It was 1984 I had spent a summer buying records and recording mixes from the Hot Mix 5 off of WBMX 102.7 FM. Like most of us the Saturday Night Live Ain’t No Jive Chicago Dance Party was must listen radio. Even when I had things to do I had to make sure I was recording the mix so I could hear it later.Host Armando Rivera always respected the mix, he never let people give shout outs or talked about some nonsense over my favorite songs the most he ever said was ‘B M X”. Of course I was a huge fan of Farley FUNK IN Keith and later when he became the Jack Master. I still have hundreds of mixes from 1984, 1985,1986. My father used to coach at Harlan High School in Chicago and I started going with him to work when I did not have to go to school and it was there that I was introduced to WKKC 89.3. It was a whole new culture of house music and I had to find a way to get more. Growning up in the south suburbs I could not get WKKC on my radio until I learned if I ran a wire from my radio around the copper pipes in my bathroom I could here it. Dj s like Walter GET DOWN Brown, Bobby Q Bobby, Loyd Jackmaster, Pink House and others all were major influences in my career. Bobby Q Bobby had a show on Sunday afternoon that really open my eyes to more of the Chicago House culture. Bobby would always talk about the clubs and parties that went on the night before and always played music you always herd in the mix but never as a full song it was a history lesson every week. I also found out about the record stores I needed to be shopping at like IMPORTS ECT, LOOP RECORDS, GRAMOPHONE, METRO MUSIC ON 103RD,ECT. My hunt for music now was a bike ride to Chicago Heights to catch the 352 Halsted bus that would drop me on 95th street from there I caught the train downtown to go shop. It was a all day thing but I had records Dj’s in my neighborhood wish they had. Now it was time to throw a party so I talked my parents into letting me rent the rec center gym for a 8th grade house party. I invited everybody in the school and I can remember starting my set off with White Horse by Laid Back and it was ON! Friends of mine Tyrone T BONE Harper, Jimmy KEMO Loyd also helped me out through the night. I maybe had 30 records but we had a ball and that was the start of my DJ carrier. Now it was time to show my skills against other DJs around my way…………..TO BE CONTINUED.
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I’m waiting on the next installment…takes me back to when I moved my parents stereo (that we weren’t supposed to touch because my stepdad brought it back from Nam) to be closer to the window so I could get better reception for that very same station…all because I heard that Michael Jackson song 4ever and a day and how they blended it into the next song…I was hooked on mixes from then till now
You are doing a wonderful job sending us back in time. “102.7 WBMX !!!! WOOOO HOOOO
I grew up in Roseland so that bus and train ride for a trip all day downtown. We made sure our Pumas and Adidas were crisp and clean for the trip. OOOHHH I remeber the (when he was black) Michael Jackson mixes too those always got me dancing.
Keep up the good work and many blessings,
~e~
lol, you’re not the only one who did some phenagling to try to get their favorite station in, lol. I became the go-to person in my house whenever somoene needed radio help.
Thanks for the memories of taping the mixes on BMX on Saturday night. Yes, my social calendar was schedules around that night. I always made sure I had a supply of tapes so I could tape the whole show.
Your Friday Night Basement party on 106.3 takes me back to that time when it is and always about listening to great house music!!
Keep doing what you do!!
I really appreciate all the memories & the history you give behind the music. You bring something new each & every week & not by playing the same music you hear in the clubs. You have me say damn I haven’t heard that in a minute. The radio station have stepped there game up by bringing you on & I’m sure the rating have also went up no doubt. Gotta love the music.
I HOUSE YA!!!!
Hey Vic,
Love the stories of your young DJ career!
I’m getting educated everyweek when your blogs come out.
I also like how you had the determination to take multiple trips to get rare music!
The history takes me back…I used to record KKC on Sunday’s and rock the tapes until they popped!! Reading one of the other blogs, didn’t know you were out in PF! Keep banging the box…long live that Deep, Stanky, Basement House!!!
Dizz this is great! You really took me back to the days of breakin’ my neck to get home to tape Bobby Q Bobby and the others on KKC. Now I know u said u had issues getting a signal to KKC, but I lived not even 4 blocks from KKC and his to hang antennas and cloths hangers and stand on one foot to get a good reception. But damn it was worth it! KKC was way 2 small for the talent they had.
Dizz, Oh My Gosh!!!! Every Friday night you take me to a new fond memory. You had me 1 night standing n my basement floor doing a Pom-Pom Dance that I did when I was in high school. My husband just laughed at me. He couldn’t believe that I even remembered some of the steps. LOL. I remember the parties that my girls and I use to attend. I grew up in Roseland and House Music was and still is my thang. I love it. And anyone that knows me know that if a house song is on and I’m around, I’m about to get up and “Jack my Body.” Remember the days of dancing with the speakers. I remember when I was a junior in high school, my girls and I was at our home coming dance dressed sharp as hell. We had on the flourscent color sweatshirts, socks and our blue jeans with the big double-wrap belts. LOL We thought we were the s*&t! We wore the lime green, orange and the yellow. Thinking back on it we really probably looked a hot mess. Remember this was back in October 1983. I really love your Blog and the emails that you send out every week have really been a history lesson. I have learned so much about different artists and the real names and artists of the songs I love. Instead of the made up names my friends and I have given songs because we don’t know the real names. So, we just sing some of the words to the songs and that is the “new, made up” name of the songs. LOL!!! Keep up the great work. I look forward to hearing from you every week. You are truly a blessing to the radio and House Music fans all around whom have been looking for “B M X” again. Thanks for it all.
DIZZ, you doing the damn thing. I can’t get enough of your Friday nights. I got my
DIZZ,
You doing the damn thing!! I need to go to the bathroom, but refuse until your mix is over. You own Friday nights for me and I just found out you were on by channel surfing. I just text and emailed all my peeps about your show, because they down with house just like me. c/o 88 in DA HOUSE…no pun intended. By the way, how can I download your mixes???