How Fast Did You Go?

[nrgbeat]

This is a question to all the former dj's.

Did you ever venture into the higher bpms e.g. 150 and up or did you not go beyond the 130's?

[NickNack]

I really had/have a dislike for things over 136 and would rather peak at 132-134. The only songs I played that clocked in over 140 were instrumentals that I could pitch down with no problems.

It's funny you mention this. My lover and I heard Evelyn King's "Shame" in the car today. Of course it was playing 'at pitch' and almost at the same time we said, "My god, that song is fast." I reminded him that was why I never mixed it at normal speed. Too frantic for my taste.

[QUINNY]

The first time I drove a car it was at almost 150 mph!!!

The fastest disco record I ever played was probably Destination 'Move On Up' at around 140 bpm. Generally, stuff in the 130 plus range wasn't favoured by UK jocks or the UK punters. Perversely though, I think playing ultra fast stuff would have been easier for jocks over here 'cos we generally weren't mixing or even segueing (although segueing even wildly different BPMs is a doddle).

NickNack: your comments surprised me. :o

[Mixmachine]

In many clubs I’d spend a large portion of the night in the 130 plus range, this were energy fanatics crowds and they danced non stop until last call, sets in the136 to 144 bpm range were very popular and sometimes depending in the club I would even venture into the 150’s “WAVE” sets after that (White Wedding anyone?) songs like “Have a cigar” “Mandoley” “Your Love” “Sunset people”, “All night lover” “Maneater” ”Star Love” “Bang a Gong” “Knock on wood” and tons of others! were great for creating a Dance Floor energy level hard to match at lower tempos; of course this is all highly dependent on crowds’ taste and even the night of the week, sometimes this music was just to powerful for slow nights and lower tempo (120-130) was more appropriate.

As a DJ I enjoyed immensely the opportunity to do this sets, in most local clubs this was impossible to do without clearing the floor, for me it was quite a challenge maintaining the ‘energy” for hours until the bitter night’s end when out of nowhere abruptly I’d throw in “I’m in the mood for love” and sent every one home…HAHAHA

PS: I used “Shame” (136 BPM) at standard (or faster) pitch a lot too, my favorite mix for it was “You and I” by Rick James, although this cut later in the 80’s didn’t do as well as others and I was forced to drop it.…

[NickNack]

NickNack: your comments surprised me. :o

That's because you think we're all drug-addled speed freaks dancing 'til god knows when. :)

Yes, I play fast music Quinny... just not always as fast as the engineers intended. :D

[NickNack]

PS: I used “Shame” (136 BPM) at standard (or faster) pitch a lot too, my favorite mix for it was “You and I” by Rick James, although this cut later in the 80’s didn’t do as well as others and I was forced to drop it.…

"You and I" :-? ? You mixed the mid-tempo, 124 BPM (it's on the label, Marky :P ) "You and I" with the 136 BPM "Shame"? :-? :-? Did she sound like a man or did he sound like a chipmunk? Of course, I'm assuming you were matching beats, which I can't fathom here. If you were sequing... that's different.

Really, how were you mixing these two? Was it Rick after Evelyn or Evelyn after Rick? I can almost hear the latter in my head... hmmm 8) .

[markydefad]

BPM FREAK, that I am!!!!....I'm always interested in this stuff. :D

When I finally learned how to count BPMs, it always amazed me at how deceptive these things can be. :oops:

Mixmachine's list of sounds like a typical night at Trocadero. They always played all that stuff: "Have A Cigar", "Boogie Woogie Dancing Shoes", "Your Love", "Star Love", up to "Trippin' On The Moon" or "Sunset People" (around 144). That was usually as fast as it got.

Later, I do recall the mix going as high as early 150's with stuff like "Designer Music" by Lipps Inc. Isn't it like 152 BPM?? VERY fast for DISCO, anyway!!!!!

We were "DANCIN' FOOLS"!!!!! :lol:

Later a lot of the new wave stuff --"White Wedding", " Never Say Never" or "Nowhere Girl" for example were all in that 140-150 range.

[nrgbeat]

"Never Say Never"..."I might like you better if we slept together." Romeo Void

I'll have to pull that tune out. Haven't heard that in a while.

[Mixmachine]

Nick, do you find 10 bpm differences when mixing too much? I played “Shame” for so many years that I probably mixed it with just about everything, BPM’s for me was just a tool to calculate how far off I could venture in my mixes without over extending myself, nothing was more boring and predictable to me than to listen all night long to ‘smooth’ and “pretty” mixing DJ’s blindly following a BPM play list, no energy, no excitement, no spontaneity, no surprises, no balls…. when the music matched 10 bpm difference is nothing, slowing down 5 or so on “Shame” and speeding up “You and I” (or Vise versa) gets you in the ballpark nicely, using a second copy to mix on instrumental portions first, slow down and then mix in the vocal later was another way to do it and avoid those nasty chipmunks at the same time. Here are some others “high tempo” hits that could be shuffled and played in any order…


“Sandstorm” La Bionda,
“Fire Dance Night” and “Walking on Music” Peter Jacques
“Sentimental is You” Theo Vaness (loved mixing this)
“Hot Number” Foxy
“Rock it” Lipps
“Yellow Magic” YM orchestra
“Lay Your Love… ABBA
“You really got me” Eclipse
“Accidental Lover” Love and Kisses
“Crazy” the glass Family
“Enough is Enough” Donna Summers
“The Visitors” Ginno Soccio
The Break” Kat Mandu
“Party” Destination
“Savage Lover” the Ring
“Dance Disco Heat” Sylvester
“Miami Heat wave” 7th Ave
“Undercover Lover” Debbie Jackobs
“Whole lot of Love” Wonder Band
“Saturday Night Break out” Arpegio

[markydefad]

I'm listening to some old Troc music right now:

Add to the Peak Time list...

"LOVIN' IS REALLY MY GAME" - Brainstorm
"CRANK IT UP (FUNK TOWN) - Peter Brown
"CAN'T BE LOVE (DO IT TO ME ANYWAY) -Peter Brown
"WITHOUT YOUR LOVE" /"ALIVE WITH LOVE"- Cut Glass
"UNDERWATER"- Harry Thuman
"BREAKAWAY"- Watson Beasley
"ROCK ME NOW" - Peter Batah
"I'M READY" - Kano
"REMEMBER"/GIVE ME A BREAK" - Vivian Vee
"BORN TO BE ALIVE"- Patrick Hernandez
"ONE MORE MINUTE" - Saint Tropez
"FOLLOW ME" - Amanda Lear
"SET ME FREE"- Three Degrees
"LET ME TAKE YOU DANCING" - Bryan Adams
"I GOT A LINE ON YOU" - Patrick Cowley
"LOVE NOW, HURT LATER" - Ann Joy
"SAVE YOUR LOVE FOR ME" - Space
"FIRE NIGHT DANCE" - Peter Jacques Band

[QUINNY]

Marky: They played the odd good record then?

Personally, just to add a few pennies worth, I would never think of mixing or segueing Rick James's You & I with Evelyn King's Shame. Apart from Rick James being something more like 117-121 BPM, it is completely different in feel. I probably did play the two within 15 minutes of each other though.
I only ever used to speed up or slow down by about 3% maximum 'cos I hated chipmunks and drunks. I'm feeling quite excited at the prospect of buying myself a decent double CD player that gets rid of such annoying foibles.

[NickNack]

Nick, do you find 10 bpm differences when mixing too much?

To be honest with you, it only sounds like a lot "on paper". I'm sure I've taken records way past that mark. Like you, I would go with what was happening at the time, pitching one up, the other down, just working it if I felt it would play well at the time. I NEVER used BPM's when I was in the clubs so I couldn't tell you how far I was pulling records out of pitch. And as I said in another thread --- playlists weren't even a thought. It was only after I gave up dj'ing as a "full-time thing" that BPM's came into play. And unlike Quinny, I can still hear "Shame" coming up under "You and I" quite nicely in my head. Guess I'll try it tomorrow and find out. :D