New York DJ

At weddings I have DJ-ed over the years, by far the majority of the first dance songs couples pick are slow. Of course, it’s easy to see why – a romantic mood is easier to capture in a slow song. However, one speed does not have to fit all. I’ve noticed over the years that the romantic spirit of some couples is not always the textbook, sentimental-but-serious, red roses-and box-of-chocolate kind of romance. Some couples are energetic and silly, and that's what they love about their being together, and/or what their friends and family love about them as a couple. For a pair like that, a faster song might be something that better captures their essence.

By faster song, I don’t mean something of blistering speed, like a hardcore punk declaration by Minor Threat, or a thrash metal anthem by Metallica. I mean songs that are at more of a mid-tempo. One of the rare couples that I've DJ-ed for to choose one of these songs picked “Happy Together” by the Turtles – a fun, bright pop song. Another couple that I DJ-ed for just this last weekend chose “More Than a Woman” by the Bee Gees, and did a silly but well-rehearsed dance to the song that would’ve looked right at home in the movie Saturday Night Fever and made that white-suited disco maestro John Travolta character proud.

I think sometimes couples choose slow songs simply because they think they have to do it. But, like I mentioned in a previous post about first dance songs at weddings, I think this is because they don’t take the liberty to think about what they would really like. Because of movies, TV shows, and other conventional weddings they’ve attended, they might think a slow song needs to be the first dance song. But I always encourage couples to not to censor their thoughts about their night and how they want it to be. By doing this, they may allow themselves to see that a particular faster first dance song feels more “them.”

The song “Don’t Falter” by Mint Royale, an English electronic dance music band that often uses guest vocalists, absolutely bursts with a feeling of celebratory-ness, and I’ve always thought it would make a great first dance song for energetic, effervescent couples. Though the song is not specifically about a couple deciding to get married, it is appropriate for a wedding in so many ways: it’s sunny and sweet; it has a catchy melody and a nice mid-tempo dance beat; and the pretty, slightly ethereal female vocals sing positive and thoughtful lyrics about the exhilaration of being in love, including a lyric that contains the phrase “he’s officially mine,” and a chorus that practically evokes the sentiment of marriage vows.

Have a listen, see if the song fits you.

This is another entry in my series of posts about how to make sure you can know – and, more importantly, avoid – the most common anxieties clients have about hiring a DJ for events. I previously posted entries on how to get the DJ to have a proper appearance for your event, and also an entry on how to avoid many DJs’ tendencies to play cheesy music and be too “hammy” on the mic.

Next up is another major worry for clients. Many of you probably are familiar with the famous ‘80s old school turntable-scratching anthem “Pump Up the Volume” by one-hit wonder M/A/R/R/S. Unfortunately, long before this song even existed, insensitive lunkhead DJs everywhere have felt that raising the volume is their singular mission at events – and as a result, you go home with your ears ringing for the next 12 hours. It’s gotten to the point that the mobile DJ and irritatingly loud music and have become almost inextricably linked – if a DJ, then, of course, speakers blasting to the point of distortion.

For me, this sad connection is evidenced in how many prospective clients our company has met with over the years who have asked things like, “Could you please make sure to keep the volume at a reasonable level?” or, “Would it be possible to not totally blow us out of the room?” And these requests are often delivered with sheepishness, as if they were asking something absolutely silly, like insisting the DJ not breathe for the whole event.

To make sure the volume doesn’t become an issue at your event, first, when you meet with a prospective DJ, be firm about what you expect in terms of volume level throughout the event. Now, by firm, I don’t mean be angry or bitchy about it – believe it or not, even DJs have feelings – but make sure to strongly stress your point that proper volume control is important to you.

That said, be specific about what parts of the event the music should be at a softer volume, or if there are certain areas of the venue where the music should be lower for part of the event, or the whole event. You could also take time to explain why: Tell the DJ that the venue where your event is taking place doesn’t allow loud music after a certain time, or explain to the DJ to take care to not place speakers too close to tables where people will be sitting for dinner, or insist simply that you don’t want clients to have lost part of their hearing after your event. However, a reason isn’t really necessary. It’s your event – just emphasize that it is important that the sound not be too loud during these specific parts of the event. A good DJ will immediately understand this and even empathize with it. And if the DJ doesn’t look like they get it, or even argues with you a bit, repeat yourself, or, simply, don’t hire that DJ! Not being attentive or being argumentative to such a reasonable request might be a sign of hearing loss to come at the event.

Finally, make sure that the DJ is able to turn it up and fill your event space adequately with sound if or when it is appropriate to get a bit louder – toward the end of an event, at an outdoor party where noise restrictions aren’t as strict, or at larger venue spaces – because it can be equally as bad to have a DJ who you can’t hear as much as you would like. The most important thing here is to have the exact or approximate size of the space(s) that the DJ will be playing in on hand at your meeting with the DJ. Then, ask him or her if they have enough equipment to handle it. If it’s an unusually big ballroom like some of the ones we’ve played in over the years, size is essential to know.

No one likes a DJ who’s too loud through an entire event, but, also, no one likes a DJ who’s playing dance songs at such a timid volume that you can hear the dancers’ shoe noise more than the music. You need to make sure you get a DJ for your event who isn’t either of these – someone who knows when and when not to pump up the volume.

A lot of new Top 40 songs burn very bright, but also fade very quickly. We all know how true this is on the music charts and in records sales, but it’s just as true for DJs as well. Most Top 40 songs – whether they’re hip-hop, R & B, pop, or rock – are in the rotation for a few months but then disappear, replaced by the next batch of songs with “mojo.” I find the short shelf-life of these Top 40 songs are usually due to either 1) when the hype dies down, people lose interest in the songs (and often even realize they weren’t all that great in the first place), or 2) because a song was good and got so overplayed that it soon felt stale.

It’s somewhat rare to find a new song on the charts that has some real staying power in our DJ sets, but each year there’s always a few. So far this year, the best example of one of these songs is Kanye West’s bouncy, celebratory anthem “Good Life.” It’s a song many people know, but because it was never really overplayed at the height of its popularity, it still feels fresh.

But "Good Life" is also a versatile song – at the same time being so many things, but neither of them too much: The lyrics are playful but not frivolous; the chorus is catchy but not irritatingly catchy; the song’s got A Tribe Called Quest-like sunny mellowness to it but it’s still very danceable, allowing us to spin it at different moments at an event and at more kinds of events; and, despite the song being a bit more accessible than some Top 40 hip-hop, the song still feels edgy and real, and therefore, it’s able to please hip-hop fans, but at the same time not offend, say, their grandparents.

Since late 2007, when the song was released, we’ve spun “Good Life” during the concluding applause at a fashion show, during numerous cocktail hours at corporate parties and weddings, and even recently for dancing at a large private rooftop party. A bit more time is needed to see if the song will become a modern classic, but from what I’ve seen, I think it’s got quite a good start.

Many times, when I meet clients to plan out the flow of music for their event, they roll their eyes and wearily say something like, “Well, early on we’re going to have to play a few oldies for the people over 60, I guess.” By “oldies,” most of the time they’re referring to early rock ‘n’ roll. And I know why these clients roll their eyes – they’re thinking they’re going to have to hear the same tired songs from Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis or Bill Haley that many DJs tend to automatically pull out when they play a set of old rock ‘n’ roll.

But I always tell these clients that first, not only is there so many more songs people know and love by the biggest artists of the early rock era like those just mentioned that can be played in a killer set of rock oldies, but second, there’s some sharp, accessible and practically untapped oldies by lesser-known artists that are so infectious and fun you don’t even need to have heard them before to start boppin’ along.

A great example of this are these two songs. “This Little Girl’s Gone Rockin’” is from Ruth Brown (pictured above), who was known by the early ‘50s as “Miss Rhythm” and who had created a gritty, belt-it-out style of R & B about 15 years before Aretha Franklin. “Bang Bang” is from Janis Martin (pictured at right), whose crisp, sly, country-tinged voice on this song makes her seem like Elvis’s sassy sister (Martin was actually nicknamed “The Female Elvis”). Both these songs are oldies at their best – each a short, tight, sexy burst of a song that takes you back to a different era, but yet sounds new and bright.

Ruth Brown – This Little Girl`s Gone Rockin'

Janis Martin – Bang Bang