About Me
Hello - I'm Greg and welcome to Hip City Ltd...Essentially a cyber-hide out for me and my various activities. I am a kind of Jazz Jedi Knight .. a freedom fighter for the underground funk force.... It's an honour...but the pay is rubbish.... so to keep myself in hip threads, rare vinyl, digital radio gadgets and loafers I'm now working as the label manager for Freestyle Records so if you want to chat about The Fantastics, Freestyle Records, your music, deals and publishing...I might...and I repeat might...be able to help. Get in touch via The Freestyle Records MySpace below - or the website...
In the past i was forced to work by day as a musician, music writer and critic, voice-over artist, A&R consultant, digital radio consultant, music promotor and emcee (The Jazz Cafe, The Blue Note Club) radio DJ and presenter (I've popped up on BBC 2's Culture Show, BBC Radio 4, the BBC World Service, BBC London ..as well as my infamous stint on the first 4 years of BBC 6 Music's Funk Show presenting 'Hammond Time!', star guest interviews and other bits and pieces alongside that curry flavoured rapscallion Craig Charles on his 'Funk & Soul Show'
All my various services and expertise are procurable via this one cute little production company/agency!: Hip City Ltd (recent clients include: Freestyle Records, Mobil 1, Transport For London, BBC Audio & Music, Somethin' Else Productions,James Hunter for Go Records,Vodaphone-McLaren-Mercedes,ITN News, Mark Ronson for Sony/BMG Music, BBC Heritage, Just Oxfordshire 87.9 FM,
Music: Sparked off by 2 Tone in 1979 I began a slow, backwards trip into that whole murky world of rootsy black music and British youth culture. My formative club experiences were 'Sneakers' 1984, 'The Wag', various rare groove warehouse parties and Dingwalls Talkin' Loud sessions' of the late 1980's. By the early 1990's I was up to my neck in all that 'Acid Jazz' bizzniz - as A&R manager, musician, session fixer and dogsbody for the record label of the same name. I have considerable major label A&R/artist/tour & event management background that gets called upon still - Mark Ronson's live band?
But being a secret funk/jazz/soul organist and pianist (and drummer!) Over rthe years I've also performed and recorded as/with: The Fantastics, Rev Cleatus & The Soul Saviours, Dr Rubberfunk, Speedometer, Catalyst, The Bel Air Project, The Bongolian, The Soul Destroyers, Matt Deighton, Mr eXe, Captain Hammond, Mighty Baby, Skooby, Dr Bong, The Swinging Foot, Akimbo, Prototype:One, The Night Trains and a few others I've forgotten or are too ashamed to admit to...
The Fantastics (formerly Reverend Cleatus & The Soul Saviours) have released music on Raw Wax, Soul Cookers, Tramp Records and 2009 sees the release on Freestyle Records of 'Mighty Righteous'.
Fusing funk, soul-jazz, blues, wailing horns and throbbing Hammond organ - The Fantastics have performed 2 live sessions for Mark Lamarr on BBC Radio 2 - as well as The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show (BBC 6 Music) The band have taken Europe by storm after incendiary live gigs in London, Italy, Spain and France - as well as sharing the stage with The Herbaliser, The New Mastersounds, Marva Whitney, The Godfathers Of Groove (Reuben Wilson & Bernard Purdie) and Speedometer.
"Thank god for The Fantastics! Not only should you buy
their album, go witness them live!" DJ Format
"An incendiary mix of Auger-esque Hammond, JB groove & Funkadelic cosmology!" Mojo Magazine.
You can expect to see The Fantastics playing dates right across the UK, Europe, and beyond in 2008/9
Captain Hammond.
This project is the brainchild of Mother Earth's Hammond hero Bryn Barklam. I've taken up the sticks as drummer (and co-manager) of this organ power trio - it's heavy heavy stuff - and a full length Lp, and and a 'LIVE' EP has been released on Hammondbeat (US) and P-Vine Records in Japan..and it's already available digitally on Itunes and Emusic too!
Voiceovers: I am annoyingly equipped with a sampler for a brain in regards to music & sound, voices, accents, impressions and yes I do get paid for sometimes trite, sometimes artful words into microphones for money....sorry! Recently I've just completed a season voicing projects for DVD games like ,'Arctic Diamond' a wonderful film documentary about ice carving, Sony, Transport For London, Mobil and Team McLaren/Vodaphone/Mercedes
Here is a 10 minute documentary I presented on BBC 2's The Culture Show - no surprises here - it's a tribute to The Hammond Organ! There's Steve Winwood, and some classic vintage footage of Jimmy Smith circa 1965..although my Hammond isn't in any of it!..enjoy!.........................
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'Proper Job' background: New media/Digital radio: I spent 7 years working for the BBC on the development, launch and promotion of DAB digital radio and other related radio/new media platforms: DAB/LiveText/Podcasts/webstreaming and all that old dull crap.....
And here is Part 2 of an old BBC show from 1999 called 'Across The Tracks' which had a Hammond Organ Special...get your anoraks out... all three parts are on You Tube.
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