Simon Grigg : An Approximate CV
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, early one September Tuesday Morning.. educated Palmerston North Boys High, Auckland Grammar, Auckland University, Kings Cross, Parnell Road, High Street, Soho, Ponsonby & South East Asia
/1975 My mother took me to meet the legendary Auckland entrepreneur, the late Phil Warren who told me to pursue my musical ambitions and fortunately I listened, although I suspect my parents probably didn't see it that way for a while
/1977-78 Formed and managed The Suburban Reptiles - One of New Zealand's first two punk bands (the other was The Scavengers). Their debut single was the first 12" single released in NZ
/1978-79 Managed Taste Records, Parnell branch, one of the daytime epicentres of the Auckland punk scene.
/1979 Sydney-worked as DJ at Stranded... Also at Palms in Oxford St. I learnt a large amount in a very short time
/1980 Manager Taste Records, Auckland Central
/1980-83 Formed Propeller Records the first post punk indie label (with Ripper) in NZ. We released lots of records and I think we made a difference. Propeller opened the door to the post punk indie scene in New Zealand and helped set the stage for the rise of New Zealand music in the 80s.
/1981-83 Flatted with Rip It Up founder and editor, Murray Cammick, who battered me with early hip-hop, soul and Luther Vandross until I succumbed, although I don't think I ever walked away from what I'd learnt in the punk era.
/1981 In August Propeller had four singles in the Top 40, including number one. One more than RCA & Virgin at the time!
/1981-83 Manager The Screaming Meemees a great little band that were, for a year or two, the biggest thing in the country...they released “See Me Go” which entered the charts at number one, the first NZ record to do so.
The Spelling Mistakes at Rock HQ, 1980
/1982 Awarded Record Industry Association of NZ Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to The Industry, the precursor to the Tui Special Awards still given out..
/1983-85 London - managed The Gym, a UK Dj team (including Neil Barnes-Leftfield) - residency Wag Club, Soho. Also worked for Phonogram and Radio NZ on a freelance basis. Bought far too many records...so arrived back in Auckland and...
/1985-86 DJ The Six Month Club (I had more records that anyone else so I was hired), The Brat, with Peter Urlich and Mark Phillips
/1986-87 Owned and ran Stimulant Records - 8 releases, 8 top 40 hits...little bit of soul in Auckland. Included records by Princess and the '8 Arms to Hold You' comp...NZ's first proper dance compilation (and a gold record).
/1986-87 Set up, with Tom Sampson, and Dj-ed at The Asylum, a large, semi regular club in Mt Eden, Auckland...the roots of house music and modern clubbing in NZ.
/1987-88 Our club moved to Nelson St in Central Auckland where we renamed it The Playground
/1987 Co-made and released "Jam This Record" the first house record in NZ...the first single on Propeller for years. Sold some 500 as white labels in the UK
Rowan Sheddon, The Dabs, Sweetwaters 1982
/1986-89 Asylum FM on 95bfm with Roger Perry...mutated into the BPM Show. First dance radio show in NZ.
/1987-93 An opinionated Dance Columnist for Rip It Up Magazine
/1988 Hosted and played at NZ’s first Techno night, Love, on Thursdays with Roger Perry at Berlin
/1988 Purchased and opened The Siren (with Tom Sampson again) in Auckland's High Street
/1988-91 resident DJ at The Siren
/1989-91 Tom & I ran Disco Mix Club NZ and organised the first three NZ DJ Championships..two trips to World DMC championships in London
/1990-97 Renamed The Siren as The Box & Cause Celebre - it remained Auckland's premier dance and jazz club throughout the period and defined the Auckland club scene...amongst the Artists & DJs who were linked to the place were Rob Salmon, Greg Churchill, Manual Bundy, Soane, Sam Hill, Nathan Haines, Che Fu, hosted the first Drum 'n' Bass nights in NZ. I'm rather proud of the club's now legendary status.
/1989-2002 Beats Per Minute on 95bfm. For years the only dance radio in Auckland. First by myself, then with Rob Salmon, and finally with Greg Churchill. The show mutated out of the earlier Asylum FM show, and ran for 17 years on bfm, being the first dedicated dancemusic radio show in New Zealand.
/1991 Managed These Wilding Ways - 2 top 40 singles
/1994-04 Owned and ran huh! Records - Our releases included OMC, Nathan Haines, Lava Lava, Sina, OMC number one in over a dozen countries including the USA
/1994 My daughter, Isabella, was born
/1995-98 Compilation freelancer for PolyGram - I was responsible for compiling and packaging various comps including The New Groove, Roots 100% Pure, Young At Heart etc
/1995-02 I ran BPM Records, Auckland's specialist dance record importers and retailers.
/1999-2001 Manager, Anthony Ioasa, writer & producer of TrueBliss, NZ double platinum act, and the act that started the whole global Popstars and Idol phenomena ..my god what did we do?
/2000- Co-Owner Joy Records with Alan Jansson, signed via SonyBMG. A number one single with 3 The Hard Way
/2000-04 Formed a partnership with my good friend Peter Urlich (31 years so we must have something in common) to put out records together including the BPM series, Nice 'n' Urlich, Room Service on my huh! label
/2001 Compiled Th'Dudes collection 'Where Are The Boys'
/2001 ‘ Welcome to’, New Zealand’s first House music collection, goes gold
/2002-03 Started the 'Monday Night Cooking Class' on George FM
/2002 Our 'Room Service' compilation reaches number one in Australia compilation charts and goes platinum there
/2002 Room Service 2 also goes to number one on the Australian compilation charts
/2003 ALSI Music Publishing formed as a joint venture with Universal Music Australia
/2003-05 My Radio show moved from Monday nights to Wednesday morning, 10am-1pm, as Extended Play, on George FM
/2003 Compiled, wrote the sleeve notes, and released the Soundtrack album to the TV One Series ‘Give it a Whirl’, the history of popular music in NZ. Of the six episodes of the TV series I was featured in five. Perhaps I talk too much.
/2003-04 Manager, 3 The Hard Way. NZ Number one single with "Its On"
Bones Hillman at a Suburban Reptiles gig in a long
demolished hall in K Rd, Auckland, Oct 77
/2004 Soul Food collection, with Peter Urlich, goes gold.
/2004 Complied the NZ Fashion Week CD...Off The Cuff
/2005 After 19 years continuously doing dance radio in New Zealand I gave it away
/2005 Moved to Bali
/2007 Released The Others Requiem, a wonderful double album of alt Hip Hop, on Joy
/2009 Found myself in Bangkok
/Between 1977 and 2007 I released, or was behind, some 151 records in New Zealand. Of those about three quarters entered the NZ charts - album, single or compilation. There were quite a few gold and platinum records in that list and several multi-platinum. I've had gold and platinum discs in some 34 countries to the best of my knowledge (thanks mostly to Pauly) including, with OMC, a US platinum album, and a double platinum single Australian single. The first Room Service album also went platinum in Australia, and the second one gold.
I released, via my labels, a number one single in NZ in each of the eighties, nineties and 2000s.
