Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepson - Heard of it?
- Thread starter rickryan.com
- Start date
I have been a DJ for 22 years now... every wedding I have ever done mixing was expected. Granted, I am 99% a club DJ, but I have done plenty of weddings. Mixing brings more of a club vibe to the reception, and most of my clients expect this from me. I can see if you had a conservative wedding, but even then I am guessing that mixing would probably be fine for the most part. You're a DJ afterall, that's what DJ's are SUPPOSED to do.
I'm guessing your clients booked you specifically because you were a great club DJ. There is certainly that segment of the population.
If one does not know how to select, mix and beatmatch then one should not claim the client does not want it. They should also not stand in the way of those doing it? I mix, blend and beatmatch at every event I do, even when playing Jazz for Background Music.
Then to be fair, if the clients do not ask for it and have a good time, then one can't claim they wanted it either. Different strokes for different folks.
I think you are confusing the point. My point was that people generally don't like when you take a very familiar song and play a different version. i.e. you have the club dance version of rihanna we found love, etc. Beat matching and going into songs is fine...playing weird versions at weddings doesn't seem like a good idea. But different strokes fo different folks.
Says who? Have you tried mixing, blending beatmatching and then have a Client come up to you say say "stop doing that"? I have learned in my many years of DJing that most restrictions, rules, policies etc are self imposed by DJs themselves.
BTW, I was hoping this chick would be super hot looking..... I figured that she would be, in fact..... She's cute. But based on the song lyrics, I just had this impression she was gonna be gorgeous.
Just forget about her video and concentrate on the one Loneavenger posted don't worry about the saline just enjoy the candy which won't raise your blood sugar* 
(*May raise other things though )
(*May raise other things though )
A client has never told me to stop doing it because I don't do it. It personally annoys me and I know if I played funky club versions of popular mainstream hits on the radio it would hurt time spent listening. That's a fact. But perhaps weddings are different...If you are doing it are your dance floor is full it's the right thing. I don't do it and have had great success with people dancing. And yes rules and restrictions are imposed by DJ's themselves. Who else could do so?
Clients that say nothing to you means that this is acceptable? What if they're not confrontational types? It's ok to dabble here and there. The floor leads the way.
Trust me, my dance floor is full when it needs to be. I don't get called back to venues because I am a lousy DJ. For instance, whats the best way to play a new song that is not on the radio yet? Announce it as you start playing it so people can relate. I love playing new stuff instead of following old stuff. This is another way to be different and not sound like the "same old same old". Of course there are some standards that are timeless and always apply!
But thats not the same every where. I'm certain those of us that have been doing it for awhile have full dance floors and repetitive business - so we must be doing something right. Like you, I try to not be the same old same old. Some venues and mobile shows will look at you crazy if you play stuff no one's heard before - they WILL come up to you and tell you to stop playing stuff no one knows - or they won't and you don't get called back.
Its all in style my friend. Some mix, some push play. Some follow the radio playlist, some create the dance playlist. You don't give your audience the credit they deserve! Be innovative!
That wasn't how you put it really, but I agree with you to a point on this issue. I generally don't play weird versions of songs either. In fact that's the reason I never do "hype" or samples (rarely anyway) on all of the remixes I produce. People usually only dance to songs they know, or generally know. That's why old school goes over well for me, I tend to play really popular old school and, dropped at the right time, really has the whole place jumpin. Normal radio stuff can't touch the old school when it comes to floor energy for me. And in that respect, you HAVE to play the original versions. No funky remixes or club versions, just the straight song, otherwise it kinda leaves a bad taste in people's mouths, if you know what I mean.
Actually, that's exactly how I put it
"So you like to take someone's favorite song and mess with it? If a song is extremely popular go with the version everyone knows"
I'm not sure what old school has to do with remixes but I do agree with you about playing it. Has worked very well for me too
Around my area extended mixes do not go down well. The versions they know are the ones that they get. I'm doing nice transitions, and I get a good dancefloor going. Does this make me a button pusher now, or someone who plays to my crowd? I have yet to have a wedding client specifically request that I beatmatch the music, the majority are glad when I tell them I am NOT a club DJ, and that beatmatching is no longer a priority for me. Can I do it? YES. Do I need it for my clients? NO. The clubs here want a guy for $150-200 a night, that's not me. When I was younger I got more $$$ than today's area clubs pay when I was beatmatching, even back when I brought vinyl!
Drunken rude clubgoers in my area are not on my radar. My sanity is worth FAR more then that. I have a recurring excellent dream where ALL my wedding clients wanted country tunes at their receptions.........
Best,
Paul
Drunken rude clubgoers in my area are not on my radar. My sanity is worth FAR more then that. I have a recurring excellent dream where ALL my wedding clients wanted country tunes at their receptions.........
Best,
Paul
I went to a wedding last night and they played different version beatmixed properly through four sub, four top HK Audio (Germany) system. Call Me Maybe did very well. I think where you are makes the difference in versions played. It was a fun wedding, we made it home at 4:30 AM.
I played my favorite remix version at a recent grad party. Later in the the night one of the girls came around and asked me to play the original instead. Depends on the crowd every time.