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Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Songs to save your party
Posted by Lorna Bracewell on Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 5:48 PM
This past Saturday I attended a friend of a friend's 50th birthday celebration. At 25 years old, I was the youngest reveler there by a solid two decades. This generation gap evidenced itself in all of the usual and uncomfortable ways. My skuzzy Chuck Taylors and the holes in my jeans belied my immaturity while the absence of any beer to drink besides Miller Lite belied everyone else's rapidly declining sense of taste.
Given the temporal and cultural barriers dividing me from the rest of the party, I began bracing myself (and by bracing myself I mean drinking Makers Mark on the rocks) for a pretty lame night. And then, it happened. The unmistakable drum riff that opens The Commodore's 1977 funk classic "Brick House" filled the room. Perfunctory conversations ended, drinks were abandoned, purses were stashed away and we all simultaneously took to the dance floor. It was if someone blew a whistle tuned to a frequency we were all preprogrammed to respond to. Or, maybe more like we were all extras in a party scene in some stupid Hollywood movie and the director just said, "Action!" Either way, the vibe in the room was instantly transformed.
This experience set me to thinking that there must be other songs that possess this mysterious power to transcend barriers like age, extent of intoxication and comfort level with one's own body and turn a really lame time into a really good one. Here's a list of the tunes I've come up with so far. Feel free to add to it. I call this my "In Case of Emergency, Play This!" list:
Brick House, The Commodores - (See explanation above.)
Kiss, Prince - Eternal and immutable sonic perfection. It also tends to elicit some pretty hilarious sing along attempts.
Just Dance, Lady Gaga - I know it has yet to stand the test of time, but I'm willing to stake my reputation (ha!) on this one on the following grounds: My 61 year old dad and I saw Lady Gaga open for The New Kids on the Block this past November. (Please don't ask how that ended up happening.) We both really dug this tune right off the bat.
Super Freak, Rick James - The bass hook alone possesses the power to transform even the most mundane and reserved amongst us into the titular "Super Freak."
I Want You Back, The Jackson 5 - K.T. Tunstall's totally stripped down acoustic cover of this Proto King of Pop classic demonstrates it's awesome power to make your rigid, sorry ass move.
Holiday, Madonna - Escapism via the dance floor at it's finest.
Juicy, The Notorious B.I.G. - No matter how pasty and square you are, the beat and sentiment are irresistable. It's all good. So true.
I'm Every Woman, Chaka Kahn - The ladies love it and the gentleman love to watch the ladies love it. I have to admit that this one consistently makes a reserved, brainy and generally awkward girl like me drop it like it's freakin' hot!
Superstition, Stevie Wonder - Another funky riff you have to be deaf or dead to ignore.
Tell It To My Heart, Taylor Dayne - I know I'm gonna get shit for this one, but don't take my word for it. Throw it on at your next party and see what happens.
Comments (23)
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Great list! I was just laughing to myself that many of these songs rely on simple declarative sentences, which are really easy to follow along and agree with while crunk. And "Holiday", really, is so declarative, it could be laid out as a geometric proof, or maybe a flowchart, starting at "If we took a holiday" and ending very squarely on "It would be so nice". I think I dance to that song because there's no way I can disprove its message!
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It's rainin' men by the weather girls! Always a favorite at every dance I have been to and the lyrics are simple enough you can shout them out with your friends.
i just tested the taylor dane in my head, and you are so right. its kinda like journey. it gets you.
i lol'd when i read this alas, i knew every song versus in one of your recent blogs i did not know one, culturally relevant song? i think you forgot bertha butt boogey & the funky chicken 'cause what's a wedding without them?
Let us not forget the full on funky power of KC and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight" or "Shake Your Booty" You may also want to check out "Rudy" from Miami. They're great guys and pretty much cause a party wherever they go.
Bryon, I am *begging* you to post the lyrics to "Bertha Butt Boogie." If not for my sake, then for that of the blogosphere. :)
No party is a party unless you hear these three songs; I Feel Good by the Godfather of Soul James Brown. The Love Shack by the hight flying B-52's and last but not least I Saw Her Standing There by the greatest rock band of all times The Beatles
I'm embarrassed I even know this song! Wayyy before your time! The party was jumpin' When Bertha got off o' her stump, The whistles were blowin' And everybody did the bump But all the time bertha Had been workin' on her goodie Now folks call it "the Bertha Butt boogie" When Bertha Butt did her goodie She started the Bertha Butt boogie No question When bertha got movin' Her hips were hummin' in the wind, The ground started shakin' No grass grew where she'd been! The music was poppin', The crowd had formed a ring, Her sisters yelled, "boogie, bertha, do your thing!" Uh, for your information, Bertha had three sisters, Betty Butt, Bella Butt and Bathsheba Butt When Bertha Butt did her goodie She started the bertha butt boogie I said no question! Hey, leroy, get away from that woman! The boy'll never learn! Uh-oh, here comes the troglodyte! "Come here, sock it to me!" Bertha stood back and yelled, "Betty, Bella, Bathsheba!" And the butt sisters backed her up When she yelled, "i need ya!" The troglodyte, leroy, luther And the butt sisters all knew That "the bertha butt boogie" Was now the thing to do When Bertha Butt did her goodie She started the Bertha Butt boogie No question Bertha: "i'll sock it ya, daddy!" Troglodyte: "me like, me like! come here, woman, woman!" Leroy: "yo' mama, i'm calling you, man!" Troglodyte: "yeah - the boogie!" When Bertha Butt did her goodie She started the Bertha Butt boogie When Bertha Butt did her goodie She started the Bertha Butt boogie Hey Leroy! When Bertha Butt did her goodie, She started the Bertha Butt boogie* Some things are best forgotten!
I have two very important, yet very different songs to add... "You Dropped a Bomb on Me", (can't remember who sings this, but it gets me out of my chair everytime) and "Sweet Home Albama", I told you they were very different! Great blog!
As a follow up to this article I propose you consider the question, what songs are guaranteed to END the party? Another avenue of academic time wasting is to consider the most over played party songs. I nominate all songs about sliding, specifically the Cha-Cha and the Electric Slides.
The Beatles " Twist & Shout " Sly & The Family Stone " Thankyoufalettinme be myself" Martha & Rge Vandellas " Dancing In The Street "
(All of these recently tried with success) -Huey Lewis and the News - "Power of Love" -Any Michael Jackson song from either "Thriller" or "Off the Wall"
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