SwingDJs

To mix it up once in a while and to give some dancers a little trill, it can be worth inserting one or two "non-swing" into a nights set.
If you are to do this,

- when is the best time in a night to do it?
- how do you do it?
- what type of "non-Swing' music have you found works best?

Brian

We have a lot of people that do westie or ballroom so depending on the crowd, I try to mix it in a lot.

With a more swing (music) crowd, I tend play something just to break up a set or change the flavor of my set.

Usually I'll put on something a little hip-hop-ish or some sort of remix like Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby remix or Blu Cantrell's Swingin' or A Little Less Conversation remix. I usually keep it to just a track or two if a lot of people sit it out.

Hmmm, seems like we've done this topic to death before. But anyway.

I would only insert 1-2 per night, like you said, and in the past I've played the following types: slow blues, soul-jazz, current modern pop, hip-hop or a non-swinging rock n roll. Once I played a Waltz song. I've never played a polka, a tango, a heavy-metal, or a disco song.

One recent song others have played that seems to go over well is that Outkast song.

Problem is, once you've played a novelty song once, maybe twice, its no longer novel.

Worse, if people come to expect the novelty songs, then they become a feature of the night and inherently get out of control.

It always freaks me out that people feel a need to inject non-swing (however you define it) music into a swing dance, when there's just so much great music out there. We had a Dallas DJ once that played a solid hour of novelty songs.

Eeep.

Kalman

Bob the Builder wrote: - when is the best time in a night to do it?
- how do you do it?
- what type of "non-Swing' music have you found works best?

I usually play my non swing stuff later in the evening.

Because our main dance is in a ballroom studio, we get the occasional request for a west coast song, salsa or hustle. Depending on my mood, and what I perceive as the mood of the room, I'll play it.

The folks here in So Fla like "Hey Ya" and "I Like the Way You Move" by Outkast. I've also been playing a track from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Soundtrack called "What You Feel". One of our dancers suggested I give it a listen and I liked it. It's a fun little tune.

Good luck!

Tina

mousethief wrote:Worse, if people come to expect the novelty songs, then they become a feature of the night and inherently get out of control.

It always freaks me out that people feel a need to inject non-swing (however you define it) music into a swing dance, when there's just so much great music out there. We had a Dallas DJ once that played a solid hour of novelty songs.

Eeep.

Kalman

Here we go again. I agree with Kalman. There is no need to play a non-swing song during a swing dance. But, dancers feel like they have to have non-swing to keep things interesting. My gosh, swing music is not interesting enough? In any event, I usually do not honor request for non-swing songs.

Is it always dancers or is it DJs? There's a big difference between someone asking for something and my read of the night as DJ, a decision that leads to my playing "Hanky Panky" or something like that.

Some of the best DJ advice I've ever gotten was from Frank "Frankyboy" Dellario, who told me that NYC dancers would not break under faster tempos.

It's a pity Frankyboy can't say the same for alcohol...

Kalman

I guess I did lay too much blame on the dancers. The djs also participate in this.

sonofvu wrote:I guess I did lay too much blame on the dancers. The djs also participate in this.

You can blame the other DJs, they are the ones who polluted the dancer's minds with the thought that it is ok to play the occasionally non-swing novelty song.

Until they start to DJ correctly, you are likely to continue to get such requests.

I think that we should be playing soul music at swing dances
<insert sarcasim here>

Essentially the only time I play a non-swing song is last song of the night. In the venue in which I DJ regularly, that has come to be expected and is the sign that the dancers should pack up and leave. But I usually try to make the tune jazz, and I usually try to make it danceable - dontcha know that Take Five is danceable????

I use non-swing at a mostly swing event sparingly, I use it as kind of an intermission. The people who don't like it have 5-7 minutes to take care of business and come back for swing music if they desire. I find it has the effect of lightening the mood.

I agree that excessive novelty songs is absurd.

Country music, that's where it's at ... and none of this country swing crap!

Take 5 works for waltz, a little fast-ish or a slow viennese. Of course the usual rise and fall is not quite there swing dancers don't know about that stuff anyway.

Nate Dogg wrote:

sonofvu wrote:I guess I did lay too much blame on the dancers. The djs also participate in this.

You can blame the other DJs, they are the ones who polluted the dancer's minds with the thought that it is ok to play the occasionally non-swing novelty song.

Until they start to DJ correctly, you are likely to continue to get such requests.

Not entirely true. I've gotten requests for polkas, waltzes, hip hop and f***ing "I Love This Bar" from dancers and I almost never play a novelty song.

Damned if ya do, damned if ya don't. Sometimes, you're turning down a request from an excited dancer, sometimes you're clearing the floor and sometimes you're digging a hole for yourself when the request resurfaces.

Kalman

Nate Dogg wrote: Until they start to DJ correctly, you are likely to continue to get such requests.

wow

yedancer wrote:

Nate Dogg wrote: Until they start to DJ correctly, you are likely to continue to get such requests.

wow

Since it looks like I was unclear, yes I was being sarcastic about the DJing correctly stuff.

The true part is that DJs like me who slip in the occasional West Coast, Hip hop, etc... song in their set (usually towards the end) encourage dancers to request such songs later during the sets of other DJs who are less to prone to alternative music.

Hence, if I play a 60s/soul/R&B/whatever song one week, George might get an Aretha Franklin request the next week when he is DJing.

But, it cuts both ways, I got a Django request not too long ago. I figured George's influence had something to do with.