The Record Players: DJ Revolutionaries by Bill Brewster, Frank Broughton

Swotting up on DJs isn't everyone's cup of tea but you never know who logs onto your blogsite, so I like my blogs to be as eclectic as possible. I well remember (just about) Jimmy Savile (note the correct spelling) drawing lunchtime crowds at Manchester's Plaza Ballroom where he was manager in the 50s, if only to see the technicolour of his hair and watch his strange antics, never mind the records he played. This particular type of madness was a great draw for students and office workers who considered themselves to be normal but held Jimmy in great regard. I bet none of us had an inkling he would be Sir Jimmy one day. He was the first DJ to use twin turntables and a mike, which is what established him as number one but it wasn't just that; he had something extra that pulled in the crowds - stage presence, charisma and a sense of humour. I'm glad he's featured in Brewster and Broughton's book. In it, they interview 46 of the world's greatest DJs and apart from Savile, others include Grandmaster Flash, Frankie Knuckles, John Peel, Terry Farley and Tiesto. We discover how the first DJ came about, the development of different musical genres and the progress of the DJ from unsung pioneer to overheated superstar. Music covers Northern Soul to disco, rock'n'roll and techno. And as a social history, it gives an insight into the civil rights movement, changing fashions, sexual mores, politics and every facet of music culture from the 40s until today. The authors have written extensively on dance music, including Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, and the definitive DJing manual, How to DJ (Properly). They founded their website http://www.djhistory.com/ as an archive of dance music and if you're a dance music collector or a DJ you will probably have been there frequently. This is their fourth book and it is due for publication 30 August 2010. It can be obtained from http://www.djhistory.com/  The duo have a weekly podcast on http://tinyurl.com/chn2sa