Techno Tom Wilson
Encyclopedia
Tom Wilson was a Scottish
radio
disc jockey
, best remembered for his longtime contribution to the Scottish dance music
scene. He worked variously with N-Trance
, The Time Frequency
, Belinda Carlisle
, Ice MC, Scooter
, Mary Kiani
and DJ Dado
.
His multi-award winning dance music show, Steppin' Out, started in 1985 and ran for fourteen years on Radio Forth
, Forth RFM and Forth FM. Although the show was only broadcast to East and Central Scotland, tapes of the show were sent all over the world, hence the reason there were requests from listeners in Australia
, Canada
and Hong Kong
. Due to the success of his show and the Scottish dance music boom, Wilson's Bonus Beats programme aired on Forth FM during the mid 1990s. This allowed many local DJ's the opportunity to provide one hour mixes, spawning the growth of Tartan techno.
on such stations as Radio Caroline Scotland and Radio Telstar. Later in 1984, he began answering phones for the Transistor Boogie show presented by Graham Jackson. From 1985 the first of what turned out to be Wilson's dance music shows on Forth FM came to air across East and Central Scotland. For fifteen years through the mid 1980s and into the 1990s, he presented the Steppin' Out, which went on to win several awards.
He met Phil Collins
and The Spice Girls, but his favourite songs came from Luther Vandross
. As well as being a radio presenter, he was also a record producer and achieved some considerable chart success with ten singles
, one of which "Technocat" reached the Top 40 in the UK. He was responsible for the Bouncing Beats compilation releases, and also spent time remixing material for N-Trance
and Belinda Carlisle
.
of Heart Of Midlothian F.C.
DJ, appearing across the country at numerous clubs and events such as Awesome 101, Fantazia, Rezerection and The Fubar. He also became a record producer
, producing "Technocat" which, billed as Technocat featuring Tom Wilson, became a Top 40 hit
on the UK Singles Chart
. It also charted
in several European countries. In addition his track, "Let Your Body Go", spent one week at #60 in the UK chart in March 1996. Wilson also put together several compilation album
s, namely the Bouncin' Back and Bouncin' Beats series. After a brief spell working at several other Scottish radio stations, including Beat 106
and Real Radio
, Wilson rejoined Radio Forth in 2003 as head of music for both Forth One and Forth 2, and hosted two weekly shows including the Old Skool
show on a Sunday evening.
, and a short period of illness.
His memorial service was held on 31 March 2004. His will requested that every man attending the service should wear a maroon tie, the colour worn by his favourite football team, and that donations should be given to the British Heart Foundation
.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
radio
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, best remembered for his longtime contribution to the Scottish dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
scene. He worked variously with N-Trance
N-Trance
N-Trance are a British electronic music group, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, who were formed by Kevin O'Toole and Dale Longworth, in 1990. The group has sold over 5 million records worldwide and some of their hit singles include "Set You Free", "Forever", as well as covers of the popular 1970s...
, The Time Frequency
The Time Frequency
The Time Frequency are a techno group from Scotland.Founded by Jon Campbell and Steve Nelson in 1988 as Thru The Fire, a synthpop band, before renaming themselves The Time Frequency, they were one of Scotland's first techno groups...
, Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
, Ice MC, Scooter
Scooter (band)
Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
, Mary Kiani
Mary Kiani
Mary Kiani, usually spelled Märy Kiani on her records, is a Scottish singer , who first had hit songs as vocalist for dance music act The Time Frequency in the early 1990s and later a solo career...
and DJ Dado
DJ Dado
DJ Dado is an Italian disc jockey and record producer with Croatian roots, who is mostly known for his remix of Mark Snow's theme for X-Files, and for covering Giorgio Moroder's "The Legend Of Babel"...
.
His multi-award winning dance music show, Steppin' Out, started in 1985 and ran for fourteen years on Radio Forth
Radio Forth
Radio Forth is a group owning two radio stations based in Edinburgh. The stations broadcast to Edinburgh, The Lothians and Fife.-History:Radio Forth was launched on 22 January 1975 by current chairman Richard Findlay. His opening speech included "This, for the very first time is Radio Forth"...
, Forth RFM and Forth FM. Although the show was only broadcast to East and Central Scotland, tapes of the show were sent all over the world, hence the reason there were requests from listeners in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Due to the success of his show and the Scottish dance music boom, Wilson's Bonus Beats programme aired on Forth FM during the mid 1990s. This allowed many local DJ's the opportunity to provide one hour mixes, spawning the growth of Tartan techno.
Early days
In 1972, Wilson started his broadcasting career in pirate radioPirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
on such stations as Radio Caroline Scotland and Radio Telstar. Later in 1984, he began answering phones for the Transistor Boogie show presented by Graham Jackson. From 1985 the first of what turned out to be Wilson's dance music shows on Forth FM came to air across East and Central Scotland. For fifteen years through the mid 1980s and into the 1990s, he presented the Steppin' Out, which went on to win several awards.
He met Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
and The Spice Girls, but his favourite songs came from Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
. As well as being a radio presenter, he was also a record producer and achieved some considerable chart success with ten singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, one of which "Technocat" reached the Top 40 in the UK. He was responsible for the Bouncing Beats compilation releases, and also spent time remixing material for N-Trance
N-Trance
N-Trance are a British electronic music group, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, who were formed by Kevin O'Toole and Dale Longworth, in 1990. The group has sold over 5 million records worldwide and some of their hit singles include "Set You Free", "Forever", as well as covers of the popular 1970s...
and Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
.
Back to Forth
Having spent some time working at other Scottish radio stations, he returned to Radio Forth in 2003 as the station's Head of Music for both FM (Forth 1) and AM (Forth 2) stations, and hosted two shows per week, including Old Skool. In addition, away from music, Wilson was a fanFan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
of Heart Of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
Bouncin' Back
Wilson was also a nightclubNightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
DJ, appearing across the country at numerous clubs and events such as Awesome 101, Fantazia, Rezerection and The Fubar. He also became a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, producing "Technocat" which, billed as Technocat featuring Tom Wilson, became a Top 40 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It also charted
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in several European countries. In addition his track, "Let Your Body Go", spent one week at #60 in the UK chart in March 1996. Wilson also put together several compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s, namely the Bouncin' Back and Bouncin' Beats series. After a brief spell working at several other Scottish radio stations, including Beat 106
Galaxy Scotland
105-106 Capital is a regional radio station broadcasting to Scotland's Central Belt, an area surrounding the two cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the kingdom of Fife...
and Real Radio
Real Radio (Scotland)
Real Radio Scotland is an Independent Local Radio station in Central and Southern Scotland, owned and operated by GMG Radio. The station broadcasts from studios at Ballieston in the east end of the Glasgow on 100.3 & 101.1FM and on DAB.- Background :...
, Wilson rejoined Radio Forth in 2003 as head of music for both Forth One and Forth 2, and hosted two weekly shows including the Old Skool
Old school hip hop
Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
show on a Sunday evening.
Gigs
Wilson was popular on the club circuit, attending many prominent dance music events including 1992's SECC based 'Big Bang' event. The 1990s saw Wilson headlining the biggest dance festivals across Scotland, such as Livingston Forum's Awesome 101 and Ingliston's Rezerection.Death
Radio Forth announced the death of Tom Wilson - the father of four children - Lynsey, Stephanie, Craig, and Allex - on 25 March 2004, at Edinburgh's Western General Hospital following a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, and a short period of illness.
His memorial service was held on 31 March 2004. His will requested that every man attending the service should wear a maroon tie, the colour worn by his favourite football team, and that donations should be given to the British Heart Foundation
British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation is a charity organisation in Britain that funds research, education, care and awareness campaigns aimed to prevent heart diseases in humans.-Foundation:...
.