SwingDJs

I have recently run into several re-arrangements of popular music into swing (or at least swing-like) forms and have am very interested in finding more.

Heres what I have run into so far.

Paul Anka - Rock Swings album
Several songs by the Puppini Sisters (I Will Survive, and Heart of Glass)

Anybody have any other suggestions?

Well I consider all such stuff very campy... so you might as well take it to it's extreme and find some Richard Cheese.

Been Caught Steeling is quite funny, as is "Baby Got Back".

I can't imagine many people wanting to play his version of "Me So Horny" though.

hhedberg wrote:I have recently run into several re-arrangements of popular music into swing (or at least swing-like) forms and have am very interested in finding more.

Is this for your personal "enjoyment" or are you actually considering playing crap like this at an actual dance?

GuruReuben wrote:

hhedberg wrote:I have recently run into several re-arrangements of popular music into swing (or at least swing-like) forms and have am very interested in finding more.

Is this for your personal "enjoyment" or are you actually considering playing crap like this at an actual dance?

maybe we should use a "don't ask, don't tell" policy on this one

GuruReuben wrote:Is this for your personal "enjoyment" or are you actually considering playing crap like this at an actual dance?

Please! We prefer the term "Novelty Record" ...

(Novelty is fun when it's, you know, "novel" -- ie, USED SPARINGLY!)

There was another thread about this recently. Search for "Looking for 'Swing When You´re Winning' style music".

You'll find songs by "The New Morty Show", "Eight to the Bar", even "Pat Boone" put out a whole CD of Metal songs...

Thanks, I took a look at the other thread and your post was very helpful! I tend to do the same thing and save the more "esoteric" stuff for later, but Im blessed with a scene that has a wide range of musical tastes and dance styles, so these kinds of songs go over very well. I also get a lot of requests for strange stuff like this, and as long as it doesn't mess with the flow I'm happy to play it.

Of course having just admitted that I'm not a strict "Swing" dj and play other kinds of music (and even ENJOY doing so!) mean that I will probably have to be excommunicated from the site. VIVA LA REVOLUTION!

hhedberg wrote:VIVA LA REVOLUTION!

Hehe! It's always good to have people on *BOTH* sides of the debate...

I, personally, agree with you, though -- push the boundaries; challenge people's expectations. If we all stuck with "safe" well-defined music, it'd be "In The Mood" and "Mack The Knife" for three hours.

"Nobody Listens to 'In the Mood' Anymore; It's Overplayed." (Apologies to Yogi Berra)

Then again, I've been known to put on Jive Bunny once every ~6 months or so... Just to keep the dancers on their toes (and to make them appreciate the rest of my collection that much more! Sort of like, "Just think what I *COULD* have played!" Muahahaha!!)

I spent the previous week at Herräng and upstairs in Folkets Hus, they played the standard stuff, which was good most of the time. No Robbie Williams unfortunately.
Downstairs at Dansbanan they played, apart from the regular boogie woogie songs, some very exciting things like "Fever" with Natalie Cole and Ray Charles from "Genius Loves Company" and, now bend your knees and prepare for something different:

- Norah Jones "Don't know why"

Great songs, I had a really good time dancing to them

Interesting! One of my all time favorites is the original Fever by Peggy Lee, but I hadn't heard that version. I will have to pick it up, it has a great feel to it.

I believe I have seen some of the West Coast Swing people dance to "Don't know why" before, what were you dancing?

I really love finding "non-safe" music to add some spice to an evening!

hhedberg wrote:I believe I have seen some of the West Coast Swing people dance to "Don't know why" before, what were you dancing?

To that particular song I was dancing a combination of balboa, lindy and a little bit of tango.

It works great for nightclub 2-step or slow WCS. I really hope "Don't Know Why" isn't going to become the next "Wade in the Water".

Toon Town Dave wrote:It works great for nightclub 2-step or slow WCS. I really hope "Don't Know Why" isn't going to become the next "Wade in the Water".

I think it is already come and gone. It used to get some play time when it first came out.

Slow WCS, what is that?

patrik wrote:Slow WCS, what is that?

I think that is where you stand still.

Eyeball wrote:I think that is where you stand still.

I think that is advanced wcs footwork for leaders.