1. James Brown "Sex Machine"
I always knew I could move my feet quickly, but it wasn't untill I'd heard this record that I understood how usefull they could be!





2. Ernie and the Top Notes "Dap Walk"
The first time I found myself at Keb's Deepfunk on a Sunday night in the summer of '96 and this record burnt itself into my soul forever. I asked the old bloke at the decks where I could get it from and he gave me John Manship's number. Manship never did have it, but a few months later I saw it on Soul Bowl for £20. Problem was I was a student at the time so I didn't wake up and open my lists untill mid day, obviously by the time I'd rung, the likes of Jason Stirland, Rustler and Ian Wright had hoovered up all the copies. I ended up buying one of the copies off Ian Wright a few months later that he had managed to scoop up that morning! Obviously I paid the "Wright" price, but as a result I started waking up much much earlier. These days I'm very rarely asleep past 6am in the morning and before 11.30 at night (unless I'm out DJing or dancing)...TRUE!



3. Dennis Coffey "Black Belt Jones".
The first rare record I bought. It cost me all off my Tuesday night's DJing money (which was alot of money to me at the time, as I was still a student). I played it at my Saturday night gig and the crowds loved it. I was hooked.



4. Eddie Parker "I'm Gone"
I pooh poohed Northern for a few years, that was before I'd heard Butch DJ though! If you're not into Northern (yet) have a listen to this track, you'll be hooked straight away. I still find it hard to dance to it though, because I get so excited and I start to shake all over and go into spasms.




5. Larry Ellis "Funky Thing"
I dislocated a toe on my left foot dancing to this. It still hurts me in cold weather.



6. Joseph Henry "Who's The King"
I found this the Saturday afternoon it arrived in England, couldn't believe it was a new recording, played it at least 20 times to check my ears weren't fooling me. I ran down to Deepfunk the day after and showed it to Keb. "Have you HEARD this!?"...."Aye I got it yesterday, mag-fucking-nificent!". It got played six times that night, and that was just the A side!



7. Trace Of Smoke "Treasure Mind"
First time I heard it I thought it was dull and a bit girlie. The much older and wiser man who was playing the record asked me what I thought of it, I told him. He told me to stop being a twat and that I'd soon learn. I now know it's one of the best records ever made (and rarest). There's a lesson there somewhere!



8. Carleen and The Groovers "Can We Rap"
Dunno why it's been influencial on my life. It's just the best funk record I guess. The standard by which I judge all other funk records.



9. Daptone.
Especially the live concert, May 22nd 2002. I've never danced so much in my life. My feet bled for days afterwards, they've never been the same since. This lable has a lot to answer for!


10. Rhythm Machine "Put A Smile on Time"
That is the last time I let Jason Stirland have a record on the cheap. He continues to rub my face in it. The world is a cut throat place people. Be carefull out there!



city you live in?
Chelmsford, Essex.

how long you have been collecting?
since July 1996.

most heart stopping find on a digging session?
I found an Old Town 45 in a Charity shop in Reading. Some things on that label fetch big money. Got it home, I was so excited, and when I played it, it was fucking rubbish. Don't know about heart stopping, but my heart bled!

top spots for record hunting?
The Court, in Essex. It holds the largest deposit of very rare funk and soul records in the world. No bull'. The likes of Kenny Dope and DJ Shadow can often be spotted lurking in the shadows. Oh, and ebay of course.

ebay. good or evil?
It's amazing. I've got a hunch that the people who slag it off because it "pushes up" prices are often the same people who would rip off an old lady at a car boot sale by buying a copy of Third Guitar from her for 20 cents.
Who's the evil one now?

motown or stax?
Motown, because I've got a copy of Sisters Love "Give Me You Love" on that label. And the Isley Brothers are on that label to. I like the orange suit album. I've not heard anything I like on Stax.

sneakers or shoes?
"Sneakers" are for playing sport. I wear shoes every day. Leather upper, leather souls, preferably hand stitched. Wooden heal. For dancing I like tap shoes with the metal bits taken off and suede or velvet souls put on them. I've got a good cobbler in Chelmsford who has a roll of velvet in stock just for me.

creole or gumbo?
Dunno.

favourite tipple?
Champagne. Bollinger before meals, Moet for breakfast.

where can people see/hear you play?
I've cut back on DJing over the past year because I got a bit fed up with the London scene and I'm also concentrating on another project in my life at the moment. However, you will see my every so often at Deepfunk, every so often at the Two Brewers in Chelmsford, Sister Funk in Southend is always a good bet, The Soul Cellar in Southampton (my favourite club at the moment), Breakin' Bread's birthday party in June. At Harry Callahan's (he's a top bloke, and he also runs a very cool bar at the weekends!) promotions in Barcelona.You'll often see me dancing at soul nights where Soul Sam, Ginger, Ken Burrell and Aurther Fenn are DJing (they're my favourite DJs at the moment), usually in the midlands.