Asking things to Mr Thing
Have a nice weekend
As he was spinning tunes ‘til we were told to close our Yard Party down last night (thanks to everyone who came and packed it out - it was great to meet you), we thought we’d help you gently into the weekend with a Q&A with legendary hip-hop DJ Mr Thing.
What’s the most amount of records you’ve bought in one go, Mr Thing?
When I had my record shop I was quite regularly buying collections and filling the back of the car with stock, but for personal buying I think last time I was in Toronto I outdid myself and filled a suitcase, rarer stuff in my handluggage and had to ship a 100 count box back home as well! We did do a two week digging road trip so it was inevitable!
You’ve just got back from China - what was the crate digging like there? Did you find any unexpected records out there - discover any new genres?
It’s quite hard to find records there for various reasons but I got 3 I was really after this trip - an album by Steve Kuhn on Buddha which is like a vocal jazz fusion thing which by all accounts used to be around but is now pretty sought after, it’s been on my list for years and was the first time I’d ever seen one. Also got a pretty heavy Jazz LP called Green Line which has one tune which sounds like James Brown meets Jazz Rock, another one that was on my never ending list but had never seen over here!
I think we should rename the Easter Bank Holiday, the Amen Break - do you agree?
Absolutely agree and make sure that drummer from The Winston’s gets some money too!
Can anything top the Amen Break? What’s your favourite break?
The Amen break is pretty untouchable, I always loved how it was pitched down to 33 during the break when it was featured on Ultimate Breaks & Beats and then jungle came along and put it back to its rightful tempo again! Personal favourite break changes weekly so here’s a Top 5:
Pleasure - Joyous
Funk Inc - Kool Is Back
Kool & The Gang - Give It Up
James Brown - Give It Up Or Turnit Loose
Rufus Thomas - Do The Funky Penguin
We’re asking everyone this - how many chips do you think are in a large portion of chips (from a chippy)?
My local chippy is pretty generous with the portions so I’m gonna say it’s got to be roughly 40+?
You just headlined the Ralph Yard party - do you prepare differently for a more intimate gig like that than you would a big venue?
I always prep everything the same big or small - spend a couple of days going through records and making decisions on what I’m gonna play or what could happen depending on the crowd, there’s always a lot of piles of records!
Could you give us Mr Thing’s top 10 summer sunset songs of all time?
Hmmmmmm in no particular order!
Jan Hammer Group - Peaceful Sundown
Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness (Light Of The Worlds LP version)
Gene Harris - Losalamitoslatinlovesong
Light Of The World - London Town
Jill Scott - Slowly Surely
El Michels Affair - Hung Up On My Baby
Anthony Hamilton - Everybody
Dorando - Didn’t I
Jorge Dalto - I’ve Got You On My Mind
Milton Nascimento - Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser
