Norman Jay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Norman Bernard Joseph |
| Born | (1957-11-06)6 November 1957 (age 67) Notting Hill,London, England |
| Genres | Soul,disco,boogie,acid jazz,house |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, label owner, producer, remixer |
| Website | www |
Norman JayMBE (bornNorman Bernard Joseph on 6 November 1957) is a Britishclub,radio andsound systemDJ. He first came to prominence playing unlicensed "warehouse" parties in the early 1980s, and through his involvement with the then-pirate radio stationKiss FM. He is commonly attributed as having coined the phrase "rare groove".
He is an avid supporter ofTottenham Hotspur football club.[1]
Jay was born inActon, London, toWest Indian parents. He played his first gig aged eight at a 10th birthday party, influenced by his father's record collection ofblue beat,ska and jazz.[2] He soon "developed a love for anything soulful – particularly the sounds of black America".[3]
In the early 1970s, Jay set-up asound system with his brotherJoey Jay, originally called "Great Tribulation". Following a trip toNew York City in 1979, he decided to take this in a more serious direction. In 1980, it was renamed to "Good Times" after theChic track, and made itsNotting Hill Carnival debut.[4][5] Good Times was seen as "pioneering" at this time for introducingsoul anddisco music into a Carnival set, despite some opposition in the early days.[6][7] The sound system became a notable destination at Carnival for the next 30 years, with it located on the corner of West Row and Southern Row,Ladbroke Grove since 1991. Since the 1990s, the sound system has been hosted from itsLondon Transport bus. In 2014, due to regeneration in the area, Good Times lost its original spot and has not appeared at Carnival since. Instead, Good Times has hosted its sound system at events and nights around the country.[8]
Jay established himself through being a founding member of theLondonpirate radio stationKiss FM in October 1985, on which he presented shows alongside its founders Gordon Mac and George Power. As a pirate, it was his "The Original Rare Groove Show" that led to the coining of the phrase "rare groove".[4] WhenKiss 100 was launched legally in September 1990, Jay hosted the first of what would become his "Musiquarium" shows.[9] He left the station in October 1993.
In April 1997, Jay joinedBBC London with a radio show named "Giant 45".[10] The show broadcast until February 2008.[11]
Throughout 2006 and 2007, Jay presented a series called "The Funk Factory" onBBC Radio 2.[12]
More recently, he has hosted regular shows onSoho Radio.[13]
In addition to appearing on radio, Jay was involved in hosting the sound system at illegal warehouse parties in venues across London, under the name "Shake 'n' Fingerpop".[14]
Jay co-founded the firstParadise Garage-style club in Britain – "High On Hope", atDingwalls inCamden.[4][5] Between 1989 and 1994, he also ran a night at theBass Clef inHoxton.[15]
In addition, he was a regular in the early 2000s atThe Big Chill festival.[9]
Jay established theTalkin' Loudrecord label with its founder DJGilles Peterson in 1990, spearheading theacid jazz scene.[5]
In 2000, he released the first of fivecompilation albums called "Good Times" in conjunction with the sound system. This led to a number of other 'spin-off' compilations.
He remixed the 2004 track "Lola's Theme" bythe Shapeshifters, and featured in its video.
Jay was awarded anMBE for services to music in 2002.[5][16]
