Electro’ LP in 1984, this new career move failed to ignite until the late-‘80s/early-‘90s, when he produced and managed Manchester’s Ruthless Rap Assassins, who recorded two albums for EMI and are remembered as one of the most important early UK hip-hop crews.

Following a further period of struggle and obscurity in the ‘90s, and having made very few DJ appearances in two decades, he launched his electrofunkroots website, documenting the early-‘80s era. This led to offers of bookings, triggering a successful DJ comeback in 2003, Greg quickly taking his place at the vanguard of the disco/re-edits movement. Alongside club appearances throughout the UK, he was soon busy on the festival circuit - things snowballing further with European dates followed by long-haul trips to tour in countries like the US, Australia, Japan and Brazil.

His 2009 Radio 1 Essential Mix was a landmark, later chosen as one of the top 10 mixes in the long-running series, whilst US magazine, Rolling Stone, named it amongst the ‘25 greatest internet DJ mixes of all time’. His three ‘Credit To The Edit’ compilations in 2005, 2009 and 2018, showcased his edits and reworks, and his extensive array of online DJ mixes have been streamed in the multi-millions. In 2015, he received ‘Industry Icon’ recognition at DJ Mag’s Best of British Awards. His remix credits have included Gabriels, Confidence Man, Grace Jones, Gilberto Gil, The XX, Groove Armada, Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music and Happy Mondays, and DJs throughout the world have played Greg’s numerous edits and reworks throughout the past two decades, plus tracks released on his Super Weird Substance label.

A writer/commentator on dance music and popular culture, Greg has contributed to publications including Wax Poetics, Faith Fanzine, Disco Pogo, Clash, Grand Slam and DJ Mag, and ran a successful blog, ‘Being A DJ’ between 2010-2020. His first book, ‘Greg Wilson’s Discotheque Archives’ was published in 2020, with an extended hardback following in 2023. His publishing company, SWS Books, followed-up with ‘James Hamilton’s Disco Pages 1975-1982’, edited by Mike Atkinson, for which he wrote an introduction. Greg has also been interviewed for a number of books, TV and film projects focusing on the history of club culture.

Further info: www.gregwilson.co.uk

Celebrating 50 years of DJing, Greg Wilson is living bridge between the birth of UK club culture and where it is headed.

Greg Wilson is a DJ, Label Boss, Curator, and Innovator widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the evolution of UK club culture. Emerging in the late 1970s, he became a trailblazer during the disco and electro-funk era, introducing cutting-edge sounds from the US to British audiences and becoming the first DJ to mix live on national television.

His pioneering work in Manchester’s club scene, particularly at venues like Legend and The Hacienda helped shape the foundations of modern dance music culture. After stepping back in the late ’80s, Wilson returned in the 2000s with renewed acclaim, earning respect from a new generation through his special DJ edits, productions, and storytelling sets using his signature 8 track tape machines.

Now celebrating this incredible milestone including his label Super Weird Substance making this anniversary talk an unmissable event for anyone passionate about UK dance music culture. Interviewed by Juliet Cromwell - Global Commercial Director Clash Music Group