If you would like to learn the answer to this question i suggest you visit my personal website. www.wayne-anthony.com

Rave culture exploded in the UK 1987 and sent shock waves around the world.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Answers

to make it short.. around 1984 some guys from the UK went down to india and discovered some cool parties that were happening on the beaches that would go all night with people dancing and playing the bongos and on drugs (most likly opium). bring that back to the UK and add electronic beats ,x and you have a rave.

-- Anonymous, January 09, 2002

That might be true except to say that the UK Brits who flew to India were listening to something else other than House Music. The rave scene as we know it kicked off in 1986 in Ibiza then Manchester then London. The first House Music records were released in 1985 and so the rave scene couldn't have started before that time. I guess they were listening to some form of dance music but nothing that could be called a rave as such.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2002

Uum. I thought KraftWerk Was like Late 70's to now Album "THE MIX". I know it might not be "RAVE" techno But there still important & What was a KraftWerk Concert like?

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

Hi, i went to a two week long festival in a place called Birkenhead park ( the worlds first public park ) and every night there was a group of people who played nothing but pure what people called rave, all they had was two strobe lights. every time i was there there were people who where always dancing this music played 24 hours of the day i was told i was only a kid at the time and wasnt allowed to stay very late, this happened in the summer of 1969. what made this group diffrent from all the rest this was the flower power time and the hole park was covered with hippies with what i can remember every where was just covered with every colour you can imagine except were the rave music was coming from everything they had was dark which was compleatly out of place. i did ask why about the colour! maybe another time.

So if anyone is going to take credit for starting the first raves it should go to the new age traveller's who were in Birkenhead park in 1969. this group had the name: Circus Normal.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2002

OK!!!

It seems we have a number of suitable contributions on the subject of rave origins. Firstly let me just say that when i refered to the term rave i meant the origins of rave culture as we know it today. House music and acid house kicked off the mordern day raves but if you really want to look into the history of the actual word rave, i think you'll find that the term has be used since the 1950s.

When immigrates from the West Indies arrived in the UK circa 1954 they brought this term with them to describe a gathering of people that got together and danced the night away.

This group were the only persons using this terminology until the late eighties. Now there may have been other such gatherings of people that came after the 1950s but none that called their gatherings rave.

This term found its way into our everyday lives during the widespread newspaper campaigns in the UK circa 1989. When journalists for want of a better word and to try and downgrade the word to make it more sinister because it was associated with black culture, decided to coin this term they refered to modern gatherings of young people that listened to Acid House music.

So what i'm saying is that this term was rarely used by peoples outside the black community until journalists hijacked the word and brought it into the households of multicultral society.

So in effect we could use this term to describe any group of individuals that stood around some speakers and danced to music. Though the word became widely known after the acid house explosion of the late eighties.

Most of the people on this board only got to hear of this word because of Acid House in the UK which is why i posted the message in the first place.

All your answers can be attributed to the origins of rave but none of them actually called them raves.

Hold Tight Now...Wayne Anthony www.wayne-anthony.com

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002

As for the origin of the word "rave" i couldn't say. in 1982 i as told by a few freinds they went to an amazing rave, when i asked what it was they said it was somwhere they had been dancing for the past 2 day's outdoors. they said it was on a place called the leasowe common in wallasey which is common ground next to the irish sea. when i went there where hundreds of caravans, buses, lorrys and some stages, my freinds said the rave is in the middle of all them as their was diffrent music being played from diffrent places. when we got their there were hundreds of people dancing in what i can describe as a massive circle made from the caravans lorrys and mobile homes.

The people that were doing the rave 1983/4 carried on doing these raves all across the U.K until 1995 when the law was changed and stopped everyone from holding any kind of outdoor raves / gatherings.

During the late 80's clubs in certain places at certain times of the year started noticing the drop in numbers at clubs when they should of been full, when they found out people were going to raves it wasn't long before the music promoters caught on and started milking it for what it was worth by giving the music a name so they could sell it to youth, they actualy got the name from the place it originated from as i mentioned the rave i went to in 1983/4 was held in the circle of caravans,lorry's and mobile homes,what i didnt mention most of the people there where tripping on Acid,

People on ACID, In a circle of what where people's HOUSE's, All Dancing to MUSIC

Rave / Dance music hasnt changed much since the 80's only the technoligy to make it and plat it. gready promoters have to keep changing the names to keep it fresh and the more illegal and rebellious it sounds the more they belive the youth will want it and the autorities will hate it.

The Rave music i hear today still sound's as the same as heard in 1983/4, also the same as i heard in Birkenhead park in 1969, it wasn't until the early 90's i realised what was told to me in 69 about the colour and why they didnt need to be colourful like the hippies!.

I cant remember what the new age traveller's called what they were doing and playing in 1969, but i can remember going to a rave in 1983/4 and this was held by the same group of travellers as i saw and heard in 1969 the only real diffrence when i first saw them there were only about 20 people and a few mobile homes! a tow truck and small lorry in 1983/4 there were about two thousand people with their Homes!! the last time i saw them was in Bala North Wales U.K there was about 15 thousand people this was the last i saw of them as they had to disband because of the change in the laws.

I should put this on my website: Juggling with a Twist http://www.jugglingwithatwist.co.uk :-)

David.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002

-YAWN- you guys are a bunch of nerds.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

Some people just challenge everyone elses ideas + bits and peices of info collected here and there too much that the origin doesn't even interest most of us anymore. Once you think you know the origin, it changes. Kind of like that high school rumor that started off as me getting dome from that one girl and ended up being some back door trash and now shes in the hospital. Go figure.

-Trans World Tony Montana Mobb Muziq

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2002

The terms rave and acid house are very likely to have been started by Psychic TV (Genesis P Orridge's post-Throbbing Gristle collective, also featuring Dave Ball (between Soft Cell and the Grid), Tim Simenon (Bomb the bass) and many others at various points). They released quite a bit of material anonymously, one of which was an infamous Superman 12" with in 1988 two remixes of a track, side A called "Superman Tune in (Turn on the acid house)", side B was called "Jack the Tab". http://www.fopi.net/disco/singles/tunein.htm This is reputed to have been the first use of the term Acid House.

They also advertised a US tour (somewhere around 86/87, not quite sure) with the phrase "The Rave is on", which may or may not have influenced the adoption of the word rave by the London underground, no-one's quite sure. They got it from an old Record Mirror headline from 1965 "We'll cut out Raving" next to a picture of Brian Jones (one of Psychic TV's most famous and popular songs was "Godstar" about Brian Jones), though the article was about the "ravers" the Yardbirds. (The information in this paragraph is taken from the sleeve notes to the Psychic TV boxset "Origin of the Species").

"Jack the Tab" was also the name of a fake compilation album, which, along with the one that came after "Tekno Acid Beats", are actually legendary dance classics that many dance fans don't realise you can get on Psychic TV reissues (Wax Trax and Invisible Records).

As for whether the history of this stuff is important, with electroclash and the old skool revival, it's nice to rediscover something that isn't on the latest double CD compilation, no?

D.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

Correction, the Superman single first came out in 1985 (it doesn't actually have a date on the single itself), according to the biography on the official Genesis P Orridge site:

"In 1985 Psychic TV released the first 12 inch record in the world to include the phrase "ACID HOUSE" in its title. "TURN ON, TUNE IN, TO THE ACID HOUSE" featured samples of Dr. Timothy Leary and was a call to techno-psychedlic arms. During the mid to late eighties Psychic TV were instrumental in fomenting and championing the Techno and Rave movements both in Britain and in urban America through detouring their multi-media live "disconcerts" and 6 hour spectacles. Unique and visionary post-Industrial dance label, Wax Trax Records of Chicago, recognised, released and financially supported these templates from the temple." http://www.genesisp- orridge.com/html/biography/printreadybio.html

D.

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2002

I'd explain it but I'm whacked out on DXM. If you want an in-depth explanation I'd suggest reading "Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House" by Matthew Collin and John Godfrey. It's an excellent book and covers the roots in the USA and the UK. L8z

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2002

Actually, if you read the book Saucerful of Secrets by Nicholas Schaffner, you will find it is in fact Pink Floyd who first used the term Rave ( also Rave Freak Out, etc...) to describe their all-night mixed media presentation which included very experimental music ( music lacking clarity, a sense of time, beat ) with light projections made with melting wax and colors to further intensify the psychedelic experience so many of them were fond of. Among visitors to their "All-night Rave Freak Outs" included Peter Jenner, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and other British notables from the era. So the word "rave" ( vb. to talk with extreme enthusiasm, to talk irrationally or as if in delerium) was first used to describe an all night psychedelic party in 1963.

-- Anonymous, July 08, 2002

whoever s. is is right. i have heard rumor after rumor and collected bits and pieces of info. on the rave scene but was shocked to find out so much about it in the book altered state: the story of ecstacy culture and acid house. it is so informative and dispells a lot of the rumors....by the way, thi is my first time on this site. it seems pretty cool except for the negativiy of some of the people. it's a shame that everything that ravers are supposed to stand for has been lost in a bunch of egotistical kids trying to get fucked up on drugs and be cool....you guys hould choose plur or just go str8 for the thug life...peace, a :)

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2002

Hi Everyone

I started this thread ages ago and every now and then someone adds another answer. Most of the answers are correct and i should have been more specfic on original post. Rave Culture as we know it doesn't extend to the sixties. Im sure Floyd did use the term but the fact is that term has been used since the early 1950s. Anyway it doesn't really matter as im speaking about current Rave Culture.

If you would like to hear my story that is the story of an original Acid House party promoter in london circa 1988 then you should download my best selling book published by Virgin.

direct download; http://www.wayne- anthony.com/Classof88_thetrueacidhouseexperience_originalpaperbackboo k_2.zip

Cheers

wayne - www.wayne-anthony.com

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2002

It's funny about the story of Circus Normal from the '60s doing a 'rave' on Wallasey beach in Birkenhead. I was on probably the same piece of land in Summer 1990 with another crew called Circus Normal - the usual trucks & trailers, with a stage (Wango Rileys) and a large sound system, which later got used by techno kiddies Spiral Tribe. Several years later I ended up working with Wayne Anthony on a tour promoting his book 'Spanish Highs'. I tend to agree with Wayne's version of history, but he doesn't mention the club 'Shoom' or the radio station 'Centerforce' which were influential at the time, as I (unreliably) remember.

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2002

i think that you should all go to takaka hill new years and have a good time

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2003

hi i think that your information is crap! it had nothing to do with rave dance movements.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2003

I AWAYS THOUGHT THE RAVE SCENE CAME FROM THE GAY CLUB SCENE OF nyc AND UK OR THAT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT,

EMAIL ME IF YOU LOVE THE SCENE AND LIKE TO TALK TO RAVERS WORLD WIDE

ALEX ALLEYCAT117117@HOTMAIL.COM

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2003

Hi Everyone

This thread has been going for about a year, thanks for the contributions and defining statements. Did you guys download my book? you really need to read it if you want to understand how rave culture became so wide spread. I've added the link to a PREVIOUS POST SO LOOK OUR FOR THAT...

Thought i'd let you good people know that i've started a new project called Ravers Reunited www.raversreunited.net Come and join our global community...

Aceeeeeeddddddddddddddd

Wayne Anthony www.wayne-anthony.com www.raversreunited.net

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2003

rave actually starts ten years from now when go back in time to advance the conciousness of man. and woman. you're welcome.

-- Anonymous, September 29, 2003

It is an acronym...R etrospective A udio V isual E ntertainment The rave scene is an advanced technological overlapping and layers and loops of recordings condensed onto records,Cds software digital realms and is science testing how much control or brain activity can be monitored. Similar to insects that are attracted or magnetized to certain sounds or clicks or invisible patterns,waves,etc. More advanced or should I say "geeks" that became ambitious from Science fiction books that flourished in the 50's eventually created systems with artists to actually create a calling . The earliest days of course this was similar to pagan type of gypsy gatherings but the new loopings of sounds and synth like noises were a new wave of psychedelic activity that interested especially those artists such as the Beatles who always wanted to move forward with artistic advancements and creative flows. Spiritual journeys and meditations and so forth. The technological geeks took over some of the more complicated aspects of getting more sounds into smaller machines, the science was feeding off of the artists and vice versa. The imagination can create and spawn the ideas but men had to make them a reality. the progressive non- main stream artists of the 70's were doing more multi media things. Early Genesis material is an example of this. Peter Gabriel with elaborate costumes , english bands such as Pink Floyd and there gathering were merely art experiments . But all along intellectuals and technological enginnerring , the science -types were finding amazing discoveries of the capacity of this kind of music and sound and communication through it. By the 80's this was marketing 101. It feeds subliminal messages and is basically a form of distraction so humans can once again feed a machine. Once perfected it could be boxed wrapped and shipped to anyone looking to get spiritual and escape an industrial world of repition. There are still great artists and probably always will be, the mixers and layers of tracks the live DJ shows etc. but basically the "geeks" have gotten alll the sounds broken down so small that techno/rave acid house is just added to Play Station..The plan was all along to captivate your mind and continue those same sounds over subliminal messages from these tech corporations knowing YOU will purchase these games in the future what is now today and more to come. The free love gypsy peace movements are from the ones whose sensory can evade these hidden agendas because they beleive in greater forces but think of all the men and women today magnetized to TV ,X Box and Play Station....Soon you will see the chip that will record experience then one can sell this experience so it can be seen for a price. Seen in the virtual future pre designed by those Techno/science "geeks" who are being funded by major corporations who plan to eventually enslave us all in some audio visual escape reality worlds and we will pay for it. I cannot explain this in one sitting...just do the research starting with early synthesizers and check out some of the more mega rock/psychedlic guys....check origins of computers and digital software...micro chip research and then the boom of the 80's and american consumption culture. Logo worship and corporate worship from MacDonalds to Coca-Cola...we watched a lot of TV . Tv paralleled to music..disco funk. new wave contempoary tracks over sitcoms ,etc. These are all in tune with the same 20 or so songs on the top 40...The ravers who leave that only ended up in the 80's into the 90's going to pre deigned TECHNo, Acid House clubs that cloned Woodstock. Only the 70's 80's and 90's had not much to stand up against. Now Americans are so distracted they cannot see that we have become part of the machine..hence many of the rock and roll prphecies we were drilled with in the 70's by those "experimental" artists. The decades all bleeding together.. Also notice please and research how Japan is a part of the computer generated revolution and how we have helped fund them by our fascination with technological toys and technology music and audio visual distractions and temporary pleasures. They have been building incredible robots. They have been nothing but going incredibly advanced on technology...They have almost mastered shocks and have gotten pretyy darn close to making these robots absorb shock like our body. Also research who owns the largest buildings in USA cities..You will see how most of this ties in with this Rave brainwashing..Anyway..I cannot explain this but I hope I set up some to do some diving in. Do not be too naive and yes the music is still great to an extent but these days things are changing very subliminally do not think that anything is pure and not touched these day with vulture who are looking to get into our minds and our pockets to help build there empire. Technology is walking into the realms of playing God and this is dangerous territory historically. Look who owns things the largest companies and look at the bigger picture, similar to how PepsiCo owns several fast food places. Many of us drive to many of these sugar coated advertised message drilled jingle echoing in our brain so called "food" services. If they would go to those lengths just to get on every street in every town think how far techno computer realm guys would go. Truth is stranger than fiction.

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2003

Pink Floyd...Wish you were here...1975 Come on you raver, you seer of visions, Come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2004

rave - hardcore - hands in the air crewe - topbuzz - love doves - white gloves - universe - meeting points - flyers - phone numbers - warehouse - technics - smileys - billy wizz - easygroove - fantasia - oi oi matey - RAVE - HAPPENDED ONCE 1988-1993 UK undergound - were you a raver or just a cheesy quaver?

-- Anonymous, January 07, 2005

é inegavel a contribuicão da dance music(em particular do hardkore\junglist) para a musica mundial. se não,o que seria do korn,limp biskt,missy eliot.se antes não existisse:prodigy,hyper onxperience,khrome & time,altern8,acen,etc...

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2005