Oh and another thing!

A couple of weeks ago me, and two other sat down with a bottle of wine, some Pringles and a recorder I stole from work to record a “pod” cast under the pseudonym Muppet Babies. The other two are Cambian and Dooban. You will remember them from such photos as every photo on this blog.

It’s quite long and offputting. But the podcaverse has been awash with “hype” about this.

I need to move this blog/sort it out because I can’t embed the player but please, please, please click this image and imagine it works.

The List

For a long time I’ve been keeping track of terrible DJ names. I’ve written them down in a big long sequence with one name following another and so on to form a “list”. In the interest of fairness I’ve also compiled a smaller list of excellent DJ names. Some of these have links, most don’t. I’m not that diligent.

BAD

To be compiled at a later date

GOOD

DJ Scotch Egg

DJ Bus Replacement Service

DJ Fruit Polo

 

I can’t say for sure if they’re actually good DJs or not. Just their names.

I’m still working on making this a functional DJ site but I’m busy with actual DJing and work, uni, fixing punctures, applying for credit cards. Got knocked off my bike this week. Watch this space. No watch the space below, containing Ray Stevens’s The Streak.

 

It’s been a while

Hmmmm…I kind of stopped blogging because I ran out of things to say but now I feel like starting again, because I feel like I have some stuff to say again.

In reality I’ve never been busier from a “professional DJ” point of view. The second half of 2012 was my busiest 6 months yet. What that meant was I actually had less time to focus on the fun aspects of the craft like buying new music and improving my techniques.

At the same time I started back at uni full-time, while still holding down my day job two days a week.

All this left very little time for blogging and, to be honest, very little time to think about the kind of stuff I might go on to blog about.

Nothing massive has changed but I’ve managed to shimmy some stuff around in my life and I have some thinking space. What can you expect?

1. Some more digging reports, starting with this weekend’s trip to Whitstable. I think that’s my first new vinyl purchases since the last post on here.
2. Some better dig reports. Until mine are at the same level as heightfiveseven‘s Logan Melissa I won’t be happy.
3. Perhaps some new mixes if I have time.
4. Eventually a new website. I’m going to have time as of May, so one of my jobs is a redesign of this site. It will be a permanent site for my mixes and should serve as an online contact card, incorporating this blog section as a very occasional news part.

A teaser of what’s to come? 

This:

Digger’s Diary: Hay-on-Wye Record Fair, 01/07/12

There’s not a lot to do in Wales except get wet. That’s not true. This isn’t a very good start is it? Let’s begin again. There’s lots to do in Wales in June, and getting wet is just one of the many exciting activities one can enjoy along with getting lost because all the road signs are in Welsh and nearly dying by being blown of a mountain top in gale-force winds. I love Wales really – Goldie Lookin’ Chain were definitely in my top ten groups of ’04 – and so I went camping at the weekend.

On the way home we decided to stop by “The Town of Books” that is Hay-on-Wye. Home to a massive literary festival every year, it spends the rest of the year being smaller than people expect and having lots of closed cafes. This Sunday, however, I was lucky enough to pull up with my entourage just as the world-famous record fair was in town. The seven or eight stalls were kept out of the Brecon Beacon drizzle by some Georgian stone structure that was probably designed to host hangings or something. I only had a tenner in my pocket, having spent most of my weekend money on disposable barbecues and Kendal Mint Cake.

What does ten pounds get you in Hay-on-Wye on a wet Sunday in June? All this l00t!

1. Billy Swan – I’m her fool – 30p

Country tinged pop. I took a punt on this thinking it might be some soul. It’s OK because it features the lyric “I come runnin’ like a dog when she calls, cos she pats me when I bury my bone.”

2. Roscoe – This Time – 30p

I have to say I don’t recall chosing this one but I was pleased to see that this slice of also-ran late 80s house was recorded in Cheadle Hulme, where my mum grew up. Look at Roscoe’s little face like he’s from Grange Hill or something.

3. Dazz Band – Keep It Live (On the K.I.L.) – 30p

It’s that ^. Pretty hot right? The EXACT same cut on both sides for some reason though.

4. Gerry Rafferty – Night Owl – 30p

That’s the front cover of this AOR bit of slickness (although the B-side wins again) but the back cover wins more. Look!

Chipping Norton what Gerry?! CHIPPING NORTON WHAT??!?!!!

5. Baker Gurvitz Army – The Gambler – 30p

Sounds kinds like early Genesis. Sounds kinds proggy. Does not sound like Kenny Rogers’ crossover hit “The Gambler”. Does sound like I’ll never play this record again.

6. J. Geils Band – Love Stinks (picture disc) – 30p

She’s got that look on her face cos of what my fingers are doing. Fascinating fact: this record was once sold in Redruth for £1.25 according to a label on it.

7. Crowded House – Something so strong – 30p

Look at the light emanating from Neil Finn’s crotch. That’s the “something so strong”. Great tune. I was reminded of the awesomeness of this the other week when I walked into pub in Earlsfield full of pissed up southern-hemisphere pumped-up rugby blokes belting this out. I was intimidated and left soon after.

8. Incantation – Chacharpaya – 30p

I though this would be cool because it was on Beggar’s Banquet. “Hey maybe it’ll be like that cool boogie stuff I have…oh no it’s pan pipe music. Not terrible panpipe music but panpipe music nonetheless.

9. Dooley Silverspoon – Game Players – 30p

It’s two kind-of-cool soul tunes that sound like you’re listening to them through a tin of soup with the soup still in it. 5/10.

Also-rans: FYC – She Drives Me Crazy (I bought it for a secret project); Duran Duran – Notorious (bought it for when I one day learn to juggle and can do a thing with that and the Biggie tune); two Nazareth 45s (bought by accident, one has a crap hair metal ballad on it – *sigh*).

Donald Fagen – The Nightfly – £2

This was exactly what I might expect from a “FOUNDER MEMBER OF STEELY DAN”. (I’m gonna put that sticker on my decks). It takes perfect cocaine music to its natural conclusion. I can imagine him sitting tensely behind the mixing desk staring at a percussionist just daring him to mistime a cowbell hit. Please check this album out and listen to it all, lots.

Ohio Players – Contradiction £2

Look it’s a lass loving a horse. What can I say about this album other than, I reckon somebody, somewhere has had this view whilst having a go at himself.

Of all the hundreds of emails I get every day enquiring about this blog, my work and inspirations, by far the most frequently asked question is “Mike, do you know what star sign(s) the Ohio Players were?”. Until now I could only have guessed but now I have some evidence. From now on, every time this question gets asked I’ll be able to answer, as this information is thoughtfully located on the inner sleeve of this fine album.

Kansas – Leftoverture  –£2

For several weeks now I’ve been singing the into to Kansas’s “Carry on my Wayward Son”. I was even singing it as I rifled through Paul young record after Paul Young record on Sunday until I chanced across the very album that song opens! Blame Greg Proops.

So that was ten quid.

 

Dredging the web and stealing ideas

While the YKWYHI elves work tirelessly here behind the scenes on the new site, I have taken a few minutes from my busy schedule to bring you some stuff from the internet that I stole off other site. Behold!

A hot-ass reggae mix from Flea Market Funk in support of this fundraising night.

Big Youth – Hotter Fire/Negusa Negast Records
Tapper Zukie – Woman Ah No Me Trouble/ Mobiliser
Success All Stars – Doctor Satan Echo Chamber/ Striker Lee
Augustus Pablo – Fat Girl/ Echo Records
Winston Groovy – Dancing Shoes/ Pioneer International
Barrington Levy – Time Hard/ Puff Records
Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse/ African Museum (Disco 45)
Marcia Griffiths – Feel Like Jumping/ High Note
Joy White – Tribulation/ Joe Gibbs International
Dennis Brown – Jah Can Do It/ Joe Gibbs International
Jackie Mittoo – Revolting Rockers/ Third World Records
Rockers All Stars – Fire Dub/ Rockers International

Fat Lace is back and alive with Def Jam week (more like two and a bit weeks and counting) and its top ten slept-on Def Jam singles. What’s saddest is that if you now type “def jam” into Google Image Search you get tonnes of stills from that stupid fighting video game.

On a different tip we have another AOR edit from Fingerman via AORDisco:

Well that’s it then. What do you mean this isn’t original content? It’s called reblogging mate – it was very big in 2009. I’m being retro.

Now to hit those elves.

Dave’ll fix it.

Check out this mix. Do it now!

http://www.mixcloud.com/bestimix/bestimix-82-davell-mix-it/

This mix has blown  me away because it looks like Naughty Dave has gone into my record bag or spotted me playing one of my legendary secret guerilla gigs and robbed my setlist.

I might send this mix out as my new promo and say “I didn’t do it but I may as well have done”.

In his own words Dave sez:

Way, way back, when men were men & perms were de rigeur, Dave Grogan, a thrusting young orderly, met Halifax Hospital Radio legend Barry Peters in a chance union that would change the face of pub gigs in the north of England forever. Together, they travelled the length & breadth of Yorkshire thrilling audiences with their musical daring & enviable wardrobe. But, after 25 years of non-stop party nonsense, these two have had to part ways. Stop that crying dear reader because Dave now flies solo, one man on a mission to reduce working men’s clubs into havens of gay abandon up & down the country. And it seems to be working. He has built up quite a following (24 friends on Twitter) and is now ready to unveil his quite literally (well, not literally) blinding Bestimix. Featuring such musical greats as Debarge, Buggles & household faves Statler & Waldorf (no, us neither), this is one exclusive deejay session not to be missed!

Somebody stop mehhhhhhhhh

Yes I’m still alive.

I’ve been spending my time getting wet/sunburnt as the British weather dictates rather than wittering on on the internet. Plus I’ve been  gigging a lot more this year than last so that’s been taking up my time and has allowed me to flex my extensive 20-track arsenal of “dance” music to unhappy crowds throughout Sadiq Khan’s fiefdoms.

So speaking of gigs I have one coming up which is a masquerade ball. I guess I don’t have to get a mask but I want to, so I shall mother. I bet no DJs have ever thought of wearing masks before! This can be my gimmick. And let’s face I sorely need one. I’m having trouble standing out amongst people who are somehow better than me at playing pre-recorded pieces of music.

OH NO!

BUMS! Daft Punk!

WILLIES! Dead Mouse (yeah I got no ‘speck)

POO! Jaguar Skills

ARSE! SBTRKT!

GOLLOCKS! I have no clue who this is. Probably someone dead trendy like Pete Tong or The Vengaboys. DJ Hitlerfrog let’s call him.

So I’m gonna either go for a full-on gimp mask or possibly something in a Mankind direction.

HAVE A NICE DAY!

 

Adrock came to me in a dream

I haaaad a dreeeeeeeeam…about a Beeeeeeeeastie Booooooooooooooy.

It went like this: Adrock was at my house for some reason and I made a really nice tea which was like Japanese food like a noodle soup or something. Also present were my dad, his girlfriend and one of my best mates from school who was mad into the Beastie Boys with me.

After tea Adrock suggests going out because he knows a cool place and we get there and it tuns out it’s more of a restaurant than a bar and we’re like: “but we just ate” but we’re too polite to say anything.

The food starts coming and it’s one of them places where it’s a tasting menu so you get lots of little courses. I get the impression it’s also kind of expensive. My dad and his GF aren’t too impressed with the first couple of courses so they make their excuses and leave, plus it’s pretty late by then and I’m really panicking about the cost since I’ve got bugger all money with me and nothing in my account. This is just a reflection of real life at the moment for me.

Anyway Adrock’s going on about the restaurant and how good it is and how he always comes here when he’s in London. I’m secretly a bit pissed off because he’s taken us out to eat after I gave him a perfectly nice dinner that I’d made, plus he’s gone all celebrity and he’s looking round to see who’s in the place rather than talking to us. Furthermore it turns out there’s also a bar there so he COULD have just said “let’s go for drinks” so I’m confused as to why we’re eating food.

After a bit I just say: “how much is this gonna cost?” cos at no point have I seen a menu, they just brought the food, which is a bad sign and he’s really evasive on the price so I say “look, I’ve not got much money. I didn’t ask to come here and I’ve already eaten so I’m not even hungry. It’s alright for you famous rap stars to come here but we’re in a double dip recession etc. etc.”.

I wasn’t angry, just kind of confused as to why he’d taken us out to eat.

Anyway he agreed to pay and was pretty humble about it and then the mood kind of improved and he understood where I was coming from, then the dream ended.

Not once did we discuss MCA or the Beastie Boys’ careers at any point.

I got visited by one of my musical heroes in a dream and all I did was worry about the social niceties of dining out.

Walter Mecca – Time Control = cool

Not Walter Mecca [minus] Time Control [equals] cool.

About two years ago I used to complain that rap stopped being cool. Well now it’s kind of cool in a hipster way again thanks to LOLRANDOM kids like Odd Future but not cool in a cool way like Run-D.M.C. were cool.

Not ironically cool, just fucking cool.

Not cool:

Cool:

Do you see?

Anyway this video and music piece is cool

It’s by French beatmaker and have-a-go rapper Walter Mecca. Yeah that links through to a MySpace. He’s cooler than you – get over it. Cooler than me but I’m cool with that.

That totally sounds like it should be a De La lyric…

SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

DJ Patience – The Soft Centre of Wu-Tang

My dadDJ Sigma just alerted me to this hot mix from DJ Patience. As the name suggests it’s a mix of some of the softer Wu samples. It’s absolutely gorgeously put together, if a little choppy.

See what you think? Tracklist as follows:

1. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #8
2. Peter Nero: A Time For Us
3. Gladys Knight & The Pips: Giving Up
4. Ben E. King: I Who Have Nothing
5. The Dramatics: In The Rain
6. Al Green: Simply Beautiful
7. Sly Johnston: I Hate I Walked Away
8. Gladys Kinght & The Pips: And This is Love
9. Ann Peebles: Trouble, Heartache and Sadness
10: OV Wright: Let’s Straighten it Out
11: Al Green: Something
12: Johnnie Taylor: Steal Away
13: Willie Mitchell: Groovin
14: Labi Siffre: I Got The (Blues)
15: Southside Movement: I’ve Been Watching You
16: B.B. King: The Thrill is Gone
17: Gap Mangione: Free Again
18: Nicholas Flagello: Wailing Wail
19: Eddie Floyd: Don’t Leave Me Lonely
20: The New Birth: Honey Bee
21: Wendy Rene: After Laughter (Comes Tears)
22: The Detroit Emeralds: You’re Getting a Little Too Smart
23: Sly Johnson: Don’t Do It
24: Baby Huey: Hard Times
25: Melvin Bliss: Synthetic Substitution
26: Tommy Youngblood: Tobbacco Road
27: Love Unlimited: Midnight Groove
28: Sly Johnson: I Hear The Love Chimes
29: Curtis Mayfield: Underground
30: Betty Lavette: Let Me Down Easy
31: Albert King: Oh Pretty Woman
32: Hot Chocolate: Brother Louie
33: The Soul Children: Don’t You Take My Kindness For Weakness
34: The Marvelettes: Why Marry
35: Al Green: You Ought To Be With Me
36: Sly Johnson: Different Strokes
37: Bobby Womack: Across 110th St
38: Sly Johnson: Is it Because I’m Black
39: Lynn Collins: Ain’t No Sunshine
40: The Brighter Side of Darkness: Love Jones
41: Barry White: Mellow Mood
42: Isaac Hayes: Walk on By
43: Bob James: Nautilus
44: The Emotions: I Like It
45: Gaz: Sing Sing
46: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell: You’re All I Need To Get By
47: The Doors: The End

Keep your minces peeled for the new look YKIWYHI soon. (ish).