Recorded at the ‘Credit To The Edit‘ album launch in The Dolphin, a proper East End London pub, on Sunday July 31st 2005, this appearance, in effect, completed the first phase of my comeback. It was obviously a special occasion for me, launching an album of my own edits, an idea that would have seemed ridiculous just a few years before, when I was still a somewhat lost soul from the past who’d rarely ventured inside a club during the previous decade. I’d certainly never have believed that being a DJ would once again become my profession, let alone find myself deemed relevant enough for a label at the centre of what is now referred to as the Disco (or, to some, Nu Disco) movement to so strongly endorse my reignited career. Tirk, run by Sav Remzi, and born out of the mightily influential London based Nuphonic imprint, which played a big part in helping build the foundations for what’s happening now on our side of the scene, would play a major role in my renaissance.

I won’t go any further into the actual ‘Credit To The Edit’ compilation itself here, suffice to say that its release would follow in August ’05 and everything shifted up another level for me, my ever-expanding DJ horizons taking on an international dimension as the overseas bookings came in, enabling me to connect directly with people from different countries, from different continents. If you want the full lowdown on the album, there’s a section about C2theE at electrofunkroots: http://www.electrofunkroots.co.uk/credit_to_the_edit/index.html. 

I regarded that day at the Dolphin as a celebration amongst some my new found friends of the past few years, plus one or two older ones, including a guy called Shaun Anton, who I’d been at school with, but hadn’t seen since way back when. It was like he’d appeared as a messenger from the past, just to mark the moment, and it doesn’t surprise me that I haven’t seen him in the 6 years since then – sometimes these strange time warps open up!

Running for a whopping 193 minutes, give or take a couple of seconds (40 tracks in all), this mix originally came in 3 CD length parts, but I’ve uploaded here as a continuous whole (you’ll hear Pt2 opening with the Happy Mondays ‘WFL’ fading up, and Pt3 entering after the fade out on West Phillips ‘(I’m Just A) Sucker For A Pretty Face’.

The first section was pretty chilled-out, as people arrived early evening and I just played downtempo grooves – it was more about setting the vibe than filling the dancefloor at that point. I was also conscious of the fact that this provided me with the opportunity to make a few personal references that I wasn’t able to bring into play in a normal club setting. This is most noticeable with the Reggae selections I indulged myself in, including ‘This Is Reggae Music’ by Zap Pow, which always evokes teenage memories of my great friend Derek Kaye, who played a big part in my formative DJ years, and ‘Double Barrel’ by Dave & Ansil Collins, which I blogged about being ‘My Favourite Number 1’ recently:  http://www.gregwilson.co.uk/2011/10/my-favourite-number-1. I even managing to slip in a huge personal favourite forever associated with the time just after I’d stopped deejaying -  Was (Not Was) and ‘(Return To The Valley Of) Out Come The Freaks’, which was also, around this time, one of my 12x12 choices for the US magazine Wax Poetics: http://www.electrofunkroots.co.uk/lists/12x12.html 


From this chilled-out foundation, things gradually morphed into full-on party vibe. It was the perfect way to wet the baby’s head, so to speak. I played for around 4 hours, so over three quarters of my spot was recorded. Listening back I had a little smile to myself at the fact that there’s a live prototype,  towards the end of the second section, of what later became my signature track, ‘Two Sides Of Sympathy’, where I mix The PTA’s ‘Unfinished Thing’ into ‘One For The Devil’. Full lowdown / waveform for ‘Two Sides Of Sympathy’ here:  http://soundcloud.com/gregwilson/edit-the-edit-two-sides-of 

Lasermagnetic DJ’s, Neil Thornton  and Johnny ‘Chingas’ Hiller, also appeared, having done a top job of co-promoting the event with Tirk. All in all it was a very memorable occasion both on a personal level, and for those who packed into that groove jammed Hackney boozer.

Greg Wilson – December 2011


CREDIT TO THE EDIT LAUNCH @ THE DOLPHIN LONDON 31.07.05 (greg wilson live mix)

Bookings: matt@thepool-london.com 
Promos: promo@gregwilson.co.uk 
DJ Dates: https://blog.gregwilson.co.uk/upcoming-dj-dates/
Greg began DJing in 1975 and is regarded as one of the most important figures on the UK dance scene. He enjoyed hugely popular residencies in the early eighties at Wigan Pier and Manchester’s majorly influential Legend, having originally started out in his hometown, New Brighton. A pioneer of mixing in the UK, he became the first ‘dance music’ specialist hired for a regular weekly session at Manchester’s now legendary Haçienda club in 1983. Greg was instrumental in breaking the new electronic, post-disco records coming out of New York, a sound he has dubbed ‘Electro-Funk’.

In 2003 he set up electrofunkroots, a website documenting this crucial era in the evolution of dance culture. After a two decade hiatus from the booth, he returned to DJing and soon welcomed bookings throughout Europe and, subsequently, worldwide.

Greg was the first DJ to mix live on British TV, putting together the first UK radio mixes of their type for Piccadilly 261 in Manchester and showing a certain Norman Cook (later Fatboy Slim) how to scratch.

Nominated by DJ Magazine for outstanding contribution, and also named amongst their top twenty remixers of all-time, Greg’s remix credits include Grace Jones, The XX, Groove Armada, Bryan Ferry, Confidence Man, Gilberto Gil and Simian Mobile Disco, whilst he’s edited tracks by A Guy Called Gerald, Talking Heads, O.M.D., Electronic, Imagination and Missy Elliot.

In January 2009 Greg’s reputation was further enhanced when his Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1 received almost universal acclaim and was selected as one of 10 classics that spanned the show’s near 17 year history.

Greg’s Blog, ‘Being A DJ’, was launched in June 2010 for observations on various aspects of club culture now an online touchstone for an ever-increasing amount of dance enthusiasts and aficionados.

In August 2010 he co-curated areas at the inaugural Vintage Festival at Goodwood, which was named ‘Best New Festival’ at the UK Festival Awards.

He has produced a series of documentary podcasts, Time Capsule, Random Influences and Early 80’s Floorfillers, as well as the long-running blog series, Living To Music.

Greg has given talks on music and DJ culture at a number events at venues The Tate Gallery in Liverpool and London's Southbank and Institute Of Contemporary Arts, whilst in 2013 he was invited onto a panel alongside legendary figures Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder @ ADE in Amsterdam. 

In 2014 he unveiled the multi-media label Super Weird Substance, focusing on recording and live events. In 2015, the label released 8 vinyl singles, brought together in the 2 CD comp, 'Greg Wilson Presents Super Weird Substance'. September 2015 saw a memorable Festival No.6 Happening in Portmeirion and Greg rounded off the year with the Liverpool-based celebration of the 40th anniversary of his first club date in 1975 as well as being presented with DJ Magazine's Industry Icon award.

Greg launched his Credit To The Edit club collective at 2016's Festival No.6 and since then has taken it to Liverpool, Berlin, Brixton, Bethnal Green and finally back to Portmeirion for Festival No.6 2017.

2017 saw his label host the epic 14 Hour Super Weird Happening at Liverpool's Florrie, following a mixtape collaboration with Alan Moore, who also appeared at the Happening, whilst it also saw the digital release of The Super Weird Society's 'Gone With The Vibe', released the following year on the first Substance Select 12" vinyl alongside 'The Ghosts Of Watling Street', 'The Best Is Yet To Come' and 'Summer Came My Way'. 2018 also saw the release of Vol.3 in Greg's long-running Credit To The Edit compilation series.

After a handful of further releases, the label was put into hibernation with the onset of covid. Diversifying, ‘Greg Wilson’s Discotheque Archives’ was issued during 2020 lockdown as a limited run paperback, with more books, both Wilson’s own projects and by other authors, now planned.