1983 – One night my father, head shaking, handed me the Evening Standard. There I was on the centre pages, a double-page spread; one big picture with the words “RIP OFF” plastered across it.
To be continued...
Monday 29 April 2013
Sunday 28 April 2013
Friday 26 April 2013
I'm sat quietly drinking my soya cappuccino, au fresco.
This dude asks to share my table & of course I accommodate. I carry on minding my own business but feel his stare, I ask, "Are you looking at me for a reason"? He replies, "Are you Muslim"?
I look at him & referring to his cap I give my standard answer, "Are you a baseball player"?
He ignored me but kept looking, I returned to my thoughts. He then lights a cigarette & blows smoke in my direction. I ask, "Is that necessary"?
He then proceeds to blow smoke in my face. I in return proceed to poured my soya cappuccino over his head.
I cycled home smiling all the way.
Rise Of The Funk Soldier (Master P. Original - 94FM)
It was roundabout the time when the soul boy era was squeezing its last
drops from the bottle. We decided to push further west. A friend had mentioned
that our boy from East Ham was making noises in Soho. When we got to the Wag
Club we saw a hungry crowd pushing their way down the queue. We moved to the
front, blagging our way in. Once in we could see our man on the decks
controlling his flock and pushing out the raw funk sound that the soul scene
had lost. This was the beginning
of the underground funk scene, which would change black music in this country
for a generation. Forget the term ‘Rare Groove’ as this name only came about
later. Barrie’s Friday night at the Wag influenced a host of other nights,
including Shake ‘n’ Finger Pop, Family Function, and Jazzie B’s Soul II Soul,
at the African Centre.
Inner London was now buzzing with the funk,
after this we crossed paths with Barrie on several occasions. Barrie was not an
easily contented man and always pushed things forward at a pace, any boundaries
and obstacles in his path were knocked to one side. His latest venture was to
put a style to this sound. He scooped up a few old buddies mainly a certain
Eddie Prendergast from East Ham, Marco Cairns from Barking, and Cliff Bowen
from Loughton, together they started pumping out the original selvedge denim
stuff on the streets of Camden. The boys at American Classic’s and all the
‘trendy’ London stores would later take up their street style. This Camden
pitch funded the opening of the first Duffer shop in Portobello Road, which
brought a clothing style to match the sound.
The Wag got too big and Barrie needed to move on
and host his own night, hence the start of The Cat in the Hat Club. Now there
was a platform to move things a little bit further. This club still remains one
of my main influences even to today. Soho day-life, especially retail, was
still trying to shake of its seedy 70’s porn look that suppressed it. Barrie
and the boys had moved into one of the side streets dropping one of the
flagging team members from Manor Park on the way. The street was on its knees
looking really tired. Three months later the shop was thriving and the Duffer
label was upon us. Barrie being ever more adventurous saw what was coming and
alongside the Staple Duffer Crisp ‘London-look’ developed a style to enhance
this new breed that was coming through. Up popped the smiley-tee alongside
bringing in labels from America like Schott, New Era, and Red Wing alongside
the Duffer four-stripe tracksuit.
The Black Market record store opened two doors
down a few months later, which became the voice for house music for London.
Seeing this Barrie decided to re-launch The Cat in the Hat right in the heart
of posh Mayfair. This club night had a different flavour from the original
night a few years back, mixing up the new garage and house stuff from NYC
alongside obscure disco. This was House for real people and earmarked the
phrase ‘we don’t trance we dance’. The new club attracted a sharper looking
dude who wanted to get down without dropping an E. Whilst this was happening I
remember getting snippets of what Barrie was doing in the background. At the
same time Jazzie B was developing his sound and was busy in his studio. Jazzie
launches his first vinyl and then on his tail Barrie puts out the ‘Masterplan’.
It had been many years since American club culture stood up and looked in the
direction of London. Soul II Soul and Barrie Sharpe had arrived; mainstream
people now knew who they were. The Duffers uprooted from Soho and moved the
clothing label to the heart of Covent Garden. Never before had three boys with
an East End background put their clothing label amongst the ‘big boys’. People
took note and awards followed.
Down the line I could tell that Barrie was
getting bored with the direction Duffer was going, and once the European
investors were on the horizon he upped and jumped ship. From then on Duffer
slipped into what I called the ‘CBBC presenter look’. Barrie went back to Soho
and launched Sharpeye, his new clothing label.
Hitting his fifties Barrie wasn’t going to lay
down easy, nah this ain’t his style. Instead he’s evolved his sound and has now
launched The Nu Acid Funk, keeping to his pure roots and only released on
vinyl. To compliment this he launches a new club night ‘Big Stuff ‘with long
time buddy Femi Fem (Shake ‘n’ Finger Pop). When people talk about a certain
Norma Jay inventing the so-called ‘Rare Groove scene’ back in the eighties, I’d
say don’t believe the hype; if you were there you knew who the main player was;
Barrie Sharpe.
First Memories
My mother banging my sister’s head against the wall, me running after my father screaming, “Please don’t leave me” and the song “I Just Want To Stay Here” by Steve & Eydie.
31 01 60
My father was a Jekyll and Hyde character, on one side he was a hyper knowledgeable self-taught intellectual who had a thirst for information, but on the other side he was a man who was well respected in dubious circles. Although my relationship with my father was turbulent, I feared him yet admired him, often walking in his shadow, but never wished to be like him.
Thursday 25 April 2013
My Ego loved this quote
The smartest man I had ever seen (Geoffrey Boucher, loyal Duffer customer) - I met Barrie Sharpe at the Duffer store Soho in the late 80s, he was wearing a green leather racing jacket, button down collar shirt, dealer boots, dark denim selvedge 501s and a prayer cap. That was it for me; I had met the smartest man I had ever seen.
Wednesday 24 April 2013
We talk of
revolution fight against the lie
We talk of
revolution but who wants to die
We talk of
revolution fight for what we need
We talk of
revolution but who wants to bleed
We talk of
revolution fight corruption and hate
We talk of
revolution but i think we are too late
(Barukh Salaam; The Great Book of Kizzmazz Vol.2)
They Were The Creators (Rene Gelston - Black Market)
In 1984 I was employed by
Vidal Sassoon, in London, as their artistic director. At that time I hosted a
number of parties in London and I was invited by Chris Sullivan to take over
the running of the Friday night slot at the Wag Club in Wardour Street. The
first few weeks of any new club night can be the make or break and our Black Market
night would be no different. Fortunately I was introduced to Barrie Sharpe, by
my junior Diana Brown, her boyfriend at the time. Every day Diana would pester
me for Barrie to DJ at Black Market. Although he was not actually a DJ I took a
chance and after a few weeks the club was starting to draw a crowd. Barrie
brought along another new young DJ, his neighbour Lascelle Gordon; this
partnership laid the foundations for what was later to be termed as Rare Groove;
they were the creators; FACT! To say that the club went on to be successful
would be an understatement - Black Market was literally packed every Friday and
there was always a queue sometimes stretching way down to Leicester Square.
This was the place to be seen at and to dance with a mix of fashionistas and
street kids; Black Market was the first club in the West End to openly
welcome a multiracial crowd. The press were falling over themselves to write
about the night; the club attracted huge
press coverage both in the UK and the US, with quotes such as 'ground breaking' and 'seminal'.
ID Magazine quoted, “When Black Market sneezes club land catches a
cold”. The Independent, “The term Rare Groove was coined around the Friday
nights Black Market”. This was all down to the Foundations that Barrie and
Lascelle set down in the beginning; which helped me cement the future for Black
Market, now a worldwide recognised brand. As for Barrie, he has always been strong
headed; but I would call it more of a direction, a purpose. There are many
people that will never get their dues for making London what it is today; these
people were the creators, not the followers. After Barrie left Black Market our
paths crossed again and Barrie recommended that I take the small shop next to
the Duffers in Soho to open Black Market Records. The good thing was both
businesses jointly benefited from the increase in human traffic. We still meet
and do some business together; we have a mutual respect for each other. As I
always say, “Many people have taken props for what other people laid the
foundations for”. There are too many lazy journalists who are not willing to
discover the real creators; Barrie Sharpe is one of them.
Monday 22 April 2013
Sunday 21 April 2013
Mnsa backflip
My son Manassah has been backflipping off of walls and stairs etc since he was 5 years old. I always encouraged him to flip from the ground, he always said that he couldn't get the spring in his legs.
Today he decided he had the power, & he sure did!
The Levi Kid
This was the time of hot summers and the heat wave of 1976 was the best summer of my life. There was one embarrassing incident around this time. It was Tuesday, a big night at the Ilford Palais, it would attract the most stylish dancers from all over London. I was there, Levi 501 jeans and jacket, cowboy boots etc, I thought I was so cool considering most of the other kids were still in their Oxford Bags (baggy 1920s Gatsby style pants). I was leaning against the wall trying to impress three very attractive young ladies, I thought I was doing fine, cool, funny, stylish; when one of them said “Who are you, the fucking Levi kid”. They burst out laughing in unison and walked away sniggering, leaving me most embarrassed.
(My Perception)
"State-Sponsored Terrorism"
War on terror 2.0 hs now begun.
Powerful interests benefit hugely.
Ordinary people lose out.
More repressive laws.
Military spending will increase.
Homeland security will be boosted.
Fundamental freedoms will die.
Full-blown tyranny may follow.
Imperial wars on humanity will continue.
New targets will be chosen.
Independent governments will be attacked.
New world order rules demand unchallenged global dominance & "State-Sponsored Terror" facilitates it.
Saturday 20 April 2013
Friday 19 April 2013
Drawn in felt pen circa 1975 for a school project
In 1978 I wrote on the back:
Without bloodshed there will be no pain
Without pain there will be no struggle
Without struggle there will be no conflict
Without conflict there will be no revolution
Without revolution there will be no change
Without change there will be no progression
(Sharpeye - Right Here - Right Now)
The 3 Kings 1973 – I turned on the TV and by mistake switched to the Old Grey Whistle Test, really not my kind of music show, but within two seconds I was mesmerised by a heavy, heavy reggae tune “Stir It Up” I was transfixed to the screen. There were these three extremely cool, stylish guys with a militant vibe almost standing still but exuding so much energy they were filling the room. Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Bob Marley, “The Wailers”. My second, religious, spiritual experience.
This Was Not Part Of The Masterplan
This book is
written in the pain, tears, joy and laughter of my youth. As my words come to
fruition the darkness of my earliest memories fade.
The Beginning - I am
telling this story as I care to remember it, so don’t take it all too
seriously. My dates and facts are probably out of sequence, but you will get
the basic story. As my tale is only taken from memory I cannot guarantee all to
be true.
I was a product of the times. The product became the producer.
I was a product of the times. The product became the producer.
My story: I was
always at the right place at the right time; I didn’t invent anything new, I
ran with what I had and just re-sculptured things to my pleasing. My attitude
defined a moment in time in central London (“Forget
that shit. You can’t hold me back”).
It was an exciting time for innovation, I was not the only one, I had plenty of
support from my contemporaries & crossed paths with many like-minded people.
I just kept falling up hill.
My philosophy as a
designer - It was all about me and the clothes I wanted to wear, I didn’t like
the way designers cut their cloth. I wanted my own style, my own fit, my game
and my rules.
Tuesday 16 April 2013
The Earth is Flat!
When they say the world round they mean as in a disk shape, but it is indeed flat...
"And god created the earth flat so that man could pear over the edge and see the heavens" (The great book of Kizzmazz verse 3 chapt 2)
Chemtrails
Whilst cycling from Shoreditch to Camden I saw 53 "chemtrails".
The entire sky was filled with a chemical haze....
Monday 15 April 2013
Right Here - Right Now
Mankind is an abomination
It is not politics nor faith that kills
Killing is mans way
Man will never progress
A cancer upon this earth
Sunday 14 April 2013
The Tweed Run - 13-04-2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)