UpTown Records based here in London, England surprised us all in 1998
I used to be a regular record buyer at these two London vinyl record stores each month ( UPTOWN RECORDS and Blackmarket Records. Both have now gone I have been told, but both of them will leave never my heart.
Both of these record stores were splendid record stores. If you wanted USA House and Garage music or other genders of House music in general here were the places.
I used to check out Blackmarket Records for the styles of Deep House, whilst I used to check out Uptown Recordsfor the more Soulful and Vocal styles of House and Garage music.
However, on one occasion I was left spellbound. DJ Superstar Roger Sanchez in regards to the music of House and Garage took us all by surprise by being behind the counter of Uptown Records.
Playing the hot records of the time, and also a few that he made himself. When did this all happen?
Well, it happens at the beginning of the year 1998. I took the train down from Ipswich Town to London and eventually made my way to Oxford Circus (London) via the London Underground tube system.
It was from there that I made my way on this occasion to Uptown Records this time via the street known as D'Arblay Street, within the Soho area of London.
Instead of trying out, Blackmarket records this time. I don't why, but I decided to go to Uptown Records first. As I approached the store, it seemed much busier than normal.
It was always a popular store in its time. But something didn't seem right as I approached the store. Both of the record stores mentioned attracted people from all over the world who were into House and Garage music, UK garage music, or Deep House.
But to get to it you need to go down to the spiral staircase of UPTOWN RECORDS to get to the Basement of the House and Garage part of the store.
As Upstairs you had the finest Rnb and HipHop Records that were being looked after by Ronnie Herrel who was Rnb DJ/presenter on 1 X XTRA (BBC offshoot station) and was also working at MI-SOUL.COM (RADIO) here in London, England. I now find that he is working as DJ/Presenter for the show called "The Big Rnb show" - which you find on - Mi-Soul Radio here in London, England
Eventually, after making my way down the spiral stairs within the store; I could see that it was packed. The reason why? Well at first I couldn't believe my eyes.
The distance between myself and the counter was about 8ft away. And there behind the counter - standing in front of 2 turntables was the one and only Roger Sanchez.
"Oh my goodness," I said. I tried to make my way forward to the front of the crowd and in front of the counter to see about some tracks that I had come from Ipswich town to buy. But no one was budging they couldn't believe it as well. Here in front of us all was the one and only Roger Sanchez.
Right in front of our eyes. To be honest we would normally we would be paying £20 to £30 pounds to see him live at the time at a nightclub in London (or even more!).
And he was performing on the decks for free for us!
As he played a few still asked for records; others (I don't know how to be honest) were still listening to limited edition House or Garage tracks amid the commotion of what was going on around them via the headphones that were supplied as standard by the store.
Many were trying to get a handshake from their idle Roger Sanchez as he was djing. Paul Farris, the Store manager (DOWNSTAIRS - FOR HOUSE AND GARAGE MUSIC) was taking it all in; and at the same time was smiling from ear to ear with the response to what he witnessing in front of him.
HOWEVER - THE OVERALL DIRECTOR OF THE WHOLE OPERATION THAT WAS – IZZY - THE DIRECTOR AND OVERALL OWNER OF UPTOWN RECORDS, SOHO, LONDON, ENGLAND; WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN FROM WHERE I WAS STANDING.......
People were cheering, pumping their hands in the air, and general expression of great appreciation on such a track being played live in front of them by the producer who helped to make the track himself. Eventually, Roger Sanchez finished his set, to a round of applause.
Within the set that he did for us he dropped one of the biggest records of his career up to this day. The record is - Roger Sanchez - "I Need You" As soon as the opening bars/chords of the song pumped the speakers and area that we were jostled together in.
There was an almighty cheer. Roger Sanchez just looked and a smile beamed from ear to ear on his face. In my opinion, Roger Sanchez still has not made a better record than this. It is one one the best House records ever made. Have a listen to yourselves and then make up your minds
Just click on the YouTube video yourself to hear it below:
Paul Farris made a speech thanking everyone that came down today to Roger, and also thanked Roger for coming down to the store and playing the way he did.
It was impossible to be able to shake the hand of Roger Sanchez that day as the queue, and the time it took to get to the front of the queue would have taken up vital "Record buying" Time.
I got to speak to a few people who were thinking like me and were interested in getting to the vinyl records that had come into the store that day.
I had about 30 records staked by my side of me that I needed to listen to that day.
However, through my time of listening to these records.
I managed to get into talking to a few other dedicated records buyers who all loved House music (In all its formats), and USA Garage music at the time. Most of them were searching for records by Labels.
You had one guy to the right of me who was searching all the Strictly Rhythm record releases, for instance, that day. You had another guy to the left of me who was searching through all the Eightball records that were released at the time.
From time to time, all 3 of us (who were on either side of me at the time) would stop listening to the vinyl singles on the Vinyl decks in front of us.
This was because you might get a "tap on the shoulder" from either the person that was either to the "left of you", or to "the right of you" - to stop what you are doing right at the moment, and to this listen "Hot" single that they were listening to at this very moment .....
You could tell by their facial expressions that this single was something else. So you gladly took their headphones and had a listen at this point.
Roger Sanchez eventually left to a hail of cheers through the back entrance of the store.
But before he left he managed to interrupt that cheering by adding a little speech on how he had enjoyed himself. I look forward to doing this again sometime. And would you believe that he did just that?
During the year 2001, he came back to the same store and did it all again.
Please read this link below that will tell you a little bit more about his second visit to England, and to the vinyl record store known as "Uptown Records" - 3 D'Arblay Street, Soho, London
Uptown Records, London England, and Roger Sanchez 2nd appearance at the store - 2001
If you were there in 1998 at Uptown Records and saw Roger Sanchez performing please let us know.
Did you see him instead during the year 2001 when he appeared at the same record store again?
Are you an ex-employee of Uptown Records - - 3 D'Arblay Street, Soho, London - and you have great insight into this than I do? If so please do let us know.
Well, that's all folks for me now anyway.
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