Norman Jay
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Norman Jay (b. Notting Hill, London) is an innovative and pioneering British DJ. He first came to prominence playing unlicensed or 'warehouse' parties in the early 1980s, such as Shake 'n' Fingerpop. His diverse and deep musical knowledge and his refusal to be restricted to playing from any single genre distinguishes him from his peers. He has an ongoing radio show on regional station BBC London, and present his Funk Factory series on BBC Radio 2 which goes out every 6 weeks of the year.
Norman established himself through the London pirate radio station Kiss 100, which he co-managed alongside Gordon Mac and George Power. Kiss 100 was launched in 1990 and Norman's show became legendary, and he soon joined Gilles Peterson at his label Talkin' Loud.
His Good Times Sound System, which he started with his brother Joey, is a major attraction to many music fans who attend the two day August bank holiday Notting Hill Carnival . Good Times now attracts an estimated 3,000 revellers a day during the carnival.
Norman describes himself as a house music DJ, but the Good Times concept includes classic 70s and 80s funk, soul and Jazz-funk, previous carnival tracks have typically included Estelle's 1980; and tracks featured in recent radio shows have included Billy Griffin's Hold Me Tighter In The Rain and more contemporary tracks in the form of Heavy's track Wonderlove.
The BBC website describes his music as "the cream of 70s disco with the latest club anthems." Meanwhile the Good Times brand has extended into a series of compilation CDs.
Norman was one of 20 DJs who played one track each at the 2005 BBC Worldwide Awards [1] which produced three specials for BBC Radio 1 over Christmas and New Year, hosted by Gilles Peterson.
He is an established regular at the Big Chill festival, where his Sunday afternoon slot on the main stage is widely regarded as one of the highlights of the weekend.
Norman Jay is also a dedicated Tottenham Hotspur football supporter and was awarded the MBE for services to music in 2002.
Good Times compilations
