Tag Archives: Rhode Island DJ

Roxy Music Dance Away

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Roxy Music, an American enigma. They reached international acclaim for their string of singles from the late 70’s through the 80’s. They reached as high as number 1 in the UK several times including number 2 for this song, Roxy Music Dance Away.

 

Some attribute Roxy Music along with David Bowie for the shift in the music business to include electronic instruments and melodies with horns for making a new, danceable pop music for teens, adults and professional DJs. Their music was sexy and clean at the same time.  Many bands like The Police, Duran Duran, U2 and a host of others have paid tribute to their success following that of Roxy Music Dance Away.

 

I had the opportunity to see them at Carnegie Hall in the mid-80’s. A great show and with a real performer who understood the fine balance between showmanship and quality sound. There are many songs of theirs that I have appreciated over the years. Roxy Music Dance Away I still sneak into certain professional DJ gigs when it makes sense.

Roxy Music Dance Away:

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Eminem Lose Yourself

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I remember riding in a 15-passenger van for the program I worked with at the time full of adolescent youth on juvenile probation in Bloomington, IN.  The kids were listening to somebody new who they were all excited about. Not the normal go-to-the-bathroom-come-out and the artist has come and gone already type of excitement. It was a fascination with him as someone who was about to build a legacy. He did and is still building it. Eminem Lose Yourself.

At the time I did not appreciate the music. Eminem Lose Yourself seemed like he was ‘acting’ like the other rap artists more than one who was actually one of them. Time has demonstrated that he is one of them and I think it is time he stops being labeled as a White rap artist and becomes a rap artist. It is sad that people choose to identify him as a White rap artist, as if skin color is what determines your ability to rhyme and make beats. I remember that Jimi Hendrix went through some of this at the time, he was the best Black guitarist in rock. Eventually time and acceptance changed it to one of the best, if not the best guitarist in rock for that period. For a minute or two, Tiger Woods experienced this as did some of the first NFL Black quarterbacks.

 

The movie that Eminem Lose Yourself was made from a documentary of life in a certain section of Detroit and his family experiences was a bold move for a struggling artist. It paid off and continues to do so today. Eminem Lose Yourself provides professional DJs an opportunity to expose a genre to people that would otherwise not be accepting of the music or culture.

Eminem Lose Yourself

http://youtu.be/1TADyXC2K0g

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

 

 

Don McLean American Pie

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Don McLean American Pie is Pop classic that has been covered by Madonna among others. This particular video demonstrates many of the lines in the song and where they were derived from. Don McLean American Pie is a deep song that is written in a fun and happy style, although not a fun or happy story.

 

Don McLean American Pie was one of my first cassette tapes and I loved it and played it again and again till the tape broke. I did not fully understand the story about the deaths of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper till older and then the full meaning of the lyrics older yet.

 

I invite you to watch Don McLean American Pie video and the story behind the story, interesting, historical and a small window into an era that has been glorified and glamorized without true inspection.

Don McLean American Pie:

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind

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Growing up in Jersey hearing Sinatra’s New York, New York with my parents who were big fans of Frank Sinatra, I had always this special appreciation for that song and his tribute to NYC, or “The City” as we call it here. No NYC, just “The City”.  As I got older, there was Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind. A softer more delicate recognition from a man on Long Island. I moved away form this part of the country in 1995 and whenever I visited the family would make a trip into The City because I missed it. Now, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind.

 

Coming back to this part of the world and country this year has reacquainted me with The City and all its beauty and passion. I am glad to be back here and when I heard Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind upon my return, I felt like they were singing this one to me and for me. I almost tear-up every time I hear this song, not sure why but I do.  The lyrics of Jay-Z and the force and sheer beauty of Alicia Keys’ voice resonate with me in a way few songs do. The fact that it is great to dance to and fits in with most crowds the way New York, New York has is a professional DJ’s little treasure. Seeing the video just further reminds me of what I love about The City.

 

When I was providing professional DJ services recently for a wedding between a man from Scotland and a woman form South Korea, they both requested I ended the night with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind as a tribute to their new home for their families who traveled from far away. My sense is that this song will live on long from now the way Sinatra and his legacy has as well.

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind:

http://youtu.be/0UjsXo9l6I8

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Beyonce Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it)

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It is still hard to imagine how globally popular Beyonce really is. I remember many times walking down streets of South Korea or Mongolia or Taiwan and hearing Beyonce Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it) blaring out of stores when passing by. It was typically a refreshing sound for me as an American in Asia. Most of the pop music there is an a language either I cannot speak at all or limited at best.

 

Young girls would ask me what the words of the song Beyonce Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it) meant from their American hero Beyonce. I would teach them words like ‘ring’ and ‘marriage’ and ‘it’ while watching them want to learn for the first time with vigor and passion. The same happened when Michael Jackson died with some of his songs like “Thriller” in particular.

 

I am not able to say why this global explosion for Beyonce has occurred. it is not that I doubt her talent or music, but she has a worldwide image that very few can rival. This song in particular, Beyonce Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it), has reached audiences and women everywhere. Whether the crowd is Indian, Korean or American, play Beyonce Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it) and the women will get up and dance. Another example of how music can erase boundaries as little else can.

 

It is equally surprising how this song has become a staple in the life of a professional Wedding DJ. A significant percentage of wedding Brides have Beyonce Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it) as the Bouquet Toss Song. I wonder how Beyonce feels about her song having that kind of appeal and use by professional Wedding DJs throughout The USA?  I am curious if professional Wedding DJs will still be playing this at most wedding in ten years from now?

Beyonce Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it):

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Fergie Clumsy

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Fergie of Black Eyed Peas fame makes one of her own here in Fergie Clumsy. She samples one of the great lines in American Movie and music, “Girl Can’t Help It” from a 1956 comedy/musical film, starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell, and Edmond O’Brien. The song was by rocker Little Richard. The video does a nice job of referencing the time period of Mansfield and the ‘Blonde Bombshells’; Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Mae West to name a few.

Girl Can’t Help It movie’s influence on rock music is significant. The Girl Can’t Help It film and its music reached Liverpool, England in the early summer of 1957. The featured cameo performances of early rock ‘n’ roll stars such as Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, and Gene Vincent and His Bluecaps, fascinated a 16-year-old named John Lennon by showing him, for the first time, his “worshipped” American rock ‘n’ roll stars as living humans and thus further inspiring him to pursue his own rock and roll dream.  On July 6, 1957, 15-year-old Paul McCartney’s successful audition to join John Lennon’s earliest rock group The Quarrymen opened with Paul picking up one of the groups’ guitars and performing “Twenty Flight Rock” in the same manner as he saw it played by Eddie Cochran in The Girl Can’t Help It.

Below is the original trailer for the movie Girl Can’t Help It that Fergie Clumsy got its inspiration.

And this little clip that is what being a “blonde bombshell” is all about:

Fergie Clumsy is a great song for a professional DJ to segue from a slower music to a faster tune to get a crowd ready for more energy and dancing.

 

Fergie Clumsy:

http://youtu.be/-pOyb6_GTjk

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

 

Santa Esmeralda Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

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There have not been many times that a Flamenco inspired song makes a hit on the Billboard charts in the USA but Santa Esmeralda Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood was an exception; twice. The first was released at the peak of the Disco era as a long dance song that was an entire side of an album but was released as a single in a shorter version similar to the one in the You Tube video. Round two was from the movie Kill Bill. Then Santa Esmeralda Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, became even larger since the movie scene enhanced the music to many new listeners.

 

As a professional DJ, Santa Esmeralda Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood has many positive qualities besides the obvious hard-driving beat. It allows a professional DJ to mix it in from many genre without losing the feel of what is being played. This is true for Disco, Dance, and most Latin rhythms, especially Flamenco. Santa Esmeralda Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood in its longer form has many places to mix in or out since there are several breaks with just the beat, clapping and guitar not audible in this version posted here. People also love the opportunity to ‘spread their wings and fly’ while dancing during the long version  of Santa Esmeralda Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,and its constant beat with layers of textured instrumental and vocal arrangements.

 

If you can find a copy of the album version or 12″ dance version on vinyl of Santa Esmeralda Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, you will be pleasantly surprised by the remake of an old Animals song. Another song for professional DJs to use for mixing genre.

Santa Esmeralda Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood:

http://youtu.be/Oso0ieD8-tI

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ