Mark James interview podcast hosted by Lenny Fontana # 140 - True House Stories®

Mark James interview podcast hosted by Lenny Fontana # 140 - True House Stories®

Author: Lenny Fontana November 27, 2024 Duration: 45:17

TRUE HOUSE STORIES® W/ MARK JAMES # 140 INTERVIEWED BY LENNY FONTANA

With many decades of experience as a DJ and one of Australia’s most progressive promoters and dance music recording artists. MARK JAMES has been synonymous with dance music in Australia since the beginning.

It all started in the 80’s where Mark’s frustration of trying to push dance music to a traditionally rock orientated Aussie market led him to setting up his own club nights and parties. As time went on around 1987 with the birth of acid house Mark finally began to see a light at the end of the tunnel and so did the punters, the turn around had begun. Mark hosted events which included the first of a string of international acts and DJ’s in Australia including INNER CITY, THE JUNGLE BROTHERS, the ID WORLD TOUR with GRAHAME PARK and MIKE PIKERING (M people). Into the 90’s Mark’s djing status had been pushed to the forefront of Australia’s finest with bookings all over the country. In 1990 it was time to get serious about making music which Mark had been dabbling in over the past couple of years with then long time girlfriend GINA G (of “Oh Ah just a little bit” fame).

With Gina on vocals and good friend PEE WEE FERRIS helping on the production tip BASS CULTURE hit the charts with LOVE THE LIFE (used more recently 1998/99 Summer “Coke Cola” ad, and long running theme on Neighbours). Four singles followed featuring some of Australia’s finest vocalists including KATE CEBERANO, LISA MAXWELL AND SUZI AHERN along with an album all charting successfully in Australia and appearing on “Hey Hey It’s Saturday” no less than three times. I’VE LEARNED TO COPE stayed No.1 on JJJ for thirteen weeks running and featured in the Aussie movie “The Sum of Us” (Russel Crowe) and also broke into the UK dance charts with mixes from ERIC KUPPER. Mark’s own productions kicked off with a studio stint also in 1991 with CARL COX Eternal by Eternal reached No.1 on the Aussie dance charts, a top 40 UK DANCE HIT which even broke the national UK charts at No.73 in 1997 Mark remixed Eternal and hit the UK chart's again this track was one of the late great DJ TONY DE VITS most played records of 1997. Two more Eternal singles followed MIND ODYSSEY released on WARP records and made top 20 (UK dance) and in 1994 with a name change to ETERNAL RHYTHM, Deep Down which was licensed to several countries all with high chart positions (JOHN DIGWEED listed Deep Down in his top ten tracks of the year 1994).The 2000 remix of Deep Down released on Quad UK appears on loads of mix cd's including DANNY HOWLES. Mark also is the MD of Future Entertainment Australia's largest dance event and DJ touring company, touring the likes of Gatecrasher, Renaissance, Trade, Perfecto and every high profile dj.

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There's a whole world of rhythm and soul behind the tracks that fill dancefloors, and True House Stories opens the door to it. Hosted by the respected DJ and producer Lenny Fontana, this isn't just a series of conversations; it's an oral history project for a genre built on feeling. Each episode sits down with a different architect of the sound-DJs, producers, vocalists, and label founders-to pull back the curtain on the moments that shaped everything. You'll hear the unvarnished, sometimes messy, reality of how classic records came to be, the late-night studio sessions that turned into anthems, and the personal journeys intertwined with the music's evolution. Fontana, speaking from a lifetime inside the scene, guides these discussions with a genuine curiosity, ensuring the stories remain candid and often surprising. Tuning into this podcast feels like finding a lost archive of club culture, where every interview adds another essential layer to our understanding of house music's enduring pulse. It’s for anyone who has ever felt a four-on-the-floor beat and wondered about the people and passion that put it there.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

True House Stories interview podcast hosted by Lenny Fontana
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