Richie Deluxe
Just for the record, why 'Richie Deluxe'?
Richie is my name & for a long time I attached the name of my website Culture Deluxe to the end. Eventually I shortened it, partly for convenience, partly to start a rumour that I am Tim Deluxe's brother (no, not really).
What are you up to these days?
I'm pretty quiet at the moment - I think I manage a bootleg about once a month when I feel like it. I have been involved in two or three projects which will make themselves known when they're ready...& I have Culture Deluxe 2 to finish writing (it really is turning into my sistine chapel ceiling).
What music are you currently listening to?
Albums that have recently impressed me by Mylo, Radio 4 & The Magnificents. My boot intake has been rather low of late, but there are still plenty of bootleggers out there who're impressing me with their monogamous home tunes.
What, if push comes to shove, is the album that changed your life?
Wow. If you mean when did I stop playing football with my mates & enjoying an active life outdoors & exchange it for hours cooped up in my room listening to music instead? A toss-up between Liveandirect by Adamski &, slightly later on, The White Room by The KLF.
Do you still remember what's the first record you ever bought? Where did you buy it?
Of course I do. I bought my first single "Gimme Hope Joanna" by Eddy Grant in 1988 from Woolies in Elgin. I bought my first album - Please Hammer Don't Hurt'Em by MC Hammer in 1990 from Boots in Elgin. Before that I had 3 records & my Mom's old gramophone. The records were Shakin Steven's Greatest Hits & Agadoo by Black Lace bought for a party, & a really wicked record my Dad bought in 1972 with T-Rex, Slade, Sweet et al on it.
Which artiste, other than yourself, have you ever wanted to be?
I'm sure I wanted to be Adam Ant when I was a kid. I wanted to swing on a chandelier like he does in the Prince Charming vid.
What is the greatest joy & the biggest pain doing a project like London Booted? Tell us some stories please!
The greatest joy was definitely sitting back & listening to the complete CD - particularly since I knew the original inside out & could guess what was going to happen next. I thought it was a great project from start to finish, although there were times when I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish my track as I couldn't get it in time - I still think it's a little off. Other problems were that, naturally, some bootleggers couldn't commit to the project in the end, & twice I found myself trying to finish the album off myself. Luckily there were plenty of standbys. I think it was the start of a potentially great series of boot albums, & I'm glad that some money, however little, was raised for charity due to the project.
What is the most outrageous rumour you've heard that is said about you?
That I was sick all over the toilets at IBPW1. Lies, damn lies I tell thee!
The Last of Richie Deluxe:
Last CD you bought (or downloaded) = Guru Josh - Infinity
Last movie you watched that scared the shit outta you = The Ring
Last book or mag you read that gave you wood = Blue Peter Annual 1983
Last concert you watched that was boring = The Libertines at T in the Park
Last bootleg you heard that was utter bollocks = Digital Minger's "Life In A Windmill"
In your opinion, what are the TEN bootlegs that you think are the greatest of all time?
This is off the top of my head - I'm sure I'll miss a few that I love out...
01. DJ Spec - "U Got The Love"
02. Frenchbloke - "Right Behind"
03. blo_up - "Burnin'"
04. Osymyso - "Fiver To Bigwig"
05. Churchill - "Hear Missy Work It"
06. Loo & Placido - "Safari Love"
07. Freelance Hellraiser - "Grange Hill Grammar"
08. JRB - "Woo Ha (Rag & Bone Mix)"
09. Loo & Placido - "Going To Hawaii"
10. Pop Razors - "Louie Louie"
What are the elements that make a bootleg special?
There are many...if it induces a smile then it's cool - doesn't need to be silly, sometimes you're just amazed that two completely different songs can work together. Many's the time I've absolutely HATED a vocal, but then heard it in a bootleg & grown to love it. It really lets you appreciate the job of the backing musicians & producers in this biz. Some very well made bootlegs can be very boring, you need to inject some inspiration, some thought into all your work.
Which bootlegger deserves a smack in the mouth? Why?
Churchill, because he's Churchill / a weiser.
Let's play word association. We mention a name & you give us your thoughts...
International Bastard = Excellent Weekenders
Daz Automatic = Nice Shirts, Nice Guy
Loo & Placido = The Daddies
The Darkness = Need a new album - quick, & need to shut their mouths for a second
Matt Redman = Never heard of him
Parkspliced = A lot of fun, but no London Booted ;)
Tony Blair = Lies down for the US & soon to be unemployed
Cate Blanchett = Seems sophisticated & sexy
Guy Ritchie = One trick pony
Breezeblock = The source of musical genius & a reason to set my alarm & my tape recorder :)
Which decade do you consider the 'golden era' of music & why?
1975 - 1985. Ok, not a decade per se, but it is 10 years that includes Kraftwerk, The Clash, Joy Division, 80s Synth Pop, Buck's Fizz, The Smiths, New Order, Mike Read banning Frankie in case the Saturday Superstore kids got upset...& the birth of hip hop! I think you can trace nearly all alternative, rap & dance music back to one or a group of acts during this time who were pushing boundaries & experimenting with music.
What do you remember about the following years:
1983 = Dennis the Menace & Gnasher
1989 = Starting high school, really getting into music for the 1st time.
1997 = Gigs at the Barrowlands, thinking Urusei Yatsura were the best band in the world.
1999 = Was in a band called Mutant Mobster with Rory from Taki183. Moved to Perth - boring.
2003 = Culture Deluxe & International Bastards.
What's your favourite Saturday night record?
I've got two. "Weekender" by Flowered-Up for when we're drinking. "La Rock 01" by Vitalic for when we're dancing.
And your Sunday morning one?
Chill Out by the KLF.
Do you believe in the afterlife? Why?
No. I think religion has been used as an instrument of terror for too long. It has long been said that prayer, duty to your God etc. gives you hope & aids you in life. But failure to do this carries (in their minds) punishment & damnation in life & after. I prefer to believe it's your own decisions that decide how your(one)life goes. Also, I've been reading a lot of Greek mythology recently. You can see parallels between the stories there & biblical stories, but with no emphasis on preaching this or that in the Greek stories. It suggests to me that these stories were all made up by storytellers & entertainers, but in Greece they remained so & became myths & fun tales. The writers of the Bible decided to add their own literally holier-than-thou slant & took all the fun out of them. Anyway, long pointless answer.
What are your plans for the future?
CDX2 will eventually be completed - probably with an eye on non-bootleg music too - & I have something in the pipeline with a couple of others which is to be known only as CD-R for now.
What do you think the future for bootlegs / mash-ups / remixes would be like, given that being a home musician is so easy these days?
I think record companies will become phased out, once technology evolves to make it easy for anyone to charge others to download their music there will be no need. It also spells, for me, the end of copyright as we know it. The record companies think it's bad just now with file-sharing & illegal remixing, but I think they're all going to find themselves fighting a losing battle trying to track down all copyright breaches. You get plenty people selling recordings on eBay already - the end is in sight.
You can visit Richie's Culture Deluxe site here.
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