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Derrick May = Wrong 'un

Started by justin_bennett, September 10, 2020, 02:12:58 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

justin_bennett

After the Morillo carry-on I just found out that "Godfather of Techno" Derrick May is a serial sex-pest.  After a read through some stuff on Twitter I ended up at this post on FB (no account required to read).

Texted a pal who is (was?) 'in the business' last night and he replied "Yeah - There's always been rumours about old May. I could tell you a few stories......"

Will need to try and separate the artist from the art with him now as well...

Pingers

I don't know what your mate knows, but nothing in that FB post convinced me either way.

bgmnts

QuoteAnd yes, I am writing a book

Weird, that.

There's been Derrick May chatter for quite a few years now, he's a bit eccentric and pissed a few people off - who knows for sure?

Not me.

justin_bennett

I don't want to believe it either but the guy's done an update, and a quick Twitter search makes me think that the whole DJ scene is about to have it's #metoo (#maytoo?) movement. 

thugler

These posts are unreadable, particularly for someone who claims to be a journalist /writer.

But who knows. I'd expect some of the women to speak out abour it if true.

purlieu

Obviously I don't really want anyone to be a sexual harrassy wanker, but I particularly don't want Derrick May to be a sexual harrassy wanker. So this will be a hell of a blow (lol) if it's true.
The Facebook post is a labyrinth of wtf so who knows. The suggestion that this has been bubbling underneath for a while isn't promising. Ah fuck, this is what you get for being a fan of male musicians for years.

If the journalist is serious and has a real story, he should definitely take out the bit in the middle there where he claims to have written the piano part of "Strings of Life", it makes him just sound like a crank, or has his own grievance against May that's nothing to do with the harassment allegations.

Quote from: Astronaut Omens on September 11, 2020, 01:10:32 AM
If the journalist is serious and has a real story, he should definitely take out the bit in the middle there where he claims to have written the piano part of "Strings of Life", it makes him just sound like a crank, or has his own grievance against May that's nothing to do with the harassment allegations.

Michael James did write the piano part on SOL



https://youtu.be/UvA-PsgvC_A

Quote
Strings of Life 2015 - Original Piano Chords - Michael James - Detroit Techno
10,576 views

jamjourn
111 subscribers
Published on 1 Apr 2015

The original Strings of Life, credited to Derrick May, came from a song I wrote called, Lightning Strikes Twice. Derrick sequenced it, added his drum track and strings and it became the song Frankie Knuckles named Strings of Life.

Through the years, many people have told me how this song changed their lives. I can only take credit for providing the piano that Derrick laid all the rest upon. Unfortunately, at times Derrick has taken more credit for the song than he should, but I always tell people to remember that this could not have been done without him. Techno was his world. I was just a guy who played a little piano and wrote songs.

So there you have it, the real story of Strings of Life. From me, the other guy, Michael James.

Soon, I plan to give the world my version, one where the piano is every bit as strong as those strings played over a generation ago. It's my hope it will make the world dance again.


monkfromhavana

Quote from: Astronaut Omens on September 11, 2020, 01:10:32 AM
If the journalist is serious and has a real story, he should definitely take out the bit in the middle there where he claims to have written the piano part of "Strings of Life", it makes him just sound like a crank, or has his own grievance against May that's nothing to do with the harassment allegations.

As per Better Midlands, also he does have a grievance with Derrick May, that being he's never been paid a penny. And there have long been rumours regarding Derrick May, but much like Harvey Weinstein, people want to keep the show on the road.

lazyhour

There were a few allegations against Afrika Bambaataa a few years ago which I thought were going to make him persona non grata, but this seems to have been quietly forgotten. I wonder if the same will happen with this?

phantom_power

It is difficult when all you have are rumours because they are as often false as they are true. It is a different situation when you get specific allegations about someone from a specific person.

I understand that this often doesn't happen when the victim has reasons to not want to call out their abuser but if we just believed these rumours all the time then Marc Almond and Richard Gere would have been cancelled decades ago

Quote from: Better Midlands on September 11, 2020, 03:15:02 AM
Michael James did write the piano part on SOL
Very interesting, I stand corrected! If the allegations are true and then James' journalism on it ends May's  career, that would make quite a story in itself. Like getting Al Capone for tax evasion in reverse.

peanutbutter

Quote from: lazyhour on September 11, 2020, 09:26:38 AM
There were a few allegations against Afrika Bambaataa a few years ago which I thought were going to make him persona non grata, but this seems to have been quietly forgotten. I wonder if the same will happen with this?
Is his career not pretty dead now? He's been quietly forgotten, not the allegations

The Mollusk

Quote from: peanutbutter on September 11, 2020, 09:47:36 AM
Is his career not pretty dead now? He's been quietly forgotten, not the allegations

I want to go out like Afrika Bambaataa: fading peacefully into obscurity... not screaming like his victims!

Quote from: lazyhour on September 11, 2020, 09:26:38 AM
There were a few allegations against Afrika Bambaataa a few years ago which I thought were going to make him persona non grata, but this seems to have been quietly forgotten. I wonder if the same will happen with this?

Previously discussed here https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=53001.0

The tags are superb


Pingers

Quote from: Captain Z on September 11, 2020, 12:15:59 PM
I've seen this 1998 Muzik Magazine interview with Derrick May floating around.

Crikey, that would add some fuel to the fire, no? Also Silk Cut windowbusters advertised in a music mag - how very 90s

Non Stop Dancer

Quote from: phantom_power on September 11, 2020, 09:35:23 AMif we just believed these rumours all the time then Marc Almond and Richard Gere would have been cancelled decades ago
Maybe Richard Gere for animal cruelty but even if it's not your thing, you can't cancel someone for having their stomach pumped and them finding 12 different strains of spunk spread over 4 pints.

Quote from: Non Stop Dancer on September 11, 2020, 07:04:46 PM
you can't cancel someone for having their stomach pumped and them finding 12 different strains of spunk spread over 4 pints.

On the contrary, that's an impressive 190ml per load (slightly under the contents of a Capri Sun pouch at 200ml).

Conclusion: Almond sucks a mean cock.

Pingers

[tag]Almond milk[/tag]

It's testament to the power of music and record labels that I'm basically waiting to hear what Mad Mike thinks about all this

monkfromhavana

Quote from: Pingers on September 11, 2020, 09:35:35 PM
[tag]Almond milk[/tag]

It's testament to the power of music and record labels that I'm basically waiting to hear what Mad Mike thinks about all this

UR tried to intervene and get Mike James to go to UR's bunker-like headquarters in a slightly shady part of Detroit to meet Derrick. Mike James refused as he felt it was a bit dogdy (not necessarily "Mad" Mike's fault or anything, just wasn't comfortable going there). Mike James has said he has interviewed numerous women who claim to have been raped or sexually assaulted by May, bit nothing seems to have moved on.

He even roped in Richard Davis (Aka 3070 of Cybertron) to (rightly) dispute the idea that techno originated with the Belleville 3. Davis, frankly, well, it's hard to say, let's just that that on Mad Mike's mad-o-meter, Mad Mike is at 1 and Richard Davis is in the trillions.

jobotic

You can see some comments from Mad Mike on James' Facebook profile.

And Richard Davis - Lord above!


Pingers

I'm a FB n00b so couldn't find any posts from Mad Mike, but did see a post from a woman claiming that Derrick May assaulted her, which to me is more significant than anything from Mike James.

Non Stop Dancer

Does anyone know why mad Mike is so bloody mad?


Pingers

Oh dear, this looks bad on him doesn't it.

chveik

fucking hell

his 'statement' is quite something

jobotic

Yeah, it's like the Kamala Harris "Indian" Lord's excuse.

Pingers

His statement helps racists. Claiming that you can't be guilty because you're black supports the racist view that black people just make racism up all the time as an excuse.