An interview with Disco King, Sean P

Thanks for taking the time out to answer a few questions, Sean. We really appreciate it…

DS3: Where did you grow up, tell us about your childhood?

SP: I was born in south London and we moved to Black Boy Lane, near Seven Sisters soon after, so I've always considered my roots to be in Tottenham. I went to Woodlands Park school at the top of the road, though it's not called that now. We left the area in 1973 and returned south, where I've remained.

DS3: There are not many people respected as much as you are when it comes to disco. But back when you were young, which bands/ artists was it that you respected, and whom inspired you to take such a developed interest in the music that you love?

SP: I was exposed mainly to reggae and pop radio. My dad had a lot of records on Trojan (I loved the logo and design as a toddler and the first thing I remember writing was 'trojan', backwards) and labels like Pama, Island, Blue Beat, Caltone and the like. Pre-school, I used to play my dad's records and listen to the radio whilst at home. He didn't have many funk records, but 'Sting' by Barry Waite and 'Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself' by the JBs intrigued me as they were all bass-line and drums - no melody, just rhythm. He got a big pile of 45s, mainly reggae, around '77 and most of the Jamaican ones had versions on the flips, so again, the rhythm section was at the fore. I started to listening to some of the disco shows on the radio and taking note of the disco charts. Some of the older local guys around my way were soul-heads and I took my lead from them. Prelude was the disco label at the start of the '80s and became a firm favourite - and the UK jazz-funk thing was happening too, so I got into groups like Light Of The World. Much to the chagrin of my hipper contemporaries, I never quite left the pop side of me behind and listened to alternative shows from time to time.

DS3 :At what age did you first get your hands on a pair of turntables, and what effect did this have on you?

SP: I've always been interested in the mechanics and aesthetics of turntables and tape decks. I would always adjust the home stereo and mess about with arm height, weight, anti-skate and boring things like that. I first used 1200s at a gig in 1986 and I was pleased as punch to be using these fantastic machines. I didn't know many guys who had a pair of Technics, so I had to wait until I finally bought a pair myself when I was maybe 22. I didn't stop staring at them for a month!

DS3: What clubs did you used to frequent as a young man, and which DJs did you have a particular soft spot for?

SP: I was never a heavy clubber, mainly because I was always buying records. I used to go to house parties more as a teenager, but some of the club nights I went to were the Kiss FM spots at Monkberry's and Ambassdor's. But house parties, wine bars, etc., were where my mates and I tended to end up. One of the few nights I used to frequent almost every week was Moist in Covent Garden, but this was in the early '90s. My favourite DJs were on the radio, mainly the pirates - Steve Davonne from Radio Invicta; the DJs on JFM and Horizon; Greg Edward and Robbie Vincent; Charlie Gillett when he was on Capital; the original Kiss FM crew from the mid-'80s; Peterson and Tong in their early '80s pirate days - and the legendary Tony Monson.

DS3: You and Dave Lee have released a few compilations which much success. How did you first meet, and how would you define your musical relationship?

SP: I met Dave in 1986 when he worked in a short-lived music superstore in Marble Arch (where Virgin is now), called Smithers & Leigh. They just appeared out of nowhere and had one of the best cut-out and deletion selections in London. I asked about a record in the racks and we got talking - and it became apparent we were into the same music. He left some months later to work at Rough Trade in King's Cross and the rest is history. Our relationship is based on music, so 99% of our interactions are about records.

DS3: Disco has been revived, you might say, with a lot of edits and re-edits etc, not least with some of your own. Do you think this spurt of music is having a positive effect on the legacy of disco, or do you think that maybe it’s becoming a touch over saturated and at risk of harming disco’s image?

SP: I think disco's image is safe at the moment, as it's more popular and certainly more 'cool' than it's been since its heyday. There has been a steady movement growing since the early 1990s - when Tee Scott, Larry Levan, Arthur Russell and Walter Gibbons passed away, a lot of people who maybe hadn't heard of them beforehand started to talk about and champion them and their mixes. The history behind disco, its key clubs and DJs has become something of an obsession for many since then - and house has been commercially successful far longer than disco was originally.

DS3: When we spoke to Danny Wang, he was critical of much of the technology used today to make music, saying it lacked realism. Is this something you’d agree with, and if so, what kind of approach do you take when working on edits?

SP: Recording technology now is so good, it sucks the life out of music. I'm all for digital and the advances it brings, but it's tiring listening to new recordings because they're dry, lifeless and sterile. Every stage in the recording-to-manufacture process is much more faithful and less susceptible to quality loss nowadays and it's the imperfections which can add character, atmosphere and an identity.
I started of doing cassette pause-button edits in the '80s and later, mindisc offered better quality and the opportunity to rehearse cuts to get them really tight. I use PC programs now because they're non-destructive, fast and easy to use. I became fascinated by edits when I heard the disco-length versions of tracks in the pop charts - things like Chic's 'Good Times'. The first time I heard the 12" version of that was a real revelation and when I started buying 12"s, I would work out the edit points of the 7" versions. I began to hear how disco mixes were constructed - in many cases, the original tracks themselves were quite short and you could hear passages being re-used in the extended versions, with elements added or subtracted. When I got a suitable tape recorder, I would edit down 12" versions down to 7" length, just so see if I could do it as well as the engineers - then I started shortening tracks to see if I could capture their whole essence in less than 4 minutes, without omitting anything of importance. I still do it now, it's great fun and a challange I like setting myself if I get a bit bored. Imaginary 7" versions aside, when I do an edit, I simply look to minimise the less interesting parts and maximise the better ones. I try to keep a traditional structure to the track, without making it too repetitive.

DS3: Bill Brewster was quoted as saying that if there was something he didn’t know about a certain disco record, then his first port of call would be you. Would you say that the history of the record itself is as important as the sound it produces?

SP: To me and someone like Bill, yes - not everyone likes to get bogged down in trivia, but I do and I like knowing who's on what, where they're from, what else they did. If you have a deep interest in something you hear, you'll just want to find out more.

DS3: Over the past few years, club culture has reverted back to its origins, and gone back underground (a healthy advancement, we'd say). Has this had a positive effect on you personally, as a DJ, and does it give it you hope for the new, information hungry DJs and producers of tomorrow to give the respect to the music that it deserves?

SP: It's definitely good news that disco has now acquired a maintream respectabilty that it never really had in its time. It's good for me too, as I get the odd gig and other bits of work. Also, so many more people are into disco and boogie - I never thought things would reach the level they have now, especially with those who weren't around during the disco period. The enthusiasm is encouraging - the information is out there and when it comes to records, it's like the rare groove days all over again. The main difference is, you can let the whole world know what you're after at the click of a mouse, which does have advantages.
Finding out about disco and club history has never had it so easy, thanks mainly to the internet and books like "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" - and the re-issue/compilation/bootleg industry surrounding black music now is bigger than I've ever known it to be. A couple of young guys I spoke to recently said that everything's too readily available, whether it's music or information. This can detract from its value, as you appreciate things more if you have to work for them sometimes.

DS3: Any more compilation or production work planned for future that you’d like to share with us?

SP: Nothing in the pipeline at the moment, though I've just done an edit of a Kreeps remix for Output/MRC.

DS3: Could you give us a current top 10?!

SP: Sure - no disco, though!

Hiroshi Suzuki - Romance (Sony)
Sylvia St. James - Motherland (Elektra)
Merry Clayton - If I Lose (Ode)
Count Ossie & M.R.O.R. - Run One Mile (Dynamic Sounds)
Prince Lasha & Odean Pope Trio - Many, Many, Many, Many Miles Away (CMP)
The Stills -Young Band - Black Coral (Elektra)
Frank Cunimondo Trio - Wine And You (Mundo)
Mike Longo - Ocean Of His Might (Lester Radio)
Bobby Timmons Trio - Cut Me Loose, Charlie (Prestige)
Stevie Wonder - Joy Inside My Tears (Motown)

DS3: Sum yourself up in 3 words.

SP: "Must eat less".

If you’re interested in booking Sean P then please email matt@nuphonic.co.uk for more information.

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