Something of a full circle with this. The now classic āLove Is The Drugā by Roxy Music was a track that had just been released when I started out DJing 50 years ago, and I would undoubtedly have played it that first night given Roxy were already British pop royalty by this point and āLove Is The Drugā (along with their later hit, āAngel Eyesā) the groups biggest track from a dancefloor perspective.
āLove Is The Drugā, is also, of course, celebrating its 50th anniversary, and is re-issued tomorrow by
@islandrecordsuk , including my edit of the track, along with
@toddterje ās disco dub, originally issued on 12ā in 2012, copies of which have been changing hands at around Ā£150!.
My edit first appeared as the opener on the second āCredit To The Editā compilation in 2009. It wasnāt until 1976 that the 12ā³ single appeared as a commercial format, so āLove Is The Drugā was only ever issued as a 7ā³. In editing this track I imagined how an extended 12ā³ might have sounded had the record been released a little bit later down the line. Taking this approach Iāve added just under two extra club friendly minutes, trying to be as respectful as possible to the original in the process, whilst sprinkling in some subtle dub fx via the reel-to-reel.
As well as being a staple of the more mainstream venues, DJs started to venture further than their singles when starting Roxy/Bowie nights in the latter part of the 70s, paving the way for the influential futurist movement. Roxy were an inspiration for so many groups that followed, from punks to new romantics ā they are certainly one the iconic British bands of the 70s, having burst on the scene with an unforgettable Top Of The Pops performance, unleashing their first hit, āVirginia Plainā, in 1973 (complete with original member Brian Eno) ā a definite ādid you see that!ā TOTP moment that generated particularly fervent discussion in the schoolyard the following day (check it out on YouTube, along with their brilliant live rendition of āDo The Strandā on the Old Grey Whistle Test that year).
