Greg Wilson unveils new book and podcast
Who was James Hamilton? Greg Wilson unpicks one of the forgotten heroes of UK Dance Music in a podcast and accompanying book released on Greg’s own Super Weird Substance publishing house.
“Two years in the making, this is the first of two books that collect James Hamilton’s weekly columns for Record Mirror into hardback form.
This book covers the period from 1975 to 1982, tracing the rise and fall of the classic disco era, which then mutated into the start of the electronic era. The second book, to be published in 2025, will continue the story from 1983 to 1989, as hip hop and house music emerged to become the dominant forces.
Containing over 5000 reviews, along with news and gossip from the club scene, mini-features, monthly/year-end disco charts, individual DJ charts/import picks, comprehensive indexes, lengthy introductions from DJ Greg Wilson and James’s stepson Mike Atkinson, plus a foreword from Norman Cook, its 550 pages have been edited, revised and fact-checked from the original source material, with some additional content that has not previously been published.
Each month comes with its own dedicated playlist, containing almost all the records that were reviewed. Together, these playlists add up to around four weeks of continuous listening!
To introduce the book, Greg and Mike have published Who Was James Hamilton?, a 90-minute one-off podcast, in which they discuss James’s impact and legacy, with some tunes along the way that help to illustrate the journey.
Ahead of its official publication date on December 9th, you can pre-order copies directly from SWS Books – priced at £30 plus postage/packing, these will be dispatched by the end of November. You can also follow the book on Instagram.
As Greg Wilson says: “Hopefully, with the new book, there’ll be a reappraisal of James’ role in shaping our culture, with the great man finally afforded the recognition he merits and his rightful place in the history.””
