RaveReunited.co.uk

'HAPPYDAZE'

A PERSONAL INSIGHT INTO THE ACID HOUSE ERA

BY SAMANTHA WILLIAMS

NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE @ 

Click below for preview

FEEDBACK & REVIEWS:

 DJ HISTORY.COM - REVIEW

It’s great looking at pictures from your rave-past, great to make a personal album with flyers and stories. But to give it a 30 quid price tag? Sam runs RaveReunited.co.uk and this is her time capsule, mostly of the early ’90s free parties. It's zigzaggy jpegs, and acres of average snaps. But though the images are flat the moments are timeless, and hey, isn’t that what it was all about?

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Oldskool Flyers 29.7.10

Sam, finally got hold of the copy the Mrs bought me for my birthday the other day. I've got to say an excellent read and I would say one of the best books I've seen about the rave scene. Some fantastic original photo's and great memories etc. Well done!

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K MAG INTERVIEW 29.7.10  

http://www.kmag.co.uk/editorial/blogs/old_skool/happydaze-book

Sam Williams has been one of those people that have been instrumental in keeping the memories of the acid house/old skool era alive. She runs her own website Rave Reunited and also heads up the Radioactive FM online station that has been pushing all sorts of buried old skool treasures through a host of DJs spanning the globe.

Her latest venture is Happydaze, a coffee table book that hosts the best of her photographic work from the '88 to '94 period. The thought-provoking images are backed up by snippets of text from ravers that were there at the time and the whole package is one of the best photojournalistic memoirs to date. Here is a little insight into the book and how it came about...

Tell us about your journey into the rave scene...

For me it was a mutual feeling amongst all of my friends and acquaintances. One minute we were nearing the end of the eighties and then bang! After a decade of the new romantic and early electronic era, we were given this new music which just blew us a way. We all fell in love with it and found ourselves doing almost anything to hear it. The rest is history.

You were part of the original Radioactive FM posse, how did that come about?

In the midst of the acid house era and with our growing passion for the music (sounds like a cliché but all we wanted to do was dance and be free) music became our life we were soon raving every weekend. Andy Williams created the pirate station Radioactive FM and it ran on and off for nearly four years. It was a popular station.  

How did you manage to get so good many pictures? You must have taken your camera everywhere...

I did mostly, but not all the time. Photography was an expensive hobby 20 years ago and I only used to be able to afford to take a couple of films to events, which made me very thrifty with my shots, all 72 of 'em (featured in the book anyway). Nowadays I think nothing of taking an average of 500 shots at an event as it's all digital. I guess you could say that I had to think more about my shots back then.

Did you study photography or was it just a hobby?

I was always fascinated by photography right from being a young child and loved looking at photographs. I never actually owned my own camera until I was 21 (the summer of 1989) and from that moment that was it. I love shooting social situations when mostly the crowd / people / person are unaware. I am mainly self taught and I learnt as I went along. I did a few classes and courses and have worked with several photographers over the years, but really I prefer to work alone.

This book has been a special journey for you. Tell us a bit about what inspired you to write it and how it feels now to finally have it in hard copy...

After losing my late partner Andy Williams I sat there one day thinking "what have I got to offer the world apart from my humanity and my compassion?" It felt like all I had was my box of old photos. This got me thinking, and with that I created my own website, initially to just get the images out there and see what kind of feedback I got.

Thankfully it was good and not long after I thought it only right to put all of my images together and showcase them in a book which I have dedicated to Andy. The concept has taken nearly two years to compile and publish and it's been a journey for sure, but wholly worthwhile. Now I can just sit back and hope people enjoy the book.

You also run Rave Reunited and Radioactive FM online. What with that and the live gigs you promote, you must be pretty busy? How did you find the time to write it?

I had to find time and my inspiration came in fits and starts really. I had to feel in the zone to write it but I knew I couldn't give up and would finish it some day. I seem to be one of those people that if I haven't got a project to do then I feel hopeless, I thrive on being busy. I am never bored put it that way!


 WendyNoodles : 24.7.10 EBAY BUYER

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  Sheila Gooding 

  Just wanna say that I think the book is out of this world. Big love to everyone who contributed to it and biggest love in the world to Sam!!!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  
  

• babydolly says
  
  .........This book is simply out of this world!!!! The photos bring you back to those very special places and the stories are real and from the heart! Magical!!!! Love it!!! Thank you Sam! xxx
  
  posted at 02:28AM Jun 16 PST
  
  FEEDBACK FROM A BUYER ON BLURB.COM

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   Great book received very smoothly. Thanks.
  
  FEEDBACK FROM EBAY BUYER

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   Marc Djmj James >>>>> 29 June 2010
  
  sammy sat in da garden last night built meself a large biffta and looked over the book unbelivable honey gave me goose bumps, its amazing who you can find in that book and faces you 4get about also love the comment re: ( wat do you no man ) C.F about the fashion police and the double denim also jan is sporting a great depeche mode haircut in one of the photos LMAO AGAIN & AGAIN you did us proud honey keep up the good work luv ya marc DJ.MJ

  
  

• Michael Carr Says >>> 7 July 2010
  
  I finished your book last night and absolutely loved it. I have read just about every book available on the rave scene and apart from Class of 88 by Wayne Anthony the rest have been a disappointment because they fail to capture why the time was so special for those involved. Your book sets that straight.
  Your photographs are fantastic - no book I know has such a wealth of original photography and your photos have an observational quality which is perfect for the book. The black and white photographs are particularly stunning. Love the photo of the guy on the bike on page 27 and the picture on page 77 but I think the photo you chose for the cover was a brilliant choice.
  I was also pleasantly surprised by the professional look of the book and the layout. The quotes you have at the end of the book where a real joy to read and actually made me want to read the book again straight away.
  When I was at university I realised it was very easy to criticize. Looking deep and trying to find positives are much more beneficial. It would be difficult for me to critisize your book in any way but as you asked the only thing I would have changed was the underdevleped photos on page 68. Now that I have looked at them again though they don't look half as bad!