Iconic DJ Pete Tong says old clubbers don’t party until 6am anymore… but dance music is still really important to them
AS a superstar DJ and dance music legend, Pete Tong has travelled the world bringing dancefloor classics to the world’s ravers.
And for the first time in his 30-year career, when we met last month he was playing the world famous Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
“Playing the Bowl is something I’m immensely proud of,” he says backstage at the iconic outdoor venue.
“These songs matter to so many people. So bringing these songs — our heritage — 30 years of dancing all around the world to LA for the first time. It’s still a buzz.”
It’s a big night for Tong, 57, and when we meet a few hours before show time, he’s still adding names to his guest list.
Having lived in the city for the past four years it’s a homecoming show for him.
He says: “I’m just really proud. I’ve come here a few times to see Drake, Kanye West, Depeche Mode and Ed Sheeran play.
“I saw Ed play to a packed house here, coming out on his own with his loop pedal, holding the crowd for two hours.”
Earlier Moby, who is in tonight’s live show, was giving me the history of this place.
He is super cool and a walking talking historian, telling me people did seances here in the late 1890s. It’s a historical place to play.
“It’s mind blowing to think The Beatles famously played here in 1964 and 1965. Then The Doors, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones.
“Fred Astaire has even danced on the stage. If you look there are classic photos from shows on the walls backstage. It’s a huge deal for me.”
Ibiza Classics is Tong’s second album with celebrated conductor Jules Buckley and the Heritage Orchestra following last year’s Classic House.
Last year, speaking to Tong about his debut album, he said: “My mission was to create a legacy for dance music for future generations.”
The album achieved more than Tong anticipated, becoming one of the biggest selling debuts of 2016.
“My team and I all sat down in January and there was an air of disbelief in a positive way about how well it had done,” he says.
“The project had evolved through natural momentum.
“It had started with an invite to create a BBC prom show and the result of that was we got back together to do three arena shows at the end of last year. Then we got a record deal and that’s when this started.”
For Tong the record deal was a chance to experience being the focus rather than just a DJ.
“I didn’t just want a compilation record deal, I wanted it to be an artist deal which would give us the budget to record properly.
“The first album came out then we played the arena shows, then we went on Graham Norton’s chatshow, then we had a number one album and now it’s (not far off) platinum, having sold 240,000 copies.”
For album No2 with the Heritage Orchestra, Tong wanted to do things differently.
“This album grew organically like we were in a band,” he says. “A third of the album came out of performing.
“We also made some decisions about which road to go down and the hardest thing was not repeating ourselves. As much as I love the first album, I think this sounds even bigger and even more like a band.
“There was time during the promotional cycle where people would say they didn’t know if they were listening to the original version. We did such a good job.
“Like Lola’s Theme on the first album, people couldn’t tell the difference between our version and the original. That is a nice flattering thing, but that is exactly what we had to change.
“We’ve got to do them in a way that they are different. I’ve got big names Craig David and Seal on there but new people too. You Don’t Know Me was a song that I signed with Armand Van Helden. It was a number one in 1999.
“We could only do this track if we found a singer who could really do it and I thought about Craig David who could give it a different flavour, a classic UK urban sound. He’s the real deal and a total pro. His instrument is his voice.
“Then with Seal I’ve got to know him over the years.
“The song Killer became one of the album’s biggest challenges. How do we change it?
“We tried to do it acoustically at the start but we’ve come up with a version that’s probably more honourable to the original. Seal reminded us that the album version had an ambient beginning. So on the album we’ve got this beautiful classical string piece at the start. Then it burst into life.
“It’s stunning and I wish he could perform tonight but he’s promoting his own record in Europe at the moment.”
One of the new names on Ibiza Classics is former The Voice contestant Becky Hill.
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Tong says: “I think Sing It Back by Becky Hill is really special and definitely different from the (Moloko/Roisin Murphy sung) original.
“It’s a compliment to what Becky did. And with Promised Land with the Disciples, who are a hot UK act signed to my label, they appreciate the heritage of that song.
“The original was by Joe Smooth though The Style Council had a hit version of it before him.
“Funnily enough I met Joe Smooth in Miami so I kind of got his blessing to do it. Almost every track we’ve done I went back to the original artist and talked to them about it and how to adapt it.”
Another approach on the new album for Tong was focusing on vocals more.
“It’s a bit more in your face,” he says. “I wanted to start tackling some of the mega heavyweight acts of the history of the scene.
“I went back to The Chemical Brothers and I talked to them, they were really into it. I still had to get some original parts from them, then we worked on the arrangement.
“The question was who is going to do the rap on Galvanize? I thought about Q-Tip coming back and doing it. But, again, it’s like, what’s the point? Because he did the original.
“I thought about Skepta and Stormzy, but they are so hot. Then I thought of Rejjie Snow who was just breaking through and he’s got more feet in the UK rap scene rather than UK grime.
“I went to Liam Howlett to get his permission to do The Prodigy’s Out Of Space. I called up (radio reggae DJ) David Rodigan and I asked him to give me some names I can go to look at and he suggested Assassin.”
The last time I spoke to Tong about working with Buckley and The Heritage Orchestra, he said he saw himself as a curator but now he’s taken on a bigger role.
“At first I was picking the tunes and sequencing them,” he explains.
“I was heavily involved in the album but when it came to the shows, Jules and the orchestra are so good at what they do I kind of stood back in awe really.
“But since then I’ve grown in confidence in working with them and I’ve found my own way of infiltrating deeper into the orchestras. I’m building up my own role.
“I’ve hung out with the orchestra more as we’ve travelled and played festivals. I’m up on stage and actually play along with the orchestra, which has been more fun for me up there.
“They are not playing along to me and I’m not playing the record, I am not playing over a record or any part of a record.
“Everything is generated by the orchestra and I play in percussion loops and there are bits of the record, which were created electronically.
“I talk to Jules over the headsets we wear and I can tell him to drop out the drums and loop up the orchestra.
“I get cued by Jules to what I’ve got to play and I’m announcing the songs. I’m kind of DJing the conductor.”
Starting both projects with 80 favourite tunes to choose from, is there one track that Tong can pick from the shows and albums as a favourite?
He says: “It’s not necessarily the most commercial one, but I’m really proud of La Ritournelle, by Sebastien Tellier. It’s such a complicated and beautiful record.
“Jules and me had a real thing about playing that. We’ve kind of turned it on its head from the original.
“It’s shorter but Will Heard is singing it and he’s done an amazing job.”
With show time looming, and a crowd of friends and family building outside his dressing room door, it’s time for Tong to prepare for tonight’s legendary show.
Looking back at what he’s achieved with The Heritage Orchestra, I ask what is he most proud of?
“I think the way the music has pulled different people together,” he answers.
“We are seeing different generations together enjoying the music.
“As much as it initially appealed to the clubbers from the 80s and 90s, now families are coming to the shows.
“The old clubbers don’t want to go out until six in the morning any more but still enjoy these songs.
This music is still really important and the way we have reintroduced it shows how special it still is. Whatever your age is.
“The environment and places we are playing takes the whole thing to another level.”
Pete Tong & The Heritage Orchestra Ibiza Classics
Rating: ★★★★★
Ibiza Classics is out now.
Pete Tong with the Heritage Orchestra conducted by Jules Buckley plays Leeds’ First Direct Arena, December 12; Glasgow’s SSE Hydro, December 13; and London’s O2 Arena on December 15 and 16.