NEIL RUSHTON (UK)

Neil Rushton was bedazzled by the early Norhern Soul daze and his first significant DJ residency was at the legendary Catacombs “where the sounds begin” club in Wolverhampton. He went on to DJ and promote now iconic All-Dayers at The Ritz in Manchester and Blackpool Mecca. Artists a young Neil booked at Blackpool included Sylvester, Brass Construction, Players Association, Crown Height Affair and Al Hudson & The Soul Partners. This happened in the late 1970’s when Neil was the first full time staff writer at the newly launched Black Echoes. He also set up a record importing business which morphed into the Inferno record label re-issuing gems by Gloria Jones, The Carstairs, Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson, Frank Beverly & The Butlers, Freda Payne, Chairmen Of The Board, The Fantastic Puzzles, The Crow and more, including the groundbreaking compilation LP “Out On The Floor” which for many was their first introduction to the strange world of Northern Soul.

Neil’s fascination with Detroit led him to the Motor City’s early stirrings with house music and he was deeply involved in bringing Techno to the attention of Europe. As well as managing Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Inner City. “Kevin played me Big Fun on a tape he had recorded ages before and I told him our lives were going to change, then he followed it up with Good Life and we went into the stratosphere.” His co-owned Kool Kat and Network labels released classic after classic House gems, underground credibility was followed by chart success and in 1992 Network was the biggest selling indie owned singles label in the UK – beating Pete Waterman’s PWL pop factory into second place. Network’s six6 label (named after the Earl Van Dyke Motown instrumental)

Network then stunned the dance world when re-inventing the mix compilation format by selling over 120,000 copies of its innovative Renaissance mix CD. Previously the biggest selling mix album was 27,000 by much bigger guys on the block Ministry Of Sound. “We did a TV ad campaign on Channel 4 with no sound on it to advertise the mix album. People said I was mad, but I was the sane one.” As head of the suSU label Neil released Soulful House goodness by the likes of Masters At Work and the Southport Weekends compilations featuring Blaze, Dimirti From Paris, Dave Lee, Jazzie B, Quentin Harris, Joe Clausell “and the list goes on – great times with my friend Everton Webb”.

Neil is still adding to his collection of 20,000 plus records, promoting events, DJing and as well as being busy with reissues on Network on vinyl and digital, has two vinyl only labels, the eclectic Anorax logo with its “eat, sleep, collect” mantra and West Grand which thanks to a licence deal with Universal Music is busy releasing classic Motown treasures, including some previously unissued gems, “I have also finally started work on a follow up to my “Northern Soul Stories” book.
I got some great interviews for the first one but the second one is going to be the dogs bollocks,” said Neil.