A UK Pioneer

A UK pioneer, he was the first DJ to demonstrate mixing live on British TV, appearing on Channel 4’s ‘The Tube’ in 1983, the same year in which he’d show a young Quentin Cook (later Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim) how to cut and scratch. He received the then prestigious Blues & Soul award for Best DJ in the North, while his club nights at Wigan Pier and Legend came in first and second. He ‘retired’ at the end of 1983, aged 23 and at the height of his DJ success, to focus on record production.

Into Production

Despite an encouraging start, when he co-wrote/produced the majority of tracks for the Street Sounds ‘UK Electro’ LP in 1984, this new career move failed to ignite until the late-‘80s/early-‘90s, when he produced and managed Manchester’s Ruthless Rap Assassins, who recorded two albums for EMI and are remembered as one of the most important early UK hip-hop crews.

The Comeback

Following a further period of struggle and obscurity in the ‘90s, and having made very few DJ appearances in two decades, he launched his electrofunkroots website, documenting the early-‘80s era. This led to offers of bookings, triggering a successful DJ comeback in 2003 – Greg quickly taking his place at the vanguard of the disco/re-edits movement. Alongside club appearances throughout the UK, he was soon busy on the festival circuit – things snowballing further with European dates followed by long-haul trips to tour in countries like the US, Australia, Japan and Brazil.

Mixes, Edits & Remixes

His 2009 Radio 1 Essential Mix was a landmark, later chosen as one of the top 10 mixes in the long-running series, whilst US magazine, Rolling Stone, named it amongst the ‘25 greatest internet DJ mixes of all time’. His three ‘Credit To The Edit’ compilations in 2005, 2009 and 2018, showcased his edits and reworks, and his extensive array of online DJ mixes have been streamed in the multi-millions. In 2015, he received ‘Industry Icon’ recognition at DJ Mag’s Best of British Awards.

His remix credits have included Gabriels, Confidence Man, Grace Jones, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Gilberto Gil, The XX, Sugarhill Gang, Groove Armada, Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music and Happy Mondays, and DJs throughout the world have played Greg’s numerous edits and reworks throughout the past two decades, plus tracks released on his Super Weird Substance label.

Writer & Publisher

A writer/commentator on dance music and popular culture, Greg has contributed to publications including Wax Poetics, Faith Fanzine, Disco Pogo, Clash, Grand Slam and DJ Mag, and ran a successful blog, ‘Being A DJ’ between 2010-2020. His first book, ‘Greg Wilson’s Discotheque Archives’ was published in 2020, with an extended hardback following in 2023.

His publishing company, SWS Books, followed-up with ‘James Hamilton’s Disco Pages 1975-1982’, edited by Mike Atkinson, and its companion, ‘Dance Pages 1983-1987’, for which he wrote introductions with Norman Cook and Pete Tong. Greg has also been interviewed for a number of books, TV and film projects focusing on the history of club culture. He wrote the liner notes for the 2024 Blu-ray release of the documentary film, ‘Getting It Back – The Story Of Cymande’.