BEST DANCE TEMPO

[QUINNY]

For me the best dance grooves centred on 120 BPM (say 116 - 124 BPM).
I just realised that only 4 records in my top 25 fall outside of this range. All BPMs quoted are from memory.

ROCKIT - Herbie Hancock 112 BPM?
JOCKO - Rhythm Talk - 112/113 BPM?
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION - DISCO INFERNO 132BPM?
BABY O - In The Forest 125/126BPM?

Lately I've also realised that many, many of the early '70s funk that I've loved for so long are within this range too ( now that I understand BPMs, something that wasn't understood at the time).
e.g.
RHYTHM MAKERS - Zone (my #1) is about 117BPM?
BOHANNON - Stop & Go is about 119BPM?
MIDNIGHT MOVERS UNLIMITED - Follow The Wind about 120BPM?
KOOL & THE GANG - Open Sesame about 119BPM?
AFRIQUE - Soul Makossa about 118 BPM?

You get the idea?

This is probably why I wasn't a great fan of lots of the 'classic' Disco toons and the 'classic' Disco sound. I liked my stuff a bit earthier.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: QUINNY on 2002-09-27 11:48 ]</font>

[markydefad]

After I became conscious of BPM's...I slowly realized that many of my favorite records were in the vicinity of 124 BPM's. I also like to dance slower in the "morning music" groove (100-120), BUT mid 120's is the perfect tempo for me. There are exceptions, of course, of faster stuff moving my feet to dance ("This Will Be A Night To Remember", of course)...BUT, I still feel 124 is a GREAT BPM for me.

[paul]

OK, so I think I know what BPM are but quite honestly, I just didn't get into the music that way. Anyway, here are a few examples of some of my favorite dance songs:
Dance With You
Loving Is Really Game
There But For The Grace Of God

What are their respective BPM?

[Twirlessence]

Dance With You (Carrie Lucas) - 128 BPM
Lovin' Is Really My Game - Brainstorm - 144BPM
There But For The Grace of God Go I - Machine - 132 BPM

So you prefer somewhat on the faster end of the scale, especially the Brainstorm.

[markydefad]

By the way, when I mentioned 124 BPM as an ideal tempo for me, I guess I should have given a record as an example!!! DUH...

So, without my notes in front of me... think "Relight My Fire" by Dan Hartman; "Evolution" by Giorgio Moroder..."Just Keep Thinking About You Baby" by Tata Vega..."Found A Cure" by Ashford & Simpson....those are in that approx. BPM area (maybe 1 or 2 BPM's more or less...just in case I get attacked by very anal BPM counters!!!) :grin:

For the record, you count the BPM's of a song...using a watch with a second hand or digital display by counting the beat as 1 beat and the backbeat as two, the next beat as three, etc for a minute exactly...and then you have the BPM of the song....they can vary as a song progresses if real drummers were used...BUT you get the approx. tempo that way. Sometimes if I don't have a watch handy...I use my microwave clock or my cable box to count!!! I AM a wierdo, I admit!!! :razz:



_________________
Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-09-26 22:17 ]</font>

[paul]

On 2002-09-26 16:31, Twirlessence wrote:
Dance With You (Carrie Lucas) - 128 BPM
Lovin' Is Really My Game - Brainstorm - 144BPM
There But For The Grace of God Go I - Machine - 132 BPM

So you prefer somewhat on the faster end of the scale, especially the Brainstorm.

Thanks Twirlessence. Now I know my BPM, an average of 134. I didn't know I had it in me to be that fast

[QUINNY]

I think I heard once that the reason why 120 (or was it 130) BPM was so danceable was because it was the pace at which the human heart beats when doing easy exercise (like dancing). i.e. it's a biorhythm thang ba-by!
Anyone know the truth or otherwise in that?