Are ye dancin'? Tiger Tim was king of the spinners in Scotland

If the Swinging Sixties was about the rise and rise of the beat groups, the Seventies was simply about the beats.

This was the era of the personality club DJ and leading the charge in Glasgow was the legendary Tiger Tim Stevens.

Born James McGrory, Stevens emerged out of the city’s club circuit of the 1960s and would later entertain the masses over the radio waves.

He told The Scotsman: “The disco and club scene back in the day was all about fun. We played games and had crazy dances and competitions.

"The idea was to have everyone go home feeling they had a great night out. That does not exist now. The clubs are dancing only.”

Tiger Tim got his big break as a teenager when Glasgow club promoter Eddie Tobin snapped him up for the Electric Garden.

His wage in those early days was £3 a night, three nights a week, which was marginally more than he’d been earning working full time on the railways.

Tiger Tim Stevens made a name for himself in the clubbing circuit of the 1960s and 1970s before moving to radio.

Tiger Tim’s effervescent popularity and knack for picking a tune proved a bit hit with revellers at Electric Garden and Clouds.

By the mid-1970s, Tim’s talents had been brought to the attention of Andy Park, then programme director at the fledgling Radio Clyde. However, Stevens’ first meeting with Park didn’t quite go as planned.

Stevens explains: “I showed up there with a collar and tie, but there was no one available that day to interview me.

"The next day, I get a meeting with Andy Park and I’m wearing a tiger suit. He said he was disappointed as he had expected to see a well-dressed person from the report he had received from staff.”

Fortunately for Stevens, the rest of the interview went far smoother. Park had also already listened to Stevens’ demo and had been suitably impressed.

Awarded an MBE in 2006 for his charity work and services to broadcasting, Stevens remains active, but struggles with multiple sclerosis, which he developed in the 1980s.

He speaks fondly of his ‘70s heyday, when he was king of the spinners.

Stevens adds: "The DJs put on a show. It was show time – it wasn’t just playing a record. We worked hard at putting on a good show, especially when we saw the reaction of the crowd.”

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