F IS FOR FATBOY SLIM
Although Norman Cook’s star has been on the wane for a while now, he did produce some cracking party tracks. And how many artists have been as successful as he has been under so many different guises – from The Housemartins, through Freakpower to Fatboy Slim?
Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook — name changed by deed poll in 2002) was born in the UK on 31 July 1963. Married to radio DJ & television presenter Zoë Ball, and thus son-in-law of British television personality Johnny Ball. Not simply a DJ, Norman Cook has surpassed this role as a producer whilst using one of many aliases; the chief one being Fatboy Slim. Many UK DJ’s have managed to crossover to a large extent in the US and beyond, however Norman Cook, under alias Fatboy Slim, has done much more than this. Rather than being a faceless behind the decks head-down DJ, Norman’s exuberant character whilst performing on the decks simply takes any audience with him regardless of the country or culture he is playing to. His devotion to his chosen place of residence, Brighton, is legendary, even donning “I Love Brighton” T-shirts on occasion. Despite massive pressure to go wholly with a major label, he continues to stick with his original Brighton-based label Skint Records. He has just issued a new album under a new alias – Brighton Port Authority.
From 2002, a couple of fabulous tunes. Drop The Hate is gospel house and could be a lost Screamadelica-era Primal Scream track. Midfield General has done a good job on the remix of bringing out the track’s inherent disco influences:
Fatboy Slim – Drop The Hate (Remixed By Rev H Lidbo and The Progressive Baptist Choir of Stockholm)
Fatboy Slim – Talkin’ ‘Bout My Baby (Midfield General’s Disco Reshuffle)
Bonus track: Fatboy Slim – Demons (Stanton Warriors Remix)
Fatboy Slim MySpace
Buy product
