Back in early 1997 John Major’s government was limping into history and New Labour was on the rise. Meanwhile I was living in Brixton with various shady characters who shared interests in music, partying and, er… more partying.
Our local was the fabulous Duke of Edinburgh on Ferndale Road, whose landlord was a lovably psychotic Irish alcoholic called Frank. Remarkably, at some stage in 1996 we convinced him to entrust us with the music on Fridays and Saturdays, and The Eccles Foundation was born.
Even more remarkably, the nights were successful. Our music 'policy' involved trying to fit everything we liked into every night, so it must've been bewilderingly eclectic. Nevertheless, they were usually dancing on the tables by 10, and Frank's liberal interpretation of licensing law meant they didn't stop before 1.
This mix was recorded on the decks we bought with the proceeds from our 1996-7 New Year party. It reflects what I was playing in 'peak time' sets at the Duke. Enjoy!
