SwingDJs

Years pass but we (here) still don't have a decent local swing band for the finals. And here I am again with the same question. Right, I've asked it a couple of years ago (thanks a lot for the suggestions back there by the way).

Another season, another contest. And the overplayed songs are still overplayed. Bummer.
Once again - desperately need suggestions for good fast swing songs around 210-240 that are not very overplayed. What I'm looking for is tracks that maintain good energy throughout the song, lack drum solos and "soft"-and-"hard" parts and have a relatively simple structure (preferably plain AABA with a 4/4 feeling and without bridges or alterations) - it's a jam and I really try to make it fair for all the couples.

Consider these songs overplayed:
Charlie Barnet - The Count's Idea
Lucky Millinder - Mason Flyer
Erskine Hawkins - Riff Time
Glenn Miller - Slip Horn Jive
Count Basie - Swingin' The Blues
Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford Special
Count Basie - Jumpin' At The Woodside
Swing Kids OST - Shout And Feel It
Charlie Barnet - Swing Street Strut
Artie Shaw - Traffic Jam
Count Basie - Back To The Apple
Charlie Barnet - The Last Jump
Jack Teagarden - Harlem Jump
Gene Krupa - Rhythm Jam
Duke Ellington - Rockin' In Rhythm
Duke Ellington - Main Stem
Duke Ellington - Cottontail
Benny Goodman - Bugle Call Rag

Any suggestions?
Thanks a lot in advance! :)

Just out of interest Dmitry, which song did you use when you asked this question in 2009?

At a glance what about these:

24 Robbers (there's a bunch of versions)
Exposition Swing - Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra - 219BPM - 1936
Central Avenue Breakdown - Lionel Hampton - 222BPM - 1940
Wild Party - Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra - 241BPM - 1934
Tootin Through the Roof - Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra - 225BPM - 1939
Swing High - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra - 231BPM - 1940
Facts and Figures - Chick Webb - 246BPM - 1935
Battle of Swing - Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra - 222BPM - 1938

Haydn wrote:Just out of interest Dmitry, which song did you use when you asked this question in 2009? ;)

Haydn, if only I could just pick one song and use it. ;)

Fast finals require at least 4-5 songs. And since I was DJing the whole contest (and that is around 120 songs altogether: 70-80 mid-tempo songs, 6-7 songs for slow finals, 4-5 songs for fast finals, plus around 30 songs for the Balboa part) - can't really remember my choice now. :)
Will post that when I get to my laptop.

Since I'm in small group mode right now, I will contribute two hard-driving songs by Rex Stewart's Big Eight from 1944:

I'm True To You (220 bpm)
The Little Goose (225 bpm)

subst wrote:can't really remember my choice now.
Will post that when I get to my laptop.

Thanks

As well as the list I posted last time, you could try:

Swingtime Up in Harlem, Tommy Dorsey

Born To Swing
One Night Stand
both by Artie Shaw

Swinging In The Promised Land, Edgar Hayes

Haydn wrote:Just out of interest Dmitry, which song did you use when you asked this question in 2009? ;)

Here are the setlists.

Apr 2009:
All Skate:
Jimmie Lunceford - Blues In The Groove - 215
Jam:
Artie Shaw - Man From Mars - 226
Harry James - Shorty George - 220
Duke Ellington - Rockin' In Rhythm - 218
Benny Goodman - Bugle Call Rag - 240

Feb 2010:
All Skate:
Benny Goodman - Pick-A-Rib - 209
Jam:
Artie Shaw - Carioca - 217
Count Basie - Texas Shuffle - 237
Larry Clinton - Military Madcaps - 238
Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford Special - 236

No revelations here. :)

If you are really looking for something different , how about some 1950's Western Swing?
Billy Jack Wills, C Jam Blues (1952) - 240
Pee Wee King, Seven Come Eleven (1955) - 210

Or some Hillbilly Boogie?
'Little' Jimmy Dickens, Country Boy Bounce (1956) - 210

And some Hawaiian Jazz for the Balboa contests:
Sol Hoopii, Hula Girl (1933) - 220

Note that I've rounded all the bpm.
Cheers,
Lorenzo

Haydn wrote:

subst wrote:can't really remember my choice now.
Will post that when I get to my laptop.

Thanks

As well as the list I posted last time, you could try:

Swingtime Up in Harlem, Tommy Dorsey

Born To Swing
One Night Stand
both by Artie Shaw

Swinging In The Promised Land, Edgar Hayes

agree on one night stand, its an absolute belter in my humble opinion....
one of those you can go bal to shag to fast lindy, a good demo track!

Gong-Oh wrote:If you are really looking for something different , how about some 1950's Western Swing?
Billy Jack Wills, C Jam Blues (1952) - 240
Pee Wee King, Seven Come Eleven (1955) - 210

Or some Hillbilly Boogie?
'Little' Jimmy Dickens, Country Boy Bounce (1956) - 210

And some Hawaiian Jazz for the Balboa contests:
Sol Hoopii, Hula Girl (1933) - 220

Note that I've rounded all the bpm.
Cheers,
Lorenzo

There's a brilliant version of 'Whoa Babe' by Bob Wills getting around here in Australia atm which is about 200bpm that'd rock. Dunno the date, though, but there's a copy on emusic. There're a bunch of copies of that song, actually, and a lot of them are really fun. Maybe not quite fast enough if you want fast.

dogpossum wrote: There's a brilliant version of 'Whoa Babe' by Bob Wills getting around here in Australia atm which is about 200bpm that'd rock. Dunno the date, though, but there's a copy on emusic.

Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys recorded that version of 'Whoa Babe' in 1938. I like very much the Texas Playboys' 1930s recordings: my favorite Bob Wills' song to DJ from that period is probably I Ain't Got Nobody.

If you are looking for Bob Wills' material for competitions, you could also find something in the Tiffany Transcriptions.

Finally got around to replying to this thread. Some stuff I have used for competitions:

Mills Blue Rhythm Band - Algiers Stomp - 224
Mills Blue Rhythm Band - Barrelhouse - 220
Chick Webb - Stompin At The Savoy - 215
Earl Hines - Cavernism - 225
Chick Webb - Don't Be That Way - 229
Kenny Baker - Red Duster Rag - 218
Gene Krupa - Rhythm Jam - 237