EP161 - Keb Darge - Scottish DJ and Music producer talks Lost & Found and DJ nights with Paul Weller...

In the realm of music enthusiasts and vinyl collectors, few names command as much respect and admiration as Keb Darge. The legendary out-spoken Scotsman has left an indelible mark on the world of music with has an uncanny ability to unearth rare and forgotten musical treasures.

Over the past 40-plus years, he has been heavily involved in the northern soul, deep funk, rockabilly, and sixties garage scenes. 

On this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, we hear the true story about his journey in music - from dance competitions (driven by the prize money on offer!) to a fascination with obscure music genres that lead to him exploring the depths of record distribution warehouses all over the world.

As soon as he had enough money together he started collecting and buying Northern Soul in the UK, during regular trips to the US and was starting to play around the Wigan area at the heyday of The Casino. By 1981 he had gained a respectful reputation as a DJ.

His legendary nights at London's 'Madame Jojo's' and 'The Blue Note' showcased his knack for introducing audiences to tracks that had been relegated to obscurity. His unique selections rejuvenated dance floors and gave new life to forgotten sounds.

This fella had control of Madame Jo Jo’s every Friday for 18 years, and every Saturday for 10 years - playing incredible music that you would normally only hear at the most serious scene events.

Keb's uncanny ability to spot musical gold amidst stacks of vinyl propelled him to become a renowned DJ and collector.

As you'll hear on this podcast, Keb met Paul Weller whilst DJing at a one of a birthday party for Nicky Weller.

The two got along well, and Keb started sourcing rare records for Paul, leading to them DJ’ing together at nights in London and Europe.

As he always does with DJs, Keb kept a close eye on what Paul was pulling out of his record box. “Not a duff tune in sight, with records ranging from classic floor fillers to the super obscure.

He was not tainted by any collectors’ scene attitude, just played the tunes he liked...”

The pair ended up collaborating on a compilation release in 2010 called Lost & Found - Real R'n'B and Soul.and remain friends to this day...

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