I'm DJ BFAD - I love music and have done from an early age...
PAST
My first memory of "Show And Tell" at school involved a cassette tape of Rick James "Street Songs" and a ghetto blaster. Ever since I can remember it has been my passion and playing all types of great music comes naturally to me - some people have a talent with numbers and become accoutants, some people are athletic and pursue professional sports, my unique talent is finding the perfect music for any event. Originally from Hamilton, ON - I am a child of the 80's, I loved all the one hit wonders - in fact I still do! You cannot beat some of the classic 80's music like Duran Duran, Wham!, Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson (they still get any party going).
After my formal education, I relocated to the UK for a 6 month sabbatical. Unbelievably, that turned into 10 years (London, Nottingham & Leeds). This is where I met my beautiful wife and was heavily involved in the music scene; from helping operate a pirate radio station, involved in a busy home recording studio and managing an independent record store in central London - "Going For A Song" (R.I.P.). This was located on Charing Cross Road & Tottenham Court Road sandwiched right between the London Astoria and LA2, two of the busiest live music venues in London. We always got free tickets/backstage passes to whatever shows we wanted so I was lucky enough to see and meet amazing acts such as Oasis, The Verve, The Charlatans, Fatboy Slim, Jungle Brothers, Garbage. I was in a video by The Chemical Brothers, lived around the corner from the infamous Abbey Road studios and the singer Bjork was once my neighbour, so many stories...
PRESENT
I can honestly say I listen to everything - every music genre you can imagine...
Some of my all time favorites include the Classic Motown sound (Stevie, Marvin, Diana, Michael) I love The Clash and was lucky enough to once meet Mick Jones! I own every album by Prince, Bowie, The Beatles and Stevie - geniuses! In the 90's I travelled to Paris to witness the emergence of an amazing house music scene with laid back beats (St. Germain) and banging disco house (Daft Punk). Funk & Soul has a huge place in my collection (James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, Funkadelic, Chaka Khan). Jazz (Herbie, Miles, Thelonius, Mingus) - Blue Note & Verve record labels can do no wrong in my eyes. Disco (Chic were so tight and songs like "Good Times" are stone cold classics). Top 40 - you have to keep your finger on the pulse of what's being played, some tracks only last a few months, some like Usher "Yeah" or Flo Rider "Low" stand the test of time. Some other genres I am knowledgable in are Drum & Bass (High Contrast, LTJ), Rare Groove, NY Underground Disco (80's Boogie), House Music (everything from Detroit, Chicago, London, Paris - Bob Sinclar), Punk (Sex Pistols, Misfits), Indie (Pixies, Blur), Heavy Metal (Priest, Motorhead), Easy Listening (Burt Bacharach), New Orleans Funk, Nu Funk, Brazilian, Hip Hop, Old Skool Hip Hop, Broken Beat, Mash-Up's, Blues (love Stevie Ray Vaughan), Classic Country (Hank, Merle, Patsy, Loretta), New Country (Toby, Garth, Keith), Classical (Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi).
DESERT ISLAND DISCS
Some of my desert island discs include:
- The Clash - London Calling
- Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue, John Coltrane - A Love Supreme, Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um
- J Dilla - Donuts, St. Germain - Boulevard
- The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays - Pills, Thrills N Bellyaches
- Prince - Parade/1999/Purple Rain (the classic era)
- Stevie Wonder - Innervision/Songs In The Key Of Life (the classic era)
- The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street
- Diana Ross - Diana, Chic - Definitive Groove
- Daft Punk - Homework, Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust
- De La Soul - 3 Feet High & Rising, Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique, Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
- Michael Jackson - Thriller, Madonna - Immaculate Collection, Duran Duran - Rio
- David Bowie - Alladin Sane/Diamond Dogs/Ziggy Stardust
- Bob Marley - Legend
- Boyz II Men - Motownphilly, Bobby Brown - Don't Be Cruel
- New Order - Substance, Massive Attack - Blue Lines
- Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison, Elvis - #1's
- Jamiroquai - High Times: Singles
- Led Zeppelin - II
- Nina Simone - basically anything by Nina...
- Beatles - White Album/Abbey Road/Revolver
- Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction/
- AC/DC - Back In Black
OK, if you haven't clued in: I love music - it's in my DNA, it's my passion - I listen to everything.
If you want party music for your wedding to get people up dancing, I know what to bring. If you want chilled jazzy lounge music for your dinner conference, I know what to bring. If you want funky beats for your store event, I know what to bring. If you want rock and roll & 80's for your high school reunion, I know what to bring. I think you get the idea.
CONTACT ME
Get in touch - you can either drop me a line or give me a call to discuss what type of music you want for your special event.
You can currently listen to me on my very own radio show "Rainbow Groove" here in Vancouver on Friday nights on CITR 101.9 FM or podcast www.citr.ca Rainbow Groove.
DJ BFAD "Spinning the funkiest beats in Vancouver"
