Swing Swing Swing

This pick starts with the big band era and doesn't apologize for a second — Goodman, Ellington, Basie, Miller, Sinatra, Prima, all the usual suspects doing what they did better than anyone has since, and then it opens up into some of the deeper cuts that don't get enough daylight. I've been an amateur ballroom dancer for years, emphasis on amateur, and there is nothing quite like a good swing tune for reminding your feet what they're supposed to be doing even when your brain disagrees. The playlist runs from the classic radio names through some of the neo-swing revival acts that proved the whole thing still had a pulse, and stripping away the nostalgia for a second, this music just moves — it's built for a room full of people who want to have a good time and aren't overthinking it.

Swing Swing Swing

01 Les Brown - Leap Frog

02 Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing (with a Swing)

03 Glenn Miller Orchestra - In The Mood

04 Duke Ellington - Take The A Train

05 Dean Martin - Who's Got The Action

06 Andrews Sisters - Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (Means Your Grand)

07 Dinah Washington - Christopher Columbus

08 Count Basie Band - Shiny Stockings

09 Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)

10 Dean Martin - Who Was That Lady

11 Louis Jordan - Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't (Ma Baby)

12 Louis Prima - Just A Gigolo-Ain't Got Nobody

13 Joe Liggins - The Honeydripper

14 Blue Plate Special - Night Out

15 Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Blue Skies

16 Dem Brooklyn Bums - Baseball Bat Boogie

17 Fly-Rite Boys - Rosetta

18 Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums - Jumptown

Stripping

Yesterday and the day before were two volumes that were more about what was actually played at the strip club I worked at — this one is a different animal. This pick is more of a stripping playlist for home, the kind of tracks that have that slow-burn, take-it-off energy whether or not they ever saw the inside of a club, though a few of them did make it onto the rotation. The mix goes places you might not expect, from classic soul to new wave to pure 90s R&B, and it holds together better than it has any right to. I still have a soft spot for that whole world, even if I don't get out to those places much anymore — it was a job that taught you not to judge, and most of the people in it were a lot more interesting than you'd expect.

Stripping

01 Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On

02 Adina Howard - Freak Like Me

03 2Pac featuring K-Ci & Jojo - How Do U Want It

04 George Michael - I Want Your Sex (Parts 1 And 2)

05 Samantha Fox - Touch Me (I Want Your Body)

06 Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

07 Bell Biv Devoe - Poison

08 Michael Buble - Feeling Good

09 Waze & Odyssey vs R. Kelly - Bump & Grind (2014 Radio edit)

10 Shandi - He's a Dream

11 Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

12 Frank Ocean - Thinkin Bout You

13 Sir Mix-A-Lot - Put 'Em On the Glass

14 R. Kelly - Bump And Grind

15 Silk - Freak Me

16 Ciara - Body Party

17 Ginuwine - Pony

18 Beyonce - Fever

19 Billy Idol - Cradle of Love

20 Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop

Stripper Songs 2

First, it's Pi day, so I have to acknowledge that — Happy Pi Day! And then this second volume of what I was spinning during my time as a strip club DJ and MC, and this one gets a little more eclectic — rock, R&B, pop, and a couple of genuine deep cuts that somehow all made sense at 11pm on a Saturday. This pick reflects how wide the range actually was; the girls picked their own songs and you learned a lot about a person from what they chose to perform to. The job had its own ecosystem — you got tipped by the dancers, you got to know people, and like any workplace there were the hardworking ones, the ones putting themselves through school, the drama queens, and everyone in between. Tomorrow I'll post the one that's a little more... personal.

Stripper Songs 2

20 Lil Wayne and T-Pain - Got Money

21 Gary Clark Jr - Bright Lights

22 Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

23 Alannah Myles - Black Velvet

24 Poison - Unskinny Bop

25 Rob Zombie - Living Dead Girl

26 Destiny's Child - Bootylicious

27 Usher - Yeah (Pop Edit)

28 Britney Spears - I'm a Slave 4 U

29 Kelis - Milkshake

30 Muse - Supermassive Black Hole

31 Van Halen - Hot For Teacher

32 50 Cent with Olivia - Candyshop

33 Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl

34 Rihanna - Pour It Up

35 Theory Of A Dead Man - Bad Girlfriend

36 Snoop Dogg - Wet

37 Traci Lords - Control

38 Nickelback - Shakin' Hands

Stripper Songs 1

I spent a few years behind the decks at a strip club and it was one of the more interesting gigs I've ever had — hard work, loud, competitive, and honestly a lot of fun once you figured out the rhythm of the room. This pick leans into the harder, rock-heavy side of what the girls actually performed to, and the range runs from classic rock warhorses to early 2000s hip hop and a few genuinely dark choices that you might not expect. Some of those dancers had serious taste. Stripping to the right song is its own art form, and these were the ones that tended to make the room pay attention. I had this awhile and hadn't posted it here, but Butterboy on his amazing site posted some burlesque strip songs and it reminded me of my own.

Strippers 1

01 Lenny Kravitz - American Woman

02 Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me

03 Warrant - Cherry Pie

04 Nine Inch Nails - Closer

05 Buckcherry - Crazy Bitch

06 Christina Aguilera - Dirrty

07 Type O Negative - Black no. 1

08 Guns N' Roses - Paradise City

09 Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg - Buttons

10 Nelly - Hot In Herre

11 Kid Rock - So Hott

12 Busta Rhymes, The Pussycat Dolls - Don't Cha

13 Kix - Girl Money

14 David Guetta & Taio Cruz - Little Bad Girl

15 Flo Rida featuring T-Pain - Low

16 AC-DC - You Shook Me All Night Long

17 Motley Crue - Girls, Girls, Girls

18 Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People

19 My Darkest Days - Porn Star Dancing

World Domination 4

Another World Domination pick. The only rule has always been the same one — would it work on the dancefloor? This time I went looking at Western bands who heard African rhythms, Caribbean beats and Asian music and just couldn't help themselves. The result fits right alongside the previous World Domination picks. I have little idea what half of it means and I still don't care, as long as it moves your feet it's in. I still think this would make a great radio station (or maybe a club night). Tell me what you would add or leave off.

World Domination 4

61 Sonido Gallo Negro - Bocanegra

62 RDB with Snoop Dogg - Singh Is Kinng

63 Altin Gun - Goca Dunya

64 Achar On The Side - Desi At Heart (Tandoor 12 inch Drop Mix)

65 Shantel - Bucovina

66 Cheb Sabr - On Danse Quand Même (1996 Rai Version)

67 Mansa Agba Gamba Ase - Fox In The Henhouse (Save the Vote)

68 Tiki Tokkers - After Dark Aloha

69 Systema Solar - Yo Voy Ganao

70 KOKOKO! - Tokoliana

71 Acid Arab - Stil

72 Candido - Jingo (Original Shep Pettibone 12 inch Remix)

73 Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band - Deputy Of Love

74 Pigbag - Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag (Original 1982 12 inch Single Mix)

What's The Connection? Brothers 2

Not going to write mush, since it was just a few days ago when I did Brothers 1. This continues where I left off, so now you get more of the songs with Brother in the title. My brother is gone and maybe I should have waited until his birthday came around again, but I am impatient, so here is the next part. That's all you get until next year, though. And these aren't just leftovers, there are some killer tracks here!

What's The Connection? Brothers 2

19 The Winstons - Amen, Brother

20 Carole King - Brother, Brother

21 Louis Armstrong - Hello Brother

22 The Spinners - Brother To Brother

23 Herbie Hancock - Lil' Brother

24 Avicii - Hey Brother

25 The Solicitors - Music for the Brothers

26 Autry Inman - Ballad Of Two Brothers

27 Todd Rundgren - Soul Brother

28 Cymande - Brothers On The Slide

29 Ohio Players - Hard To Love Your Brother

30 The Andrews Sisters - Bounce Me Brothers With A Solid Four

31 Oh-Ok - Brother

32 Tabla Beat Science - Big Brother

34 Santana - Song for My Brother

34 The Fatback Band with Johnny King - Keep On Brother Keep On

35 The White Stripes - Baby Brother

36 Blessid Union Of Souls - Brother My Brother

37 REM - 7 Chinese Brothers

38 D.A.F. - Brothers (Gabi's Mix)

39 Kinks - Brother

Soca 4

More straight-from-the-islands energy to keep things moving. Soca’s that perfect mix of calypso’s storytelling soul + Trinidad’s unbeatable rhythm section + a splash of everything the Caribbean throws in — it’s born right there in the heart of the islands, and you can feel the sun, the jump-up crowds, and the pure joy in every beat. Soca is born to make you smile and sweat at the same time. Give the whole run a listen; you’ll feel why it’s still the soundtrack to good times. This pick captures that magic: big hooks, wine commands, road march drive, and grooves that make you move without thinking twice. 

Soca 4

52 Alison Hinds - Roll It Gal

53 Super Blue - Get Something and Wave

54 Lyrikal - Cloud 9

55 Marzville - Give It to Ya

56 Nadia Batson - Fattt

57 King Bubba - Calling in Sick

58 Krosfyah - Oil Pumping

59 Erphaan Alves - Intentions (Wine & Touch)

60 Island Strategy - Put Your Peppers On

61 Motto - Uber Everywhere

62 Shal Marshall - Splinters

63 Freezy - Split in De Middle

64 Fimba - Funky Business

65 Viking Ding Dong - Leave It Alone

66 Zoelah - Wine Up On Me

67 Speady - Hold Ya Bam Bam

68 United Sisters - Whoa Donkey

69 Linky First - Rock and Come In

70 Square One featuring Andy Armstrong - Turn It Around

71 Mac Fingal - Big Belly Man