As a young lad Gordon passionately collected 45 single records of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, buying them with his secondary schooldinner money from his school friends Mum's who "had a box of old singles from their younger days", he immersed himself in the different styles of songs A and B sides from the UK and the USA.
Aged 13, first brand new 7" (45rpm) he bought was Michael Jackson's cover version of Bill Withers hit Ain't No Sunshine, released in the UK in May 1972. Playing his collection at home on a Dansetterecord player, Gordon was fascinated by the song's, themes and lyrics of love; ability to paint virtual pictures; and how they resultantly engaged with the listener. Gordon's first DJing was in 1974 at the age of 15 in a Northfleet Church hall and later at 16 selecting music at friends parties [1]
Early Working life
At 16 years old Gordon completed his secondary education at Northfleet School for Boys in June 1975, employed full-time immediately at Cosy Glide in Northfleet, an aluminium Door and Window manufacturer. December 1975 Gordon left Cosy Glide to take up a previously held position as a Laboratory Assistant for the aircraft paint manufacturing company Dufay Titanine before moving in 1977 to work as a Laboratory Assistant for Britannia Refining Metals. Early 1980 Gordon was employed by the Royal Mail and stationed at the main Post Office in High Holborn, London WC1, Gordon's last 'normal' job until taking up DJing full-time in 1982. From 1977 to 1980 Gordon took evening classes at Gravesend Technical College to study O Level then Advanced level in English Language and English Literature. A period of his life that gave Gordon the necessary education to later write weekly newspaper columns.
Music Journalist
Starting out as a DJ and music journalist in 1982 in his hometown Gravesend, Eddie Gordon wrote a weekly column for the Gravesend and Dartford Reporter and Kent Extra before being invited to write a weekly music page for Kent's major county newspaper the Kent Messenger, a position he held from 1982 to 1991. Nine years of weekly Gordon "Sound Spot" columns writing about artists from all genres of music to fully cater for the very diverse Kent readership. The Kent Messenger won the Weekly Newspaper of the Year title in the Regional Press Awards for 1988 and then went on to collect the title of overall regional newspaper. It's one of the highest accolades for a paid-for weekly paper in the UK.[2]
DJ career
From 1984 through to 1988 Eddie was regularly booked by major London event promoters as the support DJ for BBC Radio 1 DJs and Capital Radio DJs working in the big towns and cities of South East of England. This was a rich period for Eddie Gordon's DJ career with various awards Gravesend and Dartford Reporter 'DJ of the Year 1984–1985', Radio Kent '1986 Club of the Year' with The Slammer, Kent Evening Post '1986 Club of the Year' with The Slammer, Kent Evening Post 1987 Kent Club of the Year with The Sleeze and in 1989 Eddie Gordon was Kent 'Music Man of the Year' – Kent Evening Post. Throughout the 1980s Eddie Gordon was responsible for introducing the music for the Frank Warren Boxing Shows on the ITV channel with the boxers emerging from the dressing room to a fanfare of music to arouse the audience, which is now a regular part of all world championship televised boxing. The events held at the Royal Albert Hall, London, were major ITV programmes of the era. Also from the mid to the late 1980s Eddie spotted and supported the emerging DJ talents of Tim WestwoodBBC Radio 1, Trevor Nelson MBE BBC Radio 1, Gilles PetersonBBC Radio 1, Norman Jay MBE, CJ Macintosh and Paul Oakenfold at his Gravesend club night The Slammer and in his weekly music column Sounds Spot in the county newspaper the Kent Messenger.[3][4]
DJ Agency
In 1985, a local Gravesend DJ Pete Tong personally requested to be added to Eddie Gordon's DJ Management/Agency roster which included BBC Radio London's Jeff Young, Radio Kent's Rod Lucas and the UK Club DJ of the Year Colin Hudd. Eddie's Agency was the first of its kind in the UK devoted to Radio DJs playing Dance music. Eddie managed Pete Tong of BBC Radio 1 for 20 years from 1984 to 2004 and Jeff Young of BBC Radio 1 from 1985 to 1992. in 1999 Eddie set up the DJ Agency IMD Ltd with DJs Pete Tong and Carl Cox heading the roster with a vision of the worldwide stage for Pete Tong.[5]
The digital era/USA Billboard panels
21 September 2002 Eddie Gordon was invited by USA Billboard magazine as the only European representative to co-chair a closed-room key discussion at the Billboard Summit in New York to discuss the threat of the new world technology to the traditional music business with 69 heads of America's record labels. Eddie opened and closed his participation in this unique meeting by predicting that digital delivery would be 'the future' of the world's music business.
USA Billboard Magazine Dance Music Summit 2006 – Las Vegas Wrapup Eddie Gordon (Music 2 Mix) predicted this on a DMS panel more than five years ago to an almost dismissive audience, stressing the importance of building an audience.[6] A vision confirmed 7 months later by the unveiling of Apple's iTunes in March 2003, which is now largest music retailer in the USA. 4 Apr 2008. iTunes 'biggest US music seller' group Wal-Mart to become the largest music retailer in the US, an independent study has said...[7]
Eddie has moderated The Future of Digital Distribution at USA Billboard Summit in New York in 2003, attended panels as a speaker in 2004 and 2005 including a keynote speech at the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) – MP3 the Future of Music Promotion in Holland. [8]
USA Billboard magazine DMS 2003 – The (Internet) Revolution will be Televised Eddie Gordon said that the 5 majors are concerned about marketshares, but they have to get on the internet and dance with the kids or die.[9]
Winter Music Conference 2004 – Other Parties Future Music. Michael Paoletta,. Derek Graves, Seven. Eddie Gordon, Debra Eriksen. PlexiPR Party. Steve Porter. Betty Kang. Hed Kandi Party.[10]
Eddie moderated a panel at the first USA Billboard Magazine Summit in Las Vegas 20 September 2006 titled 'Across The Pond'[11] "The iPod is the Elvis revolution but the iPod plus the phone will be the Beatles revolution." EG quote at Billboard Magazine Conference, Las Vegas. Sep 2006
DJ In The Mix in London to KINGS of Spins Los Angeles, USA
June 2003 Eddie Gordon launched the world's first online digital promotion system for DJs with DJinTheMix which had an exclusive link to the then newly formed iTunes from Apple Inc. The following year DJinTheMix was nominated as a finalist in the Orange New Business Ventures in London and IMEA at Popkomm in Berlin, Germany. By the turn of 2005 Eddie Gordon introduced a new digital marketing service to radio stations worldwide with M2M and in April 2008 launched Media 2 Radio[12] in the USA. The promotional work of DJITM to KINGS of Spins has helped to bring awareness and attention to over 5'000 new releases for artists plus record labels from around the world [8]
The Grammy Awards. Hollywood
From 2010 to 2017, Gordon was invited to be a member of the Electronica / Dance Grammys Screening committee in Los Angeles by the chairman of the panel to assist the selection process for the year's best dance releases.
The British Broadcasting Corporation
Gordon joined BBC Radio 1 as a freelance producer in the early 1990, and introduced a host of new programming ideas and DJ talent including Pete Tong, Danny Rampling, Judge Jules, Seb Fontaine, Fergie and Carl Cox. For two years from 1995 to 1997 Gordon co-produced the Danny Rampling's Saturday evening BBC Radio 1 show The Love Groove Dance Party on alternate weekends with Jeff Young.[13]
From the early 1992, Gordon had been receiving weekly two-hour long mixes on cassette from DJ's Tony Humphries on New York's Hot 96, and Frankie Knuckles at KISS 100.[14] Gordon pitched the idea of a UK based electronic dance music show, with an emphasis on house, that show-cased different DJs and styles of music to offer an outlet for UK dance music.[14] With voice-overs by Pete Tong, the first show was broadcast in 1994, produced by Gordon and airing from 01.00am to 03.00am.[15] The show was subject to scheduling adjustments over the subsequent fifteen years, varying in duration from 2 hours to 3.5 hours, broadcast within the time frame from 01.00am to 06.00am. The show was the first BBC production to broadcast live from Ibiza, Spain.[14] In addition, a one-hour Sunday edition of the programme was broadcast at 7.00pm from April 1992 to April 1993,[16] called "The Essential Selection - Part 2". In 1997 IPC-produced magazine Muzik Mag named the show Radio Show of the Year in 1997, and a Sony Silver Award in 1997 for the Goa Mix presented by DJ Paul Oakenfold. Gordon left the show in 2004, when it changed to a different production company.[14] The Essential Mix is presently the longest running Radio Mix show in the world.[17] "The Essential Mix Changed My Life" [18][19]
BBC Radio 1 and Ibiza
Gordon took the Essential Mix to Ibiza in 1995, the first BBC produced show to air live from the noted club-scene holiday island,[14] by recording an Essential Mix show set of DJ Nicky Holloway at the Ku club (now Privilege).[20] The following year, Gordon persuaded the station's Managing Director Andy Parfitt to broadcast the "Essential Selection" show live from the Café del Mar and the Essential Mix from Amnesia in Ibiza; in 1998 when playing a set there for the Essential Mix.[20] DJ Carl Cox's first ever live recording on the infamous Terrace for BBC Radio 1, produced by Gordon, won two awards in 1998, BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix Show of the Year and Muzik Mag's BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix Show of the Year.[21] Gordon was at the forefront of the Balearic beat worldwide explosion, and in celebration in 2005 BBC Radio 1 celebrated 10 years of broadcasting from Ibiza, followed by even more high profile 20 year celebrations in 2015.[20]
From 18 to 23 July 2011, Gordon produced and co-presented a 10-hour radio documentary A Piece of Paradise for the BBC 6 Music on the legendary Manhattan, New York nightclub Paradise Garage and its DJ Larry Levan. The shows were aired in one hour series Monday to Friday at midnight and a special 5-hour show on Saturday featuring a recorded live broadcast from inside the 'Garage in 1979. The show has been repeated by BBC 6 Music three times in entirety.[24]
Internet radio
In 2000 Gordon saw the potential of dual-broadcasting shows via both the radio and the internet, with live audio and video camera images being beamed around the planet on the World Wide Web. Starting in 2000 under his own management and broadcasting from Café Mambo in Ibiza, from 2003 BBC Radio 1 took over the venture, and continue to this day.[25]
Record labels
MCA Records-Universal
1988 Gordon was appointed, by MCA Records UK Head of Dance A&R Adrian Sykes, as MCA Records' Club Promotion Dance A&R. Together they scored 10 UK Top 40 hit records from the R&B urban/dance division; In September 1988 Eddie Gordon remixed Bobby Brown's "Don't Be Cruel" record with Timmy Regisford in New York for MCA Records UK, helping Bobby Brown to achieve his first Top 20 UK hit record off his debut album which sold in excess of 300,000 copies in the UK.
October 1994 Eddie Gordon founded the Manifesto label for Mercury Records UK. Along with Judge Jules, their first 14 Manifesto Records releases were all Top 40 UK hit records. Manifesto Records was Music Week's Dance Label of the Year 1995, 1996 and 1997. Eddie's 1995 signing of the Café del Mar – Ibiza Chill Out CD series for the world made Manifesto Records one of the UK's most successful dance labels of all time with the sales of the Café del Mar albums going over 15 million and they are still selling every summer 15 years later. The success of which created an entire genre of music called Chill-Out or Lounge. Another of Eddie's signings, Jose Padilla went on to be Nominated for a USA Latin Grammy with his second album Horizons. Manifesto Records scored nine #1's in the UK Record Mirror Chart to win the Music Week magazine's dance music label of 1996. One signing, Josh Wink – Higher State of Consciousness, actually hit the UK Top 10 twice at # 7 in consecutive years 1995 and 1996. A feat never to be repeated for an underground techno dance record. Eddie left Manifesto Records in 1997 suffering from exhaustion and feeling that Universal were not totally supportive of the artists or projects signed to the label. Five years later in 2002, Lucian Grainge the chairman and chief executive of Universal Music Group International congratulated Eddie personally for saving Mercury Records UK with the success of the signings to Manifesto Records in-particular the Café del Mar – Ibiza Chill Out CD series which Lucian compared to signing a smaller version of U2, the rock band, due to the income it generated for the company with its multi-million worldwide sales. [21][27][28][29]
1998 Eddie started his independent label, Neo Records, succeeding with the biggest selling dance record of the year 2000 with Sandstorm by Darude, licensed for the world and hitting No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart. Another Neo Records signing Ann Lee's 2 Times went one place better at No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart.
Producer/Artist: remixes, production and aliases
In an extension to his previous work at the record labels, from 1988 to 1996 Gordon became at first a producer and freelance remixer of various artistes records, and then an artist - as a front man producer and the hub of any "band" - in his own right. The function of both producer and artist was fulfilled under a series of aliases, including: WestEnd; EG; Ed-Did-It; and EGor.[30]
Under these alias labels, Gordon remixed over 75 records for various labels and record companies for mainly the UK, European club scene and North America. This included six records off one album for Eternal from their debut album Always & Forever the songs "Stay", "Crazy", "Just a Step from Heaven", "Sweet Funky Thing", "Save Our Love", and "So Good", all of which went to No. 1 in the UK Club Charts and helped the Eternal album sell 3 million copies.
Aside from numerous record label awards with Manifest Records and Neo Records, plus awards for the Essential Mix Radio 1 show, Gordon's enjoyed a successful DJ career with various awards Gravesend and Dartford Reporter 'DJ of the Year 1984-1985', Radio Kent '1986 Club of the Year' with The Slammer, Kent Evening Post '1986 Club of the Year' with The Slammer, Kent Evening Post 1987 Kent Club of the Year with The Sleeze and in 1989 Eddie Gordon was Kent 'Music Man of the Year' - Kent Evening Post. 2014 Gordon was made a Founding Member of the Chicago-based American DJ Hall Of Fame for his Excellence in the Advancement, Expansion and Acceptance of Dance Music around the World.
Discography and West End Remixes plus productions
From 1988 to 1998 Eddie Gordon, using the names "West End", "Ed-Did-It" or "EGor", remixed over 75 records for various labels and record companies in the UK music business including six records off one album for Eternal from their debut album Always & Forever the songs "Stay", "Crazy", "Just a Step from Heaven", "Sweet Funky Thing", "Save Our Love", and "So Good", all of which went to No. 1 in the UK Club Charts and helped the Eternal album sell 3 million copies. The UK music charts love affair with girl groups was created from this success. West End also enjoyed Club Chart Number 1 success with Dina Carroll "Here", "Ain't No Man" and "Express", Donna Summer "Melody of Love" and Toni Braxton "Breathe Again". Further information in the discography below.
Julius O'Riordan, better known by his stage name Judge Jules, is a British dance music DJ, record producer and entertainment lawyer. He is known for his DJ activities, music production and long-running radio show which achieved global success. He was voted best DJ in the world by DJ Mag in 1995.
Nicholas Bracegirdle, known professionally as Chicane, is an English musician, composer, songwriter, and record producer. Among his works are singles "Offshore", an Ibiza trance anthem included in many compilations in both chill-out and dance versions; "Saltwater", which featured vocals by Clannad member Máire Brennan, and the UK number-one hit "Don't Give Up", featuring vocals by Bryan Adams, which also became a top ten hit on singles charts across Europe and Australia.
Ultra Naté Wyche is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ and promoter who has achieved success on the pop charts with songs such as "Free", "If You Could Read My Mind", and "Automatic".
Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast, is a Welsh electronic music producer, DJ and record producer. He produces drum and bass music, and his 2009 album Confidential reached BPI gold certification.
Peter Michael Tong is an English disc jockey who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as Essential Mix and Essential Selection on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records and for his own performances at nightclubs and music festivals. Tong has also worked as a record producer and is regarded as the "global ambassador for electronic music."
Mauro Picotto is an Italian electronic music producer and DJ, and previously a member of the Italian Euro house group "R.A.F.". He became well known as a solo artist with songs including "Komodo ", "Pulsar", "Iguana", and "Lizard". He has collaborated with other electronica/trance musicians such as Tiësto and Mario Più.
The Essential Mix is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 0:00 and 2:00 a.m. UK time on Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, the Essential Mix features contemporary DJs and music producers of electronic dance music. The show has been presented since its inception by Pete Tong and features an uninterrupted two-hour mix from a different artist each week, overlaid with occasional continuity announcements delivered by Tong. With a broadcast run of over 30 years, the Essential Mix is one of the longest-running programmes in the current BBC Radio 1 schedule. It is one of very few Radio 1 shows which is not broadcast live.
David Alistair Pearce is an English dance DJ, EDM producer and broadcaster, who has performed across the United Kingdom and the world. He previously presented Dance Anthems on BBC Radio 1 for ten years. He is renowned for playing a key role both as a performer and behind the scenes in the development of English dance and club culture.
The Essential Selection is a radio show on Friday evenings on BBC Radio 1, originally conceived by producer Eddie Gordon and hosted by Pete Tong.
Robert Ferguson, known professionally as Fergie, is a Northern Irish DJ and electronic music artist from Larne. He has been an internationally touring DJ and a music producer for over 20 years. He presented a radio show on BBC Radio 1 for over four years while recording 13 Essential Mixes for the station. He was featured in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll seven years in a row and currently holds the record for the highest new entry since the poll began, achieved when he was voted 8th in 2000.
The Goa Mix is a two-hour DJ mix by British musician and DJ Paul Oakenfold. It was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 1 as an Essential Mix on 18 December 1994 after the producer of the show, Eddie Gordon, chose Oakenfold to produce an eclectic DJ mix for the show which featured a burgeoning variation of electronic styles, having begun the previous year. Oakenfold had, at this point, developed his own unique Goa trance sound, influenced by his time at hippy gatherings on beaches in Goa, and employed it heavily into the mix, which also made pioneering use of film score samples. Oakenfold used the mix as an experiment in which he tried to fuse electronic music, especially trance music, with film score music, and then to overlay the result with vocal parts, samples and additional production. The mix was split into two parts, later referred to as the Silver Mix and the Gold Mix respectively. Reflecting the Goa influence, the album title did not evolve beyond its simplistic working name.
Sharam Tayebi, better known as Sharam, is an Iranian techno and house DJ and producer. Born in Tehran, Iran, he emigrated to Washington D.C. at the age of 14. A mainstay of the Washington underground dance music scene, he has been active both as one half of the duo Deep Dish and solo artist, producer and mixer.
Defected Records is a British independent record label specialising in house music recordings, compilation albums, events, publishing, artist booking and management. One of the longest running independent labels of its kind, Defected has paved the way for house music in the UK and remained a well-respected constant in the music industry for over 20 years.
Maya Jane Coles is a British music producer, audio engineer and DJ, born in London. Under her real name, she mostly composes and plays house and techno music, while her alias Nocturnal Sunshine creates darker, more bass-driven productions with a heavy hip-hop and dub influence. She was previously part of an electronic dub duo called She Is Danger with Lena Cullen.
Sonny Wharton is a British house and techno DJ and record producer. In addition to his artist career, Wharton now manages a range of electronic DJs and producers alongside running his newly founded record label, Strength In Numbers.
Daley Padley, also known as Hot Since 82, is a British DJ, house music producer and DJ Awards winner currently based in Holmfirth, UK. He has been releasing music under the Hot Since 82 moniker since 2012.
Olivier "Oliver" J. L. Heldens is a Dutch DJ and electronic music producer from Rotterdam. He is regarded as a pioneer of the future house genre, propelling it to international attention and scoring numerous chart successes, including "Gecko (Overdrive)", "Last All Night (Koala)", "The Right Song", "Fire in My Soul", and "Turn Me On". He also produces techno songs under the alias HI-LO, which comes from "Oli H" in reversed form, and runs the label Heldeep Records. Through February 2021, he is the 460th-most-streamed artist on Spotify, with over a billion cumulative streams.
DJ S.K.T is an English record producer, DJ and label manager, known for his work involving house, and tech house.
Patrick Topping is an English DJ, music producer and the owner of the record label company Trick. With releases on Hot Creations, Hottrax and Relief Records, Topping has hit number 1's on the Beatport Tech House charts, and received DJ Awards for Newcomer DJ and Track of the Season in Ibiza for his summer hit "Forget" in 2014. He won Best Tech House DJ award in 2018.
Nicholas Anthony “Nic” Fanciulli is an electronic music artist, DJ and label owner.
References
↑ "Ed the DJ". EddieGordon.info. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
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