U2 Bad

I was recently working on a project related to Live Aid, and was reminded of the powerful performance of U2 Bad at Wembley Stadium, London on July 13th, 1985. After further research, I was surprised to find out the content of U2 Bad.

U2 Bad at Live Aid with Rhode Island DJ

The U2 Bad Story

“Bad” began with an improvised guitar riff during a jam session at Slane Castle where U2 were recording The Unforgettable Fire.The basic track was completed in three takes. Of its immediate and live nature, U2 guitarist The Edge said “There’s one moment where Larry puts down brushes and takes up the sticks and it creates this pause which has an incredibly dramatic effect.” Producer Brian Eno added the sequencer arpeggios that accompany the song.

The early 1980s recession had led to high number of heroin addicts in inner city Dublin. In concert, lead vocalist Bono frequently introduced the song as a song about Dublin.[4]The Edge and the album’s producers, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, were focused on the music and less interested in the lyrics. Bono left the song unfinished.

During a July 26, 2011 concert in Pittsburgh, Bono explained before a performance of “Bad” that the song was written for “very special man, who is here in your city, who grew up on Cedarwood Road. We wrote this song about him and we play it for him tonight.”  He was referring to Andy Rowen, whom the song was originally written about in 1984 and who was present at the show. Rowen is brother of Bono’s Lypton Village friend Guggi and Peter Rowen, who is featured on the sleeve artwork for the band’s albums Boy and War.

U2 Bad at Live Aid with Rhode Island DJ

There are other versions of the story from Bono himself. His account from a 1987 concert in Chicago indicate “Bad” is about a friend of his who died of a heroin overdose and also about the conditions that make such events likely repeat themselves. Bono once commented in another concert (in the UK) about people lying in gutters with “needles hangin’ outta their fuckin’ arms while the rich live indifferently to the suffering of the less fortunate.” At Eriksberg, Gothenburg in Sweden 1987, he said: “I wrote the words about a friend of mine, his name was Gareth Spaulding. And on his 21st birthday he and his friends decided to give themselves a present of enough heroin into his veins to kill him. This song is called ‘Bad’.

U2 Bad at Live Aid

U2 participated in the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium for Ethiopian famine relief on 13 July 1985. They played a 12-minute version of U2 Bad, which was extended by snippets of Lou Reed‘s “Satellite of Love” and “Walk on the Wild Side“, and The Rolling Stones‘ “Ruby Tuesday” and “Sympathy for the Devil“. Bono leaped down off the stage to embrace and dance with a fan, which was captured on the TV broadcast sent around the world. The performance was so long that the band was only able to play two of the three songs in their set, leaving out “Pride (In the Name of Love)“, which was supposed to end the band’s performance. The concert turned out to be a breakthrough moment for the band, showing a television audience of millions the personal connection that Bono could make with audiences. Only a week later he realized that the dance with the fan became a key image of Live Aid. All of U2’s albums re-entered the charts in the UK after their performance. In 1985, Rolling Stone called U2 the “Band of the 80’s,” saying that “for a growing number of rock-and-roll fans, U2 have become the band that matters most, maybe even the only band that matters.”

U2 Bad Original Studio Version

It almost comical to think at that point they felt like they had to introduce themselves, based on the amount of global success U2 has enjoyed since then.

U2 have released 12 studio albums and are among the all-time best-selling music artists, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. They have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and in 2005, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 in its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes, including Amnesty International, the ONE/DATA campaigns, Product Red, and The Edge’s Music Rising.

U2 Bad at Live Aid with Rhode Island DJ

U2 Bad Lyrics

If you twist and turn away
If you tear yourself in two again
If I could, yes I would
If I could, I would
Let it go
Surrender
Dislocate

If I could throw this
Lifeless lifeline to the wind
Leave this heart of clay
See you walk, walk away
Into the night
And through the rain
Into the half-light
And through the flame

If I could through myself
Set your spirit free
I’d lead your heart away
See you break, break away
Into the light
And to the day

To let it go
And so to fade away
To let it go
And so fade away

I’m wide awake
I’m wide awake
Wide awake
I’m not sleeping
Oh, no, no, no

If you should ask then maybe they’d
Tell you what I would say
True colors fly in blue and black
Bruised silken sky and burning flag
Colors crash, collide in blood shot eyes

If I could, you know I would
If I could, I would
Let it go…

This desparation
Dislocation
Separation
Condemnation
Revelation
In temptation
Isolation
Desolation
Let it go

And so fade away
To let it go
And so fade away
To let it go
And so to fade away

I’m wide awake
I’m wide awake
Wide awake
I’m not sleeping
Oh, no, no, no

U2 Bad is a great song that is part of U2’s live performances worldwide and very popular among their fans. What about U2 Bad is most intriguing and powerful for you?

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

973.908.8147

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

Last weekend I had a really fun 50th Birthday Party in Newark New Jersey at Iberia Restaurant. It was actually at Iberia Peninsula Restaurant across the street.

Iberia Restaurant Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

“Requiring more room  to accommodate the crowds that flock to their sister restaurant, Iberia, the owners have realized their dream of building a palatial Portuguese / Spanish restaurant.

Iberia Peninsula is one of the most spectacular restaurants ever to be constructed in New Jersey.  Cathedral ceilings, stainless steel topped bar stretching as far as the eye can see, brick, marble, and large barbeque pits make up this enormous restaurant.  There are two large dining rooms.  Both above and below the main restaurant are several beautifully decorated rooms of varying sizes for private parties.”

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

It is not often that I get the opportunity to  provide Music, DJ & MC services for a Rutgers Professor who is also an Interfaith Minister. In this case, she is actually an even better person than her professional accomplishments. I can see why anybody would want Reverend Dámaris M. Otero-Torres  to facilitate their special moments and life’s Blessings. her site, Epiphanies of the Heart, states her perspective;

“Life is a river of unlimited opportunities that invite us to explore the depths of joy, gratitude, beauty, love, intimacy and purpose. 

Whether you are blessing the arrival of a new life, initiating the journey of marriage, renewing your wedding vows, or honoring the memory of a loved one, your ceremony is crafted with utmost care and reverence to crystallize that special moment in memories that will last for a lifetime.”

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

Damaris is a special woman, as is her husband Paul. I am so grateful to have been part of their wonderful night of celebration with more than one hundred friends and family eating, singing, talking and most of all, dancing! They wet a mixed crowd form New Jersey and NYC and represented many demographics and cultures collectively. Along with being really fun and caring people at the 50th Birthday Party, I always cherish being a Multicultural DJ. It is one of the things I do best as a Rhode Island DJ; mixing music and cultures seamlessly with respect and inclusion. At this 50th Birthday Party, there was a musical focus on Vocal Classics, 80’s Dance Music and lots of Salsa and Merengue. Her mother wanted a few Waltzes mixed in that she danced like a trained professional! They were beautiful to watch.

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

I always feel funny when I write this, but I love my job as a DJ of events like Weddings, Sweet Sixteens, Graduations and of course, Damaris 50th Birthday Party. I am grateful that I have the skills and training to excel as a DJ to offer my services for others. This is one of the reasons I offer a guarantee.

Fun 50th Birthday Party with Fun Rhode Island DJ

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

973.908.8147

Celia Cruz – Cuban Musical Legend and Queen of Salsa

For more than half a century, Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa carried her title with class and distinction. Her powerful voice and electrifying rhythm garnered more than 100 worldwide recognitions, multiple platinum and gold records, three GRAMMY awards and four Latin GRAMMY awards, as well as a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Her boundless enthusiasm, genuine warmth, and deep-seated humanitarianism made Celia Cruz the music industry’s most accomplished and revered performer … and the world’s most notable ambassador of Hispanic culture. Celia Cruz Website

On Saturday Night, I was the DJ & MC for a very fun 50th Birthday Party at Iberia Peninsula      Restaurant in Newark, New Jersey. Of course, the music was fabulous with the diverse party guests from New Jersey and New York City from all cultures and walks of life. I find it such a fun challenge to provide music for dancing for diverse audiences that don’t all enjoy the same music. It reminds if my days as a community organizer bringing groups together to create a common positive goal as one.

The playlist we created in advance included lots of Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart, 80’s Dance Music, Thrift Shop and a significant chunk of Salsa, Merengue and Flamenco songs. Of course, Celia Cruz La Vida Es Un Carnaval was near the top of the DJ song list, in the “must-play” category, and we did. As usual, the response was great and the dance floor was packed with dancers smiling with joy. I thought it was time for me to pay tribute to Celia Cruz and her greatness, especially since she is somewhat of a local legend living many years in New Jersey.

Celia Cruz – La Vida Es Un Carnaval Music Video

“I feel very fortunate to have called Celia Cruz my friend. She was an inspiration not only as an artist but as a woman and a remarkable human being.” Gloria Estefan
 

(Celia Cruz) Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso de la Santísima Trinidad (October 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003) was a Cuban-American salsa performer. One of the most popular salsa artists of the 20th century, she earned twenty-three gold albums and was renowned internationally as the “Queen of Salsa” as well as “La Guarachera de Cuba.”

She spent much of her career living in New Jersey, and working in the United States and several Latin American countries. Leila Cobo of Billboard Magazine once said “Cruz is indisputably the best known and most influential female figure in the history of Cuban music.”

“Celia Cruz was an absolute pillar as a human being and one of the most unselfish humanitarians I have ever met and am sure I will ever have known.” Marc Anthony

Celia Cruz Legacy

In February 2004, Celia Cruz last album, Regalo del Alma, won a posthumous award at the Premios Lo Nuestro for best Salsa release of the year. It was announced in December 2005 that a musical called “Assuca” would open in Tenerife before touring the world. The name comes from Cruz’s well-known catch phrase of “¡Azúcar!”

Celia Cruz Park Union City New Jersey with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

On June 4, 2004, the heavily Cuban-American community of Union City, New Jersey heralded its annual Cuban Day Parade by dedicating its new Celia Cruz Park (also known as Celia Cruz Plaza), which features a sidewalk star in her honor, at 31st Street and Bergenline Avenue, with Celia Cruz’s widower, Pedro Knight, present. There are four other similar dedications to Cruz around the world. Celia Cruz’s star has expanded into Union City’s “Walk of Fame”, as new marble stars are added each spring to honor Latin entertainment and media personalities, such as merengue singer Joseíto Mateo, salsa singer La India, Cuban musician Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Cuban tenor Beny MoréTito Puente, Spanish language television news anchor Rafael Pineda, salsa pioneer Johnny Pacheco, singer/bandleader Gilberto Santa Rosa and music promoter Ralph Mercado.

Fun Rhode Island Multicultural DJ plays Celia Cruz at Party

On May 18, 2005, the National Museum of American History, administered by the Smithsonian Institution and located in Washington, D.C., opened “¡Azúcar!”, an exhibit celebrating the life and music of Celia Cruz. The exhibit highlights important moments in Cruz’s life and career through photographs, personal documents, costumes, videos, and music.

On September 26, 2007, through May 25, 2008, Celia, a musical based on the life of Celia Cruz, played at the off-Broadway venue, New World Stages. Some performances were in Spanish and some in English. The show won four 2008 HOLA awards from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors.

Fun Rhode Island DJ plays Celia Cruz

“I had the honor and pleasure of photographing Celia for twelve years. I’ll never forget her smile and her amazing energy. The biggest thing about Celia is that she never knew how great she truly was. She always made me feel so proud to be Cuban.”

Alexis Rodriguez-Duarte

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

973.908.8147

DJ 80’s Dance Party Mix

DJ 80’s Dance Party Mix was created due to receiving more requests for 80’s Music than usual. I am getting the feeling that 80’s Music is becoming the choice of music for folks who want to find a happy medium between music of today for younger people and music that those who were born earlier will still appreciate and be able to party and have fun with.

I have to say, there were many songs I wanted to include in this mix that just didn’t make it. Maybe there will be a DJ 80’s Dance Party Mix II…

DJ 80’s Dance Party Mix

      80's Dance Party Mix - DJ Mystical Michael

Fun DJ 80's Dance Party Mix with Rhode Island Multicultural Wedding DJ

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

DJ Rock Party Mix

Another professional DJ music mix to add to the collection. The DJ Rock Party Mix was a mix I created for a festival I could not make it to due to another professional DJ gig, but was requested to provide DJ music. I knew there was one set that needed Party Rock and the DJ Rock Party Mix seemed to do the trick. It was a fundraiser for a non-profit I wanted to support as a professional DJ. Hope you enjoy it!

DJ Rock Party Mix

      party rock mix 4.23.2011 - DJ Mystical Michael

Fun Wedding with DJ Rock Party Mix Rhode Island Wedding DJ

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Hall and Oates You Make My Dreams

I find it fascinating which and when certain 80’s songs like Hall and Oates You Make My Dreams, pop into current music requests again. Recently, I have noticed that many of the Hall & Oates hits are being replayed with enthusiasm. Hall & Oates were sort of their own genre for a little while, often being referred to as ‘Blue Eyed Soul’. This was during the period when musical genre split social and cultural groups to very specific audiences and it was rare for a group like Hall & Oates to reach multiple groups. Another group that had success with this were The Doobie Brothers, especially when Michael MacDonald went solo.

Hall and Oates You Make My Dreams Music Video

This song in particular, Hall and Oates You Make My Dreams, is a great song for a professional DJ since it can be mixed with Pop, Dance, Oldies, R&B and Rock seamlessly. Last Thursday night, Hall and Oates You Make My Dreams worked perfectly with an 80’s Rock set but also on Friday night with some Pop and Dance stuff from the same period.

Fun new Jersey Wedding DJ Hall and Oates You Make My Dreams

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

Boomtown Rats I Don’t Like Mondays

It was on this day in 1979 that Brenda Ann Spencer started shooting at the elementary school across the street from her house. She killed two and wounded nine others. The gun was a .22 that her father gave her for Christmas. When asked why she did it, her response was simple, “I don’t like Mondays”. It was one month later that The Boomtown Rats performed Boomtown Rats I Don’t Like Mondays written by bandleader Bob Geldorf for the first time.  He was inspired for Boomtown Rats I Don’t Like Mondays during an interview when it hit him, “It was such a senseless act. It was the perfect senseless act and this was the perfect senseless reason for doing it. So perhaps I wrote the perfect senseless song to illustrate it. It wasn’t an attempt to exploit tragedy.”

 Boomtown Rats I Don’t Like Mondays Music Video

For several years the radio stations in San Diego, the place of the crime, would not play Boomtown Rats I Don’t Like Mondays on the radio to honor sensitive listeners who may not appreciate Geldorf’s peculiar humor.

Rhode Island DJ Dance in sunset Boomtown Rats I Don't Like Mondays

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Tom Tom Club Genius of Love

Tom Tom Club Genius of Love was originally planned as a side project from Talking Heads musicians, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, a husband and wife team. It charted high on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Dance Charts. Tom Tom Club Genius of Love was huge in the clubs for both Dance and early Hip Hop clubs as a professional DJ. Tom Tom Club Genius of Love was one of those songs that was just fun to listen and dance. Previous to the release of their self-titled album and song Tom Tom Club Genius of Love, it was not clear to many how much creative input other Talking Heads members had besides David Byrne.

Tom Tom Club Genius of Love Music Video

Tom Tom Club Genius of Love Sampled

Tom Tom Club Genius of Love is one of the most sampled rhythm tracks of the 1980s, particularly within the rap/R&B/hip-hop genre, with dozens of unsolicited remixes and versions, most notablyDr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde‘s “Genius Rap” in 1981; Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five‘s “It’s Nasty” in 1982; Mariah Carey‘s “Fantasy” in 1995, and The X-Ecutioners‘ “Genius of Love 2002” in 2002.

Other artists have incorporated “Genius of Love” into their works, including Public Enemy‘s “Leave This Off Your Fu*kin Charts“, Redman‘s “Brick City Mashin’“, Cam’ron‘s “Me, My Moms & Jimmy“, 2nd II None‘s “Niggaz Trippin’“, Fresh Kid Ice‘s “Roll Call”, 2Pac‘s “High Speed”, Busta Rhymes‘ “One”, Ant Banks‘ “Roll ‘Em Phat”, P.M. Dawn‘s “Gotta Be… Movin’ On Up”, Annie‘s “Chewing Gum“, Menajahtwa‘s “I Ain’t Nasti”, 50 Cent‘s “When I Get Out”, Erick Sermon‘s “Genius E Dub”, Mac Dre‘s “Chop that Ho”, Dream Warriors‘ “And Now the Legacy Begins”, T.I.‘s “Down Like That”, Mark Morrison‘s “Return of the Mack“, Ice Cube‘s “Bop Gun (One Nation)“, and Warren G‘s “What’s Love Got to Do with It“.

The song’s musical bridge, which contains a repeated chant of “Bohannon”, was one of several theme songs used for many years by a syndicated US talk radio program hosted by Jim Bohannon. However, the chant was intended for record producer and disco pioneer Hamilton Bohannon.

Fun Rhode Island Wedding DJ with Tom Tom Club Genius of Love

Tom Tom Club Genius of Love is a great tune to turn-up and move!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun is such a great and fun song. Cyndi Lauper is one of those artists that it is hard not to like. She is fun, talented, creative and seems to always be completely herself in whatever she does.  A true unique talent who has not veered from her own style and way of doing things.  She was very loyal to her first band that she recorded with, Blue Angel, not allowing the record companies to break them apart.  She eventually found her way as a solo artist and was the first woman to have four Top 5 hits from the same album.

Wedding Bouquet Toss DJ Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun

“Lauper knew she could write songs, but the record company had a lot of material they wanted her to record. She altered a lot of the songs that were thrown her way, often changing the lyrics to suit her. An example is her Platinum-certified Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun; Lauper says the original lyrics of the song dealt more with a girl pleasing a man, and therefore she changed the lyrics, wanting the song to be more of an anthem as she felt the original song seemed misogynistic.” Wikipedia

 Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun Music Video

There are few songs that are more fun to dance and party to than Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun. The video is hysterical and carries that fun and playful vibe throughout. It is noteworthy that Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun included girls from diverse races and backgrounds in her video, something that was not yet part of the music industry.  It is very common for a professional Wedding DJ play this song during either The Bouquet Toss or Garter during a wedding reception from women of all ages.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

The Police Began Recording First Album Today

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