White labels were a thing. I was in two boston record pools. Each week we got new releases. 60% were commercial 12” versions of dance tunes that would likely hit the radio in the coming weeks. 40% were white labels. Some didn’t have anything written on them. Crazy. I was working in 2 huge night clubs then. The Palace is Saugus and the Metro(became Avalon). The white labels typically drove the party. And drove the wanna be Dj’s crazy. Maybe yours was one of them Simon. Although my exposure to Elite Force was likely burning man. But that’s a story for another day! 🚀
White Labels were absolutely ’the engine’ that drove the industry. I remember chatting to a record store owner at a show in Spain many years back and asking him how come we’d not sold great numbers on a recent release over there. He said ‘that tune used to FLY out of my store - reckon we sold 3-400 white labels.’ I was dismayed and told him we never shipped any white labels. He said ‘oh I know - kids here just bootleg the official releases and sell them as plain white labels. It’s cooler’.
Woah... I just commented on your previous article about Turnmills and now read this one - do you mean Funked (Funkt?) at Mass in Brixton? Me and my Mrs favourite party in 2000; it even turned her onto House music!
Must have been amazing Phil playing it straight away!
Great story and even greater moment.
White labels were a thing. I was in two boston record pools. Each week we got new releases. 60% were commercial 12” versions of dance tunes that would likely hit the radio in the coming weeks. 40% were white labels. Some didn’t have anything written on them. Crazy. I was working in 2 huge night clubs then. The Palace is Saugus and the Metro(became Avalon). The white labels typically drove the party. And drove the wanna be Dj’s crazy. Maybe yours was one of them Simon. Although my exposure to Elite Force was likely burning man. But that’s a story for another day! 🚀
White Labels were absolutely ’the engine’ that drove the industry. I remember chatting to a record store owner at a show in Spain many years back and asking him how come we’d not sold great numbers on a recent release over there. He said ‘that tune used to FLY out of my store - reckon we sold 3-400 white labels.’ I was dismayed and told him we never shipped any white labels. He said ‘oh I know - kids here just bootleg the official releases and sell them as plain white labels. It’s cooler’.
So much for that intricate artwork 🤣
Such an epic tale, especially hearing the Orbital side years later 🙋♂️
Woah... I just commented on your previous article about Turnmills and now read this one - do you mean Funked (Funkt?) at Mass in Brixton? Me and my Mrs favourite party in 2000; it even turned her onto House music!
Must have been amazing Phil playing it straight away!
Yeah man that’s right - was nuts to have Phil just slap it on the decks and play it there & then!
What a lovely realization!
Why, thank you ♥️
Love this story
Thanks Matt - hope you are well buddy :)
What an awesome story! What goes around, comes around.
So true mate - I always try to pay it forward whenever I can
Wow that is such a cool story! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Jeff!