DJ

DiRocco’s.

It was August 1989. Having moved to the greater Boston area the year before and still trying to find my path in life, to complicate matters I had just been dumped by my boyfriend. Looking back, he pretty much was a freak as he wasn’t big on having friends, forbad me from having friends and found me to be entirely too “flamey” to be seen in public with. Yeah, he was a keeper, let me tell you. Small wonder my mother hated him. (She’s always been a good judge of character). Anyway, I was newly single and all by myself in a large metropolitan area, somewhat lacking self-esteem and without anyone to lean on. Looking back I guess it wasn’t all that bleak, I had a great job at the then second largest computer company in the world (DEC), my superiors praised my work and I had snuck some friends that I had met through various gay organizations at work into my life (the luncheon and social clubs were festively called BGLAD and DECplus), but I always felt like the smalltown boy from Upstate New York that was trying to make it in the big city. And I didn’t even have a beret to throw up in the air.

Never one for huge crowds, or perhaps lacking the confidence to tackle one of the bars in Boston, I decided to follow the lead of some of my gay friends at work and check out a bar situated between Lowell, Mass. and Nashua, N.H. along Route 3A in Tyngsboro. It was intriguingly called “DiRocco’s Tall Pines Inn”.

To celebrate this adventure and perhaps signify the opening of a new chapter in my life, I had gone to a local old-fashioned barbershop that day and had my hair cut super short. After having rather longish hair (party in the back, business in the front, oy), the short, not-quite-flattop was a definite change of pace in my style (which was subsequently praised by my co-workers the following Monday.) I felt like a new me and it felt good. So I made the 30 minute drive and found this place in the middle of the woods. I’ll never forget the queasiness as I approached the tell-tale signs of the club. I passed by several times before actually driving into the driveway. Back and forth across the Mass.-N.H. line I went, looking for the courage to drive in. I had been to gay bars during my one year of college back in ’86, always with a group of friends, but hadn’t been since because freak boy didn’t like those either. I remember saying to myself, as I closed the door on my smashingly gray 1986 Hyundai Excel, “o.k. John, let’s grow some balls and do it.” And in I went.

I remember being knocked almost breathless as the bass of the music engulfed my senses. There was a neon sign that announced which area was the “Meat Rack”. I remember seeing the lights and the fog and all the sweaty guys dancing on the raised dance floor to “Touch Me” by the 49ers, a fabulous Italian-house track that I love to this day. The bartenders may have been pouring the booze, but the DJ controlled the heartbeat of the party and it was at that moment that I cemented a longing passion I had for spinning in a club – it was something that I *had* to do.

It was that first night at DiRocco’s that I discovered another dance track, “Teardrops” by Womack and Womack. The beat reminded me of Evelyn “Champagne” King’s “Shame”. It had a wicked cool, yet smooth vibe to the tune. The crowd nearly floated to the song as they danced. I reveled in the simplicity of the song. And it was a track that I immediately added to my music crates.

Here’s the video version for your enjoyment. There’s an extra percussion track in this version that somewhat detracts from the simplicity that I enjoy of the piece. Perhaps I’ll spin the original track in the next DJ SuperCub mix.

Favorite.

This is one my favorite dance tracks of all time. The lyrics always bring a tear to my eye. Enjoy.

Parody.

A little Julie Brown to kick off your weekend. The second half of this song is a scream.

Spin Again.

Once upon a time I was a club and radio DJ. While I didn’t enjoy the politics or business side of radio that much, I really enjoyed spinning tracks in a club or at parties. I am decidedly very gay DJ as you won’t find me playing the Macarena or Alley Cat at a wedding, nor will I let the dogs out over a bar mitzvah. My talents are best served for the gay bear crowd.

Over the past 48 hours or so I’ve been obsessing about spinning in a club again. I think it’s because I recently turned down an offer to be Program Director for the local Kiss-FM as I really don’t have an interest as what’s being called Top 40 music these days. But I am feeling the need to do some mixing in a club. I want to get a dance floor jammed with hot, sweaty, gyrating people pumped up. I want to command the pulse of the party.

Last night I entertained Earl with a 35 minute or so set off the PowerBook. It was at 35 minutes in that I realized I was recording the whole thing in mono, which doesn’t sound very good to the ears, so I did a quick fade in the middle of whatever was playing. However, I’ve been keeping up with the latest music and my mixes were tight so it was good practice. I think I’m going to make another run at it tonight.

I’m thinking that if I could spin in a bar again I could make some money as a struggling college student and enjoy what I’m doing at the same time. If I had my way, I’d love to spend a summer working at one of the gay campgrounds, but they all seem to be set in the DJ department these days.

Oh well, at least I’m able to entertain Earl and me.

Friday Night Jams: 16 Years Ago.

16 years ago tonight I was spinning for the first time in a small bar in Jamestown, New York called “The Nite Spot.” Adjacent to a set of railroad tracks, whenever a train was heard in the distance I had to switch from vinyl to cassette single while the train passed by, because the vibrations would occasionally make the record skip.

I remembering playing this song that night. At the top of the dance chart 16 years ago today, here’s the video to “Got A Love For You” by Jomanda.

Dancing With Eye Candy.

I always love a good 80s pop tune on a sunny Saturday afternoon, so here’s a live performance of Dead or Alive’s “In Too Deep”. Pete Burns (the lead singer) has never done anything for me, but I’m really grooving on his backup singers/dancers.

Imagination.

If you want to view paradise,
Simply look around and view it,
Anything you want to, do it
Want to change the world?
There’s nothing to it.

As performed by Ford on the dance track “Pure Imagination” and cranked up on Route 5S today.

Fun Music.

Remember when you could turn on a Top 40 radio station and hear fun music made with real instruments? Here’s a very rare fun song from 1987.

Presenting “Holiday”, by The Other Ones. I used to spin this record a lot when I was a baby DJ.

Cathy.

I’ve mentioned before that I am a huge Cathy Dennis fan. Originally with the group D-mob in the late 1980s, Cathy embarked on a solo career in 1990 with top hits such as “Just Another Dream”, “Touch Me (All Night Long)” and “Too Many Walls”. After a couple of albums, Cathy found contentment in writing and producing, working with artists such as the Spice Girls, Kylie Minogue (she wrote “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”) and others. Cathy also had a hand in the theme from Pop Idol/American Idol and wrote singles for many of the winners. She sings the famous “Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh” on the American Idol theme song.

As a former club DJ it excites me in many ways when I discover ‘lost’ versions of singles. While browsing YouTube, I found the video for the original version of “Just Another Dream”. The instrumentation is considerably different from what became popular in late 1990, and, there’s an extra verse in there. And despite urban legend, that is not Rick Astley singing the male vocals on the track, it’s actually Dancin’ Danny D from D-mob.

Here’s the video for the original version of “Just Another Dream” courtesy of YouTube. I would *love* a copy of this version on MP3 if anyone has it to share.

Find it here