SwingDJs

Obviously, lots of tunes can be used for the Big Apple, but what are the popular ones around the country.

I used "Every Tub" the other night and it seemed to work pretty well, although a bit fast for those not confident with the footwork.

I guess Lionel Hampton's Flying Home.

Not sure if that is the standard everywhere, but if you play that song in Austin. there is a 100% chance of a Big Apple forming.

Nathan

Nate Dogg wrote:I guess Lionel Hampton's Flying Home.

Not sure if that is the standard everywhere, but if you play that song in Austin. there is a 100% chance of a Big Apple forming.

Nathan

Ditto here in South Florida.

I personally find that annoying... either folks do Big Apple or they stand around watching other people do Big Apple. They hardly ever Lindy to the song, which is what I want to do.

So I'm interested in breaking the habit.

Tina

That sucks. Nothing worse than a good song (*cough* Jumpin' at the Woodside *cough*) becoming a jam-only, line-dance-only song.

In Dallas, only a few people know Big Apple and those who generally do it just relearned it. It is generally done to "Every Tub" as Jerry's calves can no doubt attest. I'm looking at some other pieces too, like burning a copy of the Big Apple song from Killer Diller (it is KD, right).

Kalman

Here we only do jams to Jumpin' at the Woodside when our favorite band is gracious enough to play it at the end of the night.

Maybe it's just not fast enough for a jam otherwise?
I've mostly heard it spun when the energy seems sufficiently high to keep lots of us out on the floor.

I'll say something intelligent about a suggestion later. Back to my French paper.

if you are looking for a medium tempo song to do Whiteys Big Apple too, try Mills Blue Rhythms version of Big Johns Special. Swinging tune, fast enough to not make the movements seem silly, and the song ends at the exact same time Whitey's Big Apple does.

If you are doing the actual social big apple, that would be a whole different set of songs.

Nate Dogg wrote:I guess Lionel Hampton's Flying Home.

Not sure if that is the standard everywhere, but if you play that song in Austin. there is a 100% chance of a Big Apple forming.

Nathan

Man, that song is built for Swingouts!!!

Kalman

get some ringers to start doing big apple to a song that isn't the default. then play the default right after the big apple. people will get the message. i hope.

Good call, Julius.

No offense to Dallas, as we have a great scene but...

A good friend of mine tells me that a jam circle broke out last Saturday and there were 2-3 couples or whatever. Man, he's all excited that there's a jam circle.

Turns out it's right after Big Apple, during which people just stop dancing and stand around anyway. Lately, we've been filling that gap between the BA and the end of the song with fast Lindy and now it's become a "jam circle."

Eep.

How can you avoid from killing the momentum if one group decides to do Big Apple? How can you keep the dance going and keep it from being an unintentional performance piece?

Kalman

Folks here have been practicing the Big Apple to Lionel Hampton's Flying Home - so if the folks who know it well are in the crowd, you are guaranteed a Big Apple when you spin it --- which is fun in some cases when you want to promote it, which we did in preparation for the last Jitterbug Weekend because we all learned it to do a social big apple.

I'll play Benny Goodman's Flying Home as a tease sometimes since it's quite a bit slower (a speed that I can actually do the Big Apple at ).

However, I've seen the Big Apple done to other songs - ones that are similar tempo and feel to LH's Flying Home.

I think if you are pretty sure that a group will do the Big Apple, pick a time when it would be nice for everyone else to take a break and watch (like after playing a couple of barn burners).


and for some reason the Shim-Sham is starting to be popular again - Tuxedo Junction has been played at some of the Sunday dances where we have a lot of newbies and everyone comes out and does the Shim-Sham --- however I don't know anyone who is teaching it right now - it is a mystery to me where the new folks are learning it.

You should start playing the "Reunion At Newport" version of Flying Home.... all 8+ minutes of it.

GuruReuben wrote:You should start playing the "Reunion At Newport" version of Flying Home.... all 8+ minutes of it.

Every now and then the DJ will play the another version of Flying Home(sometimes intentionally, sometimes by accident) The dancers will hear get confused, some of them get downright peeved.

It can be funny to watch, all the choreography goes to pot.

Nathan

djstarr wrote:
I think if you are pretty sure that a group will do the Big Apple, pick a time when it would be nice for everyone else to take a break and watch (like after playing a couple of barn burners).

A couple of barn burners would clear the floor here (damn shame). Big Apple sucks to low-tempo, low-energy songs, so how does it help to keep it exclusive?

and for some reason the Shim-Sham is starting to be popular again - Tuxedo Junction has been played at some of the Sunday dances where we have a lot of newbies and everyone comes out and does the Shim-Sham --- however I don't know anyone who is teaching it right now - it is a mystery to me where the new folks are learning it.

People teach Shim Sham to each other all the time. It's never gone from the Dallas scene for long, but now people are dead set on doing it "Frankie's version."

Kalman

Nate Dogg wrote: Every now and then the DJ will play the another version of Flying Home(sometimes intentionally, sometimes by accident) The dancers will hear get confused, some of them get downright peeved.

How dare you play something new & different? If you're getting pissed because the DJ played a different, swinging version of a swing standard, then maybe you're not mature enough to be a swing dancer.

I mean, you need the temperment of a 4 year old not to pout because they didn't play the only version you know.

Kalman

mousethief wrote: It's never gone from the Dallas scene for long, but now people are dead set on doing it "Frankie's version."

Kalman

You mean to Chick Webb's "Stompin' At The Savoy?"