Suggestions that might "go" with these requests...

[DazzyD]

Ok folks. It's not often I post up request lists but I'm after some opinions of what might work alongside the following request list for this weekend:

Soul/Motown:
The Crusaders - Street Life
Curtis Mayfeild - Move on Up
Stereophonics - Handbags & Gladrags
Dusty Springfield - preacher Son
Marlena Shaw - California Soul
Bobby Byrd - I Know You Got Soul
Fat Larry's Band - Act Like You Know
Young Disciples - Aparently Nothing
Sunshine Anderson - Heard It All Before

Other Music:
Degree's Of Moition - Shine On
Durhan Durhan - White Lines
Nightcrawlers - Push the Feeling On
Candy Staton - You Got the Love
Olly Murs - Dance with You
Foo Fighters - Best of You
Kings of Leon - Sex is on Fire
Robbie Williams - Candy
Amy Winehouse - Valerie
Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Aretha Franklin - Deeper Love
Rod Stewart - Maggie May
Style Council - Promise land & Walls come tumbling down
Maroon 5 - Moves like Jagger

Now, as always, I've got my own ideas but I'm looking to make an extra special show of this one and I was wondering if you guys (and gals!) had any suggestions that I hadn't thought of. I'd be interested to see what people can come up with.

Well, thanks in advance and it's over to you!

[funkymook]

I'm on my iPhone at the moment so difficult to post lots of song titles, but when I'm back on the mac I will.
But as a starter Maceo Cross The Tracks goes well with Bobby Byrd (and if they're getting down to that sort of funk I'd probably also play So Much Trouble In My Mind Sir Joe Quarterman.

[Excalibur]

Never mind making suggestions, I just want to roady for you. Fab gig.

[funkymook]

Here's a few more ideas.

Apparently Nothing (I usually play the Soul River mix): Jurassic 5 - Concrete Schoolyard, Soul to Soul - Keep On Moving, Brand New Heavies - Midnight At The Oasis. (they were all from different gigs)

Marlena Shaw - California Soul: As much as I love it and it appearing on a lot of my 'must play' lists I've never found it a dancer. So it's either early doors or straight into Motown/NS (I have better success with Marlena Shaw's Wade in The Water for dancing, but it needs to be the right crowd)

Amy Winehouse - Valerie: Jet - Are You going To Be My Girl works well (nice combination for getting from Motown to Rock or Indie in a couple of songs!)

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I think Martin has hit the nail on the head with those suggestions.
I'd add the Jackson Sisters - 'I believe in miracles' to the list and some James Brown when you get to the Bobby Byrd track.

[Megamix]

Sharon Redd - Can You Handle It
Terri Wells - I'll Be Around
Maze - Back In Stride
Kenny G - Hi How Ya Doin

[DazzyD]

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. Some of the tracks suggested I had in my library and was able to drop them in to the mix. It was certainly a night of good music (my opinion, of course!!). Martin, I didn't have a lot of your suggestions but I played the Soul II Soul, Concrete Schoolyard and Brand New Heavies tracks and, although you see people relating to these songs, they weren't making people dance.

However, it was one of those gigs where you have a small number of attendees most late 30s-40-somethings who are too laid back to dance. The birthday girl did try to get people up, and I tried to utilise a bit of mic-work, but most people weren't budging. Mind you, some proven tracks did shift people - Valerie, Maggie May, and I dropped in Superstition in the soul/motown section and that possibly got the biggest reaction of the night (oh, and Never Too Much went down well, too).

Oh, and I took Gary's tip of mixing some James Brown after Bobby Byrd so I mixed in Sex Machine. And it was one of the most seamless looped mixes I've ever pulled off. So, thanks for that one, Gary!

Megamix - the only track of yours I had was the Sharron Redd one. And I've got no Kenny G at all in my collection (which is something I find very hard to believe, or understand, but true nonetheless!). Maybe I should have asked for requests earlier as I would have had more time to source the tracks I didn't have and test them out. Oh well, lesson learned for next time!

[funkymook]

Oh, and I took Gary's tip of mixing some James Brown after Bobby Byrd so I mixed in Sex Machine. And it was one of the most seamless looped mixes I've ever pulled off. So, thanks for that one, Gary!

There's a reason they work well together, Bobby Byrd co-wrote Sex Machine with Brown and the original version had them both singing on it (and probably had the same band playing on both as well).

Byrd actually discovered and mentored James Brown and they sung together for many years, it's safe to say without Bobby Byrd's support James Brown probably wouldn't have been so successful (and perhaps not a singer at all).

[DazzyD]

There's a reason they work well together, Bobby Byrd co-wrote Sex Machine with Brown and the original version had them both singing on it (and probably had the same band playing on both as well).

Byrd actually discovered and mentored James Brown and they sung together for many years, it's safe to say without Bobby Byrd's support James Brown probably wouldn't have been so successful (and perhaps not a singer at all).

So it wasn't just all down to my "amazing" mixing ability, then? You've just gone and burst my bubble, Martin!!