| Pete Tong |
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|
| Background information |
| Born |
July 30, 1960 (1960-07-30) (age 47)
 Dartford,
England |
| Genre(s) |
Electronica
Progressive trance
House |
| Occupation(s) |
Disc jockey
Music producer |
| Website |
http://www.petetong.com/ |
Pete Tong (born July 1960) is a British
DJ
who works for BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom. He is
known worldwide by fans of electronic music for hosting
programs such as Essential Mix
and Essential Selection
on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet
radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records, and for his own
performances at nightclubs across the globe. Tong has also
worked as a record producer.
The phrase "It's all gone a bit Pete Tong",
where the name is used as cockney rhyming slang for "wrong",
was reputedly first coined by Mark Radcliffe. However, on
his show of 28 November 2005, Mark Radcliffe credited his erstwhile
sidekick Marc "Lard" Riley with
inventing the term.
It's All Gone Pete Tong
is also the title of a 2004 film which portrays a DJ's experiences as
he realises he is becoming deaf. Tong appears briefly in the film as
himself.
|
Contents
- 1 Early
years
- 2 Radio
career
- 3 Notes
- 4 External
links
|
Early years
Pete Tong was born in Dartford, Kent during July 1960 and was educated at King's School, Rochester, Kent.
Pete's original musical interest was in drumming, but he soon
moved on to DJing. He played his first public gig at a friend's wedding
aged 15. While at school he and a couple of mates earned some extra
money by promoting a couple of local bands, booking halls for gigs etc.
He also worked as part of the Kent "Soul Mafia" bringing soul
weekenders to seaside towns like Caister-on-Sea and Prestatyn.
Initially after leaving school he set up a mobile disco based
in a transit van, but he soon started his own club in Baker Street
called Family Function. He also booked bands for an
alternative night, the first of which was the then unknown Culture
Club.
In 1979 he became a staff writer for Blues &
Soul Magazine
. After a year he was promoted to features editor, a position he would
hold until 1983. He left Blues & Soul to join London
Records as an A&R
manager.
Through his connections in London Records Pete was exposed to
newly emerging house music sound from Chicago. In 1986
Tong organised a compilation album, The House Sound of
Chicago, Vol. 1, the first British release to gather and
expose this genre.
Radio career
Pete's first appearance on Radio was in the late 70's on Radio
Invicta 92.4fm, Europe's first soul station, Pete joined a rotation of
nightclub djs including, Steve Walsh, Chris Hill, Chris Brown and
others to present monthly guest shows. Later he appeared on local radio
station BBC Radio Medway in the 'Soul
Mafia' and doing occasional mixes for Radio
London. Then in 1981 he made his first appearance on Radio 1 hosting a
15 minute feature on Peter Powell's show, playing the new
tracks and covering the latest gossip and news from the dance world.
When Invicta Radio started up in Kent in
1984, Pete joined them to host a regular soul show, where ably assisted
by local Kent journalist Eddie Gordon of The Kent Messenger he built up a
big county profile Pete stayed at Invicta until 1987. He was then hired
by Capital
Radio in 1988 at the suggestion of DJ Jeff Young to present a weekly dance
program. DJ Jeff
Young having initially been offered the slot by Capital went to BBC
Radio 1 to broadcast a weekly Friday night show called The
Big Beat.
In 1991 Pete returned to national radio after Pete's Manager Eddie Gordon talked the then departing
DJ Jeff
Young into suggesting Pete to BBC Radio 1 as the ideal replacement for
the "hot' Friday night slot. Thus Pete began his long stint as the host
of the Essential Selection.
The Essential Selection was a BBC
Radio 1 show on Friday nights from 6:00pm-9:00pm in the UK. Although
this has now been changed. The show is now simply known as Pete
Tong and its new time slot is 7:00pm-9:00pm on Fridays. It
showcases the latest dance music, with the focus being on house, and
informs listeners what club nights are on around the United Kingdom
that weekend. It's endorsed by Radio 1 as the official start to the
weekend. It attracts one of the highest audiences for a dance radio
show in the UK.
Pete Tong also hosts a one hour show on Radio 1 on Thursday nights
9:00pm-10:00pm called Pete Tong's In New Music We Trust.
Since 1993 Pete has been associated with Radio 1's Essential
Mix which airs 2:00am-4:00am on Saturday night/Sunday
morning. He is now the station's second longest serving DJ (after Annie
Nightingale).
Pete is one of the world's most recognised DJs. He draws
people from all over the world to his famous Pure Pacha
nights held at the Pacha
nightclub in Ibiza,
which in 2006 went on for a 17 week stint, and featured a massive line
up including Andy Carvell and Carl Cox.
Notes
-
Blues & Soul Magazine.
External links
