Tag Archives: Rock DJ

Clarence Clemons Tribute (Jungleland)

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As a New Jersey teenager in the 70’s and 80’s, it was hard not to be a Bruce Springsteen fan. He spoke to a time and place in our shared story and had those riveting live performances that lasted anywhere from 3-4.5 hours with everybody leaving covered in sweat.  As soaked in sweat as Bruce Springsteen was by the end of the night, equally drenched was The Big Man on The Saxophone, Clarence Clemons.

 

This clip is from a performance in 2009 with Clarence Clemons performing one of my favorite solos of Clarence Clemons, “Jungleland”.

Clarence Clemons Tribute “Jungleland” Music Video

I remember when Izod Center (originally Brendan Byrne Arena, formerly Continental Airlines Arena and commonly Meadowlands Arena) first opened and they booked Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen to perform the first and second weeks respectively.  I had the opportunity to obtain tickets to two of the Springsteen shows. Those were some great memories for me.  Clarence Clemons, you will be missed and remembered.

Clarence Clemons Hartford Civic Center, April 24, 2009 Born to Run

Clarence Clemons playing his “Born to Run” saxophone solo with house lights up. Hartford Civic Center, April 24, 2009.

Clarence Clemons and How He Became Part of The E Street Band

Clarence Anicholas Clemons, Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death, he was a prominent member of Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band, playing the tenor saxophone.

 

“One night we were playing in Asbury Park. I’d heard The Bruce Springsteen Band was nearby at a club called The Student Prince and on a break between sets I walked over there. On-stage, Bruce used to tell different versions of this story but I’m a Baptist, remember, so this is the truth. A rainy, windy night it was, and when I opened the door the whole thing flew off its hinges and blew away down the street. The band were on-stage, but staring at me framed in the doorway. And maybe that did make Bruce a little nervous because I just said, “I want to play with your band,” and he said, “Sure, you do anything you want.” The first song we did was an early version of “Spirit in the Night“. Bruce and I looked at each other and didn’t say anything, we just knew. We knew we were the missing links in each other’s lives. He was what I’d been searching for. In one way he was just a scrawny little kid. But he was a visionary. He wanted to follow his dream. So from then on I was part of history.” Clarence Clemons

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Beach Boys Good Vibrations

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Beach Boys Good Vibrations. It was May 21st, the eve of my 19th birthday. Me and two of my buddies were enjoying a night out at one of our favorite clubs in West Orange, NJ. It was last call and one of the guys turned to me and said, “Let’s go and celebrate your birthday in A.C. (Atlantic City)”. Ten minutes later we were in my Camaro headed South on The Garden State Parkway.

 

Two hours later we were playing blackjack in Ceasar’s Palace. I won a pile of cash and they offered us a room for the night complimentary. We woke in the morning and went to the beach to relax not knowing that The Beach Boys were giving a free concert on the beach! It was a great show and Beach Boys Good Vibrations made it one of my best birthdays still to this day.

Dance in sunset on Beach with The Beach Boys Good Vibrations DJ in New Jersey

I grew-up listening to Beach Boys Good Vibrations and other records mostly on 45’s and some albums. As a professional DJ they have always been a part of what I play when it makes sense to do so. I used to play a bunch of different Beach Boys medleys due to their still high popularity at the time. Today they are more of a nostalgic band for younger folks but those old enough to remember them continue to ask for whichever of their songs is their favorite.

Beach Boys Good Vibrations Music Video

Beach Boys Good Vibrations

“The Beach Boys Good Vibrations is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys, released as a single in October 1966. Composed andproduced by Brian Wilson, the song’s lyrics were written by Wilson and Mike Love.

Released as a single on October 10, 1966 (backed with the Pet Sounds instrumental “Let’s Go Away For Awhile“), it was The Beach Boys’ third U.S. number-one hit after “I Get Around” and “Help Me, Rhonda“, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1966, as well as being their first British chart-topper. Initiated during the sessions for the Pet Sounds album, it was not taken from or issued as a lead single for an album, but as a stand-alone single, although it would be later considered for the aborted Smile project. It would ultimately be placed on the album Smiley Smile eleven months after its release.” Wikipedia

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

The Police Began Recording First Album Today

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With a budget of only £1,500 borrowed from Stewart Copeland’s brother Miles Copeland III, The Police started recording their debut album at Surrey Sound Studios, Surrey, England with producer Nigel Gray. The album ‘Outlandos d’Amour’ which was released in November of this year featured the hits ‘So Lonely’, ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Can’t Stand Losing You’.

 

The Police originally formed due to a lack of success to the previous formation with Henry Padovani as guitarist. The second formation included Andy Summers, formerly of Eric Burden & The Animals. They toured as a four-piece band before they determined that Padovani was not wanted as guitarist, in favor of a three-piece ensemble.  In the post-Punk, Progressive Rock era, a three piece band was not common. This was a big risk for The Police.

 

They started with the now-famous bleach-blond hair when they were hired for a TV commercial that never aired needing them to be blonde. They decided after positive response from audiences to remain blonde.

 

Sting (Gordon Sumner), was initially a Jazz and Rock bassist, was not able to contribute to the writing early on due to his lack of knowledge of Punk Rock Music. Stewart Copeland was left to the songwriting duties in the beginning.

 

“The band has won a number of music awards throughout their career, including six Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards—winning Best British Group once, an MTV Video Music Award, and in 2003, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Police have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and were the world’s highest-earning musicians in 2008, thanks to their reunion tour.” Wikipedia

Fun Wedding Party at The Mill on The Jersey Shore with The Police and Rhode Island Wedding DJ

“Although they existed for just over six years, the band’s contribution to the lexicon of rock was immense. They were the first band to fully integrate the no-nonsense approach of punk rock and the spirit-moving positive energy of reggae. Having sold an excess of 50 million albums worldwide, The Police had phenomenal chart success and won a multitude of accolades both public and critical, but they never allowed such peripherals to overshadow their commitment to the music itself. The band’s history bears that out from the beginning to end, providing a clear, concise picture of a musical group that took us on a short but unforgettable trip through the inner reaches of its soul – and let us have a great time in the process.” ThePolice.com

The Police Roxanne Music Video

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ 

A DJ Mash-Up: The Clash

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Today I was avoiding getting some work done and had a moment of inspiration to make a fun mash-up of some songs by The Clash. I recently was DJ at a wedding that The Groom requested a Clash song, “Jimmy Jazz”.  At this wedding my assitant who is a big Clash fan, smiled and spoke dreamily about seeing them back in 1981 at The Roseland Ballroom in NYC. This was the source of the inpsiration. I wanted to make some of my favorite songs by The Clash into a fun dance mix for a gig coming up soon at a venue where it will be perfect.

I am a bit of a purist as a professional DJ. When I make a mix I do the whole thing live in my room with no editing afterwards to make it sound better or clean up any mixes that don’t meet my standards. I decided which songs I would play and in what order, leaving some space for me to follow the energy along the way if I felt moved to add another track or change the mix. This is what I came up with.

 

The Clampdown

Train In Vain

Police On My Back

Rush (Big Audio Dynamite)

The Magnificent Seven

London Calling

Englsih Civil War

I Fought The Law

Here is the  mix:

      Clash Mashed BADly 7.15.11

I like the way it came out. The mixes are not my best DJ work but it works and it has great energy. I sent a copy to my friend who was the DJ assistant at the wedding. Maybe I will send one to The Groom too!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

The Celtic, Reggae, Rockin’ Wedding DJ

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It is not every day that a Wedding DJ gets to play Celtic, Reggae and Classic Rock at a wedding. In fact, I do not think I have ever had the opportunity before this weekend, to blend these genres in one fun wedding. The wedding was a young couple form Florida at The Bethwood in Totowa, NJ. The Bethwood has an excellent staff and the food is delicious. As with all weddings, it was the people and the Wedding DJ music that made the event special.

 

The couple and I worked together to form an excellent playlist to meet the needs of their eclectic tastes and to make sure their parents and family would have fun too. I think we did a decent job based on the comments and smiles. The Bridal Party Introduction Song they chose was from the Dropkick Murphys “I’m Shippin’ To Boston”. You may know this song from the film The Departed. They picked Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” as their First Dance Song. That set the tone for the afternoon and we never turned back.

 

It was fun mixing between Reggae, Rock and Celtic Music with some popular dance tunes along the way. What we didn’t expect as a pleasant surprise was the requests to dance to some Oldies like Ritchie Valens, Frankie Valli and a young woman even wanted to hear Jay Black & The Americans! I can’t remember the last time I had a request for “This Magic Moment” from someone under fifty before, no less a twenty-something-year-old. That was the kind of celebration this day was- anything and everything was welcome and worked with the Wedding DJ.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Hoboken International Film Festival 2010 Professional DJ

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It was an interesting experience getting the opportunity to work with all the producers, directors and talent at the festival. I met some great folks and played some rockin’ tunes. It was such a treat to see Robert Loggia win the Lifetime Achievement Award. He is such a great actor! One of my favorite pieces of his work was in the movie Wide Awake where he played Grandpa Beal, an M. Night Shyamalan film. Of course, how can we forget his performance in Big with Tom Hanks!

My favorite part of the Festival was definitely the Awards Gala. Getting to do the sound and music for each award was tricky and kept me on my toes throughout the whole night. I have a new respect for awards shows now. Deidre Lorenz received the audience appreciation Award for Santorini Blue. Check it out when it goes international! She is an amazing talent.

I can’t wait till next year for this great event!

Here are some links to some media coverage of the Festival:

http://www.my9tv.com/dpp/e_biz/Hoboken-Film-Fesitval-Begins-June-4th

hoboken-international-film-festival-logo-june-2007-2.jpg

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ