My first impression of Mr Norman Jay was that he was bloody down to earth, especially for someone who was recently awarded an MBE for his services to DJing and dance music, by no one less than the Queen of England herself. When asked if this was the highlight of his career, he replied that although it’s definitely “up there”, it doesn’t rate as highly to the achievement that is the “consistency and longevity” of his stellar career.
And what a career it’s been. Through his own determination and skill, Norman Jay has helped shape the face of modern electronic music, with an energetic blend of 20th century black music, jazz, poetry and hip hop, just to name a few styles that you regularly hear in his DJ sets, as wel las his legendary Good Times mix compilations. But the thing that drives his approach to the craft is that everything he creates is 100 per cent for his fans. This is probably one of the many reasons as to why he’s been dubbed “The Godfather” and “The People’s DJ”.
Norman had a particularly musical upbringing, although he says himself that he was never going to be a musician, in the classical instrumental sense. “What fascinated me most was the record player”, he says, and he notes that from a young age, he was mesmerised and subsequently hooked on what would become a lengthy dedication to an eclectic range of music, and a career spanning some 20 years. So where does he continue to draw inspiration after this long in the business? It’s simply something he still loves to do, and for him, it’s an opportunity to share his passion “with those who are interested”, and there is indeed a league of admirers who remain loyal fans. He goes on to say that “while people are still interested in sharing my passion with me… while that continues, I suppose that would be the primary motivation”. Also, it’s about a mix of old and new technology, and avoiding being overly reliant on one or the other. As he says, “I like to balance comfort zone with innovation”; and this style is equivocal to his notoriety as an artist.
When asked whether playing at Mick Jagger’s 50th, and a horde of other star studded events (at the stars’ request) was his definition of the ultimate success as an artist, he replies that “I’ve never measured my success with achievement… I’m a bit of a rolling stone really. One week I’m playing in front of the stars, then the next week reality kicks in.” And he’s playing in front of 50 people on a Wednesday night in the pissing down rain. For him, it’s about that constant variation in what he’s doing, and getting back to the basics, because at the end of the day, “you’ve just got to have a professional attitude and carry on with your job”.
That said job has also allowed him to try his hand in radio, documentaries and the like. The Good Times Sound System, a pirate radio show he started with his brother Joey, marked the beginnings of his career. During these initial stages, he received a remarkable amount of support from family and close friends, and it was this and an “incredible self belief that what we were doing was right and (that) at some point in the future we’d make a success of it”.
In terms of returning to the places he has a strong affinity for, for Norman, Australia is definitely one of those places. “If anything, it gets stronger year by year.” He names Sydney as somewhere that has always felt special to him, having amassed a strong following and “lifelong friends”. He enjoys the dynamic of playing to different generations, who he believes have embraced him with a love and affection that he has never felt outside of London.
So what can expect in the near future? “I’ve achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to achieve” he says, and he is more than happy to keep doing what he’s doing. “Music is the sound scape for all the emotions we have… it’s about the coming together of good people for a shared experience”. He points out that “if the crowd weren’t interested… I’d walk away from it and go and do something else”… while the people in front of me love it, I love it”.
Norman Jay will play the Playground Weekender in Sydney on the weekend of March 7-9, and he’ll be playing a range of other national dates during March. Stay tuned to ITM for details!
Sat 8th March – Playground Weekender Festival, Sydney
Sun 9th March – Playground Weekender Festival, Sydney
Fri 14th March – Funk Club Inc, Rosemount Hotel, Perth
Sat 15th March – Persian Gardens, Adelaide Festival
Sun 16th March – Melbourne Grand Prix, Melbourne
