Jimmy was very popular and the place was mobbed for his retirement from spinning. Burgess was always very dramatic, and in a club that was open from 11pm Saturday night till noon Sunday and the crowd wore Levi's and T-shirts, he was in white tie and tails in the booth. He played his sets, did a masterful job, and at 6am, only half way through the night, He said; "I'm playing one more record because I've said everything I had to say, it's over!." With that he left the booth. The record ended, the crowd cheered for what they thought was another encore. No music came on. The crowd began to stamp and clap. This went on for a while....and the rest is Disco history! People in New York still talk about Jim walking out 21 years later. I think Jimmy knew that would be the case and boy was he ever right. Most of them don't know what really happened that night, until now.
     At the age of 28 Jim choose to retire from the DJ scene, but his "Swan Song Farwell" was actually not his last DJ gig ever. He played two gigs together with his friend John Ceglia, one at the River Club on Good Friday 1982 - a party called "One Night Stand" and they also played the anniversary at "Salvation" in Miami on Memorial day weekend the same year, 1982.
     Jim diagnosed with A.I.D.S., decided to move to Philadelphia in 1983 to pursue his first ambition in life, opera singing. He quietly faded into the darkness almost as brightly as he had burst upon the scene. His mark on the entire disco-generation will forever be felt. Luckily we have, and I know you all have several of them, Jimmy's timeless remixes committed to vinyl to forever remind us of the talented showman he was....Jim we miss you!
Jim Burgess...a Master of the remix!
   Born: 1952 (?)  Died: 1988 (?)  Died of A.I.D.S. related brain tumor.
Dates are unconfirmed...no  records of death or birth were found.
    Sources close to Jim date his birth around 1952 in the state of Florida. Growing up in the "Sunshine State" Jim led an unremarkable life according to his friends. He had aspirations for the theater, in particualrly the opera. Jim boasted of having studied under Andre Previn and was an acknowledge classically trained tenor. His theater/opera background shone through in his unique mixing style. Often bits of dialogue would creep into a mix or a break to the awe of the dance floor.
     Like most of the first generation D.J.'s, (Lou DiVito, Bobby Viteritti, Walter Gibbons, etc.), Jim started spinning when the club scene began evolving in the early to mid 1970's. Jim started his spinning career in the southern Florida Gay club circuit. Of the many small clubs he spun at, it was his stint at the Copa that gained him attention.
     That attention led to him relocating to Atlanta, Georgia to spin at Backstreet and then the Limelight. I remember living in Atlanta in that period...must have been the spring of 1975 to the beginning of 1977, and going to hear Jim spin at Backstreet. I can't honestly say that I remember it as outstanding, not that Jimmy wasn't good, it's just that all the D.J.'s in the city seemed to be as good (Angelo Solar and  Robbie Tee are two that also come to mind).
    While at the Limelight, globe trotting entrepreneurs Tony Martino and Allan Harris caught Jimmy's style and quickly convinced him to relocate to the Big Apple. His career took off immediately upon arrival at the now legendary 12 West. Jim remained the resident spinner there while doing guestspots and parties around town. He was quoted as saying: "New York is culturally and socially more advanced. We're used to better things, more intense experiences. 12 West has the most appreciative crowd. They come for a party with a very intense peak between 2 and 4 a.m. There's a unity and cohesiveness to the party when everyone knows the record and the mood of it." Jimmy's mixing skills and unique approach to the way he mixed records brought him in direct contact with everyone in New York who had anything to do with the business. Promoters, artists, club owners, fellow jocks....everyone loved Jimmy!
    Jim came to New York when disco was really at the absolute peak. He became close with Ray Caviano of Warner Brothers Records (later RFC Records), and various other record promoters who all used to frequent the clubs in which he played. Because his theatrics were unique at that time, and his background and training as a tenor helped him to make very musical choices when deciding what record would sound best after the one he was currently playing. His ear for blending and craftiness made it easy for him to break new music and get a good response from the floor. Add it all up and he became a very logical choice to bring into the studio. That's exactly where his career went next.
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    The first record to bear the famous "A Jim Burgess Mix" logo was Ripple's "The Beat Goes On And On." For this track he went into the studio and remixed it on November 21, 1977. From then on the list reads like the cream of disco's greatest hits:  Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy," Doobie Brothers' "What A Fool Believes" (which also received a Grammy Award for Song of the Year!), Madleen Kane's "Rough Diamond" & "Forbidden Love," "Night Rider" by Venus Dodson, "Here Comes That Sound Again" by Love De-Luxe, Alicia Bridges' "I Love The Nightlife (Disco 'round)," Deniece Williams' "I've Got The Next Dance With You," "If There's Love" by Amant, "Crazy Love" by Alton McClain & Destiny, Nicolette Larson's "Lotta Love," Phyllis Nelson's "Don't Stop The Train," Linda Clifford's "Runaway Love," "Victim" by Candi Staton and "A Lover's Holiday" by Change. And hundreds more!
    Jim was also involved in the remix of KISS' "I Was Made For Loving You," the 12" single was released on Casablanca Records in 1979. He is not credited on the record, but KISS gave Jim a pinball machine as thanks for remixing their record.
     During the prime disco-era he continued both careers as mixer and spinner. He moved from 12 West to the Underground, Studio 54 and finally the Saint. But everything has to come to an end, and as the theatrical guy Jim Burgess was, he choose to end his DJ career in a most spectacular way. A party that was called "Jim Burgess' Swan Song Farewell" was held at the Saint on January 31st of 1981 and this is one of those things New York club people still talk about.
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