Legendary British DJ Greg Wilson has spoken of his youthful admiration for soul singers such as Otis Redding.
Way before Acid House, Greg Wilson took cutting edge electronic music to British dancefloors. His inventive re-edits presaged remixing, with the producer often physically cutting up slices of magnetic tape to get the desired effect.
Between nights at Wigan Pier and the Hacienda, Greg Wilson established himself as the country’s most cutting edge DJ. Then he retired.
Returning in 2003, Greg Wilson has re-established himself as a clubbing legend. Speaking to Spank Records, the ‘Credit To The Edit’ DJ revealed his early love of gritty soul music.
“Sixties’ soul was my first love and Otis Redding my favourite singer. Even at a very young age his voice got right under my skin – my older brother, who, as a Mod at the time, was a big soul fan, owned a number of Otis’ singles which I’d play when he wasn’t about” the DJ revealed.
Continuing, Greg Wilson revealed that it wasn’t until some years later that he began to grasp the finer points of some tracks. Recalling ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay’ the DJ claimed: “For some years after I’d been told he’d died (at the incredibly young age of 26 in December 1967). I got fact mixed up with fiction in my youthful naiveté, believing that he’d fallen from the dock of the bay and drowned. This, of course, added to the poignancy of the song for me.”
“Even now when I listen to ‘Dock Of The Bay’ it touches me deeply, especially, for some reason, the line “I can’t do what ten people tell me to do”. A truly iconic single with which will always live in my heart.”
Read the entire interview HERE.
