Why Dont D.j.s Use The Mike

[Guest rachel]

If you dont use a microphone DONT DJ !!!! You might as well set a juke box up on stage

If you just stick one record after another how pointless is that

You still need to choose the records, decide what order to put them on in, what sounds best together... as Dayo said it's perfectly possibly to stamp your personality on a set without talking, but maybe that's just too subtle a concept for some people.

Out of curiosity, where/when did the talking over the mic start (soul scene-wise)?

[Guest Baz]

Out of curiosity, where/when did the talking over the mic start (soul scene-wise)?

Think alot to do with it was the fact of just having one record player, so some talking in-between while sorting the next record out?

I think i read about that some where

[Guest rachel]

Think alot to do with it was the fact of just having one record player, so some talking in-between while sorting the next record out?

I think i read about that some where

Well they should have just been quicker and all this nonsense would never have started

[stomper45]

why cant all dj's, arrive on time, avoid playin someone elses current spin, stop lookin down at their feet, keep hands outa pockets, wear a funny nose and flashin lights, dance the can-can whilst reciting poetry and be able to perform all this without feckin the decks up for the next Jimmy Saville.

[FrankM]

Out of curiosity, where/when did the talking over the mic start (soul scene-wise)?

It was always sort of there. Live bands were the thing and the singer would keep the chat going in between songs and do a bit of patter and introduce the next number. DJ's were brought in to support the bands and they'd talk over the records in between etc. They'd remind you who was on next week, give out other club news, plug the hot dogs (Check out Georgie Fame live at The Flamingo). When the bands went Heavy, DJ's took over and just kept on talking. It was always twin decks usually a pair of garrard sp 25's although some clubs had Thorens. In Jamaica DJ's spoke in between whilst their selector stuck a record on the sole deck.

Meanwhile in Europe (and new York) DJ' just spun the records. They didn't mix. there was also a fashion for English DJ's at European discos.

I had this theory when mobile discos came in there were always two guys. One who built the thing and was technically adept and he may even have bought the records and his flamboyant pal would spin them in between his cahts. And chat ups. His mate might take over for a bit. Maybe warm up the decks for him and maybe later on give him a break whilst he chases the bird. As commercial radio stations started up some DJ's thought they might get a start. It was moreapparent with Pub DJ's who would have cart machines or a cassette deck buiklt in with jingles. Time checks and last orders maybe but weather checks?

This provoked a quiet rebellion amongst music fans who believed the music should speak for itself and were aware of the Euopean style of DJ'ing. They did not want compared to the Tony Blackburn clones.

Northern Soul being a retro scene carried on the original chat tradition.

I thought Goodfoot had never used mics till Colin Law said he'd used one in the early days. I then found out the Manageress at the Bedist waked into the gym hall and heard a whole load of swear words coming from the stage so mics were banned. When Colin and Lenny did the twelfth anniversary I brought a Mic in and It took me two hours to edit out the sweary bits before I could broadcast it on radiomagnetic.

[Stateside]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before but it's horses for courses, some people shouldn't be allowed to speak in public and I would rather have a short "that was or this is" than someone rambling on killing the mood of the dancers. My favourite comment was at The Orwell when the dj ( I forget which one) played "The Players - Why did I lie" and called it thinking mans Northern Soul - spot on!

[Guest remus]

oh, and also, a DJ knows how to set a sound system up so you CAN hear what they are saying

I just skipped the last few pages, I like the D.J to tell me what I just listened to or , if it was rockin, what I just danced to. or is it a f trade secret. Get over the nerves or the ego. The music is bigger than u

[Boogaloo]

This ain't grumpy Warren. You wanna see me on a Tuesday after an Allnighter / Weekender. That's grumpy - Just ask my Mrs!

"Kids, stay in your rooms and lock the doors. And don't come out til I tell you it's safe."

[Guest bertie97]

Dj's in my opinion must talk.It's been mentioned about R.Banks.A great

dj,knows how to put a record across.I book DJ's not collectors and for

one reason,my customers want a good night out,and a bit of a laugh.Don't take it to serious.Come and see it for yourself.

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Edited August 15, 2006 by bertie97

[Guest]

Maybe we should have some signers at the side of the stage,waving there arms about all over the place,like them they have on the BBC every night,so they can repeat everything ,never know they`ed probberly win the dancing compitition at Stoke if you seen the dance comp thread,you`ll know what i mean,djs wont need to talk then? .Bet we`d still argue,what signing language to use,BSL and there is another,or would this only be PC if the DJ was Deaf/Dumb? serious question.

In the end,do what ya feel,if it works good,if it dont?

Edited August 15, 2006 by ken

[Madmandy]

What do you class as the role a DJ plays.Is it to bring us poular and / or unknown sounds. Is it to inform us. Is it to entertain us. Is it to educate us .Is it to trick us. How can somone DJ and not use the mike. Does he then just become a human jukebox.

Dave

this is one of my pet hates as a punter

I like the DJ to anounce what the record is and who by so I can learn as I still have a lot to learn

Mand :O) thicky soulie

[Guest Stuart T]

If you dont use a microphone DONT DJ !!!! You might as well set a juke box up on stage

If you just stick one record after another how pointless is that

Plus why for that matter do promoters advertise Dj's if they simply come along and put tunes on Sometimes I think the whole scene needs a boot up the backside and as previously mentioned You can get a monkey to play 20 records in an hour without saying anything and he would get one right that's more that I can say for some of the people playing at events these days

Hmm, what can a DJ add without using the mic? Well, for a start his or her records, unless they're the same as everyone elses. And then there is playing them in something approaching the right order. And thirdly, not waffling away when they should be getting the next record started. But I guess the first two don't matter as long as you shout something or other about the wrong US city for the label. Personally find the mic really naff unless there is something really worth saying. Or for disquising needleburn on the intro.

[Guest Stuart T]

why cant all dj's, arrive on time, avoid playin someone elses current spin, stop lookin down at their feet, keep hands outa pockets, wear a funny nose and flashin lights, dance the can-can whilst reciting poetry and be able to perform all this without feckin the decks up for the next Jimmy Saville.

Personally I don't htink a DJ should get behind the decks unless he or she can queue up the records whilst bouncing up and down on a pogo stick. Otherwise you might as well just plug in an MP3 player and get one of those human statue people to DJ.

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

To me a DJ is someone who can play some tunes and can use a mic after some of the songs to tell what has and will be played not to waffle on and on but simple talk about what was played so we know.

Why do we want to ask the DJ what is played if you keep asking for whole set list when he should and could tell us while he DJ's

simple play the song and after say that was Jackie Wilson - Because of you, now for some Ann Sexton maybe just maybe you can mention a little fact as some might be suprised by it. If you play after someone else then you could start with thanks to the DJ who played before me and you got me for next hour so enjoy and i start with the classic Frank Wilson.

Basically no point in just playing records or else they might aswell buy a jukebox and have songs programmed in

[Guest Stuart T]

To me a DJ is someone who can play some tunes and can use a mic after some of the songs to tell what has and will be played not to waffle on and on but simple talk about what was played so we know.

Why do we want to ask the DJ what is played if you keep asking for whole set list when he should and could tell us while he DJ's

simple play the song and after say that was Jackie Wilson - Because of you, now for some Ann Sexton maybe just maybe you can mention a little fact as some might be suprised by it. If you play after someone else then you could start with thanks to the DJ who played before me and you got me for next hour so enjoy and i start with the classic Frank Wilson.

Basically no point in just playing records or else they might aswell buy a jukebox and have songs programmed in

Well, if a set consists of material like that I can see why a DJ would need to do some speaking on the mic to try to make it a bit more interesting. Anyway, I've been practising on my pogo stick all week and I've almost got the hang of it.