Prom playlist?

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
...is that only a 20-30 second portion of it is actually popular, and the rest of the song is useless, so quick mixing is a must.

In old school clubs those mixes were real work, which is why a good club booth had three turntables rather than two, and why Rane adopted and set the standard for assignable inputs. CDs and samplers made it easier, but today the better way to deal with that piece-meal stuff is to build a series of my own quick edits from which to build a mix.

Having some short segments 90 - 120 seconds to use as bricks to build a larger live mix is the way to go. Put no more than 3 into a brick with an intro and out. Record pools provide the pieces needed for this. While you could use those quick edits live - mobile gigs require too much engagement with the crowd so, I need 30 seconds regularly to spend talking to someone with a request, suggestion, or feedback. I won't have that if I'm without an emcee and glued to an earpiece trying to club mix every individual snippet.
 
Last edited:
In old school clubs those mixes were real work, which is why a good club booth had three turntables rather than two, and why Rane adopted and set the standard for assignable inputs. CDs and samplers made it easier, but today the better way to deal with that piece-meal stuff is to build a series of my own quick edits from which to build a mix.

I relate well but you just lost the under 40 crowd Bob LOL
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ausumm
Who needs Covid 19...
DJ Ricky B has been in lock down since 2005. :)

2005 was an awesome year! Just got into deejaying weddings on a continual basis that year loading equipment into my Pontiac Firebird Formula and showing up to events with the loudest car in the parking lot, and having people amazed at how I fit everything into that car LOL. Moved out from the parents house into a luxury apartment ...And I met my wife that year...Fun Times! :iroc::cool:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ausumm and dunlopj
My suggestion is don't agree to do any event you don't feel comfortable you're the right DJ for the event. That's what I do. I let them find someone else to do the event. Besides that the music people in that age range listen to changes very quickly. A song can be hot one week and be out the loop the next week.
 
A few months ago I had a group of very young people ask for Rockstar by Nickleback and Cold As Ice by Foreigner both from viral TikTox videos. My Neck My Back made a comeback because of TikTok also but like Taso said it's necessary to know the cue points and mix quick
Cold as ice has to do with the tiktok video of girls putting pieces of ice up there.
 
Not trying to be negative... but the key isn't to listen to them, it's to learn which part of the songs are essential. For example... out west... big song... but the only known part is the first verse aka the chorus. The rest is useless.
He asked about songs not about how to dj.
 
...better be willing and able to play it from their own devices and do it seamlessly....
That is advice I would deem careless.

I bet those "parents" in attendance wouldn't appreciate you dropping the unedited (for language) version from some kid's device.
 
He asked about songs not about how to dj.

Taso's right, but honestly, he's at a completely different level than I am. Quick-mixing, and highlighting only the import sections of songs is what's needed but I'm not even going to try to go that far. If I can just get a group of "cool stuff" that taps this group of kids and keeps me from glaringly being the old geezer, I'll be happy. Keep in mind also, a lot of these kids' parents are folks that I went to school with. I usually have a few parents who stop by to say "Remember me?" so just trying to keep up a decent appearance is my main goal.
 
Taso's right, but honestly, he's at a completely different level than I am. Quick-mixing, and highlighting only the import sections of songs is what's needed but I'm not even going to try to go that far. If I can just get a group of "cool stuff" that taps this group of kids and keeps me from glaringly being the old geezer, I'll be happy. Keep in mind also, a lot of these kids' parents are folks that I went to school with. I usually have a few parents who stop by to say "Remember me?" so just trying to keep up a decent appearance is my main goal.
I didn't say he was incorrect.
 
That is advice I would deem careless.

I bet those "parents" in attendance wouldn't appreciate you dropping the unedited (for language) version from some kid's device.

The parents are usually gone by the time we crank into the dance set. With an 8pm start, I'm doubtful we'll even have a Senior walk-out so it may just be kids the entire time. This school's admin has never been really hung up on edited versions. Frankly, I'm not overly concerned about it either although I will not be plugging in kids' phones to my system. That's a whole other can of worms.
 
I guess I never learn that no good deed goes unpunished.

I'll try not to let it happen again.

Don't take me wrong, my library is (mostly) edited and I try to always play clean stuff but sometimes, especially for teeny-bopper stuff, it slips thru. I just don't get that twisted up over it anymore. If an F-bomb slips thru, just click to the next track. For me, school events are not something I have any interest in chasing any more.
 
Don't take me wrong, my library is (mostly) edited and I try to always play clean stuff but sometimes, especially for teeny-bopper stuff, it slips thru.
1592412651539.png

I just don't get that twisted up over it anymore. If an F-bomb slips thru, just click to the next track.
The young and unlearned often, if not mostly, learn from experience...often unfortunately.

Would you be so nonchalant if your mother, wife or young child were in a conversation and someone slipped an F-bomb in...or how about C-bomb or the currently incendiary N-bomb?

For me, school events are not something I have any interest in chasing any more.
But you will do them despite your own better awareness and admitted incapacities. As I figured.

My professional practices and standards are substantially different.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: TwinSpinDJ
He asked about songs not about how to dj.
He didn't ask how to dj, but isn't it important to mention that with these songs, when used, the effective way to use them is to play the important part. In the instance of "out west" that happens to be less than 20 seconds, otherwise the rest is useless. Naturally that would require quick mixing by definition. I probably should've also mentioned that you won't find the important parts by watching youtube... but watching people use them on tik tok.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Albatross
He didn't ask how to dj, but isn't it important to mention that with these songs, when used, the effective way to use them is to play the important part. In the instance of "out west" that happens to be less than 20 seconds, otherwise the rest is useless. Naturally that would require quick mixing by definition. I probably should've also mentioned that you won't find the important parts by watching youtube... but watching people use them on tik tok.
I appreciate quick mixing and consider it a more artful form of my craft, when used appropriately at more open/public performances, but my Youth/HS audiences expect more than a verse and chorus to get into. When I've deployed quick mixing, it is often met with disapproval...they turn around with a glaring disdain or, worse rush the stage/booth and demand more than a minute of their expected songs/requests/anthems. I never have issues getting them to enjoy the dance by plying 2-3 minutes of their selections. YMMV.

It seems to be like everything else, it depends where you are on planet earth.

In a related matter, A 6 minute remix is met with the same levels and types of disapproval.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Albatross
I appreciate quick mixing and consider it a more artful form of my craft, when used appropriately at more open/public performances, but my Youth/HS audiences expect more than a verse and chorus to get into. When I've deployed quick mixing, it is often met with disapproval...they turn around with a glaring disdain or, worse rush the stage/booth and demand more than a minute of their expected songs/requests/anthems. I never have issues getting them to enjoy the dance by plying 2-3 minutes of their selections. YMMV.

It seems to be like everything else, it depends where you are on planet earth.

In a related matter, A 6 minute remix is met with the same levels and types of disapproval.
Different approaches... my typical prom can have over 150 songs in 2.5hrs of dancing time. If anything, I'd get stink faces or girls saying "change it"i f I play the song for too long. QUick mixing doesn't allow the kids a chance to slow down in energy and just keeps the momentum constantly building.

Putting the quick mixing aside, the point I was trying to make is that the tik tok songs, many of them are only known for a 20 second segment. If that segment is in the middle of the song, and you play from the beginning, you can literally watch people say "what is this", watch them stand around awkwardly, and then the moment that recognizable part comes out they go "ohhhhhh"... and then when its done, they just stand because they don't recognize the rest. I did a bunch of Sweet 16's prior to covid, where tik tok songs were used quite a bit... and the first one or two times trying them, they didn't go over as well as I expected. I asked my 22yr old assistant 'I thought these were popular?", to which he said, yeah just the one part... no one knows the other parts. This is even more true for songs like Vibes by dababy, where theres an actual dance to that 20 second part. Using intros and quick mix edits are helpful to make life easier as a dj, but again, knowing the appropriate parts of the song are crucial for these popular tik tok songs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dunlopj