Songs to shake,shake, shake, shake your booty?

October 11, 2006 7:47 PM

I need help/recommendations for putting together a 30 minute dance set.

I need recommendations for really good “shake that ass” songs for a 30 minute dance set – ending with a couple slower ones at the end.

1) The crowd is 30+ in age, mostly white.

2) I'm trying to mix some familiar (but not overused) stuff with some newer and/or more obscure stuff

3) I'd like a mix of different kinds of music - rock/hip hop/classics/world music/whatever – but I personally like lots of layers of beat.

4) I'd like to stay away from the standard "Love Shack” and thumpa thumpa thumpa rave stuff.

5) As for putting together the set, I'm trying to follow the advice given by another metafilter user who wrote "A good general rule of pacing: songs should gradually get faster and faster, until there's a sudden change to a slow song. Going from a really up track to a slightly more sluggish one will have a sluggish effect on the mood of the event. Corollary: keep consistency in groups of songs. Make sure the old-people-slow-dancing songs come together in a set......."

Songs I am just considering but not aren't set in stone:
Sean Paul – Temperature
Nina - Move your body
Juvenile – slow motion

... after that I'm stumped so I would be very grateful for any suggestions or help.

Thank you, fellow metafilter users!

posted by trixare4kids to sports, hobbies, & recreation (13 comments total)

Grab a couple of recent episodes of "A State of Trance" off the darknet (I think 268 is the latest), and see if there's anything you like.
posted by krisjohn at 7:57 PM on October 11, 2006

I'd highly recommend Too Young by Phoenix. It oozes happy.
posted by djamiem at 8:01 PM on October 11, 2006

It's a taste thing, but here's a few I like...

The Grunt, Part 1 - The J.B.'s - If that can't get you going, you're DEAD.

Raisin' the Stakes
Madder
Superstylin' - Groove Armada

Give It Up - K.C. & The Sunshine Band

I Just Wanna Celebrate - Rare Earth

Mwela, Mwela (Here I Am) (Bugz In the Attic Mix) - Jazzanova

Dirty Robot (Tofu Mix)
Voulez-Vous? - Arling & Cameron

Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See - Busta Rhymes

Basement Jaxx...Pet Shop Boys...?




Go to http://www.wefunkradio.com/ and check out some of their sets for ideas...
posted by black8 at 8:16 PM on October 11, 2006

maybe this will just go to say that i could make up something for anything, but i'd want this half hour to include

blister in the sun (violent femmes)
grass roots (midnight confessions) (too old??)
i wanna be sedated (ramones) (last of your fast songs??)

bongo bong (manu chao) (for the slower end)
i want you (savage garden)
posted by n y my at 8:26 PM on October 11, 2006

"Walk the Dinosaur," by Was (Not Was).
posted by WCityMike at 8:58 PM on October 11, 2006

Great suggestions, everyone! ~ I'm DLing and listening to all your suggestions right now.

.. Also, anyone have suggestions for sexy/suggestive/dirty songs that don't use bitch, ho or pimp?
posted by trixare4kids at 9:31 PM on October 11, 2006

They're white? And they want to shake their ass? I'd go with hip hop and rap.

Missy, Biggie, Jay-Z . . . any of that Lil Jon and that Crunk shit, um, Snoop, Luda, Busta . . . that songs that goes "Lean back, lean back." That song they dance to in "You got served." Yeah that kind of stuff. Maybe throw in some disco too.
posted by Wayman Tisdale at 9:34 PM on October 11, 2006

sexy/suggestive/dirty songs that don't use bitch, ho or pimp?

well, it has to have been yeeeears since they heard right said fred's "i'm too sexy," or sir mix-a-lot's "baby got back," right? who could say no to that 3-minute flashback? :-)
posted by n y my at 9:38 PM on October 11, 2006

I like the new Ludacris/Pharrell track, Money Maker
posted by Rock Steady at 3:46 AM on October 12, 2006

Charles Barkley's Crazy is a new favorite of mine. It's a medium tempo beat which is an excellent song for west coast swing but will work for everyday grooving too.
posted by JJ86 at 6:04 AM on October 12, 2006

Sorry Gnarls, not Charles....
posted by JJ86 at 6:05 AM on October 12, 2006

sexy/suggestive/dirty songs

I believe "I Wanna Be Your Lover" by Prince is what you seek, and it covers all three.
posted by pjhagop at 12:24 PM on October 12, 2006

Also, if you're interested, I recently put together a 5 hour mix for the afterparty of my sister's wedding.

It was for a broad group - ages 12 to 65 - so a good chunk of it was intentionally middle of the road. That said, you should be able to cherry pick from the mini-sets (rockabilly, hip-hop, current top 40, etc.) in the mix to find plenty of good stuff.

The list is too long to include here, but email me if you're interested and I can send you the tracklist. My email addy is in my profile.
posted by pjhagop at 1:28 PM on October 12, 2006