Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

[apple_pathways]

First, I should announce that there's roughly four hours left to offer a prompt for Spring Into Sherlock over a sherlockmas. You don't have to plan on taking part in the fest to prompt, and I'd be extra-special-excited to see any of you offer up a suggestion!

Now, down to business: we are throwing a retirement party for my father next weekend. My mother has asked me to handle "the music". She seems to think that people are going to want to dance. I...don't know how I feel about this.

So I turn to you, my dear flist, for help: suggest some music I can play. Keep in mind: the crowd will be composed of an odd mixture of family, my father's co-workers, and friends of my parents, my brother, and myself. (Also keep in mind: though I love them, my friends have No Shame and will not be afraid to Get Freaky in a brightly-lit American Legion Hall filled with pizza, beer, and old people.)

I need songs for: dancing, mingling, and General Party Atmosphere. My mom likes Beyonce; my dad is a fan of The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Jazz. My brother listens to hardcore rap. I am going to get drunk off my ass and pretend the entire evening isn't happening.

Suggestions?

Comments

I have nerdy taste in music. :P

[middlegirl.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of the Eurovision Song Contest, and for the interval act last year (when everybody starts tallying the votes) was a very dance-y song called "Glow". I don't really do songs like this, but this one's pretty fun. Here's the video:



(The track is kind of hard to find in the States, so let me know if you like it and I'll send you the mp3.)

Other than that, my iTunes is full of 80s and 90s pop, so all I can suggest is something of the Police/Ace of Base variety.

Re: I have nerdy taste in music. :P

[middlegirl.livejournal.com]

I can't tell if the embed worked, so here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9QBK1W9Ag4

Re: I have nerdy taste in music. :P

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Thanks, doll! I'll have to take a look at it later, though: my dad is "fixing" our internet today, and so I'm on a computer at the library at the moment. (No headphones to listen right now!)

I love fun, dance-y music!

[ladybracknell.livejournal.com]

Whenever I'm DJing to a mixed crowd, I do something like this - for a party I'd take 40 mins-and hour to play warm up stuff, which would be most of these artists but not their big hits. Then to switch into get your ass on the dance floor mode, I'd do something like:

1. Stevie Wonder, Superstition
2. Jackson 5, Want You Back
3. Contours, Do You Love Me?

...from where you go into a mini Motown set mixed up with the Beyonce-type pop.

Then:

1. Gloria Jones, Tainted Love
2. Jackie Wilson, Higher and Higher
3. Kinks, You Really Got Me

...from where you can go into Stones, Who, Beatles etc

Then

1. Prince, Kiss
2. Wild Cherry, Play That Funky Music
3. Chuck Berry, Never Can Tell

...from where you can go Hendrix or anything with a heavier guitar sound. The rap poses a bit of a problem, but you could easily work in House of Pain or Tone Loc or something with a more pop rap feel like Snoop here.

The trick I find is to keep things moving and play no more than 15-20 mins of any one kind of sound :D.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

AWESOME! Oh wow, what great suggestions! I like the way you've outlined the flow of music for the evening. This is most definitely going to be VERY helpful once I sit down to make a playlist!

I LOVE the image that you are constantly playing DJ. I wanna party with you, love!

[ladybracknell.livejournal.com]

Glad to have helped :D. I died on my arse many times to learn these things. Eventually I realised there are about 30 records you can play literally anywhere - and after that if ever things weren't going well I would ALWAYS hit them with a Jackson 5/Stevie Wonder combo to turn things around. It's like one of the laws fundamentally underpinning the universe - doesn't matter if it's a hipster gig or OAPs, EVERYONE will nod along to Superstition and then feel compelled to dance to Want You Back, lol.

[ladylovelace.livejournal.com]

Your descriptions of your family never fail to amuse me. In a good way. Just thought you'd like to know.

I am crap with music so will leave it to the experts.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am often amused by my family. Except when I'm...not.

Take this conversation with my mother this morning.

Amy is in the SHOWER

MOM: Hey Ames?

AMY: *cough*splutter*shampoo in eyes* WHAT?!

MOM: I put the Borax on top of the washing machine.

(I was looking for it last night to make laundry detergent.)

AMY: Thank you for interrupting my shower to tell me that!

MOM: You're welcome.

And SCENE!