Tag Archives: Fun Rhode Island DJ

Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven

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I was recently doing some searching online for remixes of Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven and other rock classics for a gig as professional DJ. Along the way I found several incredible versions of songs I did not know could be remade with such passion and fire, like Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven. It was a pleasant surprise. I was also impressed with some of the respect that these old classics have garnered by those who are musicians and producers.

 

What struck me the most was the actual original version of Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven. I did not know it was impossible to forget how powerful and creative a song can be. I have heard Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven so many times in my life I forgot what a gem it is. Familiarity breeds contentment, they say. In stepping back and listening to the rhythms, melodies and lyrics I acknowledged what a risk producing a song like Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven must have been for them at the time. Or maybe the inspiration was high enough that they did not even realize what they had come up with. I am grateful either way that Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven made it to my turntables, CD players and now my MacBook after all these years as a professional DJ.

Here is the original Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven:

http://youtu.be/BcL—4xQYA

Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven Remixes and Covers

Here are some of the remixes of Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven I found that I thought were interesting, I think they are all legal to listen but maybe not download:

Far Corporation Stairway To Heaven:

Mash-up of Stairway to Heaven and Marvin Gaye Ain’t No Mountain Enough:

And Syko Beats Hip Hop Instrumental Version:

Which do you like the best?

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Club Nouveau Lean On Me

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Club Nouveau Lean On Me. It was my one and only summer sleep-away camp experience. I was not a happy camper. I did however enjoy the days we had art. The art shop was nice and full of layers of used paint on the desks and all kinds of fun stuff to play with. My favorite part of art class at summer camp was the radio that sat on the end table next to the door.  It seemed every day that we were in the art room making who knows what kind of awful ‘paintings’, Bill Withers was on the radio. Some days it was “Lean On Me” and the other was “Ain’t No Sunshine” but it was always the bright spot of my day.  It is one of the classic Soul gems from the 70’s that every good professional DJ uses at liberty. Club Nouveau Lean On Me offers a fresh new sound to the old classic.

 

It is rare that a remake of such a classic can be even close to the original. In this case, I have read debates about which version is better, Club Nouveau Lean On Me or Bill Withers. The fact that there is even a discussion says how great the Club Nouveau Lean On Me version is.  I appreciate the fact that they made it their own with a different sound without losing the original feeling.  “Lean On Me” is now a classic in two generations and maybe a third someday. Club Nouveau Lean On Me is from The Album Life, Love & Pain in 1986. Club Nouveau Lean On Me made it to number one on The Billboard Hot 100 Charts for two weeks!

Club Nouveau Lean On Me:

http://youtu.be/XhBLfTULccA

Which do you like better, Club Nouveau Lean On Me or Bill Withers Lean On Me?

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love

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It was a rather large Internet Café that was also a coffee shop and fast food restaurant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan that I visited quite often making arrangements to return to Korea on my way back to The USA after eighteen months abroad! I first heard Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love there.

Almost every time I was in this establishment, in the background I could hear this incredibly interesting song with what I thought was a Turkish beat in the middle. The soft gentle rhythms contrasted well with the hard-driven but clean beats. I was aching to know whom and what this song was but could not find anyone who spoke enough English to ask. I would hear Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love in stores and buses all over Tashkent and everywhere else I visited in Central Asia. I left that part of the world hoping someday I would find Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love.

 

A few months ago, a young woman whom I am a close friends with was writing me about some things going on in her life. After we completed the serious part of our emailing, she said she wanted to turn me onto some great new stuff she was listening to. It turned out she was sending me an mp3 of Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love – the song I was searching for with no avail! Since then Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love has become an American hit on radio and clubs one year later for professional DJs everywhere.

 

It seems as if Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love was an international hit in Europe and Asia last year before finally making its way to The States, in my case, better late than never. He is a Romanian singer, writer and professional DJ. Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love comes from an Azerbaijan modern classic, not a pop or dance song at all.

 

Last night I was walking home from the gym and heard Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love playing out of three different cars while passing by. It made me smile and remember my time in Central Asia and how the Internet has helped artists make their way around the globe in ways we never thought possible in twenty years ago. This professional DJ is happier for this growth in technology and being able to find and play Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love.

Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love:

When and where did you first hear Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina Stereo Love?

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Third World Try Jah Love

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Third World Try Jah Love is a great, fun, feel-good song with awesome rhythm and melodies. It was partially written by Stevie Wonder and he arranged and produced it. For a short time, this song was popular in the club scene with many professional DJs and among open-minded rock listeners. Reggae had not really made its way like it is today in The States except for Bon Marley and Peter Tosh.

 

In case you are interested, “Jah”, from the title Third World Try Jah Love, is from the Hebrew word that is the unmentionable name of God translated into Rastafarian Culture although taken from Hebrew.

 

This version of Third World Try Jah Love is not as good as some others but at least you get to see the band jam and get a feel for Third World Try Jah Love. I invite you to search and listen to the longer studio version with the piano intro for professional DJs. Crank it up and rock!

Update, I was able to find the longer version!

Third World Try Jah Love:

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Elvis Presley Suspicious Minds

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I was at a family wedding this weekend. The band played many great songs well but I was left remembering the Elvis songs the most. One of the singers had sideburns like Elvis and some similar style of representing himself. It was fun and the band was good, especially on Elvis Presley Suspicious Minds.

 

I remember when I was kid and the first 7-Elevin opened down the street from us with all their Slurpees and everything else that made being a kid fun. Next to the counter, there was a large album rack stuffed with really only two artists; The Beatles and Elvis Presley. I was still young and did not understand the full scope of the popularity of either of them. I guess no one did really. At the time, I did not know that Elvis made albums, since I knew him as an actor who sang in all his movies. Funny to look back now and realize how small-minded that was. Elvis Presley Suspicious Minds.

 

He was on the radio all the time and if not there, on the television. He was everywhere.

 

About 20 years ago I visited Graceland. It was an uncomfortable experience. I felt like I was spying on a man’s life and legacy without his permission. Seeing his stuff and bedroom before the age of papparazzi, felt intrusive. Truly sounds hysterically funny in a time when not only is seeing a celebrity’s house while they are not in it commonplace, today we can actually see them when they are in it! Even their bedroom and bathroom while present! If this is so out of hand as it is today with the celebrities we have now; what would it be like if Elvis was alive today? He was really the first artist that had cameras following him night and day and no one really since till this decade, not even Michael Jackson or Madonna had a following of media like Elvis Presley.

 

It is sad seeing his photos before and after alcohol took its toll on him.  How many of our great talented performers are we going to lose due to not being able to properly handle fame and fortune? What responsibility do we have in their demise? Jimi, Janis, Keith, Marilyn, Lindsay, Brittany, Paris just to name a few. Of course, not all that are listed qualify as ‘great’ but fame and its trappings have had such a detrimental impact on their lives. When is enough, enough? Elvis Presley Suspicious Minds

I stil get to play Elvis Presley Suspicious Minds as professional Wedding DJ on a regular basis.

Elvis Presley Suspicious Minds:

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Daddy Yankee Descontrol

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“Uncontrollable”. Daddy Yankee has been the one to crossover Reggaeton to mainstream markets, long overdue but welcome. He has done for this genre what Bob Marley did on a much larger scale for Reggae through Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder and then again later with The Fugees. Daddy Yankee Descontrol is an example of this, Gasolina was more successful commercially in The USA.

 

The hard-driving beat and rhythm force people to dance and move even when they do not want to, Daddy Yankee Descontrol is another professional DJ’s dream. It is no wonder that his music has begun to bridge the gap between several genre. It can be mixed with really any faster beats and music with enough ‘umph’ to not wilt next to the powerful energy of this song. The video for Daddy Yankee Descontrol was shot in NYC while he was here performing in the area.

Daddy Yankee Descontrol:

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Christina Aguilera Beautiful

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Christina Aguilera Beautiful, a number one hit that transcends race, age and culture. Somehow this song reaches and touches everybody. It is such a treat when a song with this kind of depth makes its way up the Top 40 charts, especially when the video touches on controversial subjects and acceptance of people that not everyone finds acceptable.

 

Christina Aguilera Beautiful was written and produced by Linda Perry and is the only song I can think of in recent years to be a cello-driven number 1 hit. It would be a better world if more songs were popular with such a loving and supportive message and vibe. All professional DJs must make Christina Aguilera Beautiful part of what we do to support Aguilara’s effort to produce music that encourages each of us to be who we are and accept each other.

Christina Aguilera Beautiful:

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Resort Wedding DJ

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One of the benefits of being a professional Wedding DJ is that I get the opportunity to participate in events at all kinds of neat and interesting places. In the same weekend I can be found playing music at a small cozy place like The Clubhouse in Montclair, New Jersey. A sensational and elegant venue like The Manorin West Orange, New Jersey or the quaint, simple touch of  The Mill at Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey. I have many favorites throughout the New Jersey, New York & Pennsylvania region. I recently performed at a wedding at a really beautiful place in New Windsor, New York called The Mountainville Manor that had such charm and an excellent staff! Another favorite is The View at The Hudson in Piermont, New York, which overlooks the Hudson River and is stunning at night with the lights from the Tappan Zee Bridge in the background. Tonight I will be Wedding DJ in The Poconos at Mountain Springs Lake Resort in Reeders, Pennsylvania!

Wedding DJ

I have the honor of working with such interesting and creative Brides and Grooms and they have been no exception.  I don’t know why I get so many great folks to work with but I do. I know many professional Wedding DJs complain about the Brides, Grooms and Planners they work with. I feel so lucky to meet and perform music and Wedding DJ services for people I would work with for free if I was independently wealthy. I’m not, so that is why you pay what you pay for my services:) Some offer to give me rooms to stay in for the night so I do not have to drive back at night. Something I do several nights a week, so not a problem for me, others ask me to join them for their ‘family breakfast’ in the morning to celebrate the first day as a married couple.  In fact, a few weeks ago I had the mother of The groom call me on my way to camping to apologize for not giving me a tip, since she had to go home for a small family emergency and asked if she could mail it to me! I laughed and let her know I do not expect or need tips to do my job exceptionally. She insisted and mailed it out that day. I thought that was so sweet, considering she was so excited with her son “Finally getting married to a nice girl at age forty-five”.

 

Tonight will be Wedding DJ at a resort in The Poconos with great people and a Bride and Groom who truly love each other. My vehicle is packed with gear, suit and tie ironed and music prepared! Sometimes I think I get as excited as they do!

A Bride and Groom smiling before Wedding at Classic Car with Wedding DJ Mystical Michael

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Dance Camp DJs

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I just had the opportunity to be one of the Resident Dance Camp DJs in New Hampshire this past week. The dancers were from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Maine, Massachusetts, California, Washington, Washington DC, Ottowa, Montreal, Vancouver and France as well as some other random locations! It was a ton of fun and we danced and played all day and night.

 

One of the benefits of being part of a Dance Camp DJs team for a week is the fact that you get to hear and experience what other talented Dance Camp DJs have to offer. I DJ so much I rarely get to hear other DJs share their craft. The diverse group of Dance Camp DJs spun music from many genre and cultures and it was fun listening and dancing to their music. It reminded me how much I enjoy music from sources that are not as accessable as popular music. There were many excellent mixes that I would not have thought of but worked very well.

 

It was also a pleasure to share music that some of the dancers were practicing Contact Improvisation. Contact Improv is one of my favorite forms of dance and some of the best in the country were present including dancers who came from France and Canada.

Here is a video with a friend of mine Neige Christenson practicing Contact Improv:

Here is another video that explains and demonstrates Contact Improv:

http://youtu.be/yzb9Hnjnd5g

I had such a great time and am working through getting back into the normal world after camping, dancing and DJing all week. A wedding with a fun Bride and Groom tomorrow at a resort in The Poconos in Pennsylvania, I can’t wait!

Dance Camp DJs & Contact Improvisation

Contact Improvisation (CI) is a dance technique in which points of physical contact provide the starting point for exploration through movement improvisation. Contact Improvisation is a form of dance improvisation and is one of the best-known and most characteristic forms of postmodern dance. Wikipedia

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

13 Gigs In 16 Days For DJ Mystical Michael

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It occurred to me the other day that I am about to begin a rather intense run as professional Disc Jockey over the next two weeks. I am booked for thirteen gigs over the next two weeks starting tonight! This is very exciting for me and grateful I have the opportunity to share my art as professional DJ with others. There are several Weddings, Trivia Shows and a Festival all mixed together.

Of course, the Weddings always hold top billing due to the nature of the event and the importance to the Bride, Groom, family and friends. I think all of us professional Wedding DJs give our undivided attention to each Wedding, Bride and Groom, at least I know most good professional Wedding DJs do. Wedding DJs also get the opportunity to be involved in the planning and coordinating process with the Bride and Groom, which I thoroughly enjoy.

This should be a fun and interesting two weeks for this professional Disc Jockey. The DJ gigs are all over New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania including The Poconos, Upstate New York, rural Central New Jersey, New Rochelle, Morristown, Hackettstown, Phillipsburg and Newton to name some stops during the 13 Gigs In 16 Days For DJ Mystical Michael.

DJ Dancing & Fun with DJ Mystical Michael

“A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, “disc” (sometimes spelled “disk”, although this is now uncommon) referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.” Wikipedia

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ