Cookie-Dough Guest Mix 5 with A Digital Needle
Welcome to the Cookie-Dough Guest mix where we invite some of favourite DJ / Producers to answer a few questions and dig deep into their collections and put together a mix of records that have influenced them over the years.
For this episode our Canadian mates at A Digital Needle (Dylan and John) take you on a magical mystery tour of their favourite records, and what a mix they have put together!
Nice one fellas!!
Ste & Terser
Tracklisting
1. The Temptations – Plastic Man (ADN Ruff Cut) [Dylan]
Just the sort of soul music that brought us into the world of Disco. Norman Whitfield, man!
2. John Ozila – Funky Boogie [John]
A song that proved to us we could make people dance, even with songs our crowd didn’t necessarily know. Also got us hooked on searching out more World music. Just found out today that he played drums with Black Soul as Jean Tamegnon.
3. George Smallwood – Lady Disco [John]
One of the first mellow Disco songs I could groove to. I’m a bit of a crazy dancer and I like my music fast, but Mr. Smallwood has proven I can take it slow – it just has to be brilliant.
4. The Equals – Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys [Dylan]
We probably have gotten more dance floor mileage out of “Funky Like a Train”, but this song’s message echoed a lot of the two-tone stuff I always dug, and this is an influences mix after all.
5. First Choice – Double Cross (Eli Escobar Disco Mix) [John]
Proto-house, Disco, funk, jazz. This song leads you down so many roads. EE’s got a fresh take and a great one at that.
6. The Style Council – Promised Land (Drop Out Orchestra Remix) [Dylan]
Is the Joe Smooth version better? Probably. Paul Weller was my idol, for a long time. Such a gifted songwriter from such a young age, and I always respected the evolution of his sound. His “ever changing moods”, one might say.
7. Hugh Masakela – Don’t Go Lose It Baby (stretch mix) [John]
The build in this is tremendous. 6 minutes of tension. Exhilarating. This song taught me to be patient. Good times come to deejays who wait.
8. Midnight Magic – Beam Me Up (ADN Extended) [Dylan]
A song that give us hope for reaching modern audiences with Disco music. We took the name of our monthly classic Disco party with Cyclist from it, and we’ve been lucky enough to host Al Kent, Kon, Tim Zawada, Rob Ouimet, Psychemagik, Apt One and Dave Allison at it.
9. Nightlife Unlimited – Peaches & Prunes (Ron Hardy Edit) [John]
I fancy myself a strange deejay, but Ron Hardy is so strange that I find most of his edits unplayable. Maybe I’ll grow into them. I think his oddness and his cult following are a real testament to how wonderful of a deejay he must have been. This edit I understand fully, and love. What a killer. He really boosts my confidence that crazy can reach the masses, along with guys like Harvey, of course.
10. Bad Manners – What The Papers Say (ADN Dub Edit) [Dylan]
A little nod to the punk/ska/new wave leanings of my youth. Underplayed and under appreciated tune from Buster and the gang. Had the pleasure of meeting him for a short interview, a few years back. Despite his being an Arsenal supporter, we got on well!
11. Wax – Rock & Stomp (ADN Edit) [John]
We are huge Al Kent fans. He has brought Disco to a new level. This is Dylan’s edit that made Al Kent’s ears perk up when he heard it at our party with him. It was just at soundcheck, but I saw a twinkle in his eye, haha. It’s an edit that gave us confidence that we can hang with the big boys.
12. Paul McCartney & Wings – Coming Up [Dylan]
My Dad is Beatles-mad, so I heard a lot of Macca growing up. I actually think, borderline blasphemy here, that I dig Paul’s work with Wings more than I do the Beatles, but that’s just cos I’ve likely overplayed them growing up. Paul doin’ a bit of Left Field Disco here, and pulling it off with aplomb!
13. The People’s Workshop – Funkathone (Al Kent Re-Edit) [John]
My personal favourite off the Disco Demands series. Al Kent changed the way we viewed Disco. He takes a lot from his extensive knowledge of the soul/jazz/funk scene and makes it his own. It has opened our eyes to the unbelievable breadth of Disco. This one is unbelievable. I could play it 10,000 times and I wouldn’t can it.
14. The Beach Boys – Here Comes The Night (ADN Dub Edit) [Dylan]
I think my first over concert was the Beach Boys, though by then they were overpaid and overfed, with no real chemistry amongst them. I’m sure I enjoyed it, mind you, I was only about five years old. The Beach Boys were the first band that I truly adored, and I’ll always listen to them. I worked on this edit just so I could slip some of their music into our Disco parties.
Q&A
What was the first record you bought that made you realize that you wanted to be a DJ?
Dylan: It’s hard to pinpoint an exact album, but I listened to a lot of Beach Boys, the Jam and the Clash, growing up – Surfer Girl, All Mod Cons and Give ‘Em Enough Rope, respectively. The first song that made me want to DJ could have been Brother Jack McDuff’s – Hot Barbeque; a mod groover that George Benson played on. I knew it was the sort of tune that I’d have to play out myself, if I wanted to dance to it. Should have stuck in this mix! Was too difficult to narrow things down.
John: It was a download, to be honest. The Rolling Stones Top 500 Songs of All-Time. It opened my eyes to the fact that brilliant music existed beyond hip-hop and I had to do my best to let the world know.
What record makes you most nostalgic?
Dylan: Anything by Chet Baker. His vocal tracks are the ideal soundtrack for melancholic meandering.
John: Hey Jude by the Beatles. My grade three teacher played it for us on the tape deck as an educational tool to what music could be and why it was important. I think she dimmed the lights. It blew my 8 year old mind to bits.
What is your favourite end of night record?
Dylan: I end up playing “The Love I Lost” by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, more often that most people would surely care to hear it! I love playing the last song. John and I always fight over it.
John: “O Descobridor Dos Sete Mares” by Tim Maia. It’s blazingly fast, but sums everything up quite nicely near the end. I love seeing people go nuts right til the lights turn on.
Do you have a guilty pleasure record?
Dylan: I’m a bit of a music snob, though I’m sure the Dolly Parton in my collection speaks against that statement. Disco music in general is something of a guilty pleasure, by most accounts, though my conscience is clear!
John: Also a huge Dolly Parton fan. Recently fell back in love with Bust a Move by Young MC, but that song is unbelievable, so I don’t feel guilty.
What is your most treasured piece of vinyl?
Dylan: Nothing rare, or valuable. 45s passed down from my Dad, mainly. Bronski Beat, Paul McCartney & Wings, Peter Sarstedt.
John: A Yusef Lateef album I picked off the street recently, the thrill is in the find!
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