Radio

Essential Mix 10th Anniversary

I was at baggage claim in San Francisco airport in November 2008, just about to embark on my first visit to the city, when I received a call from my agent, Matt Johnson, telling me that Huw Owen from the production company Something Else had been in touch requesting an Essential Mix from me for Pete Tong’s BBC Radio 1 show. December 13th had originally been suggested as the date of broadcast, but in the end we settled on January 17th, with delivery requested 5 days earlier on the 12th. […]

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:37+00:00January 17, 2019|Hear, Mixes, Radio|6 Comments

Tony Williams

Tony Williams, the accidental UK catalyst for the fusion of Jamiacan Dub and New York dance music during the early-‘80s, sadly died on April 30th. Tony has received scant acknowledgement for this, and it wasn’t until I interviewed him in 2004 that he became aware of this legacy, resulting from the underground popularity of the self-released ‘(Money) No Love’ (artist credit Bo Kool, and arguably the first UK rap recording) and its instrumental flip side ‘Love Money’ (artist credit Funk Masters) pressed up in 1980 on a label named after his daughter, Tania – his production debut. When I commenced my [...]

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:38+00:00May 4, 2018|Radio, RIP, The Eighties, The Seventies|4 Comments

Mambo Mix Sunday

I’ve started a weekly show, ‘Greg Wilson Mix Sunday’, on Ibiza’s Mambo Radio, airing every Sunday afternoon between 1pm and 3pm. The show features either one or two mixes from my archives. […]

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:38+00:00February 9, 2018|Mixes, Radio|0 Comments

Masters Of The Airwaves

I want to give you a heads up on a new book that focuses on the evolution of black music radio in London during the ’80s. ‘Masters Of The Airwaves – The Rise And Rise Of Underground Radio’ is the labour of love of 2 influential figures from the period, Dave VJ and Lindsay Wesker. The book is presented as a series of interviews with the great and the good of London’s pirate and specialist radio back in the day (plus a few Northern exceptions) . […]

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:49+00:00March 27, 2013|Black Culture, Books, DJ / Club Culture, Radio|3 Comments

Confessions Of A Teenage DJ

It’s 2013 and Coldcut duo Jonathan More and Matt Black are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their Solid Steel radio show. To mark this milestone, a number of selectors have been invited to contribute a mix to the programme, its presenters choosing various artists and DJs they feel have had a significant presence at some point during the last 25 years. I regard it as a big compliment to be one of those approached, so was more than happy to oblige, the only brief being that they wanted us to weigh in with something that sits outside of that for [...]

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:50+00:00February 22, 2013|DJ / Club Culture, Hear, Mixes, Radio, Remixes / Edits|2 Comments

Jimmy Savile – DJ Originator Or More Smoke And Mirrors?

Just over 12 months ago, on October 29th 2011, the TV and radio personality Sir Jimmy Savile died 2 days before his 85th birthday (he was born on Halloween 1926). He was regarded as one of the great British eccentrics, but there were always rumours about deviant behaviour, although nothing proven. Apart from his contribution to broadcasting, Savile was also said to be the first DJ, not only in Britain, but the World, to use twin-turntables, back in the 1940’s, making him an unlikely icon to DJ’s of the modern era.

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:51+00:00November 21, 2012|Books, DJ / Club Culture, Documentaries, Misc, Radio, Read, The Fifties, The Seventies, The Sixties, TV|29 Comments

It Was Back In ’82

One of the defining moments of my DJ career took place exactly 30 years ago, on Monday May 10th 1982, when my first radio mix was broadcast on Mike Shaft’s show, ‘T.C.O.B’ (Taking Care Of Business), on Manchester’s hugely influential Piccadilly Radio, which played a major part in bringing black / dance music to wider attention during the 70’s and ‘80’s - from Soul, Funk and Disco, through Jazz-Funk and Electro, and on into Hip Hop, House and Techno.

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:54+00:00May 10, 2012|CD’s / Digital, DJ / Club Culture, Hear, Manchester, Mixes, Radio, Records, Tape, The Eighties|0 Comments

Slowing Down Time

I started writing this before I headed off on my travels to Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and back to Australia again (concluded on my return home, having made notes along the way). I’ve been very preoccupied with time, or, to be more precise, the lack of it – this is where my head was at:

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:55+00:00March 13, 2012|Books, DJ Appearances, Mixes, Radio, Read|21 Comments

Random Influences On iTunes

Very pleased to inform you that all 12 episodes of Random Influences are now available on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad via the Radio ditto app, downloadable for free from iTunes...

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:56+00:00November 25, 2011|CD’s / Digital, Hear, Radio, Random Influences, Records, The Seventies, The Sixties|1 Comment

Sir Jimmy Savile

Seminal British Disc-Jockey Sir Jimmy Savile died today, two days before his 85th birthday. Leeds born Savile claimed to be the first DJ to use two turntables, in the late 40’s. Although this remains disputed, there’s no doubt that Savile was a pioneer when it came to playing records in dance halls, most notably in his home city and across the Pennines in Manchester.

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:56+00:00October 29, 2011|Manchester, Radio, RIP, The Eighties, The Fifties, The Forties, The Nineties, The Seventies, The Sixties, TV|10 Comments

12 Next

2026 DJ DATES:

31.12 Todmorden – NYE @ The Golden Lion

17.01 Belfast – The Deer’s Head

23.01 Bristol – Lost Horizon

05.02 New York – Jeans

07.02 Upstate New York – Disco Chalet

13.02 Los Angeles – Spotlight

14.02 San Francisco – Great Northern

21.02 London – Fac 51 Haçienda @ Drumsheds

06.03 Brussels – C12 Brussels

08.03 Bognor Regis – Bugged Out

21.03 Leeds – Downtown Disco @ Archive

03.04 Carlisle – The Brickyard

04.04 Dewsbury – The Terrace

05.04 Liverpool – Gloria’s

18.04 Margate – Margate Arts Club

19.04 London – Jazz Cafe

24.04 Manchester – Manchester Cathedral

02.05 London – Disco Disco @ Queens Yard

16.05 Bristol – Where We Belong Festival

23.05 Hastings – The Print Works

30.05 Steyning – Steyning Festival

12.06 Stockport – Moovin Festival

20.06 Newcastle – Frate

27.06 Penzance – Golowan Festival

11.07 London – Brixton Freight Island

26.07 Manchester Freight Island

26.07 Hertfordshire – Campo Sanchez

31.07 Oxfordshire – Wilderness Festival

I’m a DJ from Merseyside. I started out in 1975, but stopped for almost 20 years, between 1984 and the end of 2003, at which point I started again.

One night during the period I wasn’t deejaying, turning off my mind, relaxing, and floating downstream I had what might be termed a moment of clarity. Paradoxically, although I was no longer a DJ in the literal sense I suddenly became aware that I’d never actually stopped being a DJ, for even if I was in a room with just one person I couldn’t help but ask them ‘have you heard this?’, and not only ‘heard’, but ‘have you seen this / read this?’, for it goes beyond music. Already taken somewhat aback by this nugget of self-discovery, I realised, in true eureka style, that this all pre-dates my being a DJ and goes back as far as I can remember – I’ve always had an inherent need to share, it’s absolutely central to my nature. This was quite a revelation.

So it’s no wonder that I became a Disc Jockey, for once I fell in love with those circular pieces of magical plastic during my formative years, it wasn’t a matter of choosing this as a path, the path pretty much chose me.

I don’t intend this to be a DJ blog as such, but more a blog by someone who happens to be a DJ – a place where personal emphasis takes precedence over professional, although, as I’ve already explained, the two aspects are, of course, inescapably entwined.

If you want info about my DJ appearances, email greg@gregwilson.co.uk for regular updates.

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