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Ready Steady Go: My Unstoppable Journey in Dance
"A wild ride of a life... Oakenfold's story is extraordinary" - The Times
Follow Paul Oakenfold – world-renowned DJ and dance music pioneer – as he tells his incredible story of a phenomenal career at the beating heart of dance.
Paul's journey takes him from a musical baptism in 1980s New York and underground club nights in London to running a seminal dance record label and a legendary trip to Ibiza that introduced him to trance and changed the face of dance music forever.
A breathless adventure through music, Ready Steady Go is a story of dance, trance, excess and success.
Follow Paul Oakenfold – world-renowned DJ and dance music pioneer – as he tells his incredible story of a phenomenal career at the beating heart of dance.
Paul's journey takes him from a musical baptism in 1980s New York and underground club nights in London to running a seminal dance record label and a legendary trip to Ibiza that introduced him to trance and changed the face of dance music forever.
A breathless adventure through music, Ready Steady Go is a story of dance, trance, excess and success.
- GenresMusic
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Published August 18, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 27, 2022
he seems like a good bloke and has some interesting anecdotes despite the writing style not being very good!
January 25, 2023
I recently read Paul Oakenfold's book "Ready Steady Go" and I have to say, it was an absolute pleasure to read. The book provides an in-depth look into the life and career of one of arguably the first Superstar DJ. Oakenfold's storytelling is engaging and honest, providing a candid account of his journey to becoming a renowned DJ and producer. The book is also filled with lots of stories and insights into the history of electronic music. Overall, "Ready Steady Go" is a must-read for any electronic music fan or anyone interested in the music industry.
September 10, 2022
Written as if he dictated it, but with plenty of anecdotes. Very good on the pre-Ibiza days where he worked as a gofer for US rap acts who came over to the UK in the mid-1980s. The man has lived a good life.
February 13, 2023
Doesn't suffer from confidence problems that lad. Gets boring reading how he wanted to do everything first, bigger and better after a while.
December 11, 2023
Really enjoyed the book, it’s not going to win any literary awards for the writing, but really interesting to hear how he developed his career and all the anecdotes.
January 1, 2025
I'm a big fan of Paul Oakenfold and the 90s dance music scene, so this is an interesting account of those times
July 29, 2025
The OG superstar DJ. 3/5
This book is a great reminder of the things Oakenfold has done over 40 years in the dance industry. I found the first half of the book better than the latter half. He describes how he ventured over to New York in the early 80s and explored the clubs and music there. And ditto with the nascent Ibiza scene. The culmination of which was taking some of those influences back to the UK and establishing himself in, and to some degree developing, the clubbing scene in the 90s. His Goa Mix was, and still is, an iconic set and he talks about the effort put in to create this. The stories and tales from this period were interesting to read and sometimes amusing. His positive energy and attitude comes across, where he was open to trying anything and his love of the music is obvious. He certainly grabbed the opportunities when they arose and his global reach became enormous. He talks us through things like the Vegas residency, Bond remixes, supporting Madonna’s tour, and his Everest basecamp set. While interesting, this part of the book was more factual and perhaps a bit bland. Overall, it was an enjoyable, fast paced read and the ghost writer did a good job - the prose very much written in the style of how Paul talks. The stories never really get beyond surface deep though and include only snippets of the excesses I’m sure he’s witnessed. Perhaps the Richard Norris book has more depth? Would also have been good to see more credit given to other DJs, clubs and labels, though this is a minor point as it’s a biography after all. He’s had an awesome life and he’s a legend - you don’t begrudge him any of it.
This book is a great reminder of the things Oakenfold has done over 40 years in the dance industry. I found the first half of the book better than the latter half. He describes how he ventured over to New York in the early 80s and explored the clubs and music there. And ditto with the nascent Ibiza scene. The culmination of which was taking some of those influences back to the UK and establishing himself in, and to some degree developing, the clubbing scene in the 90s. His Goa Mix was, and still is, an iconic set and he talks about the effort put in to create this. The stories and tales from this period were interesting to read and sometimes amusing. His positive energy and attitude comes across, where he was open to trying anything and his love of the music is obvious. He certainly grabbed the opportunities when they arose and his global reach became enormous. He talks us through things like the Vegas residency, Bond remixes, supporting Madonna’s tour, and his Everest basecamp set. While interesting, this part of the book was more factual and perhaps a bit bland. Overall, it was an enjoyable, fast paced read and the ghost writer did a good job - the prose very much written in the style of how Paul talks. The stories never really get beyond surface deep though and include only snippets of the excesses I’m sure he’s witnessed. Perhaps the Richard Norris book has more depth? Would also have been good to see more credit given to other DJs, clubs and labels, though this is a minor point as it’s a biography after all. He’s had an awesome life and he’s a legend - you don’t begrudge him any of it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews