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Jayski
"Doin'The Doo"

Good points guys...

But could it be that you guys in the US were more early on with Discotheques as we know it. I mean as servicing people in a way we now associate with a DJ and not as a "radio jock" kind of type which I feel was the situation until the Disco days in Sweden (at least)? You US guys wanted to extend the songs from the 45's traditional 3 minutes and you did it early on with 2 copies, while Discotheques over here didn't become very common until the rise of Disco and with Disco came also the 12" extended versions...

Even if many US DJ's didn't get more than one copy of a record, or maybe even had to buy the record - I think it was probably more affordable for US DJ's than for Swedish ones, as here in Sweden we had to buy all the good stuff on import - either from UK or the US. And a 12" single priced $ 1.99 somewhere in the US would probably cost at least 2-3 times that amount over here. So you see where I'm going?! I think, regretfully, that many DJ's over here did not went into live remixing just because there was an issue of money vs. number of tracks to buy.
Either buy 2 copies of one record or get 2 different records (songs) and I think most would in that case go for "more songs"...
Of course, there was some live remixing specially with stuff like "Good Times" as everyone had the 12" but also bought the LP, but for most parts I think the "lack of money" (or too expensive records) could have been the reason for no live remix over here...

But as Pete points out - TODAY is a complete different ballgame. With downloads and digital techniques you can copy your music and CD's any number of times - so today ALL "digital DJ's" should at least have the possibility to have many copies of a track and do live remixing... But then we get into another question and I don't get into that here and now...

And Soul-Buy - THANK YOU - all the best to you as well !

// Discoguy

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"Join The Dark Side"
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Pete had some good points. I see it a little different. I started in 1974 & 1975 buying 2 copies of 45's and sometimes 2 copies of LP's. As the advent of the 12 inch came to light in late 1975 and into 1976, it just seemed natural to do so. With the advent of the record pools, it made it a lot easier to aquire 2 copies. You get one from the pool and then you buy another, unless you can swindle another from the pool. By 1977, between the record pool, visiting the labels and the mailing lists you got on, there was no need to buy anything ever again. That is on the domestic side. As far as imports go, I did have some contact with some promoters who handled imports. But for the most part, I would buy (pay cash) for imports (i.e.) UK, Germany, Canada, Holland or where ever. Sometimes I was able to trade a US Promo copy for a import copy. (Guy in the record shop was a "must have it" nut) Having good tracks to play is all that mattered to me!! Having them before they became US label stuff, was even better. There is point I would have to agree with Pete on -- that is, if I did not receive a promo copy of a US label record I would not buy it. But that was rare. When I went to the UK for the first time in 1980 to play, everyone did seem to be amazed that I carried 2 copies of records. When I left the UK, they understood why. ART. CREATIVITY. SHOWMANSHIP. ENTERTAINMENT. No matter the cost, talent needs it's tools.
POOCH

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dance, the final frontier

Thanks Pooch and Pete for both of yours input and insight in this matter...

// Discoguy

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...you'll be sorry if you pass me by

The concept of live remixing was something that did not seem to pop into most european djs heads during the late 70's. We did purchase 2 copies sometimes, I did that if the record was so mindblowingly good I simply had to own several. Whenever a new Boris Midney vinyl hit the stores I always bought 2, just like I did with the Costandinoses. I rarely used them to spin, though, there seemed not to be a need. And like Discoguy said, the music was not cheap. Some clubs had a vinyl library of their own and got imports regularily sent to the booth. I bet I was not the only dj to nick a desirable title or two, hoping the management could not trace you down. I'm not proud I took that 12" of "Boogie Woogie Dancing Shoes", especially as it became commercilaly available 2 weeks later.

Sometimes if a tune was too short guys like me did attempt a live mix, with varying success.

I remember hearing someone play in NYC and not being happy with the way he kept repeating the climatic part of "People Come dance" on and on, until the whole idea of the song's climax was ruined. Most of the time I had no idea if a track was remixed live or not though as the music was 80% completely new to me.

Thanks Jussi,

Great to hear from a fellow European who have the same view or experience as me...
Soul-Boy, Dancer, Starr, Pflext and all our other "non-US" members what's your experience of "live remixing" ??

// Discoguy

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...you'll be sorry if you pass me by

When I start to play professional in Discos in Greece back in 1984 I was heavy influenced from Chicago's WBMX mix shows!
The DJs of WBMX (Farley ''Jackmaster'' Funk,Steve ''Silk'' Hurley,Kenny ''Jammin'' Jason,Ralphie Rosario,Mickey Oliver)using always double copies of records for live remixing.I was spending all my money to buy everything in double copies and always giving to my crowd a different version of every song!
I am doing the same thing even today and I believe that is very important for the crowd of any Club!The people pay their money and enjoy to see a real DJ who is working hard on records and never apreciate someone who is playing a record for 10 minutes without doin something more!
It's the same thing with that guys that using laptops.The people in a club believe that all this thing is boring,they suspect that the set is pre-recorded!It's not the same excitement like if you look at a booth and see a DJ working with three turntables the music!That's live and powerful and if the DJ is real good,the clubbers remember this night for ever

If you've the ability to go either with a laptop and use either Final Scratch, Serato, Virtual DJ or another source with files, does that make you less than a DJ who plays with Vinyl? I play both with turntables and CD's and I don't have any problems working mixes. Also, I've a laptop to which the fun will soon begin! I was a DJ stuck on cassettes and vinyl until 1999 when I found out changes to CD mixing were in order. Whatever rocks the boat whether it's turntables, CD's, IPod's, external hard drives etc., make the best work for you! Modern Technology might just be a good thing!

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http://www.myspace.com/djdelmarbrowne

http://www.delmarbrowne.com

http://delmarbrowne.podOmatic.com

http://www.facebook.com/delmar.browne

I don't agree with this Delmar.If i have to play music with IPod or external hard drives is the same thing like I put a pre-recorded mix cd!
Laptop thing is the same,nobody could see if you're doin something really live or all your set is pre-recorded.
If the use of modern technology makes you invisible to your crowd you don't need it!All this shit happens by low badget DJs that they don't want to pay for their music or they don't have skills to mix!

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"Join The Dark Side"
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I agree with Dancer. I've seen many djs hiding behind their laptop looking like they are just pressing buttons. What kind of a show is that? I used to be a Paul van Dyk fan until I saw him using a laptop. Looked like he was doing nothing but pressing buttons and jumping up and down to excite crowd. I was very disappointed. Like I always said, there's nothing wrong with using cd's or digital files but you must present them in true hard core dj fashion and use vinyl too. That is the true measure of a great dj.

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Disco Lives

I never thought I'd say this & maybe I'm a bit premature.
What happens when there is no longer any vinyl to be bought?
Aren't vinyl sales already down with fewer releases?
What's everyone gonna do then?
Hang up the headphones?

All those new mixers that have "beat match" ....that shit don't work on disco tracks cause they can't get a handle on the ever fluctuating tempos.

New kids on the block can't use that feature to hold old tracks together.....new kids still have the same probs we did in keeping those beats together & that's a good thing.

It makes an old dinosaur like me feel a little less obsolete.

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It's always been 'bout the music..........

No problem Paul,if they stop selling vinyl,we 're gonna PRESS some