bryantpb
help..
I'm doing a gig soon for a west coast swing "dance lesson" party. I'm from the East Coast and admit my stupidity on this.
Can someone throw me a quick set list of about 40 good dancing west coast swing songs?
Would really really appreciate any help guys. :) :)
I'm doing a gig soon for a west coast swing "dance lesson" party. I'm from the East Coast and admit my stupidity on this.
Can someone throw me a quick set list of about 40 good dancing west coast swing songs?
Would really really appreciate any help guys. :) :)
Posted Mon 11 May 09 @ 2:44 pm
dj-e-lectric
I used to do a west coast swing night for 2 years at a club here in Phoenix, another year at a club in Scottdale and a year in Alhambra, Ca. I found out a few things very quickly....
(1) There is no such thing as "West Coast Swing" music really. West Coast Swing is a dance style developed to couples dance to r&b/pop with a 4/4 beat at a low to mid tempo. It is not like country where a song is patterned to fit the steps of the dance such as a waltz, a 2-step, a polka, etc.
(2) West Coast Swingers will swing to anything they personally like with a low (90) to mid (125) bpm r&b sounding song with a 4/4 beat. I got requests for everything from In Da Club for 50 cent to Respect from Aretha Franklin to I Like The Way You Move, to 16 Tons by Tom Jones...hell I even got dozens of request for Santana-Smooth (but when I played that most people danced Salsa and not west coast)!
(3) They usually don't eat or drink much unless you have FANTASTIC specials. In Phoenix we would have 50-60 people on some nights just for West Coast Swing and in three hours before we switched to our regular format the bar would only ring $200-$300.
(4) If it is an older crowd they will get pissed off when you move to your regular format (even though they would go home at that time when you kept playing WCS). In Cali I dod not have that problem as it was West Coast all night until they left and when they did aroud 11pm I got to pack up and go home!
(5) On the flip side if you have a younger crowd they will easily transition to your regular format, start drinking and party til closing (if you get a regular crowd that comes in after 11pm).
Other great songs are Next-Too Close & Wifey, 112-Dance With Me & Only You, Baby Bash-Shorty DoWop and I'm Back, Toni Braxton-I Belong To You, Cassidy-Hotel, Nick Cannon-Gigolo, Tony Toni Tone-Lets' Get Down & Got No Loot, Janet Jackson Go Deep.....all that smooth r&b.
If you have an older crowd classics include Carribean Queen (Billy Ocean), Forget Me Nots (Patrice Rushen), Billie Jean & Rock My World (MJ), My Girl (Temptations), Kansas City (Wilbert Harrison), Mustang Sally (Wilson Picket), Boy From New Your City (Ad Libs)......
That should give you and Idea of the sound and you can take it from there.
During the "teaching part" the instructor will usually have a cd with what they use to teach with and usually another couple of cds they like to use that they classify as "west coast swing"....but trust me as soon as the lesson is over if you have a younger crowd they will request the r&b type hip hop (beyonce, usher, 112, r. kelly, etc.) they are familar with and the older crowd will request alot of the 80's classic r&b dance cuts with some of the newer r&b/hip hop thrown in.
(1) There is no such thing as "West Coast Swing" music really. West Coast Swing is a dance style developed to couples dance to r&b/pop with a 4/4 beat at a low to mid tempo. It is not like country where a song is patterned to fit the steps of the dance such as a waltz, a 2-step, a polka, etc.
(2) West Coast Swingers will swing to anything they personally like with a low (90) to mid (125) bpm r&b sounding song with a 4/4 beat. I got requests for everything from In Da Club for 50 cent to Respect from Aretha Franklin to I Like The Way You Move, to 16 Tons by Tom Jones...hell I even got dozens of request for Santana-Smooth (but when I played that most people danced Salsa and not west coast)!
(3) They usually don't eat or drink much unless you have FANTASTIC specials. In Phoenix we would have 50-60 people on some nights just for West Coast Swing and in three hours before we switched to our regular format the bar would only ring $200-$300.
(4) If it is an older crowd they will get pissed off when you move to your regular format (even though they would go home at that time when you kept playing WCS). In Cali I dod not have that problem as it was West Coast all night until they left and when they did aroud 11pm I got to pack up and go home!
(5) On the flip side if you have a younger crowd they will easily transition to your regular format, start drinking and party til closing (if you get a regular crowd that comes in after 11pm).
Other great songs are Next-Too Close & Wifey, 112-Dance With Me & Only You, Baby Bash-Shorty DoWop and I'm Back, Toni Braxton-I Belong To You, Cassidy-Hotel, Nick Cannon-Gigolo, Tony Toni Tone-Lets' Get Down & Got No Loot, Janet Jackson Go Deep.....all that smooth r&b.
If you have an older crowd classics include Carribean Queen (Billy Ocean), Forget Me Nots (Patrice Rushen), Billie Jean & Rock My World (MJ), My Girl (Temptations), Kansas City (Wilbert Harrison), Mustang Sally (Wilson Picket), Boy From New Your City (Ad Libs)......
That should give you and Idea of the sound and you can take it from there.
During the "teaching part" the instructor will usually have a cd with what they use to teach with and usually another couple of cds they like to use that they classify as "west coast swing"....but trust me as soon as the lesson is over if you have a younger crowd they will request the r&b type hip hop (beyonce, usher, 112, r. kelly, etc.) they are familar with and the older crowd will request alot of the 80's classic r&b dance cuts with some of the newer r&b/hip hop thrown in.
Posted Mon 11 May 09 @ 8:05 pm
DGee
Hey,
Here is a short list of Classic West Coast Swing songs as published by Mobile Beat Magazine.
SONG_ARTIST
GoAway_ Laurie Morgan
HonkyTonk, Part II _ Bill Doggett
Kansas City_ Wilbert Harrison
Pride and Joy_ Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stagger Lee_ Lloyd Price
Sweet Home Chicago_ Blues Brothers
Take It Back_ Reba McEntire
Ten Men Working_ Neil Young
Been There Done That_ Hank Williams Jr.
Why Haven't I Heard From You _ Reba McEntire
Shake, Rattle and Roll_ Big" Joe Turner
Hope these help.
-DGee
Here is a short list of Classic West Coast Swing songs as published by Mobile Beat Magazine.
SONG_ARTIST
GoAway_ Laurie Morgan
HonkyTonk, Part II _ Bill Doggett
Kansas City_ Wilbert Harrison
Pride and Joy_ Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stagger Lee_ Lloyd Price
Sweet Home Chicago_ Blues Brothers
Take It Back_ Reba McEntire
Ten Men Working_ Neil Young
Been There Done That_ Hank Williams Jr.
Why Haven't I Heard From You _ Reba McEntire
Shake, Rattle and Roll_ Big" Joe Turner
Hope these help.
-DGee
Posted Mon 11 May 09 @ 10:20 pm
dj-e-lectric
DGee wrote :
Hey,
Here is a short list of Classic West Coast Swing songs as published by Mobile Beat Magazine.
SONG_ARTIST
GoAway_ Laurie Morgan
HonkyTonk, Part II _ Bill Doggett
Kansas City_ Wilbert Harrison
Pride and Joy_ Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stagger Lee_ Lloyd Price
Sweet Home Chicago_ Blues Brothers
Take It Back_ Reba McEntire
Ten Men Working_ Neil Young
Been There Done That_ Hank Williams Jr.
Why Haven't I Heard From You _ Reba McEntire
Shake, Rattle and Roll_ Big" Joe Turner
Hope these help.
-DGee
Here is a short list of Classic West Coast Swing songs as published by Mobile Beat Magazine.
SONG_ARTIST
GoAway_ Laurie Morgan
HonkyTonk, Part II _ Bill Doggett
Kansas City_ Wilbert Harrison
Pride and Joy_ Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stagger Lee_ Lloyd Price
Sweet Home Chicago_ Blues Brothers
Take It Back_ Reba McEntire
Ten Men Working_ Neil Young
Been There Done That_ Hank Williams Jr.
Why Haven't I Heard From You _ Reba McEntire
Shake, Rattle and Roll_ Big" Joe Turner
Hope these help.
-DGee
Most of that list is country swing and "real" swing, can't imagine anybidy west coast swingin to most of those. West Coast Swing is designed to be smooth, fluid and mid tempo...most of those songs are very tempo and more geared towards the flamboyant type of swing musics.
here is a site that has listings for various types of swing music
http://www.streetswing.com/2modswg.htm
and as you can see the West Coast Swing list is truly no specific type of music but a mixture of anything and everything...but mostly r&b/pop
Posted Wed 13 May 09 @ 1:16 am