Mister Good Times

by Norman Jay

THE ENTHRALLING LIFE STORY OF THE LEGENDARY DJ, NORMAN JAY MBE

'Norman Jay's contribution to club culture is immeasurable . . . He brought new life to undiscovered classics and in doing so turned on a whole new generation' David Rodigan

'Full of the heart and spirit Norman Jay brings to his music, but it also offers a salutary account of growing up as part of the Windrush generation in London's Notting Hill, the violence and racism he faced, and his success' Observer

Mister Good Times is the enthralling story of a black kid growing up in a (largely white) working class world; of vivid, often violent experiences on the football terraces; of the emerging club scene growing out of a melting pot of styles; of how Jay, with his contemporaries, took the music of Black America, gave it a distinctly London twist, and used the marriage of styles to forge a hugely successful career as a trailblazing DJ and broadcaster, becoming an inspiration to a whole generation of dance music fans, black and white, without ever compromising his integrity.

Along the way are tales of adventures across the country following Spurs; of Northern Soul nights, warehouse parties and illegal raves; of sound systems, the good and bad times of the Notting Hill carnival, the heady days of pirate radio, Rare Groove and the burgeoning British dance music scene.

Mister Good Times is the story of a man who has lived his life on his own terms, helping to define a new British culture.

Genres: Fiction

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2019

Reviews

[George Hodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a life!

[Caroline Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have been lucky enough to see Norm DJ many a time. Great to read about his life - and WHAT a life! Also love the fact he’s a fellow Spurs fan.

[Alex Furness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong, I like Norman Jay as a DJ and after reading this, he seems like a really nice guy. In this autobiography he sure repeats himself a lot and is definitely passionate about what he cares about. Music, football, New York.

I loved a large majority of this book such as the digging for records and the deejaying. I didn't really care for any of the football parts.

[Spencer Hurley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Norman Jay has played a small but significant part in my life as a 43 year old who lived his formative years in London and loved his Good Times show on BBC London radio, carnival and some of his nightclub evenings so as far as I’m concerned he is a legend and this rating doesn’t effect that. But I just found this dull and often very repetitive. I finished it but there were many times when I just felt giving up as I felt I’d heard much of the points in earlier parts of the book. It was drawn out and lacked much insight and any real wow stories.

[Jonny Brick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black culture has grown from the passion of people like Norman, whose life has been full of music, partying and entrepreneurship. A well told tale of perseverance in the face of authority's skepticism.

[Kevin F Crombie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb, really well written and narrated, captivating all the way through

Now I know why it took me so long to find the Good Times bus at the Carnival when I first went...

[Mike Finch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting if maybe a little one-dimensional - but you can't argue with a living legend can you?! His DJing is better than his book but it's a job to better his DJing.

[Ewart Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true legend what a guy. Up the spurs.