Joe's Shack
Section of interview with Carl Gayle by Peter I
Q: No one who had the good fortune to experience the vinyl-only era, apart from tapes and cartridge and all that stuff, they can never forget the excitement of going into a record shop and soak up the vibes, it was pretty special in London back in those times, wasn't it?
A: Yeah, yeah, that was a great feel. Because I first remember going into Brixton market, Joe's Record Shop, and listening to music. Just to listen, beca' I never really want to buy any record. But that's where I first hear record being played in a shop. You probably know about that, Joe's Record Shop in Brixton Market? Joe Mansano Outside Joe's Record Shack
Q: Joe's Record Shop? He was from Trinidad originally wasn't he?
A: Yeah, he was from Trinidad, and he used to play at Ram Jam as well. He used to play there, and then after a while somebody else take it over, (Lloyd) Coxsone and other people. And, yeah, so that's where everybody used to go, and come from other places too. Beca' that was one of the first record shops.
Q: They used pretty much the same 'technique' as Jamaican record shops by putting on a 45 and playing like thirty seconds of it and then you had to decide quickly if you wanted it, that was the scene?
A: Yeah man, even less than that. Because when you put on a tune and it start nice and the first fifteen seconds, everybody know. You see, the DJ, Joe, him selling records ca' him want to make money. So he knows that if people hear a bit more of this one, they would like it. But the ones he know people want, is the ones that they play in the dance, in the parties and so on, and the ones they react to. So when you have a sound, you know what sell. And him did have a sound playing out. So him know what sell already and just play ten seconds, fifteen seconds of a certain tune, and he might play twenty seconds of another tune which is not so well known. As soon as you play that tune and tek it off, everyone want a disc. So him just - people stand around and you jus' wait and somebody else just throw them one, throw them one, throw him one. And then they play the next tune, and it goes on like that for hours, yunno (chuckles).
Q: No one who had the good fortune to experience the vinyl-only era, apart from tapes and cartridge and all that stuff, they can never forget the excitement of going into a record shop and soak up the vibes, it was pretty special in London back in those times, wasn't it?
A: Yeah, yeah, that was a great feel. Because I first remember going into Brixton market, Joe's Record Shop, and listening to music. Just to listen, beca' I never really want to buy any record. But that's where I first hear record being played in a shop. You probably know about that, Joe's Record Shop in Brixton Market? Joe Mansano Outside Joe's Record Shack
Q: Joe's Record Shop? He was from Trinidad originally wasn't he?
A: Yeah, he was from Trinidad, and he used to play at Ram Jam as well. He used to play there, and then after a while somebody else take it over, (Lloyd) Coxsone and other people. And, yeah, so that's where everybody used to go, and come from other places too. Beca' that was one of the first record shops.
Q: They used pretty much the same 'technique' as Jamaican record shops by putting on a 45 and playing like thirty seconds of it and then you had to decide quickly if you wanted it, that was the scene?
A: Yeah man, even less than that. Because when you put on a tune and it start nice and the first fifteen seconds, everybody know. You see, the DJ, Joe, him selling records ca' him want to make money. So he knows that if people hear a bit more of this one, they would like it. But the ones he know people want, is the ones that they play in the dance, in the parties and so on, and the ones they react to. So when you have a sound, you know what sell. And him did have a sound playing out. So him know what sell already and just play ten seconds, fifteen seconds of a certain tune, and he might play twenty seconds of another tune which is not so well known. As soon as you play that tune and tek it off, everyone want a disc. So him just - people stand around and you jus' wait and somebody else just throw them one, throw them one, throw him one. And then they play the next tune, and it goes on like that for hours, yunno (chuckles).
Black Sounds 1975 Image Mark Griffiths
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Donation Ben's Collectors Records
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Young Gifted & Black Book Chapter
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