Some Dinner Music and ETC... For Dancing For The 60+

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DJ Gray

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Oct 25, 2006
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I thought it would be interesting to post a Cocktail/Dinner list that would play well to the 60+ Audience.
A Problem We all face when trying to please at least 3 generations at any given wedding is coming up with some gems that will make a hit with the 1st and 2nd generations..........

Here we Go: Cocktail/Dinner Music These each run 75 -80 minutes........

Cocktail List

Carl Doy - Unchained Melody
Henry Mancini - Days Of Wine And Roses
Ames Brothers - Harbor Lights
Andy Williams - The Village Of St. Bernadette
Jerry Lee Lewis - Sixteen Candles
Gale Storm - Dark Moon
Al Hirt & Pete Fountain - Basin Street Blues
Elvis Presley - You'll Never Walk Alone
Enoch Light - I'll Never Smile Again
Andy Williams - The Bells Of St. Mary's
Dean Martin - Little Old Wine Drinker Me
Frank Sinatra Blue Moon
Connie Francis - Al Di La (Italian Love Songs)
Les Brown Orchestra - Twilight Time
Bob Dylan - Knocking On Heavens Door
Andy Williams - Moon River
Gogi Grant - The Wayward Wind
Brothers Four - Greenfields
Bobby Bare - 500 Miles Away From Home
Connie Francis & Hank Snow - Walk On By
Boots Randolph - I Believe
Eddie Arnold - Red Roses For A Blue Lady
Don Williams - Green Green Grass Of Home
Eddie Fisher - Oh! My Papa
Fifth Dimension - One Less Bell To Answer
Harry James - Tenderly
Hank Williams Sr. - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry


Dinner List:

Mozart - Moonlight Sonata
Mario Lanza - Some Enchanted Evening
Dean Martin - Innamorata
David Lanz - Spiral Dance
Paul Mauriat - Theme From Exodus
Josh Groban - Gira Con Me
Bert Kaempfert - I'll See You In My Dreams
George Winston - Cloudy This Morning
The Three Tenors - Caruso Main Theme
George Winston - Ocean Waves
Tony Bennett - I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Beethoven - Fur Elise (Piano Solo)
Harmonicats - Ebb Tide
Les Brown - Twilight Time
Lawrence Welk - Till We Meet Again
Jerry Vale - I Have But One Heart
Richard Clayderman - Autumn Leaves
Mario Lanza - O Sole Mio
Vivaldi - Concierto For Flute And Two Violins
Sara Brightman And Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye
Josh Groban - Home To Stay
Mario Lanza - You'll Never Walk Alone

This is the actual order I would run them in .....and I have run this in this order for a 50th Wedding Anniversary Party, about 10 days ago. The one change was the Client wanted a few "Andrea Bocelli" thrown in prior to Dinner Music Starting
 
Thanks for the list

can we make this one a Sticky for now --- please :)
 
For cocktail time/wallpaper music I like using the KKSF Smooth Jazz series with a boatload of the newer jazz greats like Chris Botti, Chuck Mangione etc..

I bet if you sling some of this on you will get asked "Who is that by?"

Needless to say write the name on the back of one of your cards ;)
 
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YO Wavy!

For cocktail time/wallpaper music I like using the KKSF Smooth Jazz series with a boatload of the newer jazz greats like Chris Botti, Chuck Mangione etc..

I bet if you sling some of this on you will get asked "Who is that by?"

Needless to say write the name on the back of one of your cards ;)


Which volume do you suggest? Great I love this!!! :sqwink:
 
A very interesting post and a very good list. Somewhere in there I would add:

Summer Wind (Sinatra or Buble)
Last Date (Floyd Kramer)
Sleepwalk (Larry Carlton)
I Remember You (Diana Krall)
Theme From The Pink Panther (Mancini)
Swinging Shepherd Blues (Moe Koffman)
Cheek to Cheek (Ella & Louis)
A Wink and A Smile (Harry Connick Jr.)
Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding)
Under The Boardwalk (Drifters)
When I'm 64 (Beatles)


I think that I tend to play my cocktail and dinner music a little more upbeat than most, but of course it depends on the crowd and the occasion.
 
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The Third Man Theme - Anton Karas, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Guy Lombardo, etc. (the Anton Karas version is the definitive version)
Take Five - Dave Brubeck Quartet (in fact, the entire "Time Out" CD will go well)
anything by the Kingston Trio
 
BTW, anything by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass would work, the same with anything by Les Paul & Mary Ford.

BTW, if any of you DJs do not have Mason Williams' Classical Gas, you are missing out on some great music. The album it is on is "The Mason Williams Phonograph Record" and in fact, the whole album is great.

If any of you haven't heard the Third Man Theme:
YouTube - "The Third Man Theme"
To purchase the download: Amazon.com: The Third Man Theme: Anton Karus: MP3 Downloads@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nEMww7DbL.@@AMEPARAM@@51nEMww7DbL
 
Awesome lists man!

I like some of the following for these crowds, or to capture the mood of the times:

Isn't It Romantic - Mel Torme
I Love You For Sentimental Reasons - Nat King Cole
At Last - Etta James
You Go To My Head - Billie Holiday
A Fine Romance - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Let Me Call You Sweetheart - Patti Paige
Ain't That A Kick In The Head - Dean Martin
L.O.V.E - Nat King Cole
All The Way - Frank Sinatra
It Had To Be You - Harry Connick Jr.
Volare - Dean Martin
You Go To My Head - Billie Holiday
Someone To Watch Over Me - Eddie Condon & His Orch.
Embraceable You - Dinah Shore (about 7 min. long, this is my "potty break song"... lol)
Wither Thou Goest - Les Paul & Mary Ford
 
Justin how old did you say you were? Excellent additions. I also like to play some Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie and a bit of the London Fog.
 
I am 34 :sqlaugh: For anyone interested in more song ideas for these kinds of musics (Big Band/Swing & Popular Standards from the 20's - 50's), here's a sample of my library off of my site (Exel file):

http://sounds2go.com/uploads/Big_Band_Sampler.xls

It was a different time where songwriters wrote songs, different singers did their versions of them, and the musicians were, for the most part, just making their contributions in the background.

When going through this list, you will notice many of these songs are done by multiple artists. You can take this as a good indicator that these would be winners as they were really popular. Just find those in the list (sort sheet by song title), find a version by someone you know or recognize the name of and you'll be golden.

Round up some of them and you'll have an awesome library of old jazz standards in no time!
 
During Cocktail I often play more instrumentals as the crowd buzzz builds (chit chatting guests) and then during dinner more of the vocal presentations as the guests arent talking as much. Just my thoughts, and your mileage may vary.
 
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During Cocktail I often play more instrumentals as the crowd buzzz builds (chit chatting guests) and then during dinner more of the vocal presentations as the guests arent talking as much. Just my thoughts, and your mileage may vary.

That's exactly what I do too. If playing the styles I listed below, I will usually start off with nothing but solo cocktail piano or some light acoustic jazz combos.

Simple, elegant, and non-descript, transitioning into the vocal standards during dinner.

Mileage may vary, but great minds think alike!
 
I think sometimes we underestimate folks who are 60+. At a wedding a few years ago, I had a 70 year old guy doing the worm on the dance floor and dancing up a storm with the younger ladies.

We also did a 65th birthday party last summer and we played alot of disco and Top 40 music. The list posted is great...don't get me wrong, but just keep an eye on your crowd...you may be surprised.

(both events listed) Alot of the music played for cocktail and dinner was also more 60's and 70's top 40.
 
true enough goo as I did a corporate gig mostly grey hairs and they danced all night to classic rock even Stairway To Heaven. Dance time I dont stick to such a list. I mix it up and find the crowds favorites and stick with it. Disco, 80's, Pop whatever works. I even blend in the range of music from that era to now during both cocktail and dinner time. I also move towards more lively stuff near the dance time creating the energy needed to go into dance mode.
 
A few of my favorites :)

Here and Now - Luther Vandross
Follow Me - John Denver
Tea For Two - Frank Sinatra
I Can Love You Like That - John Michael Montgomery
Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson or Huey and Gwyneth
Love Is Here To Stay - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
She's Got A Way - Billy Joel
Hooray For Love - Rosemary Clooney
Wonderland By Night - Burt Kaempfert
Bubbly - Colbie Caillat
 
here is

David Campbell / The Swing Sessions I

1. You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You 3:11
2. Call Me Irresponsible 2:09
3. Mack The Knife 3:10
4. The Way You Look Tonight 5:37
5. Love Me Or Leave Me 2:35
6. Can't Take My Eyes Off You 4:12
7. Birth Of The Blues 3:46
8. All The Way 3:01
9. Waters Of March 3:58
10. Beyond The Sea 2:54
11. Mr Bojangles 4:54
12. With Plenty Of Money And You 2:19
13. My Funny Valentine 3:49

--------------------------

David Campbell / The Swing Sessions II

1. Witchcraft 3:07
2. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps 2:30
3. Lazy River 2:49
4. Route 66 2:20
5. I've Got A Crush On You 3:38
6. Danke Schoen 2:55
7. Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody 4:40
8. Begin The Beguine 4:09
9. That Old Black Magic 2:35
10. Summer Wind 2:25
11. There Will Never Be Another You 3:26
12. That's Life 3:21
13. One For My Baby 3:53
14. King Of The Road 3:28