24th September 2009.

So the big news of the past few weeks (apart from FrightFest being so amazing at the Empire of course!) is The Beatles return to the pop charts after digitally re-mastered versions of the band's albums went on sale along with an interactive video game to re-brand Beatlemania for the 21st Century.

I always hated The Beatles and their music. Only ever had time for YELLOW SUBMARINE because of the trippy animated movie I saw many times. The Liverpool Fab Four’s arrival on the Swinging 60s scene killed my favourite pop genre – Girl Groups as exemplified by The Ronettes, Chiffons, Crystals, Shirelles etc – and opened the doors to endless Muzak versions of ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Michelle’. I moved to London in 1969 just as The Beatles played their final gig on top of the Apple Corps office roof in Savile Row. I remember walking past this ‘event’ thinking, ‘You ruined The Shangri-Las’ career, who cares?’. But then I was also the person who went to work for David Bowie’s company Main Man in the early Glam Rock 70s and left soon after because I got sick of being mistaken for Spiders From Mars’ Mick Ronson. Don’t scoff, I had long flowing blond hair back then, and I could show you photographs of me backstage at Ziggy Stardust concerts where I really do look like Ronson’s twin.

Anyway I was much more interested in the burgeoning Disco movement at the time. Which brings me to the point of this nostalgic ramble. Once past the epic FrightFest weekend I rapidly moved into Disco mode promoting a new 4 CD set with in-depth liner notes by yours truly. Being well known as a published authority on Disco, Punk and Horror does come with some downsides. Not a lot, but there are now certain things I won’t do because I’ve already done them a zillion times already. If any TV programme, whatever, calls and says we want you to appear on such-and-such to talk about why we enjoy being scared, I’ll leave my curt reply to your imaginations. Same with Punk; I get bored by all the political nonsense spouted about the music but I will always defend the reputation of my friend Sid Vicious. With regards Disco, I’ve long got SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER and ‘I Will Survive’ out of my system and now find superficial over-views tedious. So when I was contacted by the Demon Music Group  - one of whom loved my book ‘Saturday Night Forever: The Story of Disco’ - to write the inserts for their Disco Discharge series ‘Classic Disco’, ‘Disco Ladies’, ‘EuroDisco’ and ‘Gay & HiNRG’, I went into the meeting with a largely cynical attitude.  But the moment I looked down the track listings for each double-disc set, I signed up. Only other collectors will understand this mentality, but the moment I saw ‘Take Off’ by Harlow had been included I was in. That rare cut is one of the Holy Grails of the discognoscenti and I wanted it so badly I took the assignment on soley to get my hands on it for free. ‘Classic Disco’ is out now, with the other three collections released over the next month and I’m promoting them like crazy on Ministry of Sound radio and in the music press. My famous DJ mate Mark Moore loves them too so I’m very happy. If remotely interested in Disco, trust me you’ll want this collection, because, in the immortal words of the Village People, you really can’t stop the music.

Until next time.

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