Biography All Music Guide Wikipedia
All Music Guide:
Danny Rampling has been one of the most famous DJs on the British house scene since its beginnings. After being exposed to the original Balearic vibes on Ibiza, Rampling returned to London, founded several seminal club nights, and DJed on pirate radio until the music he helped push went mainstream and landed him a spot on Radio 1. Born in Streatham, London, he began DJing while still a teenager, and became enmeshed in the capital's fertile soul/rare-groove scene during the '80s. On a 1987 visit to the Spanish vacation island of Ibiza, however, Rampling was first introduced to the crucial blend of soul, Italian disco, American house/garage and alternative dance termed Balearic.
Rampling, with friends Paul Oakenfold, Nicky Holloway, and Johnny Walker, eventually returned to Britain and spread the news about Ibiza through club nights, pirate radio, and the growing community of warehouse parties later to morph into the rave scene. Rampling's Shoom was perhaps the most important club night for early house music; though only a few hundred clubbers were exposed to the new sound at Shoom, it proved the vital spark for later clubs and raves which numbered thousands of entries. Though the club was gone by 1989, Rampling had already begun playing in Europe and in 1990, he founded another classic club night, Pure. His sound progressed from acid house to harder trance during the '90s, and he joined the BBC's Radio 1 in 1996 with a popular show, The Love Groove Dance Party. (He's also released several double-disc mix sets based on the show.)
Rampling released mix albums for Metropole, Mixmag, and Dragonfly, and began recording for Deconstruction with his Millionaire Hippies project. Always known as one of the hardest clubbers on the scene, Rampling suffered a breakdown from exhaustion during 1997, then was dropped by Deconstruction after not producing another Millionaire Hippies record. Signed to Distance Records, he returned in 1998 with new productions and another mix album, Club Nation, recorded for Virgin.
Wikipedia:
Danny Rampling is a British House Music DJ and is widely credited as one of the original founders of the UK's rave/club scene. His long career began in the early 1980s playing hip-hop, soul and funk around numerous bars and clubs in London.
Early career
Ibiza
During a holiday in Ibiza in 1987, Rampling, along with fellow DJs Paul Oakenfold and Nicky Holloway, attended Amnesia, a then open air nightclub in San Rafael. At the club the group were introduced to the unique eclectic style of DJ Alfredo, playing, among other genres, the new house music that had been exported from the USA. The group also discovered the music's powerful combination with the drug Ecstasy,(MDMA) that reduced inhibitions and created a sense of oneness on the dance floor.
England
Upon his return to England, Rampling, along with his then wife, Jenny, attempted to recreate the Ibizan experience by promoting what is regarded as the UK's first Balearic rave club, Shoom. Shoom ran for three years, starting out at a gym in Southwark, London. It was a launching point for acid house culture, while contributing to worldwide dance culture.
Later career
Radio
Danny 'Happy' Rampling played for the original pirate KISS 100 FM with the main Saturday night slot from 7 till 9 pm in the early nineties, setting many a person up for a great night out with the "love groove dance party" he was poached like many others, including Judge Jules, to BBC Radio 1.
DJ and Producer
In the following years, Rampling continued his career in music as a DJ and producer, remixing many UK and international acts while forming a band, The Millionaire Hippies. In November 1994 he joined the BBC, presenting the "Lovegroove Dance Party" on Radio 1 until March 2002, making it the second longest running dance music show in radio after Pete Tong's "Essential Selection".
The mid 1990s also saw Rampling's DJing style diversify. While still playing House and Garage sets, Rampling also began to headline at harder, trancier parties, e.g. 'South', at The Zap Club, in Brighton. Rampling himself referred to his newer style as 'Euro', and at this time showcased new Euro tracks, during the final thirty minute weekly mix of his Radio 1 Show. Additionally, Rampling's Double CD Love Groove Dance Mix featured House and Garage on the first CD, and 'Euro' on the second.
Retirement
In 2005 Rampling announced his retirement from DJing with the initial intention of running a restaurant, although he changed tack to focus on his property business and the 'low carbon economy'. In 2007 he returned to music and began making some on-off appearances at selected clubs. In 2008 he published a self-help e-book entitled "Everything you need to know about DJ'ing and success". He has since returned to regular DJing where his popularity remains strong.
Personal life
Rampling is a keen eco-entrepreneur and has just completed building 10 Eco-friendly Carbon Reductive houses in St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex. Along with business partner Simon Hinton they recently launched 'Green Town Revolution', a reward and offset system to encourage individuals and small businesses to offset their CO emissions. 'Carbon Neutral DJ' with Norman Jay MBE is GTR's first project, its purpose being to influence a positive response to climate change and personal CO offsetting, and a shift towards Carbon Neutrality.
