Donald: Where were you born and raised ?
Charles: Newark, New Jersey
Donald: How long have you been Djing\Producing and how did you get into it. ?
Charles: I've been djing for 18 years now. I got into it by listening to New York's Kiss Mastermixes and checking out Dj Camacho playing at the Newark's summer b-ball leagues. Everytime Camacho was djing, I use to hang out with him and his brother GQ Richie.
Donald: How would you classify your style of djing ?
Charles: I really don't consider myself having a style. I just like blending the sounds and riding the mixes for a while.
Donald: I know its hard but what would be your ten favorite records of all time?
Charles:
- Love Sensation
- The Music Got Me
- Piece of Heaven
- If you should need a friend
- My love is free
- Happy In the Rain
- Runaway Girl
- Your mind is going crazy
- Alright(urban soul)
- Love cant turn around. Whoa! that was rough
Donald: House is a very comprehensive term; what is your personal definition of house music?
Charles: My personal definition of house is the Deep, Soulful and Gospel underground that is all of a sudden broken up in different categories.
Donald: Who are some of the DJ's past and present that you respect and have influenced you the most?
Charles: Larry Patterson, Dave Camacho, Larry Levan, Shep Pettibone, Kenny Carpenter and Tony Humphries
Donald: Who are some of the house artists\producers that you are feeling right now?
Charles: This list can go forever, but right off the back will be MAW, Basement Boys,Tony V, Blaze,Camacho, Kenny Bobien, Ulra Nate, and Barbara Tucker.
Donald: Please tell us about one of your most memorable nights at a club, where you
were the DJ and also when you were just part of the crowd.
Charles: My most memorable night a club as a dj was in the Philippines "JBL Club". I was in the Navy and a dj at this club for two weeks. One night the club started 7:00pm - 7:00am because extra ships arrived that day. The place was packed with all East Coast heads who buggin because I was rockin hits like D Train, Inner Life Fran Joli, and other hot cuts back in that day. I think it was around 1986. The other was when I came back home to hang out at Zanzibar. Tony Humphries was djing and they had a show with Blaze, Phase II, Adeva, Keisha Jenkins, and the group that made "Its A Mean World". The place was F*ckin Hot!!
You had to be there. All the acts were incredible.
Donald: If you were fortunate enough to hear Larry Levan ,Tee Scott and Larry Patterson at some of the historic clubs in NYC/NJ please give a short commentary on what it was like to experience them live? If you actually deejayed with them let us know about that too. (Picture (R) Charles and Promoters)
Charles: I was able to hear Tee Scott a few times and the brother was awesome. Tee was
spinning at the Cheetah Club in Paterson Nj on Sundays. It was times they had to stop people from coming in, which tells you how bad Tee was. I was fortunate to dj with Larry Paterson at Club America in Newark. I was the resident dj with Greg Smith and a friend came down and said Larry Paterson was coming down to show us how to work the Uri Mixer. (of course we laughed at him) Well, our friend had the last laugh because Larry came in 30 minutes after we bugged on
our boy. He showed us how to work the mixer and the next week he came down to work out with us which was around Thanksgiving. I think it was around 88 or 89. Larry was working that club up that night. His skills with the mixes was unbelievable.
Donald: Please comment on the current house scene in NJ (clubs and radio)?
Charles: My opinion on the club scene in Jersey is that its not how it use to be, but
the House people are working on getting that back in the area. Jihad and Naheem is working the Club Eclipse on Thursday nights, I also heard that Club Cache and QXTs is pretty hot also. The radio station is out of New York because we are so close. Right now 98.7 Kiss is one of the large stations that is playing house music (Saturday Nights 12:00 - 2:00). There is another
station, which is listener sponsored that also plays house with dj jeannie hopper (liquid sound lounge). The other few stations that play it is college station, but I don't know the names.
Donald: Please comment on the current house scene in NY ?
Charles: HOT, HOT, HOT!!!! You have so many spots that is rocking in the City.
Donald: Do you feel the NY house audience supports the NJ club scene?
Charles: Yes, I think so because in the House Scene I see the love & respect the people have for each other and the music. The love was even there back in the day when New York use to come over to Newark to party at the Zanzibar.
Donald: What about the ideal of House, where it is supposed to be one nation under a common love of the music, where Latin's, Blacks, Whites, Gays, Asians etc. can all party together in peace. Is the scene in NYC achieving this or is there segregation in the clubs.
Charles: From what I experience I really think it is peace & unity in the house scene with all the people no matter what color and lifestyle you are.
Donald: Considering some of the problems that House is experiencing today in the US (Lack of radio air play, club politics, mass misunderstanding as to what house music is ,
etc) What do you see as a solution ? What can be done to reach folks on a massive scale to let them know about the parties that are going on in NYC?NJ now?
Charles: 1. Radio Station (All< house music,club classics,documentaries and interviews) 2. Continuing the advertising of underground clubs & parties on the Internet.
Donald: If you have experience playing overseas what has been your favorite country to play in ? What country would you like to play ?
Charles: I had a chance to play in Perth Australia which was the best. The crowd was unbelievable on the floor. I was surprise with the reaction from the people when they hear a mix coming in, the heads would start screaming. Out of the other clubs I dj at overseas this club in Perth had all Austalians and heads visiting from England. Usually I had heads from the military that would pack the clubs, but they all were serious club heads.
Donald Where can people come and here you play these days?
Charles: I am starting a monthly loft party in downtown Newark Feb 2001 with La Mazyck's Entertainment and I up and down the East Coast djing for Random Access Entertainment
Donald Now what does the future hold for you ?
Charles: More gigs and maybe a little producing.
Gman: Personally I think the internet is the future of broadcast music\video. Soon a computer will be in every home like a radio or TV and bandwidth will increase to
accommodate delivering it in higher quality. What are your thoughts on the internet presently as a means for DJ's and house music to get more exposure?
Charles: I think the Internet is GREAT! There is so much information out there on the internet. House Music is really growing fast with the help of the internet. Also a lot of djs is getting mad gigs thanks to the world wide web. I myself met a lot of people thru the internet and I did a lot of advertising for this spot I use to dj at.
Donald: Any final comments or words of wisdom to share with the other heads out there?
Charles: Keep House Music Alive
Donald: How can people contact you ?
Charles:Dj Charles Gatling (cgatling63@hotmail.com) 888 759-8888 pin#1640393
Donald: Charles, Thank you for the interview!!
Charles: I want to Thank You for interviewing me and Peace & Respect to Deephousepage.com and all House Heads (Djs, producers, and clubgoers). HOUSE MUSIC ALL NIGHT LONG!!!
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