Unusual one !

[DJStevie]

Been deejaying for many years and for the first time ever, will be doing a 70th birthday party. The highest number I've done before, are 40th's, so this is quite a leap. The first thing that comes to my mind, is Beatles and Elvis, but can you name any really fast ones they did? What tracks would you be thinking of?

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I've done a number of 70th's (I've got one in a couple of weeks time), 80th's and also 100th's believe it or not and when I first took on the bookings I thought the same thing as you BUT, these bookings are generally big family affairs so the age range of the guests is varied. I'd just go out and do what you always do. Be up for requests and find out what the birthday boy or girl's personal favourites are.
Depending on when it is too, it might be worth getting them to get some requests from their guests in advance.

Edited - Sorry, I replied too quickly.
With reference to The Beatles - Back in the USSR, I Saw Her Standing There (both work well for me)
Elvis - Although there are masses of stuff to play, Bossa Nova Boogie and A Little Less Conversation work well and are enjoyed and recognised by most.

[little al]

As above, they are normally family affairs, you will have very young children upwards. Play it by ear. If there are a lot of oldies there, they would probaly like a waltz or two. Things like the Slosh will go down well, and mainstream pop like Olly Murs. As for the Beatles, I would play the Take That Beatles medley. Obviously Abba, Whitney, Tiffany, 9 to 5 (Dolly) Islands in the Stream, and Jim Reeves I Love You Because went down very well at the last 70th I did about 4 months ago.

I love wide age range discos, you can have a lot of fun playing stuff you wouldn't ordinarily play.

Edit, I see you are in Kent, Chas and Dave is a must, Ain't no pleasing you, Sideboard song, Rabbit, London girls.

[yourdj]

With technology these days and people refusing to get old, I would hazard a guess they wanted easy listening pop like call me maybe, shake it off, bruno Mars, take that etc. :) I have done a lot of that age group and they are more hip than the young folk, who seem to go for 80's/90's nostalgia. Perhaps I just get cool clients LOL.

Get a track list i always get up to 60 tracks for events I am not sure about. its probably a mixed event as per the above, so largely a wedding type party I assume. :)

[musicology]

Neil Diamond "Sweet Caroline" and Tom Jones "Delilah" are a must for this kind of thing.

[yourdj]

Neil Diamond "Sweet Caroline" and Tom Jones "Delilah" are a must for this kind of thing.

Maggie May, Wonderful tonight & Simply the Best :lol:

[DJStevie]

Brilliant, getting some good ideas. Thanks. Good idea to base it on a wedding them. I'll do that, but a few more tracks based on swing, jive, ceroc and rock & roll - any other groups to think of? What would be the best two fast dance tracks in those four areas please?

[DJStevie]

As above, they are normally family affairs, you will have very young children upwards. Play it by ear. If there are a lot of oldies there, they would probaly like a waltz or two. Things like the Slosh will go down well, and mainstream pop like Olly Murs. As for the Beatles, I would play the Take That Beatles medley. Obviously Abba, Whitney, Tiffany, 9 to 5 (Dolly) Islands in the Stream, and Jim Reeves I Love You Because went down very well at the last 70th I did about 4 months ago.

I love wide age range discos, you can have a lot of fun playing stuff you wouldn't ordinarily play.

Edit, I see you are in Kent, Chas and Dave is a must, Ain't no pleasing you, Sideboard song, Rabbit, London girls.
Is Slosh the name of the song?

[musicology]

"Shake, Rattle & Roll": "Johnny B Goode": "Good Golly Miss Molly": "In The Mood": "Chattanooga Choo Choo": and hook out some Bobby Darren.
Oh and Motown for definate!

[little al]

Is Slosh the name of the song?

No its a dance. The most popular tunes for it is Daniel Boon - Beautiful Sunday. It can also be done to Dawn - Knock Three Times, Amarillo, Tony Christie and The Archies - Sugar Sugar.



To be honest, I think its more popular up here in Scotland.

[little al]

Just found this on youtube for the Slosh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVL0qnOEZZI Sorry not sure how to imbed.

[Nakatomi]

With technology these days and people refusing to get old, I would hazard a guess they wanted easy listening pop like call me maybe, shake it off, bruno Mars, take that etc. :) I have done a lot of that age group and they are more hip than the young folk, who seem to go for 80's/90's nostalgia. Perhaps I just get cool clients LOL.

Get a track list i always get up to 60 tracks for events I am not sure about. its probably a mixed event as per the above, so largely a wedding type party I assume. :)

Exactly :)

If anything, the young folks can be too darn reserved for their own good sometimes. Old geezers will dance to just about anything if they like it, whether they already know it or not in my experience.

[Shaun]

Simply the Best :lol:With the wrong crowd it's a case of "good luck" in not getting lynched playing that one in Scotland. Gotta love <insert sarcastic emoticon here> sectarian bigoted football idiots here in Bonnie Scotland. Also good luck playing 'Daydream Believer, Penny Arcade...and about another good dozen or so songs that seem to have been adopted by mind-dead football morons. I can tell you, being a non-football supporter, I've had my mind opened quite a bit by what is and isn't acceptable to play in Scotland. Usually I find out by avoiding the flying pint glasses. :d

[little al]

With the wrong crowd it's a case of "good luck" in not getting lynched playing that one in Scotland. Gotta love <insert sarcastic emoticon here> sectarian bigoted football idiots here in Bonnie Scotland. Also good luck playing 'Daydream Believer, Penny Arcade...and about another good dozen or so songs that seem to have been adopted by mind-dead football morons. I can tell you, being a non-football supporter, I've had my mind opened quite a bit by what is and isn't acceptable to play in Scotland. Usually I find out by avoiding the flying pint glasses. :d

Daydream believer? What team uses that? I like to play that but may have to rethink. Can you tell me any other songs to avoid. I know what Aberdeen fans like but not what to avoid, coming from South London as I do. I did wonder why Penny Arcade was a sked for quite regularly as I already had Simply The Best and You'll Never Walk Alone among others from the big Glasgow teams on my banned list, uniti I realised it was another Rangers song and added it. Aberdeen fans are not too friendsly with Celtic and hate Rangers with a passion. I will still play Glad All Over for my beloved Crystal Palace though :)

[DJStevie]

Some brilliant ideas here - I knew I could reply on you lot! On the subject of Waltz's, what would be the views here on the two best waltz tracks to get people dancing please?

[MikeW]

With the wrong crowd it's a case of "good luck" in not getting lynched playing that one in Scotland. Gotta love <insert sarcastic emoticon here> sectarian bigoted football idiots here in Bonnie Scotland. Also good luck playing 'Daydream Believer, Penny Arcade...and about another good dozen or so songs that seem to have been adopted by mind-dead football morons. I can tell you, being a non-football supporter, I've had my mind opened quite a bit by what is and isn't acceptable to play in Scotland. Usually I find out by avoiding the flying pint glasses. :d

Very annoying for me is the fact that a lot of good songs are not playable any more because they have been adopted by football fans. Bit if a shame really. It is easier to avoid them rather than play them and cause a bad atmosphere!

[Retrodisco]

70th's are generally filled with their kids (40s/50s) and grandkids in their 20s, don't expect to play the really old stuff for more than a portion of the night.

70s and 80s will go down well as will more up to date stuff for the younger ones.

[dicky]

Englebert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz always did me good service (of the dance floor variety) back in the day but not played it since came back DJing so who knows these days....

Frank Sinatra - 'New York' has a certain following round here a 'last song of the night' and goes down well with most age groups

Also this Saturday gone, was playing a soul night and wore all the dancers out after a while with up tempo motown/northern - so when the floor emptied later in the evening I played these four as a set and actually got some of the rather older 60+ 'foot tappers' up who stayed for all of them possibly because they were a little more down tempo or maybe just because they quite simply liked these tracks and seldom heard them?

First
------

Tami Lynn - I'm Gonna Run Away From You

Next Three - All Drifters
----------

2. Up On The Roof
3. When My Little Girl is Smiling
4. Save The Last Dance For Me


All or Some of the above maybe of some use to you, who knows
Rich

[scott23]

With the wrong crowd it's a case of "good luck" in not getting lynched playing that one in Scotland. Gotta love <insert sarcastic emoticon here> sectarian bigoted football idiots here in Bonnie Scotland. Also good luck playing 'Daydream Believer, Penny Arcade...and about another good dozen or so songs that seem to have been adopted by mind-dead football morons. I can tell you, being a non-football supporter, I've had my mind opened quite a bit by what is and isn't acceptable to play in Scotland. Usually I find out by avoiding the flying pint glasses. :d

Keep getting asked for penny arcade recently:rolleyes: I played it for a chaps 40th in firhill stadium the one and only time (home of partick thistle) for the non jocks here ;-)

They all got in a wee circle and started doing what i can only describe as a orange walk in a circle. Even the bar staff started singing along.. Never again! I am all for playing what the client wants but you do gotta be careful here. Had a guy shout F the Pope in my face the other week when i refused to play it. He obv didnt get the fact there was a massive polish guy with me helping me to pack up and the polish kinda love the pope. Some absolute bigoted numptys up here.

Edit: back to subject, sweet caroline, abba, the bee gees. Frank sinatra,.

[Andy P]

King of the Road....:zip:

I'e done an 80th recently, ive not got a lot of knowledge of pre 60's music but the crowd seemed to be a lot younger than that man of the hour

[DJStevie]

Thank you very much for these great ideas - it's appreciated. I also know that the birthday person is into Ballroom dancing, so what would be the best two dance tracks in each of the below please:
Jive
Swing
Salsa
Tango
Merengue
Ceroc

[mattydj50]

Thank you very much for these great ideas - it's appreciated. I also know that the birthday person is into Ballroom dancing, so what would be the best two dance tracks in each of the below please:
Jive
Swing
Salsa
Tango
Merengue
Ceroc

I don't know if its still available, but I have a CD called Mastermix Ballroom. Its not a mix CD but does have a selection of ballroom tracks with the dance style marked on it. Jive is a doddle, think Bunny.

There are also some Salsa mixes about and have a look at the track list for Grandmaster Salsa. You won't need the entire CD but it will give you a guide. The two GM Swing CDs are also worth a peek.

[DazzyD]

My experience is that this age range are the ones that still go to WMCs and see the "club turns". These acts are performing songs like Sex On Fire, Human, Let Me Go, Call Me Maybe, Candy, Pack Up, loads of Bruno Mars and loads of other new ones so you may well be surprised that the older generation know a lot more about more recent popular music than you are giving them credit for! ;)

But, as has been said, this will be a family get-together and there'll be a huge age range throughout the generations. I would treat it like any other family party - wedding, engagement, birthday, etc.