Simon Goss started the Wah Wah club night back in 1989 with his brother Chris (now label boss at Hospital records) at The Old Albany in London – the same venue The Chemical Brothers started out at too. These siblings, though, kept things underground, and after some serious parties, during the height of Acid Jazz, the pair were enticed by The Jazz Cafe’s Adrian Gibson to set up residency at the Camden institution, where they settled for a number of years along side other Wah Wah residents Billy Whizz, Oscar Goldenchild, and later on myself.

The Wah Wah musical ethos was that of “all the right records, not necessarily in the right order” – a spirit of freedom and eclecticism that appealed to me as a young DJ when I was lucky enough to be asked to join the Wah Wah crew. It wasn’t only the Goss brothers’ musical taste and knowledge that attracted me though, but their sense of humour and short shrift with ‘chin scratchers’ and posers in the industry. Simon in particular had deeper musical knowledge than most, especially when it came to 60’s soul and jazz, but was always generous with it, and would never turn his nose up at a decently packaged and well pressed re-issue of a hard to find rarity! The big man helped shape my musical life over the past decade or so, always helped keep my feet on the ground, and never let me get carried away with ego and all the other nonsense that comes with this sometimes crazy industry.

Simon was an elegant, kind, funny and enigmatic man. His extensive stories (be them music, football or family related) always amused and sometimes enthralled us; his generosity and positivity in life spread from his homelife, and the family he was immensely proud of, to his work in social care, right through to the DJ booth and the clubs he regularly rocked with his (sometimes mind bogglingly) freestyle sets where Ray Charles would sit along side High Contrast without the bat of an eyelid. As a label partner in Wah Wah 45s he’s all I could have ever wished for. He listened to new music with open ears and was ever trusting of my decisions. From Alison Crockett and Max Cole to Talc, Scrimshire and Stac, Simon was instrumental in providing a platform for these artists, and his enthusiasm was unerring.

He will be missed as a rare genuine soul in this industry; a brother, father, son and a friend. Rest easy “Daddy Goss”, Wah Wah love you.

Dom Servini

“A lovely man, a real smiler and will be sorely missed” Chris Vogado, Zero dB

“He was a true gentleman” Pete Isaac, Jelly Jazz

“An incredibly friendly and positive soul, someone who’s love of life and humour was infectious to all around him, and I’m sure his spirit and legacy will live on” Hugo Mendez, Sofrito

http://www.wahwah45s.com/