How Do You Organise Your Play Box?

[paultp]

The "Do DJ's Know" thread in the All About Soul forum got me thinking about how DJ's decide what to play and having decided; how do they find the record quickly. Someone said that a DJ couldn't have enough records to play a bit of everything in their set and I'm not sure that is true.

So to start off I will reveal the secret organisation of my humble play box (which I have not used in anger for about 2 years due to buying the pub, which I am now selling - hint to promoters), it's a 200 box with 2 partitions running front to back.

(I am looking at the box from above with the front at the bottom):

Top left: What I think of as uptempo oldies that everyone will know e.g. Yvonne Baker, O'Jays, Steinways, Majestics etc etc taking up a bit more than a third of this side

Middle left: 70's stuff (or later ) including at the moment Philharmonics - I Need, INeed Your Love (is this 70's?), Celeste Hardie, Rhonda Davis, Constellations, 21st Century - Shadow of a Memory, Continental 4, Barbara Hall - You Brought it on Yourself, Linda Perry etc (another third)

Front Left: MOTOWN !!! (the rest of the left hand side)

Top right: Some mid-tempo & potential enders e.g. Kurt Harris, Rose St John - Fool Don't Laugh, The Jive Five - Then Came Heartbreak, Jackey Beavers - Bring Me All of Your Heartaches etc (about 10 - 15 records)

Middle right: R&B & oddball stuff - at the moment this takes up over half of that side (ooh-er!) Some examples: Chyvonne Scott, Jimmy Ricks - Daddy Rollin Stone, Fabulous Playboys, Drapers, Anna King - Mama's got a Bag of her Own, a couple of Dorothy Williamss and Dorothy Berrys, Roscoe Gordon - You've Got My Bait etc

Front right: Everything else! I would normally start playing from this bit and see where things go. Just looking through this it contains Athens Rogues, Johnny Bartel, John Bowie, Cam Cameron, Sheila Ferguson - And in Return, 3 Emmanuel Laskeys, Heartbreakers, Jock Mitchell, Trends, Vontastics etc Seems to be a predominance of detroit in this bit actually.

Each section is alphabetical, each record is in a paper sleeve and in a white cardboard sleeve with the artist & title on it (the more recently acquired stuff has bigger writing )

I have the presumably common problem of getting new stuff and not being able to take stuff out to make way for it, some tunes which should be in the box are James Phelps - Don't Be a Cry Baby, Boss Four - Walkin By (thanks to the mid-tempo thread), Carl Carlton - I Can Feel It, Chuck Wright - The Palm of My Hand, Dushons, Vernon Harrell - If This Ain't Love (Ain't No Cows In Texas).

Anyway, I've shown you mine now you show me yours then I'm off to sort mine out again.

Edited June 6, 2006 by paultp

[Dave Rimmer]

The "Do DJ's Know" thread in the All About Soul forum got me thinking about how DJ's decide what to play and having decided; how do they find the record quickly. Someone said that a DJ couldn't have enough records to play a bit of everything in their set and I'm not sure that is true.

So to start off I will reveal the secret organisation of my humble play box (which I have not used in anger for about 2 years due to buying the pub, which I am now selling - hint to promoters), it's a 200 box with 2 partitions running front to back.

(I am looking at the box from above with the front at the bottom):

Top left: What I think of as uptempo oldies that everyone will know e.g. Yvonne Baker, O'Jays, Steinways, Majestics etc etc taking up a bit more than a third of this side

Middle left: 70's stuff (or later ) including at the moment Philharmonics - I Need, INeed Your Love (is this 70's?), Celeste Hardie, Rhonda Davis, Constellations, 21st Century - Shadow of a Memory, Continental 4, Barbara Hall - You Brought it on Yourself, Linda Perry etc (another third)

Front Left: MOTOWN !!! (the rest of the left hand side)

Top right: Some mid-tempo & potential enders e.g. Kurt Harris, Rose St John - Fool Don't Laugh, The Jive Five - Then Came Heartbreak, Jackey Beavers - Bring Me All of Your Heartaches etc (about 10 - 15 records)

Middle right: R&B & oddball stuff - at the moment this takes up over half of that side (ooh-er!) Some examples: Chyvonne Scott, Jimmy Ricks - Daddy Rollin Stone, Fabulous Playboys, Drapers, Anna King - Mama's got a Bag of her Own, a couple of Dorothy Williamss and Dorothy Berrys, Roscoe Gordon - You've Got My Bait etc

Front right: Everything else! I would normally start playing from this bit and see where things go. Just looking through this it contains Athens Rogues, Johnny Bartel, John Bowie, Cam Cameron, Sheila Ferguson - And in Return, 3 Emmanuel Laskeys, Heartbreakers, Jock Mitchell, Trends, Vontastics etc Seems to be a predominance of detroit in this bit actually.

Each section is alphabetical, each record is in a paper sleeve and in a white cardboard sleeve with the artist & title on it (the more recently acquired stuff has bigger writing )

I have the presumably common problem of getting new stuff and not being able to take stuff out to make way for it, some tunes which should be in the box are James Phelps - Don't Be a Cry Baby, Boss Four - Walkin By (thanks to the mid-tempo thread), Carl Carlton - I Can Feel It, Chuck Wright - The Palm of My Hand, Dushons, Vernon Harrell - If This Ain't Love (Ain't No Cows In Texas).

Anyway, I've shown you mine now you show me yours then I'm off to sort mine out again.

Dead simple....alphabetically by artist surname, front to back.

[SteveM]

Dead simple....alphabetically by artist surname, front to back.

Thats unbelievable Dave. Both of us coming up with that left field idea

[Dave Rimmer]

Thats unbelievable Dave. Both of us coming up with that left field idea

[steve z]

The "Do DJ's Know" thread in the All About Soul forum got me thinking about how DJ's decide what to play and having decided; how do they find the record quickly. Someone said that a DJ couldn't have enough records to play a bit of everything in their set and I'm not sure that is true.

So to start off I will reveal the secret organisation of my humble play box (which I have not used in anger for about 2 years due to buying the pub, which I am now selling - hint to promoters), it's a 200 box with 2 partitions running front to back.

(I am looking at the box from above with the front at the bottom):

Top left: What I think of as uptempo oldies that everyone will know e.g. Yvonne Baker, O'Jays, Steinways, Majestics etc etc taking up a bit more than a third of this side

Middle left: 70's stuff (or later ) including at the moment Philharmonics - I Need, INeed Your Love (is this 70's?), Celeste Hardie, Rhonda Davis, Constellations, 21st Century - Shadow of a Memory, Continental 4, Barbara Hall - You Brought it on Yourself, Linda Perry etc (another third)

Front Left: MOTOWN !!! (the rest of the left hand side)

Top right: Some mid-tempo & potential enders e.g. Kurt Harris, Rose St John - Fool Don't Laugh, The Jive Five - Then Came Heartbreak, Jackey Beavers - Bring Me All of Your Heartaches etc (about 10 - 15 records)

Middle right: R&B & oddball stuff - at the moment this takes up over half of that side (ooh-er!) Some examples: Chyvonne Scott, Jimmy Ricks - Daddy Rollin Stone, Fabulous Playboys, Drapers, Anna King - Mama's got a Bag of her Own, a couple of Dorothy Williamss and Dorothy Berrys, Roscoe Gordon - You've Got My Bait etc

Front right: Everything else! I would normally start playing from this bit and see where things go. Just looking through this it contains Athens Rogues, Johnny Bartel, John Bowie, Cam Cameron, Sheila Ferguson - And in Return, 3 Emmanuel Laskeys, Heartbreakers, Jock Mitchell, Trends, Vontastics etc Seems to be a predominance of detroit in this bit actually.

Each section is alphabetical, each record is in a paper sleeve and in a white cardboard sleeve with the artist & title on it (the more recently acquired stuff has bigger writing )

I have the presumably common problem of getting new stuff and not being able to take stuff out to make way for it, some tunes which should be in the box are James Phelps - Don't Be a Cry Baby, Boss Four - Walkin By (thanks to the mid-tempo thread), Carl Carlton - I Can Feel It, Chuck Wright - The Palm of My Hand, Dushons, Vernon Harrell - If This Ain't Love (Ain't No Cows In Texas).

Anyway, I've shown you mine now you show me yours then I'm off to sort mine out again.

Hi Paul ,took a bit of time to post this I Just take a few out 300 + depending who I know is playing out before me.I ,sometimes ,do not take with me tunes that may be played before I get the chance!ATB Steve

[Modernsoulsucks]

Alphabetically by surname for SINGLE artists, shirley. And by first letter of group name but divide into Motown,Detroit, Modern[very very small box]and Northern.

Dave and Steve M hit on a novel and interesting idea there but as you can see it took a Northener to refine it to perfection

The only drawback is that I can never own 45s by such as Rubin or Tate due to lack of surname and Little Ritchie causes many a sleepless night. And that goes for Paris too.

Do the words "retentive" and "anal" strike a chord. What order would you put those in.

I can talk. I have spider[3-prong] middles in all my USA stuff and they're all the same way round [like a Y] and I wanna know who's been messing with my 45s when they're not.

So, I have to agree that the alphabet is the fella for you but don't drink cos if you're anything like me after 5 or 6 I can't even remember the betalpha although my new found best mates tend to make up for it.

ROD

Ps Forget Mr. Roberts. This is the stuff of Northern collecting!!!

[Guest Baz]

Quality 60's*** from front to back in both lanes of a 200 box

Never can be arsed sorting them out like that as im always delving in and playing them so they just end up in a mess anyway, plus if your playing out it makes for some frantic fun of trying to flick through 200 records in less then 2.5 mins

*** with the exception of a couple of early seventys

[Modernsoulsucks]

Paul,I'd ignore that last post by Baz. An untidy box is a small step from satanism in my book. You always put the 45 back inthe same place it came out of with the A-side outward and aligned so you can read the artist and title.

Baz is obviously trying to drive you to distraction whereby you end up leaving the scene and selling your records at a knock-down price to Mrs. Baz, who will claim to be no relation.

He has a history of doing this. He told my mate there was no B in the alphabet and got Jimmy Burns original off him for 3s/6d.

ROD

[Tony Smith]

All instrumentals by label order!

[Guest Baz]

Paul,I'd ignore that last post by Baz. An untidy box is a small step from satanism in my book. You always put the 45 back inthe same place it came out of with the A-side outward and aligned so you can read the artist and title.

Baz is obviously trying to drive you to distraction whereby you end up leaving the scene and selling your records at a knock-down price to Mrs. Baz, who will claim to be no relation.

He has a history of doing this. He told my mate there was no B in the alphabet and got Jimmy Burns original off him for 3s/6d.

ROD

Brilliant

I'd love to show you and Paul my box, you'd have a heart attack on the spot

It does run in alphabetical order but the order goes a little some thing like G T W M S U P and so on

[Ted Massey]

Paul,I'd ignore that last post by Baz. An untidy box is a small step from satanism in my book. You always put the 45 back inthe same place it came out of with the A-side outward and aligned so you can read the artist and title.

Baz is obviously trying to drive you to distraction whereby you end up leaving the scene and selling your records at a knock-down price to Mrs. Baz, who will claim to be no relation.

He has a history of doing this. He told my mate there was no B in the alphabet and got Jimmy Burns original off him for 3s/6d.

ROD

Hi Rod

this rings true when ever Pep was looking through a box he allways moved them round in the sleeve so the label name was at the top

[Guest Rowly]

What does organise mean?

[Modernsoulsucks]

And that Ted is because Pep is a Northener, and not many people know that as Mr.Caine from Huddersfield is credited with saying.

I find myself doing it now looking through sales boxes. I mean you don't look through boxes stood on your head or lying horizontal on your side. I then send the miscreant home to tidy his bedroom and put his CDs back in the correct cases.

Bring back National Service. Flogging is too good for them but quite pleasurable between consenting adults.

ROD

[paultp]

Dead simple....alphabetically by artist surname, front to back.

Yeah, but it is a lot easier when you only take 20 records

[paultp]

Paul,I'd ignore that last post by Baz. An untidy box is a small step from satanism in my book. You always put the 45 back inthe same place it came out of with the A-side outward and aligned so you can read the artist and title.

Baz is obviously trying to drive you to distraction whereby you end up leaving the scene and selling your records at a knock-down price to Mrs. Baz, who will claim to be no relation.

He has a history of doing this. He told my mate there was no B in the alphabet and got Jimmy Burns original off him for 3s/6d.

ROD

Rod, I have read your posts and suspect you are ribbing me, suggesting that I am anally retentive in some way. I would say more but I have to go and sort out my underwear draw (top left).

[SteveM]

Alphabetically by surname for SINGLE artists, shirley. And by first letter of group name but divide into Motown,Detroit, Modern[very very small box]and Northern.

Dave and Steve M hit on a novel and interesting idea there but as you can see it took a Northener to refine it to perfection

The only drawback is that I can never own 45s by such as Rubin or Tate due to lack of surname and Little Ritchie causes many a sleepless night. And that goes for Paris too.

Do the words "retentive" and "anal" strike a chord. What order would you put those in.

I can talk. I have spider[3-prong] middles in all my USA stuff and they're all the same way round [like a Y] and I wanna know who's been messing with my 45s when they're not.

So, I have to agree that the alphabet is the fella for you but don't drink cos if you're anything like me after 5 or 6 I can't even remember the betalpha although my new found best mates tend to make up for it.

ROD

Ps Forget Mr. Roberts. This is the stuff of Northern collecting!!!

Plain covers or Artists name/title or both Rod ?

[Guest Stuart T]

Never can be arsed sorting them out like that as im always delving in and playing them so they just end up in a mess anyway, plus if your playing out it makes for some frantic fun of trying to flick through 200 records in less then 2.5 mins

With you on that one. Its amazing what you can claim is perfectly suitable to follow the record playing when you're down to 15 seconds left (they look like they need a breather etc ). I did try putting them in colour order but a particularly long debate about the difference between beige and yellow and the inability to come up with a policy on shades of green (is it green or avocado?) scuppered that particular idea.

[paultp]

With you on that one. Its amazing what you can claim is perfectly suitable to follow the record playing when you're down to 15 seconds left (they look like they need a breather etc ). I did try putting them in colour order but a particularly long debate about the difference between beige and yellow and the inability to come up with a policy on shades of green (is it green or avocado?) scuppered that particular idea.

Only a southerner would have have to differentiate between green & avocado. BTW what is beige?

[Guest Stuart T]

BTW what is beige?

The colour your pants go if you don't change them for six weeks. Probably.

You can't distinuish between green and avocado as avocado is green, but you can differentiate, for instance, between avocado and magenta.

[Val (Chunky)]

I prefer olive drab for 60's and lime green for 70's

Edited June 7, 2006 by Chunky

[Guest claude rains]

The "Do DJ's Know"

Stored on shelves, rather than boxes.

I have Labels, then artist surmame or group name all in alphabetical order.Helps me remember what records on what label.

If doing a spot, records are put in play box in any order, usually order of play, though not always that thought out.

[Modernsoulsucks]

Plain covers or Artists name/title or both Rod ?

Steve, Im glad you've entered into the spirit of the thread with what is a very important question.

I think that unless an experienced practioner of the ancient Oriental art of calligraphy it were best to leave the cardboard covers in their original pristine whiteness. Stay away from covers of a different hue, such as the pink ones that my wife brought me back from the Beatin 'Rhythm emporium in Manchester, as they tend to attract innuendo and outright ridicule.

An inner sleeve is a "de rigeur" and I suggest "red" for Detroit 45s and "green" for Northern but feel free to choose your own colour scheme should you wish to do it wrong. I've not decided as yet on the Motown but I think something to match the curtains.

Avocado and magenta should be avoided at all costs as you don't want to end up looking like Rumpole of the Bailey after repeated long lunches paid for by clients whose names are preceeded by words like "Mad" or "Butcher".

ROD

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

All in a box is Motown Northern soul singles A-Z, all Northern soul and related ie Funky Northern A-Z dead simple. All other soul records me and dad own are in a spare room with other genres basically i sort them into 60's,70's,80's and 90's soul, Disco, Funk, Philly, R & B, Rap and Motown songs that are not Northern

Edited June 8, 2006 by WPaulVanDyk

[Dave Moore]

Steve, Im glad you've entered into the spirit of the thread with what is a very important question.

I think that unless an experienced practioner of the ancient Oriental art of calligraphy it were best to leave the cardboard covers in their original pristine whiteness. Stay away from covers of a different hue, such as the pink ones that my wife brought me back from the Beatin 'Rhythm emporium in Manchester, as they tend to attract innuendo and outright ridicule.

An inner sleeve is a "de rigeur" and I suggest "red" for Detroit 45s and "green" for Northern but feel free to choose your own colour scheme should you wish to do it wrong. I've not decided as yet on the Motown but I think something to match the curtains.

Avocado and magenta should be avoided at all costs as you don't want to end up looking like Rumpole of the Bailey after repeated long lunches paid for by clients whose names are preceeded by words like "Mad" or "Butcher".

ROD

ROD,

I'm afraid I'm now left with no choice but to throw suspicion and aspersions on your claim to be a true Norvener. This is a public forum and in the above post you have used "words" to decribe the hues of said 45 sleeves as "Avoc*do" "Mag*nta" and of course the give a way was use of the work "P*nk". To use these words in connection with things vinyl related is Northern heracy, unless of course you are one of thoses strange "touchy feely types' that allow their female Mates access to their liccleblackplastikfingswotweluvs&treshures. This is of couse a dead givaway that your actual birthright must be further South than you claim as we all know that these colours are actually:

Brown

Green

Pale Red

As for organising record boxes it's simple:

White Demos in box

Rest on floor!

Regards,

Dave

www.hitsvillesoulclub.com

[Modernsoulsucks]

Dave, well that's rich coming from a tax exile such as yourself as you sit around the pool sipping your chilled pale ale.

If you'd cared to stay in touch with your roots you would have known that avocado and magenta are this season's racing colours for whippets and pigeons respectively.

I am horrified that you should dispute my Northern credentials,which are as large if not quite as firm as they once were.

I was born a stone's throw from a dark satanic mill which has now been converted into tasteful bijou apartments incorporating a fine bistro but I will never forget when we could only afford to have an 80" plasma TV in one room.

I suggest you take your egg-shell white demos and shove.....

Cordially yours

ROD

[Kev Connellan]

What does organise mean?

mmm, I was wondering that Rowly

my box = new arrivals at front............... everything else all mixed up. Adds to the excitement

lost count of the times I've searched for a record during a spot, only to find its at home