Hey Mr.d.j. Play My Requests

[Guest vinylvixen]

How many times have you wanted to ask for a record to be played, you don't want to upset the d.j but you just want to hear your favourite tunes to liven up your evening..............heres a few I would request:

Dana Valery - You Babe

Harold Melvin & The BlueNotes - Tell Me Why

Main Ingredient - Have You Ever Tried It/ Looks Like Rain/Evening of Love

Barrett Strong - Is It True

General Johnson - Don't Walk Away

Zoom - Love Seasons

Ron Henderson & Choice of Colours - Your Love

what would you request?

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Well as Mrs Deejay, I'd be delighted if you came up and asked me for Main Ingredient 'Have you ever tried it' or 'Looks like rain'. Both class tunes and a reflection of your good taste Sticking with the RCA label, I'd go and ask for Friends of Distinction 'Long time coming my way'..........Jo

[Guest vinylvixen]

Personally i think there are too many dj's for a night of northern soul, maybe too many cooks spoil the broth, i think anymore than 2 or 3 just for a few hours is overkill. This is just my opinion, but i think as a dj gets the feel for the dancefloor he has to hand over the decks, and its because of this they are maybe reluctant to play the requests as they are in competition maybe with the other dj's, and instead of playing for the crowd they are actualy playing for their ego's....well just a theory anyway

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He or she...........remember the ladies on the decks From a deejays point of view I prefer to do two 45 minute sets so I can give a different 'flavour' to each set. My attention span and support tights are normally beginning to waiver after 45 minutes IMHO, the audience get more variety (hopefully) if the deejays sets are split like this. It's a shame if there is a feeling of competition at a night.......I've always thought the idea of a dj line-up was to compliment each others styles.......am I being naieve? If I get a booking at a venue I've not been to before, I will always ask the promoter what the residents play that get the crowd out of their seats. There are regional differences........RnB is bigger in some areas, 7Ts is the music of preference in others, etc. But I try to go with a cross section..... Jo

[Guest Baz]

on the subject of requests i have been asked on several occations can you play the snake , frank wilson ect and i have to say please dont ask me that its not what im about? i would never play something i didnt like i think DJ's should reflect there spots on what tunes do it for them. A promoter books a DJ for what they will play a punter will travel to listen to what they will play its like me goiing down to the 100 club and asking butch to play out on the floor as for big soul man saying a younger person shouldnt DJ well im 25 do a bit hear and there and genrely i think i do a not bad job on the odd occation i get behind the decks i dont see what age has got to do with spinning tunes as long as it comes from inside who gives a toss take tommy potts a supurb young DJ got the tunes and that spark what alot of DJs lack

[Guest the dukester]

When I get asked to play something, i'll only play it if it will fit in or I have time to change the tempo or style of my set, I've done that quiet a few times if i'm playing stompers and someone asks for a midtempo 70's track i'll change the direction that my set is heading in, so I can play it.

Heres a question for the dj's..

I've been asked in the past for a record that I havn't got, when I've said i havn't got it, I've been told by the person asking that another Dj that has been on has it.. And I should lend it off them, would you ask another DJ to lend a record, I know Andrew said Derek got it from a sales box, but asking another DJ, would you?

I'll be honest here I wouldn't.

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I WAS ASKED FOR AL WILLIAMS BY A REGULAR SOULIE AT OUR DO IN FEB, I DONT HAVE IT, BUT I LIKE TO IF I CAN, TRY AND FIND THE TUNES THEY ASK FOR AND PLAY EM AT THE FOLLOWING MONTHS SOUL NIGHT, ON THIS OCCASION I COULDNT FIND A COPY FOR LESS THAN £MEGA BUCKS!!!!!!( I DONT HAVE THAT SORT OF CASH CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF) SO ASKED A MATE OF MINE IF I COULD BORROW HIS FOR FEB'S DO HE OBLIGED AND I PLAYED IT FOR THEM. WHAT A MATE EH BUT AS A RULE ON THE NIGHT, IF I AINT GOT IT I JUST SAY I AINT GOT IT AND ASK IS THERE ANOTHER TUNE I CAN PLAY YOU? I PREFER THE PAPER APPROACH, THEY JOT DOWN A FEW TUNES, YOU PLAY WHAT YOU CAN OFF THE LIST SEEMS FAIR ENOUGH TO ME. LEAVE IT THERE FOR THE NEXT DJ WHO MIGHT HAVE THE ONES YOU HAVENT GOT.

[Guest Rowly]

Like others have said... if it's in the box and I can fit it in I'll play it. If I don't have it I'll say so. Scribble it on a bit of paper preferably, I'm gettin deaf in my old age!

As it goes, I was just into the last 10 mins of my first set at Shake on Friday night, and up until that point apart from the odd one or two being drawn to the floor, dancing wise the night still hadn't properly kicked off. Andy BB came asked for Ray Agee... which didn't jarr too badly with the Lou Rawls tune that was currently playing so I put it up next. He had a dance as did a few others ... and from there on the floor was busy through till the end at 2am.

Edited April 4, 2005 by Rowly

[Guest Andy BB]

You can trust me to fill the floor Rowly

Unless I'm DJing of course.

Incidentally I'm after a tune that I've had repeated requests for recently, must be taking off.

Not sure of the artist but the song is called "Hey you, Get off, You're sh*t"

[Guest]

You can trust me to fill the floor Rowly 

Unless I'm DJing of course.

Incidentally I'm after a tune that I've had repeated requests for recently, must be taking off.

Not sure of the artist but the song is called "Hey you, Get off, You're sh*t"

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Got it!its by B f***-knows,top tune but ya not having it!. Ken

[Guest in town Mikey]

Got it!its by B f***-knows,top tune but ya not having it!. Ken

link

Got it too.

Wont play it, its not of the right persuasion....

[Guest]

Got it too.

Wont play it, its not of the right persuasion....

link

[Dave Abbott]

cant be bothered to go back and find the couple of posts that i am refering to; so wont

I agree; the promoter should be largely responsible for a DJ not playing the right sounds for that particular club (unless of course he had heard said DJ play a quite a few spanking sixties oldies sets and the DJ turns up and plays disco)

Agree again - if you have a record in your box; then it should be good enough to play, otherwise leave it at home. And if its requested and fits in with the set then play the bloody thing (or pretend you've never heard of it sshh)

I was djing in Morden one night a few years back and someone asked me for "3 gays in a bar". Thats what can happen when you let non-soulies in to do's.

And no, I didnt have it (well, i did i just pretended I didnt Ssshh)

[Scallybob]

If a DJ is asked for a record but "it's not what he's about" I think he/she should politely tell the person requesting it that he will write it down and ask one of the following jocks to play it.

But promoters are guilty at times. I was booked for a Christmas do at a venue that's 100% oldies, stompers and handbag. A big name DJ was also booked so I told the promoter that this DJ wasn't right for that evening. I suggested he ring the DJ and tell him what kind of night it would be and offer another night in the New Year. This was three months before the gig. Anyway the promoter ignored me, reckoned this name would pull them in. Reality is, it would have been full if Smashie and Nicie were on.

My first set had them all at it. Nothing clever but what they wanted. I had a stack of requests, mostly written down.

The name DJ then comes on and starts with two unreleased Motown tracks then goes off into obscure beat ballad and R&B land. The night was dying on it's arse until after about 40 minutes the penny dropped and he played some standard tune and it began to pick up. He looked bored and afterwards complained to me that the people were all idiots stuck in a time warp. I thought the records he played were dreadful and he still took his fee but that's another matter.

The promoter should have told the DJ. The DJ knows the score at that venue. And people asking for Landslide or She Blew A Good Thing were getting sneered at by a DJ enamoured with his own ego and ignoring the demands of a substantial paying crowd. As I said he wasn't artistically offended enough to refuse his fee.

There are venues where the crowd is progressive and you can mix all sorts in one room. There are venues where you can't. A DJ's job is to entertain the crowd and if that crowd's idea of entertainment is Right Track and Out on the Floor the DJ should recognise that. Similarly playing those sort of tunes at the 100 or wherever just wouldn't be appropriate.

Your sixty minutes of fame won't switch a few nostalgia chasers into up front Butch fans. Those seeking that experience seek out those venues.

[chrissie]

If a DJ is asked for a record but "it's not what he's about" I think he/she should politely tell the person requesting it that he will write it down and ask one of the following jocks to play it.

But promoters are guilty at times. I was booked for a Christmas do at a venue that's 100% oldies, stompers and handbag.

Sorry to be sutch a bore on this topic but please define the term "handbaggers"

[Scallybob]

I don't mean it in a derogatory manner. Records that have crossed over from Northern or pre-dated the term Northern is a description I suppose. Tunes that you might hear played at non-soul events or tunes that even people with no particular interest in music other than perhaps chart music might still recognise if they're of a certain age.

I Got A Feeling-Barbara Randolph

In Orbit-Joy Lovejoy

Love Love Love-Bobby Hebb

Soul Time-Shirley Ellis

My Man A Sweet Man-Millie Jackson

Free For All-Phillip Mitchell

These Things Will Keep Me Loving You-Velvelettes

Off the top of my head, like.

[Supercorsa]

A DJ's job is to entertain the crowd and if that crowd's idea of entertainment is Right Track and Out on the Floor the DJ should recognise that. Similarly playing those sort of tunes at the 100 or wherever just wouldn't be appropriate.

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Unless you're Janine!

[Steve L]

I don't mean it in a derogatory manner. Records that have crossed over from Northern or pre-dated the term Northern is a description I suppose. Tunes that you might hear played at non-soul events or tunes that even people with no particular interest in music other than perhaps chart music might still recognise if they're of a certain age.

I Got A Feeling-Barbara Randolph

In Orbit-Joy Lovejoy

Love Love Love-Bobby Hebb

Soul Time-Shirley Ellis

My Man A Sweet Man-Millie Jackson

Free For All-Phillip Mitchell

These Things Will Keep Me Loving You-Velvelettes

Off the top of my head, like.

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Bob I agree with your definition of handbag stuff but IMO handbag tunes are more like Band of gold, Third finger left hand etc etc

[chrissie]

I Got A Feeling-Barbara Randolph

In Orbit-Joy Lovejoy

Love Love Love-Bobby Hebb

Soul Time-Shirley Ellis

My Man A Sweet Man-Millie Jackson

Free For All-Phillip Mitchell

These Things Will Keep Me Loving You-Velvelettes

Bob I agree with your definition of handbag stuff but IMO handbag tunes are more like Band of gold, Third finger left hand etc etc

link

That's a relief I only have one of the afore mentioned records in my box and that's joy love joy - but that dates back to my life in Rhyl in early 70s when our local club was called the Orbit - so it's a must for me - happy memories.

I am also glad cos I could feel another morph coming on from QOF to QOR to QOH

I would see myself more as a Prada than a Louis Vitton or Gucci far more classy

Edited April 5, 2005 by chrissieo

[Steve G]

Free For All-Phillip Mitchell

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This is a brilliant tune - not sure I'd class it as a handbag sound at all, but I understand your point.

[Guest]

Would like to know if any of you soul-source d.j's ever get asked to play Swing Out Sister? How many of you would give them a spin?

[Guest Stuart T]

Would like to know if any of you soul-source d.j's ever get asked to play Swing Out Sister? How many of you would give them a spin?

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Who?

[pikeys dog]

Would like to know if any of you soul-source d.j's ever get asked to play Swing Out Sister? How many of you would give them a spin?

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Never get asked, but would if I was doing a School Disco type night...... Soul Night? Never.......

WOOF!

[Guest]

Who?

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[Guest]

Never get asked, but would if I was doing a School Disco type night...... Soul Night? Never.......

WOOF!

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what about Joss Stone same apply

[Petebangor]

Would like to know if any of you soul-source d.j's ever get asked to play Swing Out Sister? How many of you would give them a spin?

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There last album was very good blue eyed soul,I don't think it got played out anywhere.There was a SOS track that used to get played out a lot 'I'm Not Gonna Change' that was going back 3 years or so ago.

Corinne was at the last Cala gran weekender

Pete

[Guest Baz]

Would like to know if any of you soul-source d.j's ever get asked to play Swing Out Sister? How many of you would give them a spin?

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swing out sister not gonna change i will spin that in a modern room