Tag Archives: Birthday Party DJ

Rolling Stones Angie

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Rolling Stones Angie. I was in 7th grade.  I had crush on a young angelic creature named Licia. We talked on the phone almost every night. Licia was tall, beautiful, nice, genuine and most importantly, fun and smart. We used to talk about everything from music to science to social dynamics.

That night I was getting ready to ask Licia on a date, I was procrastinating waiting for the right moment to go for it. That moment came in the form of her favorite song, Rolling Stones Angie.

The Rolling Stones were near the peak of their popularity at the time. Mick Jagger was the international star that he is still known for today. Rolling Stones Angie is one of their best love songs – slow, simple and textured. The video lacks the creativity and polish we are accustomed to today but the song itself holds up well. If you have never heard it, Tori Amos has a haunting cover on her album Crucify.

“Released as a single in August 1973, “Angie” went straight to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 5 on the UK singles chart. The song was also a No. 1 hit in both Canada and Australia for five weeks each and topped the charts in many countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world.”Wikipedia

Some radio stations made edits because of the length, down to 3 minutes, thereby omitting the longer Coda and the second instrumental sections of the song.

When I hear Rolling Stones Angie, I still think about Licia and that night on the phone sitting at our kitchen table hoping that a girl like her would go out with a boy like me, It never fails to produce a smile. Fortunately I still get requests for Rolling Stones Angie as a professional DJ and wonder if Licia still remembers that moment.

Rolling Stones Angie Music Video

 

Tori Amos Version of Rolling Stones Angie

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

Art of Noise Featuring Tom Jones Kiss

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When music videos were first hitting the clubs, us professional DJs had to insert a large tape similar to VHS but bigger into a machine like a VCR for each video. It was cumbersome but we loved the idea of adding video to what people were dancing to. One club I was professional DJ during this period had a large video screen in front of the dance floor. It was fun watching peoples faces as each video played on the screen, it was still novelty then. Hard to imagine that there was a time a music video was considered novelty in a club!
One of the best at the time was Art of Noise Featuring Tom Jones Kiss. The fact that Tom Jones who was an old man by then, rockin’ out this Prince song and video made it that much fun and funnier. The graphics were more creative than most at the time and Art of Noise had created a unique sound that provided an opportunity for alternative and mainstream clubbers to share the dance floor, another rarity in those days. Professional DJs enjoyed the cross genre appeal of Art of Noise Featuring Tom Jones Kiss.

Art of Noise Featuring Tom Jones Kiss:

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY 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

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:

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