h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: It's My Party....(constructing the perfect playlist) - A999002
Author: summerbayexile - U208939

Hi pop pickers! A new entry from sbe fresh from three previous hits! It's a change of style showing another side of this new kid on the block. Tell me what you think, but don't be cruel!

well, three under the belt and more to come...
just as a first pointer that i would say is to make it GuideML, such as add headings for those headings, and make a list for the songs. i know this is nitpicky stuff, but i have not anylised an entry for so long i will let the others do that

As an ex-DJ I'm afraid I would differ with a great deal of what you are saying. Firstly what a DJ aims to achieve depends on who is paying him, but I'll assume you're talking about a commercial DJ at a club.

A DJ at a club has 2 jobs, one keeping people entertained so they will come again, and two keeping people dancing so they buy more drinks. However over the course of a night the crowd in a club changes, and these influxes have to be dealt with in different ways, normally these changes are indicated by a change in DJ.

Playing at a group party - say a wedding, you are driven by the age group and reactions of the crowd.

There are, as you say, certain songs almost guaranteed to get them up on the floor, Maggie May by The Faces, Brown Sugar, The Rolling Stones, Thriller, Michael Jackson, Nutbush City Limits, Ike & Tina Turner, The Shoop Shoop Song, Cher, I could go on and on, but, at the end of the day, this is all down to taste and personal choice, and from the point of the DJ - what the punters want. (Quick tip - don't do requests, get a guide before hand and decide on your playlist, vary it only if you are failing miserably, or the entire rooom is dressed for a punk revival or something else your booker failed to tell you about.)

Either way, I don't think this is edited guide material - but could start a good thread in ask H2G2.

My

I thought this was a good start for an entry, and I think McKay is a little off with the assumption that summerbayexile is talking about a commercial club DJ - seems far more likely that this is a mobile set up being carted around to weddings and family parties etc. I have been to too many of these sorts of dos, and pretty much heard this exact playlist at every one! It varies a bit if it is an 18th birthday party, but not much - this is the early evening playlist where the embarrasing rellies shake their stuff. There is usually an interlude of more up to date tracks for the young'uns before the slowdance section and finally New York New York.

I disagree McKay, the guide has plenty of room for articles like this one - it doesn't have to be po-faced all the time

I was mainly a mobile DJ and as such there is a limited ammount of music you can carry, admittedly I was working in the vinyl days, but even with all the fantastic compilation CDs about nowadays, you still have to catalogue them and be able to mount them at a moments notice.

As the author of an edited entry entitled TELLY TUBBY GAMBLING I resent the label "po-faced"

As you realised this is a parties and barmitzvahs type DJ. The playlist is of course arguable, but I was really trying to bring to the guide years of people watching together with some DJing experience. I'm sure the guide would find it difficult to be po-faced given it's spiritual founder! Thanks for the support.
Regards sbe

I've changed the title to better reflect the entry, I think. BTW Telly Tubby Gambling is great fun. No one could accuse you of being po-faced, merely completely la la!!!!
regards sbe

I quite like this - I think it offers some good advice for that wedding type do.

Of course if it's a wedding you'll need to be able to cater for the bride's favourite song, her mother's favourite song, etc, etc...

I think you need a paragraph after the introduction to explain in what context your advice will work. As McKay says, in other circumstances you'll need completely different tactics and playlist.

Other than that, I think it could go into the Edited Guide.

Sprout

Done! Let me know what you think.
Regards sbe

I've done a bit of tidying up, and added an explanatory second paragraph. Let me know what you think?
regards sbe

Redraft number 3 completed. I think this is now the finished version.
sbe

Positively the last update - I think!!!!
sbe

Well I can honestly say {in my humble opinion} this is perfect for the edited guide..

..except, if you'd just add "Miss You Nights" by Cliff Richard to the smooch session, I'll be a fan of yours forever.

AGB

I don't usually do requests, but ....... as you asked nicely
Now all you have to do is find a friendly scout
sbe

Thank you

*goes off to find net*

Final tidy up. Have you caught a scout in that net?
sbe

This poor little deserving wallflower has been sitting in peer review for 2 months hoping to catch a scout's eye. She has gone away and made herself up in stunning guide ML. Please ask her to dance her way into the edited guide. She's worth it, you know.
sbe

Are there any links for any of the songs/artists that you could add?

Other than that, excellent entry! And so true!

I really like the idea of subdividing it by song titles.

I'm not sure of the overall title and I'm not sure whether this would work overseas, eg in the USA, Australia or mainland Europe. It would be interesting to get a view on this.

Are you talking about someone who just plays records one after the other, or are you intending this to be a sort of guide for party DJs who might need a bit of talking and encouraging people to get onto the dance floor, or for someone who just plays records one after the other?

Basically what I'm talking about is the type of DJ who does weddings etc. who needs to cater for all tastes if possible. Should the title be changed to something like 'Last night a DJ saved my life'?. Having spent significant time in Australia and the US I can confirm that the playlists are fairly universal. There is also a big crossover into France and Germany. I'm willing to consider a change of title if someone could give me a better option ... maybe removing the parentheses and leaving it as a straight song title like everything else. Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to look at it. Get back to me on the possible changes, thanks.