After over 10 years of filling dancefloors with the best in Rock n Roll, Northern Soul, Funk, Rhythm & Blues, Ska, 2Tone and more, we caught up with the duo behind Yellow Arch’s flagship night, Off the Record.
You guys have been running For the Record for over a decade now. Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and how it all started out?
We are Andy and Jay. We’ve been good friends and DJ partners for a long time now. We’re both avid record collectors and have a mutual appreciation for stuff from back in the day: soul, 60s R&B, funk, disco, rock ‘n’ roll and just about every other genre.
The night itself was the reward from winning a couple of DJ competitions at our previous venue. For the first five years we did every Wednesday night, and after constantly pushing the promoter, we got the chance to play the first Saturday of every month, where we stayed for another eight years until Covid hit.
In a nutshell, what’s a typical night all about?
A lot of the music is predominantly 50s, 60s and 70s hits, B sides and album tracks – stuff that someone who consumes their music through a streaming site might not ordinarily hear. We also like to play a lot of new stuff from the likes of Colemine and Original Gravity, modern records but with that 50s and 60s sound. If it’s good enough, it will get played.
You’ve played all around Sheffield over the years but seem to have settled nicely at Yellow Arch recently. What is it about that venue which suits a For the Record party?
When Yellow arch offered us the opportunity to take the night down there, it was a no-brainer really. It’s such an iconic venue for music in the city and who wouldn’t want to have a chance to play at such a place every month?
There’s also the support and promotion we get from Russ and Stephen, the managers down there. They made us their flagship DJ night last year, got us a chance to speak to you guys and have had our back from day one. Then there are the punters; it’s always a great crowd, very accepting of what we play, and the dancefloor is packed month in, month out. They certainly know how to party.
Let’s talk records. What’s your go-to tune for filling out the dancefloor?
For Jay, there is only one record that’s always in the box and is a surefire dancefloor filler everytime: the excellent Candi Staton’s ‘Young Hearts Run Free’.
For Andy, it has to be The Crickets’ version of ‘La Bamba’. It always seems to get the crowd up off their seats.
How about an underrated gem?
Jay’s going with a track that was only released in 2022 and is sure to be a biggy in the future: Raye Coles – ‘You’ve Gotta Set Me Free’ on Original Gravity. It’s record that’s so good it’s already on its third release, although Bileo – ‘You Can Win’ is an absolute dancefloor destroyer. Andy is going for ‘Bertha Lou’ by Tav Falco & Panther Burns – an absolute beauty. There are a couple of excellent new releases coming off the Colemine label, including Lizzie No – ‘Sweeter Than Strychnine’ and Monophonics – ‘Last One Standing’.
What’s the most cherished record in your collection?
For Jay it’s Patti Jo’s – ‘Make Me Believe In You’, a record on the ‘want’ list for years, so it was great to get an original copy a couple of years ago. Such a great song. Andy chooses his original pressing The Damned’s ‘New Rose’ and just about everything by The Cramps.
What’s on the horizon for FRT – any big shows coming up?
We’ve got a couple of yard parties planned over the next couple of months, including the Yellow Arch Bonfire party and the usual NYE party. Mostly importantly we just want to keep growing the night, and if a chance in the future comes up to play at a major festival, that’d be great.
For the Record takes place at Yellow Arch on the first Saturday of each month. Entry is free.
