W.Y Songs

One of my first memories of hip-hop and rap was the Beastie Boys song “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)” on the radio while I was still at school. I remember saving all my money just to buy the album Licensed To Ill and I now rate it one of my top 50 albums of all time. At the time I was listening to a lot of chart music and “oldies” but the Beastie Boys helped to change my musical tastes and now hip-hop and rap is probably my favourite genre.

The Beastie Boys originated in New York, USA and consisted of Michael Diamond (Mike D), Adam Yauch (MCA), John Berry and Kate Schellenbach. There have been many contributors since then, the most popular being Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock), Michael Schwartz (Mix Master Mike), and Wendell Fite (DJ Hurricane). The name Beastie was thought to stand for “Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence” but in a report with Mike D he said that this happened after they had come up with the name. In the early days the group were support acts for bands like The Misfits, Reagan Youth, Bas Brains and The Dead Kennedys.

In 1983 John Berry left and was replaced by Ad-Rock, soon after the Beastie Boys signed to Def Jam and released the EP Rock Hard in 1984. Not long after Kelly left the band and it is said that it was a result of their manager thinking she didn’t fit the bands rap image. In 1985 the Beastie Boys opened for Public Image Ltd. (Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols new band),they also supported Madonna on her “Virgin” tour and on the Raising Hell tour with Run DMC.

The debut album Licensed To Ill was released in 1986 and is reported as the best selling Rap album of the 1980’s and the first Rap album to goto #1 on the Billboard album chart. The album stayed at the top of the chart for five weeks and sold over 5 million copies. Paul’s Boutique was released in 1989 after they signed with Capitol Records and is considered a landmark for hip-hop recordings due to its use of multi-layering and sampling techniques. Rolling Stone Magazine described the album as “the Pet Sounds/Dark Side of the Moon of hip hop.” and it went on to sell over a million copies.

Check Your Head was released in 1992 after yet another change in label to Grand Royal Records (their own label) and the band played all the instruments themselves. The album went double platinum in the US. It is said in the Oxford English Dictionary that the Beastie Boys created the haircut term called the Mullet in the song Mullet Head in 1994.

When Ill Communication was released in 1994 it went straight into the US chart at #1, soon after, the Beastie Boys headlined at Lollapalooza (an American music festival) alongside The Smashing Pumpkins. They also went on a tour to raise awareness for The Milarepa Fund which deal with Tibetan human rights and Adam Yauch organised the Tibetan Freedom Concert which saw over 100,000 people through the gates of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in 1996.

Aglio e Olio was released in 1995 and resembled a more punk style than that usually associated with their Rap style. The In Sound From Way Out! was released in 1996 and was an instrumental album consisting of jazz/funk beats.

Hello Nasty saw a new shift in the Beastie Boys music when DJ Hurricane was replaced by Mix Master Mike. The album was released in 1998 and went straight into the US chart at #1 and sold over 690,000 sales in the first week alone. The album also went into the #1 slot in UK, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden.

When To The 5 Boroughs was released in 2004 it was the first of their albums to be completely produced by themselves and reached #1 in the US chart and the single “Ch-Check It Out” was #2 on the world internet download chart. There was some controversy when the album was released as some people claimed the CD installed spyware when played on a PC but these allegations were settled as it was only copy protection software which only appeared on European copies.

Beastie Boys released The Mix Up in 2007 and prior to its release some tracks were leaked onto the internet and it was thought that the album would be purely instrumental but when the album was actually released it was soon discovered that it was just a myth.

The Beastie Boys are currently producing a new album.

My Top 10 Beastie Boys Songs are:

01. Girls02. Brass Monkey

03. Pass The Mic

04. Time To Get Ill

05. Three MC’s and One DJ

06. Body Movin’

07. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)

08. Intergalactic

09. Car Thief

10. Skills To Pay The Bills

By: Andy Jackson

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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the award-winning video game from Rockstar, set in the early 1990’s on the West Coast of the USA, in a fictional state known as San Andreas. This state is made up of three large cities, each heavily influenced by real places. For example, one city is very similar to that of Las Vegas, while another is like San Francisco.

Grant Theft Auto games are famous for their soundtracks, which are often completely in-tune with the era, and the morals and social conventions of the time (as we saw in GTA: Vice City). Because of the time that this game is set in, it is filled with songs from the early 90’s, as well as a few golden oldies. These tracks are spread out over a number of different radio stations; each with their own style of music.

Some of the highlights from the GTA San Andreas soundtrack include Toto’s “Hold the Line”, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird”, Public Enemy’s “Rebel Without A Pause”, N.W.A’s “Express Yourself”, Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle”, Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name”, The Stone Roses’ “Fools Gold” and Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus”.

An official GTA San Andreas soundtrack was released on November 23rd 2004 worldwide, and has become a commercial success. The GTA San Andreas soundtrack has now become a legendary piece of work that captured an entire generation in a few, simple songs. Those that remember most of the music of the era will be taken back to it, and be drawn instantly into the game.

By: James L J Smith

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Piano Rouge

Restaurant and jazz club is situated in main square of Krakow. The interior reminds of a royal chamber and makes a great impression on visitors. Rugged, stone walls covered with red and golden tissues compose on amazing atmosphere of this place. The most characteristic items of the club are: bar imitating the piano and one old piano situated in restaurant hall. In this amazing interior you can try Polish and Italian cuisine, delicious drinks and listen to jazz.

Alchemia

Large club (170 square meters) with a great atmosphere. It consists of 6 rooms, every one of which has its own name, like: “Heaven”, “Hell”, “Alchemy” etc. Music: jazz, folk, Hawaii and Cuban. But it is not only a music club. There are often organized concerts and cultural events like: spectacles and movie shows, as well.

Cafe Integracja

A place full of comfortable sofas and chairs. Club contains 3 rooms, balcony and dance floor. There are special discounts for students available. Characteristic item of this place is charming fireplace. Music offer is very diversified and original. From Monday to Thursday in the club there dominate “music of places” (“budda bar”, “cafe del mar”). Friday is the reggae day and Saturday – Oldies Goldies.

Bledne Kolo

In this club you can spend time in great atmosphere drinking colorful drinks and listening to live phonographic music. Parties take place here every day, from Tuesday to Saturday. Club was recently renovated, now it has an additional floor, so if you wish to take a seat and easily talk or read, you can do it! Large patio will let you take a whiff of fresh air. Music: house, reggae, jazz, ragga, dance.

By: Kamila Kaczmarczyk

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A cover band is a tribute act that would usually be booked to play a line up of cover songs (other musicians’ songs) which are popular with the crowd expected at your event. Most people think about a band when planning entertainment for corporate events, balls, functions, festivals and of course if they want a wedding band to perform live music.

Having a cover band play at your event is a superb way to get your guests involved and you can often choose a themed cover band to play for instance you may have a 1960’s themed wedding then your chosen wedding band will specialise in 60’s themed music or you may choose a band that will play indie music, rock, guitar, jazz – or simply popular tracks that a range of people will enjoy.

A good point to make if you are seeking an agency to provide your live music and entertainment is to find out how much experience the cover band has, ask to listen to a recording or preferably a quick live performance if possible – this way you will be able to judge their stage presence, however this is not always possible and not forgetting a performance in an office in the day time will perhaps not reflect how the performance will go with the correct lighting and good atmosphere at an evening event!

A cover band should always be booked with a good DJ that can play during intervals and before the act performs. Bands generally will not play for the whole duration of the event so the DJ will be rostered to play high energy music and dance floor fillers at the end of the live music performance.

A fine entertainment agency will have superb connections and a good list of acts to make for a fantastic event that keeps your guests entertained, the cover bands and your DJ will be able to discuss with you a playlist covering your chosen music be it golden oldies, pop or dance etc and the cover band will normally provide all the equipment, PA’s and lighting.

Once booked you should normally expect to pay a deposit and the price will often cover travel expenses. Once a deposit is paid, you can expect the cover band and wedding DJ to travel to your event location and provide the perfect entertainment for your party or corporate event.

By: Michael Hanna

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golden oldies music

Alzheimer’s and the Benefits of Golden Oldies Music by Brenda Dapkus I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a caregiver say, “My mom just sits there and stares; she won’t respond to any activity I suggest.” For those who face this challenge, your loved one has probably progressed from late middle to late stage Alzheimer’s Disease. The good news is that music is an activity! When I say music, I’m not talking about Country and Western, Easy Listening, or any other style of music that they listened to long before they developed Alzheimer’s.

They’ve regressed to a much earlier time; a time where the popular songs of the day are songs you might not know. One particular song that comes to mind, and one that my residents loved, is A Bicycle Built For Two. Play that song, or others from that genre, and see if your loved one’s face doesn’t light up. Play that song, and chances are great that you might just see them tap their toes or begin to sing! Friends, I have seen it happen over and over.

Music from their youth can also improve their eating and overall mood. Play that music softly at mealtime, and I believe that it can remind them of being at home with mom and dad — a time that is comforting and makes them feel secure. Music from the good old days is not only an activity, it can also be used as a diversion from behaviors caused from agitations, frustration and loss of control. With some residents, I used a portable CD player, and put headphones on them — instant change in behavior! You might be thinking that you’d like to try this music, but you have no idea what those songs are or if anyone even makes a cd of these songs.

Here is more good news: These songs are not only available on cd, there are several companies that sell them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a smile on the face that is so dear to you?

By: Brenda Dapkus

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The more time passes, the more difficult it is for older people to find music that they enjoy. Fewer and fewer people are familiar with the songs that were popular in the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s. The songs that created such strong memories for these older people are fading into history and members of these generations in particular go without hearing the songs that mean so much to them and bring back to mind so many important events in their life stories. This is where you come in!

Many popular hits were written and recorded in these decades but most are difficult to find in music shops because they were recorded in formats that we now consider old technology, such as vinyl records. For collectors who choose to hunt these rare recordings down for purchase, they can be very costly and often damaged beyond repair.

You can find these old songs from the various eras of days gone by and learn to play and sing them. If you have a guitar or piano available to you and can sing reasonably well, you can perform them in public. You could charge $250 per show! There are many different venues open to you to perform these hits of bygone days. For instance, you could visit retirement homes, nursing homes, country clubs, and other community places where many people from these eras could gather to listen to you sing these oldies to them!

You could also perform at events such as decade themed costume parties, which are growing in popularity. Keep in mind that since these songs are often considered ‘golden oldies’, they are usually considered more politically correct for events with a wide age range of people in attendance and would be quite a bit less likely to offend sensitive ears then more modern music. Many times, this form of live music is considered more stylish and refined than other modern options of music because of this and will therefore appeal to a large spectrum of people.

You could also record yourself playing and singing these songs and sell them on CDs for people to play for their enjoyment later or for another occasion. You could easily and inexpensively make multiple copies and sell them discretely at each performance for anywhere between $10 and 20 dollars.

Now the next thing you will have to do is to let your potential audience know that you are out there and ready to perform for them! You will likely want to advertise your availability by running an advertisement in your local phone directory or local newspaper.

You will also want to be sure and have a website listing the many songs and eras that you can perform for them as well as your availability and a pricing structure. Be sure and include photos of people of all ages having a great time listening and watching you perform! You should also list your services with an online business directory. It would be a good idea to print up flyers advertising your services and post them in highly visible places, especially in areas where senior citizens or aged people would be likely to frequent. Be sure to include popular lunch places and coffee shops! Most post offices and grocery stores also have bulletin boards that they will allow you to place an advertisement on. Be sure to take advantage of any public bulletin boards in your immediate area to find the people who are looking for you and your services. Don’t neglect places like medical service buildings, health food stores, libraries, community centers and any other place that your potential clients may frequent.

In no time at all, you will have built up a large clientele base, many by word of mouth after they get a taste of your fun performances!

By: James J. Jones

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The term, “oldies,” refers to both popular music from the 1950s-1970s and the radio format that specializes in this type of music. “Golden oldies” usually refers to oldies music exclusively from the 1950s-early 1960s. Oldies songs are typically from the R&B, pop and rock music genres but may also include country, movie soundtrack, novelty, and other types of popular music played on the radio from around 1950-on. Pop music genres that had their heyday before the 1950s (e.g., ragtime, big band) are generally considered “too old” to be included in the oldies radio format. Oldies music radio stations, which typically feature bands and artists such as (to name a few) Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Little Richard, Pat Boone, Sam Cooke, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Rascals, the Association, the Temptations, the Who, Elton John, and Fleetwood Mac, cover a wide variety of styles including early rock and roll, rockabilly, doo-wop, surf rock, girl groups, the British Invasion, folk rock, psychedelic rock, baroque pop, soul music, Motown, and bubblegum pop. Oldies music also overlaps with classic rock which focuses on the rock music of the late 1960s and 1970s as well as newer music in a similar style.

The phrase, “oldies but goodies,” was first coined in 1957 by renowned deejay Art Laboe who, at around that time, used to get frequent requests from his listeners for songs from the early 1950s. A central figure in L.A. radio for over half a century, Laboe was the first deejay to play rock and roll on the West Coast and one of the first to play black and white artists on the same show. In 1959, he put together the first LP to feature (mostly older) songs by different artists. This immensely popular compilation album, entitled “Oldies But Goodies,” stayed on Billboard’s Top 100 LP’s chart for over three years and has, to date, spawned some 14 sequels. (Click here for a recent interview with Art Laboe.)

Soon after the release of Laboe’s first “Oldies But Goodies” album, the phrase, “oldies but goodies,” became commonplace and by around 1960, people were waxing nostalgic for 1950s doo-wop which was already starting to be classified as “oldies.” Little Caesar And The Romans’ 1961 hit, “Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You)” and its sequel, “Memories of Those Oldies But Goodies,” both pay homage to early doo-wop and doo-wop artists. This wave of nostalgia brought about a doo-wop revival in the early 1960s which was the first of many nostalgia movements in pop music since the term, “oldies,” was first applied to older pop music.

While “golden oldies” has remained a constant over the years, the larger body of pop music that we still call “oldies” today – which is made up of core golden oldies songs plus more modern material – is not fixed but has been gradually expanding forward in time to keep up with changing demographics. Nowadays, oldies music is generally considered to include all of the 1970s, even disco, and the same is expected to be true someday for the music of the 1980s, now often described as “retro.” Oldies music is also expanding in breadth as thousands of long-forgotten tunes from the 1950s and 1960s that never made the Top 40 in their day are being rediscovered and resurrected. Whether because of nostalgia, curiosity, or a genuine love for good music, the oldies format has maintained a huge following and will probably continue to do so for many years to come.

Amy Gold
(c) Copyright 2005, allbutforgottenoldies.net

By: Amy Gold

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Those oldies but goodies are sounding so good. When you turn on your favorite oldies music station, you are reaping the benefits of decades of work. Not just work in making the music, but the work in carefully crafted formats and dedication of the oldies music station staff.

The music, mostly from the 1950’s and 1960’s comprise the backbone of the traditional “classic gold” radio stations. Others may consider anything older than today as “oldies”, but true oldies format refers to the golden age of rock and roll, 50’s and 60’s. The classic golden oldies probably extend until about 1964, when the Beatles “invaded” the US, along with other members of the “British Invasion” such as The Kinks, and they changed music in this country forever.

Radio station formats are frequently based on a tried and true oldies format. The program managers work out in advance everything they will play, the traffic director schedules the day’s hours into segments of music, commercials and news. Radio jingles correspond with the station format, so you will hear oldies type jingles on an oldies radio station. No rap, just classic rock and roll.

Many businesses choose to play an oldies music station as background music in their store. Even some casinos play oldies, usually on “senior’s day”, as today’s seniors were in their high school heyday when the original music was popular on the radio and at dances. Advertisers who want to target an older audience, 50 and up, choose oldies stations for part of their advertising mix. But seniors are not the only persons listening to the oldies. If so, the format would go out of style.

Some oldies stations will do dances, have their disc jockeys go live to a dance hall. Oldies can be chosen as a theme for certain parties, or special events. The songs were shorter then, three minutes or so on average, and the radio stations created formats featuring high repetition of a few songs. All favorites, all the time could be their slogan back then; today’s it is the “blast from the past”.

Songs you will hear on an oldies music station include the era’s great singers, Elvis Presley, Danny and the Juniors, The Platters, Kingston Trio, Aretha Franklin, the Four Tops, Frankie Avalon, Fats Domino, Bill Haley and the Comets, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and more. All the hits, all the time!

Oldies radio can be found across the country, and on new broadcast outlets like Sirius Radio, which even features an “All Elvis” radio channel. Niche audiences have loyal followers and those who want to target those “oldies audiences” can do so easily by placing their commercials on those stations who play oldies music.

Some younger people say they enjoy listening to oldies, but in reality they are referring to music from the 1970’s, and 1980’s, like Marshall Tucker Band, ACDC, and Aerosmith. But if they visit Grandma’s house, they may be exposed to the real “oldies but goodies”.

By: Wendy Pan

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Everyone loves a competition or contest. Particularly if it means a chance to show off a persons skills or talent, rather than just depending on luck. That is what makes a karaoke contest so popular.

You will mostly be hired by some organization, club or event to hold the karaoke contest. So to those attending and participating, in their minds it will be your contest, even though it was the organizers doing. You will be held responsible for anything that goes wrong, for example a mix up in contestants or poor judging. It’s your good name that is at stake here. Knowing this, ensure that you keep as much control as possible. Know exactly what the plans of the organizers are, and perhaps give them suggestions as to how to ensure that the contest runs smoothly and is successful.

To begin with determine with the organizers what categories do they want. Normally it will be best male, female and duet. Then if it’s a family event you could go by age groups as well, meaning, children, youth and adults. Another alternative will be perhaps style of music such as rock, country and western rap or golden oldies. What is determined will be the amount of time being allotted for this karaoke contest and the number of contestants.

Judging is critical in these events. If people don’t feel the judging is fair, the crowd and participants will become very disgruntled, and you are the one that’s going to end up with the bad name. So you have two choices, you can bring 2 or 3 judges with you, or have the organizers provide them. It is preferable to have three judges. If the organizers are providing the judges make sure you review them first, if you are hesitant about any of them then do not use them, A biased judge could ruin the whole karaoke event. If the organizers are supplying the judges perhaps they could present you with 6 individuals and you could pick three from this.

You take control of the contest registration forms. Ideally you will want to have the music selection posted where their choice could be made right on the form. This will in the long run help things to move more quickly, and be more organized at the time of the karaoke contest. Be sure that contestants know they must print their name clearly ,so you will be able to call it out when its time. You basically can use two methods to use to keep the order of contestants. You can either go alphabetically, or you can put all the names in a hat and pull them out at random. This way you are not going to get any bickering of who goes when.

Depending on how many categories you are having ,will determine how many contestants you are going to allow. There must be a cut off date for registration as well. For the scoring system by the judges there are all kinds of things you could use to score the contestants on, but this is a fun evening so keep it simple. An ideal way to score is how difficult the song was to sing between 1-50 and how good the performance was 1-100. That’s really what karaoke is all about.

By: Rachel Patterson

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The Golden Oldies was a fun era balanced with good times and responsibilities. When thinking of the Golden Oldies, music from the fifties and sixties always comes to mind. Whether it is Elvis Presley or the Fifth Dimension, carefree songs are always noted throughout this time period.

Planning a menu for a Golden Oldies party can be fun, especially when you name the dishes to mesh with the theme. Try having At The Hop Hamburgers, Blue Velvet Cupcakes, California Dreaming Rolls, and Hound Dog Punch.

To make California Dreaming Rolls at the Golden Oldies party gather 1 small handful of Sushi Rice,