DJ

Last Friday when we were driving through Belfast I took the opportunity to listen to the BBC’s Radio One for the first time. I really like radio over in Europe (at least in the U.K. and Ireland), because the format seems to be considerably different (and much better) than what we have here in the States. There was more personality from the air talent and I find the music to be markedly better.

One of the songs I heard was “The Weekend” by Michael Gray. After a little bit of Googling I discovered that the track is a couple of years old but I still find it quite enjoyable.

If I were still in Top 40 radio, you’d hear this song A LOT on Wow-FM. Oh, I also really like the cinematography in this video. I’m not used to this much boobage, but the video is awesome.

In late 1999 I found this import CD in a record store in Albany. I was program director of Wow FM, “The Beat of Central New York” at the time and it somehow ended up in a fairly heavy rotation on the playlist (ooh, the powers I had with the title of Program Director.) The track was never released in the United States and it predates “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” by two years.

Here’s Kylie Minogue with “Spinning Around.” Kudos to those that can name the sample in the track.

Diggin’ the 60s vibe of this song always puts me in a good mood.

From 1969, it’s “Grazin’ In The Grass” by The Friends of Distinction.

Back in 1990 or so when I was first DJing this song was quite popular. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear samples of “How Soon Is Now” by the Smiths, which was also sung by the group Love Spit Love and featured in the opening credits of the television series “Charmed”.

Here’s “Hippychick”, by Soho.

Time to get ready for the weekend! There’s a new mix available on the DJ SuperCub Page. It’s called “Hillside Prep”.

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.

For anyone interested in gettin’ their groove on, there’s a new DJ SuperCub mix up. Entitled “A Little Old, A Little New”, this is a typical early night set. I did a little experimenting with my music selection.

It’s available here.

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

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

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.