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Pete TongPete Tong is Britain's best-loved dance DJ. He doesn't need an award to prove his popularity and he won't act cool to keep his credibility. The host of Radio 1's groundbreaking Essential Selection show for a staggering 10 years, he works within the mainstream, but is respected by the underground. Born in Dartford, educated in Rochester and inspired in his teens by the underground soul scene of the late seventies (and the music of the time...by the likes of Funkadelic, James Brown & Evelyn Champaign King) Pete's first DJ job was at a wedding. He was 15 years old. A natural born entrepreneur, he began promoting local bands, booking gigs in a nearby town hall and - as part of the Kent In 1979 Pete became a journalist for monthly magazine Blues & Soul. By the following year, he was features editor, a position he would hold until '83. At the same time, he was appearing on local radio stations such as BBC Radio Medway and London. Then he got his first break with Radio 1, presenting a regular 15-minute "That was a strange experience, but also very exciting," says Pete "Radio 1 was at the peak of its popularity. I had to say what was happening on the streets. I was the first person to play Malcolm McLaren's ‘Buffalo Gals’ on the radio." Pete’s knowledge of the dance underground, coupled with his ear for a crossover hit, saw him appointed A&R manager at newly-founded independent label London Records in '83. While looking after the careers of pop acts like '80s girl group Bananarama, he continued to pursue his budding radio career. Put off daytime shows by the discovery that the DJs didn't pick their own playlists, Pete accepted his own programme on Kent's newly launched Invicta station in '84. Influenced by radio DJ heroes such as Robbie Vincent, Greg Edwards and Emperor Rosko, he hosted a soul show there for three years, before briefly returning to Radio London. Almost immediately, however, he was poached by Capital Radio, where his weekly dance programme became cult listening with London clubbers. In '88, in the wake of Acid House, Pete launched his own record label, FFRR, through London Records. His aim was to both embrace the new wave of electronic music flooding into the country from cities such as Detroit and Chicago, and continue to promote his first love, black dance artists. "The first record I put out was a very cool, quite sexually-explicit single from Chicago called Baby Wants To Ride," he recalls. "I had a rule which was to sign one relatively-indulgent record to every potential big hit. I was aware from the start that you can be hip, but you also have to balance the books." Inevitably, Pete managed to do both, simultaneously. FFRR's next releases were cut In '91, with an indigenous club culture now thriving in cities across the UK, Pete quit Capital Radio to go national. His Essential Selection show every Friday evening instantly established itself as a welcome to the weekend for a new generation of young clubbers. Heavy on house, but with room for the best breaking techno, jungle, hip hop, funk and soul sounds from both Britain and around the world, it appealed to all tastes in contemporary dance music. Moreover, it merged the cutting-edge with the mainstream. Pete became the country's best-known dance DJ, while keeping his credibility intact. "I'm not too concerned with credibility," he claims. "When I started out, I was obsessed by jazz-funk and soul. I couldn't see life beyond the end of a Donald Byrd album. I was prepared to punch anyone who tried to talk to me about other types of music But I grew up and discovered that I love hearing new sounds and having my perceptions changed. I didn't want to be pigeon-holed. I also realised that I could achieve much more by staying on the edge of several scenes, rather than being immersed in just the one." Perhaps Pete's biggest contribution to British pop to date was his involvement in the reshaping of BBC Radio 1. When the nation's biggest radio station decided to re-invent itself in the mid-'90s, controller Matthew Bannister knew precisely who to ask for help. After Pete's ideas were taken on board, the likes of Tim Westwood, Danny Rampling, Judge Jules, Carl Cox and, more recently, Fabio and Grooverider, started to appear on Radio 1's DJ roster. In addition, the station's daytime playlist began to reflect the extent of the impact of modern electronic music on British kids. In January '99, Pete enters his eighth year as the presenter of Essential Selection. With over a million and a half listeners each week, it remains the UK's most popular dance music radio show thanks to its host's consistent ability to change with the times. Its success has also spawned a series of compilation albums, released by FFRR, which to date have sold over 750,000 copies. The most famous – boasted tangerine-themed cover and the mixing talents of Tong, Paul Oakenfold and, if you were lucky enough to bag a limited edition copy with a bonus CD, Carl Cox – it came complete with Madonna's seal of approval. It was the only time the singer has sanctioned the appearance of one of her songs (Drowned World) on a dance mix compilation. During '98, Pete made his first forays into television, an area he is keen to explore into the Millennium. In November, he donned different guises to present Clublife '98, a 90-minute, BBC-broadcast documentary based on Mixmag magazine's annual dance awards. He also in-house DJ on Ian Wright's weekly chat show series. However, when he does appear with his own TV programme, it won't be for want of publicity. In the past, he has turned down offers to present Radio 1's high-profile breakfast and Top 40 shows, not to mention Top of the Pops. He has always however had plenty to keep him busy. He saw out 'the 20th Century with an Essential selection UK tour, DJ gigs all over the world, continued projects with his own production company which makes radio programmes, presented by the likes of Danny Rampling and Judge Jules, and continued work in A&R for London Records. His pop star credentials include A&R-ing Shakespeare Sister's hit ‘Stay’, which topped the charts for six weeks in '92, and played a big role in signing All Saints, whose career until the split he continued to oversee. He also adopted the coveted title of musical director on recent cult clubbing film Human Traffic and the high profile film from the Alex Garland novel The Beach. Moving effortlessly into the 21st Century and the millennium saw him play at throughout the UK paving the way for his undeniable success in Y2K. As dance music moved ever forward and genres and sub genres drifted in and out of our consciousness Pete remained the guiding voice for millions of young clubbers with the pioneering and ever popular Essential Selection. Spreading the essential gospel far and wide 2000 saw the show go global with the show being broadcast from Cape Town and Johannesburg. It was also the year fabled show went live from the top of the Warner Bros. building in New York. The momentous event saw microphones draped around the side of the building and guests such as Armand Van Helden drop in for the unique Radio experience. His tastes grew ever more discerning and his passion for the more progressive sound was becoming more and more evident….2000 saw him play some very momentous gigs including his first ever appearance on The Terrace at Space with tech God Carl Cox for the Radio One after party. His foreign influence increased ten fold as his first ever US tour made the headlines both in the UK and the US. The Techno Parade Weekend in Paris saw him spinning alongside legends such as Jeff Mills and Carl Cox and most memorably his escapades through Australia found him in the magical setting playing Bondi Beach alongside the man like Sasha… In 2000 also saw him take his unique brand of ‘cool’ to the mainstream as more and more TV requests came his way. Alongside Radio One breakfast show host Sara Cox, Pete presented the prestigious industry MUZIK Awards that was televised on Channel 4. This ceremony also saw him win Best Radio Show for his trend setting Essential Selection. This was also the year that Pete was again acknowledged by the music industry for his achievements when asked to present a Brit Award. The Essential Selection also played a major part in the Comic Relief event in February. In conjunction with Richard Curtis, Pete played an instrumental role in making the event run smoothly. He hosted the show alongside Sara Cox which was broadcast live on Radio One. Participants included Fatboy Slim, Seb Fontaine, Jon Carter, Carl Cox and winner Fergie and together they raised £30,000 for the charity. In 2001 has seen Pete continue with his pioneering role of dance guru, and has seen him play a range of very select gigs in the UK including Steve Lawler’s acclaimed Session, Cream, Renaissance, Tribal Sessions, Rock in Bristol and The Gallery at Turnmills. His US tour again saw him take his decks around the States for a month visiting legendary haunts including Twilo NY, Ra Las Vegas and of course the dance capital Miami. The extensive tour took Pete right across the country and proved yet again to be a major success. Much talked about gigs also included him playing at DC10 unannounced, Playing the massive T In The Park in July, Dance Valley in August and playing alongside Danny Tenaglia @ the Space opening for ‘We Love Sundays’. Again he played a major role co-hosting the MUZIK awards and maintaining the credibility of the ceremony. Still to come this year is his much anticipated debut appearance at The End in London and another Clubbers Bible due out in December. The man is a legend, his integrity, commitment and talent unsurpassed. The man even has his own rhyming slang for goodness sake…he surely is one of a kind! Find out more at www.petetong.com |
