I identify with everything you're saying here. Did my first DJ gig (an 18th birthday) in 1977 and still going at 65 years old. My first rig had no monitoring or stop/start buttons for the turntables. You cued by sight, held a slipmat, and hoped for the best as you faded between tables - I never seemed to have enough hands to do all this but managed because it was the only option. 45s were easy, but it got pretty interesting with album tracks. It was great training for thinking on your feet and being ready to jump in and say something at a moment's notice to cover up mistakes. By the time I got a mixer with a cue function and stop/start on each turntable, I was pretty battle-hardened. Replaced all my vinyl with CDs and now play everything off a MacBook, using Algoriddim DJay and a Pioneer mixer. Couple that with a lightweight PA and lights, and my stuffed-up back from years of setting up and pulling down heavy boxes of vinyl and speakers that you had to be Hercules to lift, can just about cope with still doing live gigs. For me, it's always been about reading the crowd and picking the right song at the right moment. If it's a similar genre and bpm, that's fantastic - but sometimes going for something completely different and unexpected - an opening note/riff/vocal that blows the roof off and transports your audience to a different place and time... those are the big moments people remember. I have fun playing around with beat-mixing at home but don't have the confidence to try a live set unless it's a really friendly audience who knows me well. COVID provided me the opportunity to learn new stuff and these days I regularly livestream sets to MIXCLOUD too. I still get as much of a kick out of sharing the music and putting smiles on an audience's faces as I did back in 1977. Keep your videos coming, I always enjoy them and hearing from a kindred spirit.
I had a discussion just like this with the bride's dad at a wedding. He wanted me to do some "scratching and wiki-wiki". I explained that my controller was a great tool to help smoothly transition one song to the next. Then I admitted that I haven't practiced scratching well enough to perform it. He was baffled.
I enjoy the history lesson. I just started DJing and I'm playing catch-up. During the 80's and 90's I was playing in bands and to me mobile DJ's were evil. Now, I'm wishing I would've paid more attention to what they were doing in the age before MP3 and a hard drive. I agree with you that it probably wasn't as romantic as RUclips videos try to make it look. I can imagine how frustrating it must have been to work with vinyl.
Just knowing your music was a real talent back then. I wasn't into DJin that deep then, but I new the guys who lived and breathed the music. They knew all the older stuff and hunted records like hound dogs, when searching for the 45s or albums. Most of the time the only way to get certain records was from catalogs, they would call the catalog companies long distance to make batch deals and it wasn't cheap. Part time DJs like myself relied on them and record shop owners to tell us what songs were popular.
Southern California was a bit different in the 80s. There were some hardcore mobile dj crews throwing huge backyard parties or abandoned building parties. Those djs could blend and mix up the genres really well from a disco song to the Ramones and the Cramps. Personally, I had mismatched turntables and a RadioShack mixer with a ton of records that I had collected at used record stores. The 80s were amazing but I do love digital with stems, looops, and no back breaking crates. Thanks Brian, enjoy every video!
It is true that the PD/MD gave us a playlist to choose from. If you declined an offer to do radio because of that alone, sadly you missed out. Once the stations hired actual DJs to fill in the new “Mixshow Director” positions, we had more autonomy. The elite guys had their own shows to break new music and play rare grooves. I still play on a station where I spin all classic Hip-Hop…all freestyle is heaven for me. The opportunities garnered from mixshow slots are endless. They get most of the concert/festival gigs and the best club appearances. Radio taught me to settle for nothing less than perfectly timed, seamless transitions because the audience was 10,000 listeners at any given time. Our Mixshow Director taught us how to sandwich the right songs together…hit, hit, recurrent, local favorite, underground, bring it back. No margin for error when that many people are tuned into you. Oh let’s not forget EVERY VINYL RELEASE! Remixes, test pressings, indie artists etc. all of whom recorded personalized drops with our DJ name that I still use to this day. I literally opened a two story record store to unload 95% of that vinyl. Really good money return for all of those hours spent in the booth.
youre still the cool DJ, I work at the radio station network here and DJ, and do you think they would let me DJ? hell nah lol. Played some of the biggest venues in town too. I feel like I dont fit anywhere lol
Back then on the east coast the big name DJs were the club DJs. The mobile DJs were thought as someone who could fill in for a band. I remember back then when the club DJs were sort of hidden in the club in some back room or way up high on a balconey. You really didn't engage with them. They were more or less thought of as technicians. Larry Levan started to do things that changed the role of the DJ. He would be all over the club checking the lights and fixing equipment. He gets credit for being the first DJ to blend the same song using two copies. First DJ that the record companies hired to do remixes. He would do so many things that we thought a DJ should not do with the music but it worked. And finally he was the first DJ who was the show. No doubt the first superstar DJ on the level of a rock star at least in NYC.
All your Videos are so informative and helpful to watch @briansredd We have a local Radio DJ who actually graduated a few years before from the same High School, he think his S*^t is better Ice Cream and is still the same way today. People would go up to talk to him and he comes right out and ask them do you want my autograph. Some of the people are fellow classmates.
While I appreciate your knowledge of the Chicago style mix shows, Bad Boy Bill nor Bobby D. were ever part of the HOTMIX 5. Bill made it big later as a DJ with the former 102.7 WBMX and then moved to B96. That's also where Bobby D made his bones. Both are still legendary here in Chicago. Julian became the 6th member to join the Hotmix 5 after Scott Silz left. The HotMix 5 were comprised of Farley "Funkin" Keith, Mickey "Mixin" Oliver, Ralphi Rosario, Kenny "Jammin" Jason, and Scott "Smokin" Silz.
I identify with everything you're saying here. Did my first DJ gig (an 18th birthday) in 1977 and still going at 65 years old.
My first rig had no monitoring or stop/start buttons for the turntables. You cued by sight, held a slipmat, and hoped for the best as you faded between tables - I never seemed to have enough hands to do all this but managed because it was the only option. 45s were easy, but it got pretty interesting with album tracks. It was great training for thinking on your feet and being ready to jump in and say something at a moment's notice to cover up mistakes. By the time I got a mixer with a cue function and stop/start on each turntable, I was pretty battle-hardened.
Replaced all my vinyl with CDs and now play everything off a MacBook, using Algoriddim DJay and a Pioneer mixer. Couple that with a lightweight PA and lights, and my stuffed-up back from years of setting up and pulling down heavy boxes of vinyl and speakers that you had to be Hercules to lift, can just about cope with still doing live gigs.
For me, it's always been about reading the crowd and picking the right song at the right moment. If it's a similar genre and bpm, that's fantastic - but sometimes going for something completely different and unexpected - an opening note/riff/vocal that blows the roof off and transports your audience to a different place and time... those are the big moments people remember.
I have fun playing around with beat-mixing at home but don't have the confidence to try a live set unless it's a really friendly audience who knows me well.
COVID provided me the opportunity to learn new stuff and these days I regularly livestream sets to MIXCLOUD too.
I still get as much of a kick out of sharing the music and putting smiles on an audience's faces as I did back in 1977.
Keep your videos coming, I always enjoy them and hearing from a kindred spirit.
I had a discussion just like this with the bride's dad at a wedding. He wanted me to do some "scratching and wiki-wiki". I explained that my controller was a great tool to help smoothly transition one song to the next. Then I admitted that I haven't practiced scratching well enough to perform it. He was baffled.
KLF is gonna rock ya
Great OJ list 😂 Love those songs!
Let's add to the OJ List - White Horse - Laid Back, It Keeps You Running - Doobie Brothers, Riding High - Faze-O,
Love your videos and commentary I also love hearing about djing back in the day
I enjoy the history lesson. I just started DJing and I'm playing catch-up. During the 80's and 90's I was playing in bands and to me mobile DJ's were evil. Now, I'm wishing I would've paid more attention to what they were doing in the age before MP3 and a hard drive. I agree with you that it probably wasn't as romantic as RUclips videos try to make it look. I can imagine how frustrating it must have been to work with vinyl.
Just knowing your music was a real talent back then. I wasn't into DJin that deep then, but I new the guys who lived and breathed the music. They knew all the older stuff and hunted records like hound dogs, when searching for the 45s or albums. Most of the time the only way to get certain records was from catalogs, they would call the catalog companies long distance to make batch deals and it wasn't cheap. Part time DJs like myself relied on them and record shop owners to tell us what songs were popular.
Southern California was a bit different in the 80s. There were some hardcore mobile dj crews throwing huge backyard parties or abandoned building parties. Those djs could blend and mix up the genres really well from a disco song to the Ramones and the Cramps. Personally, I had mismatched turntables and a RadioShack mixer with a ton of records that I had collected at used record stores. The 80s were amazing but I do love digital with stems, looops, and no back breaking crates.
Thanks Brian, enjoy every video!
My first mobile system was 2 1200's and a Urei in 1988. Never was a scratcher, but i loved mixing oil and water back in the day.
Another good one would’ve been Nowhere to Run.
Me and my DJ buddy had three turntables and a sampler late 80's when playing but still at least half of the mixes were cut mixing.
It is true that the PD/MD gave us a playlist to choose from. If you declined an offer to do radio because of that alone, sadly you missed out. Once the stations hired actual DJs to fill in the new “Mixshow Director” positions, we had more autonomy. The elite guys had their own shows to break new music and play rare grooves. I still play on a station where I spin all classic Hip-Hop…all freestyle is heaven for me. The opportunities garnered from mixshow slots are endless. They get most of the concert/festival gigs and the best club appearances. Radio taught me to settle for nothing less than perfectly timed, seamless transitions because the audience was 10,000 listeners at any given time. Our Mixshow Director taught us how to sandwich the right songs together…hit, hit, recurrent, local favorite, underground, bring it back. No margin for error when that many people are tuned into you. Oh let’s not forget EVERY VINYL RELEASE! Remixes, test pressings, indie artists etc. all of whom recorded personalized drops with our DJ name that I still use to this day. I literally opened a two story record store to unload 95% of that vinyl. Really good money return for all of those hours spent in the booth.
Good stuff BSR
youre still the cool DJ, I work at the radio station network here and DJ, and do you think they would let me DJ? hell nah lol. Played some of the biggest venues in town too. I feel like I dont fit anywhere lol
i know what you mean a festival and chillout room dj
Back then on the east coast the big name DJs were the club DJs. The mobile DJs were thought as someone who could fill in for a band. I remember back then when the club DJs were sort of hidden in the club in some back room or way up high on a balconey. You really didn't engage with them. They were more or less thought of as technicians.
Larry Levan started to do things that changed the role of the DJ. He would be all over the club checking the lights and fixing equipment. He gets credit for being the first DJ to blend the same song using two copies. First DJ that the record companies hired to do remixes. He would do so many things that we thought a DJ should not do with the music but it worked.
And finally he was the first DJ who was the show. No doubt the first superstar DJ on the level of a rock star at least in NYC.
All your Videos are so informative and helpful to watch @briansredd
We have a local Radio DJ who actually graduated a few years before from the same High School, he think his S*^t is better Ice Cream and is still the same way today. People would go up to talk to him and he comes right out and ask them do you want my autograph. Some of the people are fellow classmates.
i ẹnjoy all lesson
While I appreciate your knowledge of the Chicago style mix shows, Bad Boy Bill nor Bobby D. were ever part of the HOTMIX 5. Bill made it big later as a DJ with the former 102.7 WBMX and then moved to B96. That's also where Bobby D made his bones. Both are still legendary here in Chicago. Julian became the 6th member to join the Hotmix 5 after Scott Silz left. The HotMix 5 were comprised of Farley "Funkin" Keith, Mickey "Mixin" Oliver, Ralphi Rosario, Kenny "Jammin" Jason, and Scott "Smokin" Silz.
Right, I didn't mean to suggest they were "Hot Mix 5" DJs. I just jumbled a bunch of Chicago House DJs together in a thought
Hello
JEFF THE WIZARD MILLS 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
There are many train crash djs today