Part Sixty-One. We’re truly honoured to have Tim Burgess give us his Five Tracks You Should Hear This Week. Tim is a very busy man. When he isn’t performing as the frontman of The Charlatans, Tim is running a record label (OGenesis Records, the label he’s set up with three friends (Nick Fraser of festival Kendal Calling, Charlatans producer/engineer James Spencer and Nic Void of band Factory Floor), creating a new breakfast cereal with Kellogg’s (Totes Amazeballs will be hitting Kendal Calling this summer) and spinning records across the country. Oh, and he has released his autobiography called ‘Telling Stories’.

Erol Alkan re-edited The Charlatan’s ‘Weirdo’ to stretch out the groove for the Trash dance floor, saying “this record is severely under rated, and one of those tracks which stuck with me through my youth.”

And in Tim’s own words: “One thing to realise when you listen these songs is that they’d probably never get a spin on the same night. I’ve always loved DJing and I’m definitely a jack of all trades (some might say master of none – but you don’t think that do you? Oh, good). Last Saturday I played a night called POP! which kind of speaks for itself, I’m playing records at Field Day this week and my past exploits have had me hauling my collection of 7s and 12s everywhere from Ibiza to The Warehouse Project, Northern Soul nights in Wrexham to a set at a punk festival. What I’m saying is that these songs are a definite selection rather than some sort of mini set should you wish to try them out”.
Anyway, headphones on. Let’s go

FIVE TRACKS YOU MUST HEAR THIS WEEK #61: Tim Burgess

FACTORY FLOOR-2 DIFFERENT WAYS

This is one that stays in the box and we have to have an unsaid agreement before it gets a spin. Factory Floor aren’t for everyone and aren’t for every dancefloor but when the planets align and everybody is ready for something extra special they are perfect. I’ve heard them described as analogue techno/ industrial house – that kind of thing but there’s a real soul to their music. Loved by Optimo and Stephen Morris, I have to admit a bias as I often roadie for them and at their best they are unstoppable. This one is best post 2am when everyone is a little more, er, relaxed. I saw them play recently where they went on at 3am, The Horrors had played before them and tweeted “Factory Floor are the future of dance music” – some people are up with the future but some are catching up. Not for everyone. Avoid playing at weddings.

THE CHARLATANS/BEASTIE BOYS-WEIRDO (MASH UP)

When I DJ I’m not sure whether people are expecting me to play something by The Charlatans – or whether there’d be an outbreak of tutting. I played at a night called Pop on Saturday night and I’d been pointed towards this mash up and I thought I’d give it a go. I’d never thought of Weirdo as one of ours to play in a club, there’s more dancefloor oriented stuff that we did with The Chemical Brothers so it was something new. It’s got a pretty good groove and it caught people a little off guard when The Beastie Boys joined in. Not sure if a few people might have even thought it was something we’d collaborated on but the truth is I just found it on youtube. I’m not a huge fan of mash ups but it sort of ticks a couple of boxes. Kind of funny to watch people dancing to one of the songs but not the other too

ADRIANO CELETANO-PRISENCOLINENSINAINCIUSOL

Everyone who’s ever heard this loves it – anyone who’s never heard it loves it even more. I don’t know a whole lot about the song, I just kind of pick up info as I go along via some sort of osmosis. The lyrics are just made up words. I’m told Adriano wanted it to sound like a hip song in English but didn’t speak it too well so he just made it up. He gets a namecheck in Reasons To Be Cheerful and Mike Reid (ex Eastender rather than Frankie bothering DJ) did a cover version. It’s just so far ahead of its time, even having a video complete with go go dancers.

TIM BURGESS-A CASE FOR VINYL (SAM WILLIS OF WALLS REMIX)

Again, this is one for a particular occasion – I’d heard Walls a couple of years ago and loved their minimal glitchiness. I went to Nashville to record my solo album and brought back the tracks I’d written with Kurt Wagner from Lambchop. I played it to Sam from Walls and he said he’d love to do a remix. The wooziness of this track really draws you in. I was DJing at Piccadilly Records for Record Store Day and started with this one. Mr. Scruff had been playing just before me and I noticed a distinct head nod going one. The same day I DJ’d at a place called Kraak, a really cool floor in a warehouse – lots of UV lights and some amazing bands. I wanted to play something that just washed over everyone and I think this track hot the spot. It’s barely recognisable as the track I recorded as most of my vocals but the dust just in case anyone thought I was being a bit egotistical

CLASSIC NORTHERN SOUL-JUDY STREET WHAT

Just such a brilliant song. I think I’m most nervous when I DJ northern soul nights – there’s rules and it’s pretty heavily policed by some self appointed heavies. Northern soul is unique in that all the music had already been recorded when people picked up on it – black US soul being interpreted in Wigan, Blackpool and Manchester. My collection has steadily grown and I’ve been invited to DJ by some really cool nights – including The Horrors’ boxing day all dayer in Southend. I always swing by Beatin Rhythm records whenever I can and they even have a selection they’ve put in a box with my name on. They know what I like and there’s always a stack waiting for me. It’s the vinyl junkie part of me and they feed my habit. Whenever I play this you can see people trying out a few moves that they remember from the Wigan Casino footage. They don’t always manage to pull it off

Click here to buy Tim’s ‘Telling Stories’ book
Write up: James Banks

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