Jim Burgess (producer)

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For other people with this name, see Jim Burgess (disambiguation)

James Michael "Jim" Burgess (July 21, 1953– January 18, 1993) was a disco record producer and New York DJ of the 1970s, and was variously referred to as "one of the hottest DJ's and Remixers of the Disco era"[1]

The former home of the Paradise Garage on King Street.

He remixed and produced numerous disco versions of popular songs, with a number of them being million sellers. His most successful and best known production was Alicia Bridges' I Love the Nightlife, which has become a "Disco standard". First released in 1978, it went to number five on the Billboard charts, and was given a new lease of life with its use in the 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Other extremely successful productions include:

He was also a popular DJ at many New York clubs (e.g. The Saint) and was "one of the most influential remixers for the disco era".[2]

Early years

Burgess was born on July 21, 1953 in Okeechobee, Florida. He trained as a classical tenor and opera singer, and had "an amazing ear". He started as a DJ in Florida in the early-mid 1970s and then "moved on to Limelight, a gay club in Atlanta" where he was "discovered"[1] by Tony Martino and Alan Harris, the owners of the New York club 12 West.

New York

He moved to New York where he played at "all the hottest clubs like 12 West, Infinity, the Saint, Underground, Studio 54, Paradise Garage, as well as playing the Ice Palace in Fire Island".[3]

Burgess had been one of the initial three resident DJs at the Saint along with Alan Dodd and Roy Thode, from its opening on 20 September 1980.

Burgess's popularity was attributed not only to his style and technique, but a love for theatrical effects and elements, which developed from his love of opera. He would frequently create his own "sound scenes" by using the dialogue from well-known film scenes over the break of a record - as well as attentuating the effect through long mixes and sophisticated blending.

Burgess chose to end his career at age 28 with a farewell party at the Saint on 31 January 1981. During the party, he famously walked out at the peak of the night and let the record run out. Afterwards Sharon White took over for the rest of the evening. Nevertheless, he still did subsequent infrequent gigs in New York, and started playing regularly at the Saint again in 1986. His actual last gig according to his partner was at The Ice Palace in 1989.

Philadelphia

After commuting back and forth from NY to Philly, in 1987 he made the move to Philadelphia to pursue his first ambition, opera singing.

In Philadelphia he studied voice at the Curtis Institute of Music. He sang with the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Rittenhouse Opera Society, and appeared as Florestan in Beethoven's "Fidelio" at the Lake George Opera Festival in New York and as Siegfried and Parsifal with the Liederkranz Society of New York, which awarded him first prize in its Wagner Competition.[4]

Death

Although he was never diagnosed with AIDS, he took ill soon after Labor Day in 1992. It was then that he was informed of his HIV status. His illness progressed very quickly and he died of an AIDS related brain tumor four months after taking ill, on 18 January 1993 at his home in Philadelphia. He was survived by his partner, Martin Dillon, his sister, Dawn Burgess-Krop of Gainesville, Fl, and his brother, Jonathan, of Asheville, N.C.[4]

Remixes

Some of the more notable singles that Burgess was involved in the remixing and/or production of are:[1][5][6]

Song title Artist Label Released
"I love the nightlife" BridgesAlicia Bridges Polydor 1978
"Da ya think I'm sexy" StewartRod Stewart 1978
"I Was Made for Lovin' You" KissKISS Casablanca 1979
"Here comes that sound again" Love De-LuxeLove De-Luxe 1979
"the Beat goes on and on" RippleRipple Canadian Unidisc
"What a fool believes" (12" Disco mix) Doobie BrothersThe Doobie Brothers Warner Bros 1979
"Rough Diamond" KaneMadleen Kane Warner Bros 1978
"Forbidden Love" KaneMadleen Kane Warner Bros 1979
"Night rider" DodsonVenus Dodson
"I've got the next dance" WilliamsDeniece Williams Columbia 1979
"If there's love" AmantAmant
"Crazy love" McClainAlton McClain & Destiny Polydor 1979
"Lotta love" LarsonNicolette Larson Warner Bros 1979
"Don't stop the train" NelsonPhyliss Nelson
"Runaway Love" CliffordLinda Clifford Curtom 1978
"A lover's holiday" ChangeChange Warner Bros 1980
"Victim" StatonCandi Staton 1978
"No goodbyes" MayfieldCurtis Mayfield Curtom 1978
"Party party" MayfieldCurtis Mayfield Curtom 1978
"Try love" WilsonTony Wilson US Bearsville 1979
"Lovemaker" WhamWham GRT records 1978
"Bring on the boys" YoungKaren Young 1978

External links

Further reading

  • Love saves the day: A History of American Dance Music Culture 1970-79, Tim Lawrence, 2003, Duke University
  • Last Night a Dj Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey, Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton, Grove Press, 2000

References and notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jim Burgess Bio, www.disco-disco.com, accessed 2008-07-20.
  2. ↑ "Moulton, Gibbons and their contemporaries (Jim Burgess, Tee Scott, and later Larry Levan and Shep Pettibone) at Salsoul Records proved to be the most influential group of remixers for the disco era. The Salsoul catalog is seen (especially in Great Britain and Europe) as being the "canon" for the disco mixer's art form." For more information see Remix#Roots of the remix and Disco#Production and development.
  3. ↑ NY Disco Clubs, www.disco-disco.com, accessed 2008-07-20.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Death notice, NYTIMES, 25 January 1993, accessed 2008-07-20.
  5. ↑ Discography, www.discogs.com, accessed 2008-07-23
  6. ↑ Jim Burgess bio, www.discomuseum.com, accessed 2008-07-23[dead link]
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