Essential Beedle

Presenting the Essential Mix that Ashley Beedle delivered to Pete Tong and first played on BBC Radio 1 on 9th March 1997.

A two hour masterclass featuring a ton of contemporary tunes, including some of his work, remixes and aliases as Black Science Orchestra and Black Jazz Chronicles, the latter with the then as yet unreleased Snooky's Spirit.

 

Later on, some deeper cuts from Underground Resistance and Fela Kuti, before closing out with a trio of tracks from Black Science Orchestra, it's a joy from start to end.

 

You may be aware that Ashley and his family are facing a tough time, to massively understate things and friend Adam Dewhurst set up a GoFundMe page to ask for help. I've lifted the following info directly from the page:

 

Despite having battled with Stage 4 prostate cancer for the last 4 years and receiving his last treatment for it in October 2023, Ashley was dealt a devastating blow at the beginning of November 2023. He suffered a brain bleed and seizure due to the rupture of a brain mass and in February 2024, during a 16 hour operation to remove the mass, he suffered a major stroke that caused the loss of movement in the leg and arm on Ashley’s right-hand side and robbed him of his power of speech.

Since recovering in King’s College’s Critical Care unit, Ashley has proved himself to be a fighter and has surmounted all odds with an incredible sense of humour and determination that has impressed everyone involved.

Thanks to the extraordinary care and support from the NHS; due to this initial care Ashley’s speech is slowly returning, and he's being discharged from the residential rehab centre.

However, he’ll remain in a room in a nursing home for the foreseeable future until suitable assisted living accommodation becomes available for him and his wife, Jo, via the local council housing list.

Sadly, the diagnosis is that his mobility will not return to his right side and he will be confined to a wheelchair requiring full time carers for the majority of his activities including bathing and getting in and out of bed.

To get to this stage, Ashley and his wife have had to use all of their savings and now need our help. The GoFundMe monies will go towards providing Ashley with a secure and comfortable future with access to private physio treatment, wheelchair friendly furniture, a hospital bed for home use etc. Ashley wants you to know that he is a survivor and not a victim and he says ‘thank you’ to all of you who contribute towards the fund.

 

I heard about the GoFundMe campaign early on thanks to Swiss Adam at Bagging Area and duly donated, when the target at that time was £50,000. 

 

This target was smashed quickly, not least due to big donations from Carl Cox (straight in there like the legend he is), Calvin Harris and fellow DJs and artists, but also a huge outpouring from people who have been moved by Ashley's incredible work over the past three decades and more.

 

The current GoFundMe goal has been stretched to £160,000 and it's very close to hitting that too. The situation for Ashley and his family remains real and present. If you've enjoyed any of his music, his remixes or his DJ sets, even the few quid that you might ordinarily spend on a coffee or a meal deal will make a difference. You'll find the fundraiser for Ashley here.

 

If you're unfamiliar with Ashley, then you are in for a treat for the next couple of hours.

 

I'm also planning a (relatively shorter) Dubhed selection of Ashley Beedle's remixes and collaborations which will hopefully see light before the end of the year... 

 

1) The Ride (Acapella): Vince Alley (The Hancrafted EP) (1997)
2) Plans & Designs: Faze Action (Plans & Designs) (1997)
3) Gitchi-Manidoo (Geronimo Lessons Part 1 & 2) (Ashley Beedle Mix): Sacred Spirit (Indians (Dance Remixes)) (1995)
4) Whirlwind: Wamdue Kids (These Branching Moments) (1996)
5) Utah Jazz: Rejuvination (00:50 / Soma Quality Recordings Compilation) (1997)
6) Make Your Mind Up: DJ Q ft. William Hall (Face The Music) (1997)

7) Armed And Extremely Dangerous (Black Science Orchestra/DJD Remixes): First Choice (Armed And Extremely Dangerous 1997 Mixes EP) (1997)
8) It's Alright, I Feel It! (Armand Van Helden Mix): Nu Yorican Soul ft. Jocelyn Brown (It's Alright, I Feel It! EP) (1997)
9) Mama (The Deep Love Science Remix By Black Science Orchestra): Restless Soul (Mama EP) (1997)
10) The Prayer (Priyè-a) (Vokal) (Remix By Jephté Guillaume & Joe Claussell): Jephté Guillaume ft. Daniel Beaubrun & Marjorie Beaubrun (The Prayer (Priyè-a) EP) (1997)
11) Firekeeper: The Martian (Firekeeper/Vortexual Conceptions EP) (1996)

12) Snooky's Spirit: Black Jazz Chronicles (Future JuJu) (1997)

13) Big Stone Lake: Underground Resistance (Nation 2 Nation EP) (1991)

14) Up Side Down: Fela Anikulapo Kuti & The Africa 70 ft. Sandra Akanke Isidore (Up Side Down) (1976)

15) Radio Freedom Sign On: unknown artist (Radio Freedom: Voice Of The African National Congress And The People's Army Umkhonto We Sizwe) (1985)

16) Hey Steve (Your Mama's Callin'): Black Science Orchestra (Where Were You EP) (1996)
17) New Jersey Deep: Black Science Orchestra (The Altered States EP) (1994)
18) Where Were You: Black Science Orchestra (Where Were You EP) (1996)

BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix (09 March 1997) (1:59:36) (KF) (Mega)