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Me at a Mowton Records Promo |
JOHN HEDGES |
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John Hedges, former owner of Megatone Records interview. For the polish leading deejay web site www.djsportal.com as same as for the books: "DISC JOCKEY" and "SILENT RECORDS" - disco encyclopedia by Janek 'YAHUDEEJ@Y' Pawul Y@HU - This time my interview is with John Hedges - an American deejay who remembers what was interesting in the early and late '70s. I still am DJ for 30 years now. I was Billboard DJ of the year in 1976. I also produced music. The the likes of Sylvester, Lisa, Barry Blum, Jo Carol , The Weather Girls, Linda Imperial, Paul Parker, Shawn Benson and many more. I now own many Moby Dick Records and Megatone Records master recordings, San Francisco CA. Johnny Hedges P.S. Sometime know as Johnny "Disco" Hedges in San Francisco. This is historic - because it is the first interview every conducted by a polish deejay writer for the Polish and International readers Y@HU - when did you decide to become a disc jockey when and where did it really start - How long have you been a deejay ? JOHN - I always known I'd be a DJ. I built a FM pirate radio station in Ohio and played my own dance songs in my garage and later I got busted by the FCC (another story). I then moved to San Francisco with my life partner Gerry McBride. My first real DJ job was at The Mine Shaft disco on Market ST. SF, CA when I was 22. It was a big deal to mix 45-rpm part one and part two records and make it one long mix version. I became a local DJ celebrity and moved on to The Cabaret then The City Disco. There I became nick named Johnny Disco in the local press. FLASH forward... Billboard magazine gave me the first best DJ award in 1976. I was the first DJ to break Cerron's "Give me love" and "Supernature". Fantasy records producer Harvey Fuqua (a big time Motown Records producer) discovered me. I was asked to come in the Fantasy studio's to remix many tunes with my business and long time friend Marty Blecman, with the likes of Sylvester's dance hits like "Can't Stop Dancing", "Don't Stop", "Stars" and "Live at the Opera House" and may more. Later I was lucky enough to produce the likes of Sylvester's "The Two Ton's" of fun later know as "The Weather Girls" on most of the Sylvester hit tracks. After that I started producing for Sylvester, Jo Lo (Megatone Records), Lisa (Moby Dick Records), Mary Buffet (yes, the same related to Jimmy and Warren Buffet) and many more. Next, I produced a tune called "Last Call" by Jo-Lo with the great Jo Carol Davidson and Barry Blum for Megatone Records also later with Shawn Benson for TSR Records. I moved on to produce a huge hit for Moby Dick Records called "Jump Shout" by Lisa produced by Barry Blum and me. I did spin at the famous Badlands in the Castro for years. Till this day I am DJ at a club called Daddy's in the Castro. A side note, I also put out a cult-hit tune called "Castro Boy" by The Serious Party Gods produced by Lester Temple and Barry Blum and starring Danny Williams. Flash forward: I produced in 2003 a holiday CD called "Carols Across America" at www.ecarols.com for AIDS Charities and it is still doing great! Y@HU - Tell me something (as much as possible) about the pioneer Deejays you know / you've met in your career ? JOHN - I luck out, right place at the right time. I was in New York on a promotion project and met the wonderful and great, DJ Jim Burgess at the club "12 West". He inspired me on how to beat mix with a turntable pitch control. At the time I was spinning at a club called Oil Can Harry's for years. Oil Can's was the hot spot at the time and I met Divine, Jane Fonda (just name dropping) and Pamela Stanley ("Coming Out Of Hiding" fame). I remember returning to my home in San Francisco and telling my DJ friends, Lester Temple, Marty Blecman (my mixing partner at Fantasy Records also later at Megatone Records) and Jon Randazzo from The City Disco about how they mixed club music using pitch and tempo to excite the dancers. My soundman Bruce Tronson then installed a pitch control on my RKO turntables. It turned my whole DJ life to new fun heights. Things just went fun and crazy very fast with the great dancer respond. I soon met LA's best DJ Paul Dugan (LA's Studio 1 disco DJ and also voted Best DJ by Billboard Magazine). He turned me on to disc jockey A.J Miller who talked me into starting a San Francisco Record Pool called BADDA , where record companies could do a mass drop off of there product and pickup place for all member DJ's to receive promotional 12" records. There I met almost all the DJ's in San Francisco, like Billboard DJ of the year Tim Rivers and many more. Other DJ's I met were Bobby DJ from New York and so many more that at this time I can't recall all there names. Remember being one of the first in this field there were only a handful in the early days of the 70's. Johnny Hedges Y@HU - Can you tell anything interesting about the artists you know or met ? JOHN - Most interesting artist was Grace Jones! I met Grace at 12 West in NYC disco! I was there when Jim Burgess was the hot DJ and around 12 AM ... Jim started "I Need A Man" and Grace came up singing from a hole in the middle of the dance floor singing........ I was over impressed!!!! WOW! - LATER THAT NIGHT WE DANCED FOR HOURS {Drugs}. I love her. Later that year we invited Grace Jones to ride our gay pride float in SF CA and she rocked!!! I love her and will never forget a true DIVA. However, I must say that Sylvester, Jo Carol, Barry Blum, Lester Temple, Bill Motley, Leo Frappier and of course Patrick Cowley made the biggest impression on me in my music career. I still work with Jo Carol and Leo and I think we are lifetime friends. Y@HU - Have you ever done something else or is DJ'ing your life ? JOHN - Still a well know DJ in SF, CA at Daddy's in the famous Castro and produce music for charity www.ecarols.com Y@HU - Since you're one of the pioneer disco DJ's - how was the DJ regarded in the beginning and how it has changed during the years ? JOHN - We all became well known DJ for our type of dance music and the club owners would advertise our names to draw customers. Today, we still have hot new DJ's that the hard core crowd support. I think that it is wonderful. Also, I'm sure they get paid a lot more then I do now. Ha! Y@HU - What do you think about today deejays who use samplers, CD mixers, "create" special versions of the songs and burn CD's at home of their "Creations?" Is this serious or just fake shit? - I mean they create nothing in fact they - just use good music made by someone else from the past. In other words - they can create nothing if it wasn't from such old, good records of the '70. JOHN - I think it's wonderful! Give these new DJ's a break. It's a new time and I have heard many great DJ remixes that today's jocks do. I do think it is serious good stuff. The dancers love it and that says it all. Sure the '70's were hot. But, today's DJ now knows what turns the dancers on and I still learn from them. Y@HU - Where do you live now? JOHN - San Francisco, CA and Palm Springs CA (well not yet, but my partner Gerry McBride and I have two homes in PS and may retire there someday) Y@HU - Do you know Steve Algozino, another great San Franciscan, owner of very popular '80 "Hot Tracks" deejay service and magazine ? JOHN - Yes, I knew Steve Algozino as a friend and did great re-mixer. I recall my hit record "Jump Shout" by Lisa was his first release on Hot Tracks. Y@HU - You mentioned once in correspondence that your roots are Polish - how deep Polish ? JOHN - I am Polish and I have a huge family that lives where I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. And yes I still hear all the jokes and I can still laugh. I don't know what else to say. Y@HU - Do you regularly work now as a deejay? JOHN - Yes, I spin at Daddy's 440 Castro Street and I am always there on Monday's underwear night. Ha - SF, CA USA. Y@HU - What music do you prefer and vinyl or CD ? JOHN - I'm a CD guy now! However, I have tons of vinyl. I only spin high-energy hits. Y@HU - What was your favorite club you worked for? JOHN -The Mind Shaft, The City, Oil Can Harry's, Badlands and Daddy's - SF, CA USA. Y@HU - Do you prefer just mixing records BPM, pitch control or use microphone and speak to the people like early deejays did? JOHN - No I just mix BPM and I can change the beat in a gay minute. However, I do say LAST CALL! Ha Y@HU - Do you like techno / house music - which uses old tracks, mixes, samples, new beat etc. and then call it new BUT we know it's piece of shit if no because serious '70 music was used they can remix because they simply do not know how this music was created or recorded ? JOHN - I still like all of what you call SHIT. I think you need to visit some of the hot DJ's and clubs in San Francisco. We San Franciscans are what the rest of the US calls CRAZY and proud of it! Y@HU - Thank you and let me ask you some questions again in some time - OK.? JOHN - OK. |
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