SwingDJs

I thought we had a thread about worst requests ever but it seems to be buried in a couple of threads.

So I'm dj'ing at the Century last Sunday, which is all ages and typically chock full of college age kids. One girl comes up to me and asks for "Jitterbug" by Wham. I stare at her... then she tells me it's in the movie Zoolander. ha ha, guess that gives it credibility. I asked her if it was a swing song, and she said no, but it would be fun to dance to. I've been informed that this song does have some old-school traction however.....

The other requests during the evening I was very pleased with -- the Shim Sham song [which at the Century means Tuxedo Junction], "Blue Moon" and "Frenesi".

Never played it a dance,

But, they do have swing dancing in the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLgfHziJdX0

I imagine that if we were all swing dancing and DJing back in 1984, it would have been a hit in the way that Candyman was a few years back.

I do like to play George Michael's "Fast Love" during my West Coast sets from time to time.

Nathan

djstarr wrote:One girl comes up to me and asks for "Jitterbug" by Wham.

Heh, I've done a routine to that song.

Back in the late 80s and early 90s, they DID sometimes play "Jitterbug" at our swing dances.

Not here or there, but the title is "Wake Me Up before You Go-Go", not "Jitterbug".

I once had a guy who was very insistent that I play a song by Aerosmith. I don't remember the song, but I played it because the organizer told me to.

If people request it and everyone dances to it and has fun, then it's not a bad request.

lipi wrote:Not here or there, but the title is "Wake Me Up before You Go-Go", not "Jitterbug".

lol.... of course I know <that> song. It always helps if the requestor knows the proper title.

Aerosmith did a version of "Big Ten Inch Record", which I know of mostly from the Bullmoose Jackson version. It is off Toys in the Attic, which is probably the most famous Aerosmith record from the 1970s, "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion" are also on the album.

Not a bad song, six count friendly, most people don't realize it is Aerosmith when it is played.

Aerosmith actually played at a show I went to a few years back, not sure if it is a concert standard for them or just something out of the catalog they were throwing in.

Man, you all would die if you came to Albuquerque. Our tuesday night dance features:
Hardcore rockabilly
An endlessly, and dutch, long version of hit the road jack
Hip hop
Peggy Lee's "fever"
Jet
Jason Mraz
Mystikal
and most of the most terrible options from the neo-swing era.

I'm pretty sure if I were there I would not have heard all that stuff. I'd maybe last 30 minutes before I'd have to get out of there. It sounds liken not only was it not swing music but it was completely random music. Was it a newbie DJ?

turin wrote: An endlessly, and dutch, long version of hit the road jack

*want*

Can you get me details on this? (Yes, I'm serious.)

i was asked to play cotton eye joe and achy breaky heart at a gig last saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know this isn't exactly the type of request this thread is talking about but I had one from last Saturday:

"Can you teach us some cool moves?"

Granted I taught the drop-in lesson but....still.

I was in DC for an event a while back (March 2011), and they totally played 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go' in the Spanish Ballroom on a band break in a non-ironic way. It was a major event, but the organizers weren't really on point for appealing to the more knowledgeable dancers.

I think the worst request I received recently was for '20s' music at a 'Roaring 20s' art show. I was playing actual 20s stuff (Fess Williams, Hal Kemp, Fletcher Henderson, etc), and I offered to let the person who wouldn't listen plug in for a few songs. He played Glenn Miller and His Army Air Force Band.