As I get deeper into the Worxorcism, I’m often stumbling across interesting and forgotten stuff. And I just hit something that is worthy of more than a Instagram post, namely the time I helped the BBC celebrate Run DMC.
Back in early 2006, just a few years into my reign of terror upon the DJ industry, I woke up to an email from the mighty BBC. They wanted to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the release of Run DMC’s “Rising Hell” album on Radio 6 Music.
But to quote Liam Neeson, there was one obvious tiny little baby little hiccup. Seemingly they had no contacts within the Run DMC inner circle and wondered if I could help.
Why me?
At best I knew someone who could possibly maybe link me to someone Jam Master Jay adjacent. But the palpable sense of urgency meant that this was something I had to do quickly.
Now it’s fair to say that I am resourceful. Apparently I have a reputation of being the DJ industry’s rolodex (some might need to look up that reference). If I don’t know, I can find out someone who does.
So pulling on my make-shit-happen trousers, I looked up Run DMC’s management company online and fired off an email.
Within an hour (don’t they sleep?). “Sure, we’d love to do that with the BBC”. Details exchanged — heaps of thanks all round — mission accomplished.
This whole thing has always puzzled me. You’d think that the BBC would have the world’s music stars on speed dial. I never did get to the bottom of why my name was put forward. I always assumed it was Numark, because they offered up a complete DJ setup as a prize. But it was never confirmed.
At least I got a set of slipmats for my efforts, ironically something I helped organise with Beej Curtis at Slikmats. But from a puff out my chest perspective, skratchworx got a link on the BBC site that remains to this day.
A Closing Thought
I’m telling this story 20 years after it happened, which in turn was an event commemorating 20 years. Did I really buy Raising Hell 40 years ago? Did you? THAT’S how quickly time passes.
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