Hold Tight Faithful! This Saturday we’ve got some Disco Delights for you, none other than London Party Starter Shaun Samuel’s Dope Disco rolling into town…and on a Bank Holiday too!
In readiness for the fun and games, we thought it would be prudent to fire some questions at Shaun Samuel….here goes…and by the end of this, you’ll know why we booked him…top bloke!
1. So..Shaun, thanks for taking some time out…Name your top 5 Disco records
This is almost an impossible question, because my top 5 changes week-to-week, very much dependent on my mood or the time of the day that you ask!!!
But here are 5 that are special to me, probably a bit obvious for some, but for very personal for and special to me for very different reasons, In no specific order;
Aquarian Dream – Phoenix
This is a track that special on so many levels, Phoenix is also the name of my family business and it is also a track that I have recently Re-Edited as the first of the DOPE DISCO edit series.
Ripple – The Beat Goes On and On
This track has to go in the top 5 purely because it’s the record I’ve played the most in loads of my disco sets, the song has so many changes and crashes, high drama disco, the over riding bass played by a guy called Simon Kenneth Carter does very strange things to me!
France Joli – Gonna Get Over You
Prelude is a BIG label for me, I’ve played pretty much all of the released hits over the years, this track is one I reach for if I get into trouble and its definitely got me out of a few scrapes!!!!
Taana Gardner – When You Touch Me (Larry Levan Mix)
I guess this is my peaktime tune, Larry kills it on this mix…this track has absolutely everything…a dj’s dream, I do have to watch myself on this one though, been known to go way over the top on the EQ’s when playing this number! The live drums are a nightmare to mix, so I literally play it all the way through and I’m always so glad I do, LOVE this special piece of music so so much!
Carol Douglas – Midnight Love Affair
This is my guilty pleasure, its not a record I play often only when the time and setting is right, but its one that is definitely one of my favourites…it’s a super long play record too and when I put it on, usually towards the end of my set, I put the headphone down and head onto the dancefloor to have a boogie!
2. Super selection of Disco above..How did Dope Disco come about?
DOPE DISCO is basically a continuation of what was happening all those years ago at Beat Players upstairs, in what we called at the time, the Boogie Bar, so the concept is basically a celebration of music that was loved and enjoyed all across the world before House music came along, an exploration and showcase for all beats that’s came in the form of Funk, Soul, Jazz, Rare Groove, Boogie, early Hip Hop and of course Disco!
What we do, is simply, give pioneers and our hero’s a platform to take us through a journey of the music that they played before they started playing House, music that is personal to them and often unheard of by so many, so this is their chance for them to play some of those forgotten nuggets, the party is not just about classics, we play re-edits and new stuff too. The crowd is diverse and a total mix of old and young and everything in between, the main thing the DOPE DISCO crowd do definitely have in common, is they all come to Get Down…you will never see a straight face, everyone is always so happy and constantly smiling, never been involved in a party or club event quite like it ever before. Everyone has a lot of fun and there is so many jokes. We are not trying to re-invent the wheel, is its pretty simply straightforward stuff, music for the soul for people who really love to dance! That’s it really!
3. What else do you have planned for Dope Disco later this year and into 2016?
Got some amazing dates lined up for the next 24 months with the likes of Joey Negro, Al Kent, Mad Mats, John Morales and The Legendary Paul Trouble Anderson and loads more booked for parties over the next year or so, we also would love to welcome back our friends Danny Krivit & DJ Spinna and our hero Mr Phil Asher, Craig Smith and the Vinyl King Zaf from Love Vinyl but we are planning on bringing in new new names for Dope Disco in the form of The Reflex, Dj Kitty Katt, The Afro.Co boys and of course I cant wait for the Hold Tight crew to make the debut for us up in the smoke!
4. As a DJ, what has been your proudest moment?
WOW…. that really is a tough one, because I have been so lucky to be blessed to have a few proud moments along the way, from playing at my best mates wedding to some huge club and festival events…playing with a full jazz band in Prague, but the first time I played before Paul “Trouble” Anderson was a very proud moment and very special thing for me, as he is and always will be my biggest hero for so many reasons, I’ve played with him loads of times since, but that was a coming of age for me, I felt as though I had made it, as that moment, the whole set was surreal.
Another standout moment, I guess, was as Vocal Booth in Spain last year, its always an electric atmosphere at VB every year without fail, the vibe and people at VB are like no other and I always love playing there, but last year, I played on what they dubbed Manic Monday and the lineup was ridiculous, many names that are close friends of mine…the moment, about 5 tunes into my set, when I brought in Karizma’s mix of Marvin Gaye’s – Music, at the moment, in the mix, when the keys hit and the beat dropped…the crowd in that room, went nuts, was truly amazing…sends shivers up my spine thinking back to it…must have been good, because the garage legend Wookie came up to me, reached over the decks and slapped me across the face!!!! He’s like that!!!!
But to single out a specific proud moment, it would have to be a few years ago in Ibiza I was playing for Soul Heaven’s daytime party at Ocean Beach, warming up for Joey Negro and I had an inspired moment and decided to play the John Morales re-work of Al Green – Lets Stay Together…as the last tune of my set, sounds cheesy, but at that moment, in the sun, it just worked, it really did…and everyone was singing along, eyes closed, hands in the air type of thing, across the whole pool and dancefloor…was a very special and emotional moment, one that I will never forget, possibly one the happiest memories of my life.
5. What can the Hold Tight faithful expect from a Shaun Samuel Dope Disco set?
WOW, that’s a good one…because I have been preparing for this set for the last 2 months!!! But on the night I’ll probably play a load of different records…but its all going to be fairly upbeat boogie type stuff, I’ll drop the odd classic and maybe one or two more obscure bits that I normally play at DOPE DISCO, I will also be testing out some of my own stuff, some re-edits that I have been in the studio completing for this set…the overriding theme of the selection will be Bank Holiday Boogie beats with Soul slipped Deep Disco rhythm’s, blending genres and tempos…to suit the mood and feeling, total freestyle if it feels right at the time…I try and play to the energy in the room and spend time on the dancefloor to get a feel for the vibe and how the sound system is being received, so I’ll do that and then see how it goes from there…I’m so excited…CANT WAIT!!!
As you can see, Shaun know’s a thing or to about Music, I reckon we are in for a treat this Saturday night, can’t wait to hear his set!….Bring it On Hold Tight Faithful!
Hold Tight presents Dope Disco – Saturday May 2nd – 8pm – 2am
The BriT – 20 Britannia Road, BH14 8BB Poole, Dorset (We at Hold Tight love this place!!)
Shaun Samuel Dope Disco Bob Povey (Bump N Hustle) – Rare Disco Boogie Set (CAN’T WAIT FOR THIS!!) Jon Coomer (Bump N Hustle) Gary Ellis (Hold Tight – Midnight Riot Records)
Link to the event with all the details you need to know
https://www.facebook.com/events/1425681951067199/
Ticket Link to buy tickets, all of this for Five English Pounds….crazy stuff!!!
Hold Tight Soul Disco Funk Boogie 