The Sultan Of Soul
Claire Mahoney chats to poet, actor, DJ and effervescent funk and soul fanatic, Craig Charles, ahead of his forthcoming gig in Cardiff.
Craig Charles might be better known for his roles as David Lister in the cult science-fiction programme Red Dwarf, or the philandering taxi driver Lloyd Mullaney in Coronation Street, but to thousands of soul fans up and down the UK, Charles is the man that makes Saturday nights worth staying in for.
The Craig Charles Funk And Soul Show on BBC 6Music goes out between 6-10pm on Saturday evenings and every week people shun mediocre Saturday night telly to strut their funky stuff to Charles’s mix of Motown, rare groove, northern soul and beyond. The show, which has been broadcasting since 2002, now commands the biggest audience on the network says Charles. “When you consider we are up against the likes of X Factor and Strictly I’m really proud of that,” he says.
But the show doesn’t just confine itself to the studio. In addition to his regular monthly DJ slot at Manchester’s Band On The Wall, Charles regularly packs up his so called trunk of funk to DJ at various club nights up and down the country. This month he’ll be bringing it to Cardiff for the first time as The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club makes its Welsh debut on Fri 15 Feb at the Globe in Cardiff.
So what can those that aren’t familiar with Charles’s bout of Saturday soul-searching expect? “It will just be a great night with good music and good people, who are just there to get their wiggle on and have a good time,” enthuses Charles. Music-wise, expect the likes of Marvin Gaye, Marlena Shaw, Funkadelic, Terry Callier and Sharon Jones. It will be a mix of old and new as Charles doesn’t just keep his musical eyes and ears focussed on the past. “I am just as enthusiastic about fresh new talent as I am about the classic artists of the golden age of the 60s and 70s,” he says. On Saturday nights you’ll find him salivating down the airwaves as much about northern funksters Smoove & Turrell as you will about soul songstress Tammi Terrell.
In fact Charles’s devotion to soul has even found expression in his acting career. His Corrie character Lloyd is a northern soul and funk enthusiast. “I even get to choose some of the tunes that get played in the background,” laughs Charles.
At the end of last year, Freestyle Records released the first of a three-album collection of Charles’ favourite funk and soul tunes. The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club features 19 tracks from the likes of The Fantastics, Al Wilson and Lack Of Afro – although he admits it was hard to narrow the selection down to just 19 tracks.
It’s no surprise really that Charles’s love affair with soul music started young. “My father came over from the West Indies with just a couple of bob in his pockets and a load of records.” As a child he would find himself listening to the likes of Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. “My dad would play all the old stuff, in fact I was very close to getting called Otis when I was born!”
It’s a passion that has endured across his many careers, first as a poet, as a TV presenter and then as an actor. Last year Charles filmed another Red Dwarf, which is now becoming popular with a new audience. The radio, it seems, is the time that Charles winds down and chills out. “That’s my Saturday night out really because afterwards I’ve got to go to work and DJ or something so it’s kind of where we have our party – right there in the studio.”
Equally successful as an actor and a DJ, one wonders whether he has a preference.
“I don’t prefer one or the other really,” says Charles, “it’s just a question of keeping all the plates spinning,” he chuckles… and of course the tunes!
The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, Fri 15 Feb, Globe, Cardiff. Tickets: £15. Info: 07590 471888 / www.globecardiffmusic.com