The Prism Rhythm

Love is in the Air! Love Songs Through the Decades

2012-02-06T23:44:00.000-08:00

Ah, Valentine's Day! A day of love and affection, immortalized by singers and songwriters through the ages. From that "new love" feeling to the golden anniversary and beyond, there's a song for that! My favorite love song? "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS (I do love my 80's :) ). Below are popular versions of 70 love songs from the 50's to now. Of course, I would love to know what "your song" is - contributions will be added to the list before Valentine's Day to help you create that perfect mixtape for your loved one!

The 50's
An era of innocence, poodle skirts and the idea of everlasting love

The Penguins - Earth Angel (1954)   Everly Brothers - All I Have to do is Dream (1958)
Five Satins - In The Still of the Night (1958) The Drifters - There Goes My Baby (1959)
Nat King Cole - Unforgettable (1951) Dean Martin - That's Amore' (1953)
Doris Day - When I Fall in Love (1952) Jo Stafford - You Belong to Me (1952)
The Four Aces - Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1955)   Bobby Darin - Dream Lover (1959)

The 60's
The swinging 60's brought us these amazing enduring classics

Etta James - At Last Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay (1969)
Frank Sinatra - Fly Me to the Moon (1964) Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling in Love (1961)
The Dixie Cups - Chapel of Love (1964) Sam Cooke - Cupid (1961)
The Monkees - I'm a Believer (1966) The Kinks - You Really Got Me (1964)
Nina Simone - I Love Your Lovin' Ways (1966) Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody (1965)

The 70's
The Rock and Disco era gave birth to celebratory hits and soulful ballads

Barry White - Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe (1974) Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby (1975)
Dionne Warwick & the Spinners - Then Came You (1974) Al Green - Let's Stay Together (1971)
Elton John - Your Song (1970) Earth, Wind & Fire - September (1978)
Jackson 5 - I'll Be There (1970) Peter Frampton - Baby I Love Your Way (1975)
Bill Withers - Lovely Day (1977) Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight (1977)

The 80's
Big hair, bigger feelings

Bon Jovi - I'll Be There For You (1988) Stevie Wonder - I Just Called to Say I Love You (1984)
Berlin - Take My Breath Away (1986) Lionel Richie - Hello (1983)
The Cure - Lovesong (1989) Michael Bolton - When a Man Loves a Woman (1991)
Chris De Burgh - Lady in Red (1986) Richard Marx - Right Here Waiting (1989)
Katrina & the Waves - Walking on Sunshine (1985) Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You (1985)

The 90's
The 90's brought us pop and indie hits and the softer side of love

Jewel - You Were Meant For Me (1996) Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On (1997)
Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love to You (1994) Bryan Adams - Everything I Do (I Do It For You) (1991)
Shania Twain - You're Still the One (1998) K-Ci & JoJo - All My Life (1998)
Vanessa Williams - Save the Best For Last (1992) Backstreet Boys - As Long As You Love Me (1997)
Mariah Carey - Emotions (1991) Extreme - More Than Words (1990)

The 00's
The 2000's modern take on love was edgier, but no less sincere

Erykah Badu - In Love With You (2000) Alicia Keys - Fallin' (2002)
No Doubt - Underneath It All (2001) Beyonce - Crazy in Love (2003)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (2003) Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars (2006)
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (2002) Ben Folds - The Luckiest (2001)
Enrique Iglesias - Hero (2001) Aerosmith - I Don't Want to Miss a Thing (2002)

The 10's
Still in the early part of the decade, we already have these excellent expressions of love

Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are (2010) Katy Perry - Teenage Dream (2010)
Lady Gaga - You and I (2011) The Fray - Heartbeat (2011)
Black Eyed Peas - Meet Me Halfway (2010) Taylor Swift - Today Was a Fairytale (2010)
Nelly - Just a Dream (2010) Selena Gomez - Love You Like A Love Song (2011)
Jill Scott ft Anthony Hamilton - So In Love (2011) L'il Wayne - How to Love (2011)

There are so many more wonderful songs out there, but these should give you a good start! May your Valentines Day be full of love, laughter and happiness!

- DJ Prism

From There to Here (or, How I Came to DJ)

2011-11-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, hope your time since our last meeting has been full of great things! Taking the Prism Rhythm to a more personal level this time and sharing the Cliff's notes version of how I got into this profession in the first place. It is the most commonly asked first question I am asked upon meeting someone, since this isn't exactly the kind of thing where you study and ace a final or work up through getting promotions. For most of the truly experienced DJ's I know, it was something they either got inspired into learning by observing or hearing a DJ, or they had to jump in as an emergency fill-in when a DJ didn't show up or got sick. Some, like me, never even thought about it. I have always loved music and dancing and exploring different clubs and venues. I love walking up to and into a place and absorbing all the atmosphere, meeting different people, listening to the songs I know and finding out about music that's new to me. One feature that always gets my attention is the lighting. Visual effects add a whole other dimension to any party experience. And that's what opened the door for me.

I got a job bartending at a popular Buckhead classic dance club called Bellbottoms. I was a second-on bartender, which meant that while I had to be there at a certain time, sometimes I would have to wait a bit until they needed me behind the bar. Bellbottoms had an amazing light set-up, with lightning effects and rain lights, an enormous disco ball, and many more, so to kill time I would go up in the DJ booth and play with the lights, which were set up on an easy to use controller. After a while, the head DJ, Steve, took notice of how I was always on beat with the light transitions. I spent years as a band geek in school (first the flute, then the tuba... that's another story) so the concept of measures, beats and frames was by no means foreign to me, and after I explained that to him he said the words that changed my life: "Have you ever thought about learning how to DJ?"

As I mentioned, the thought never crossed my mind before then. But he showed me how to match beats in a beat mix, and told me when I could do that to come back to him and he would teach me more. I spent two weeks making horrible thumps and bumps, and the one day Eureka! I carried off a mix. I spent a year practicing several times a week at the club, for hours during the day when they were taking deliveries (I had great managers there; thank you Tricky and Matt!), and eventually auditioned for my first paying gig. I still had a lot to learn, but over the years I've had many talented mentors and to this day I still learn from everyone I meet, about new music and new technology and new techniques. Always keep your eyes and ears open, you never know what opportunity could present itself to you next!

The Best Holiday and Corporate Parties Remember These Things!

2011-11-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a safe and amazing Halloween weekend! I think I have come up with my favorite costume to date (visit my Facebook Halloween 2011 photo album to see what it was). As November begins our thoughts turn to the festivities of the last months of the year, and several factors can influence the success of your holiday or corporate end-of-year party. How do you keep your guests happy, involve them and create memories that will keep your guests and employees talking and anticipating future parties? Consider these factors:

Location, Location, Location
The venue you choose is extremely important. Too large, and your guests could feel lost. Too small, they may not all fit, and will be uncomfortable at best as they push through to the bar, restroom, etc. Be sure to ask about the occupancy level of the room or venue before booking! Take into account how much space you will need for food, drinks, display or gift tables and entertainment. Can they provide staging or a dance floor if needed? Is there a video feed option available for you to show those end of year tributes and slideshows? How easy is it to get to and what is the parking like? And don't be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to venues. You can find amazing unique locations such as art galleries, museums, vineyards or historic buildings that host events just by doing a little searching in your area!

Ambiance
Catch your guests attention by putting a themed spin and name on your party, such as Vegas Nights for a casino party or A Star is Born for a karaoke party. choose a decade, era or style you would like to base your decor, music and entertainment around (think Classic Hollywood, Winter Beach Party, The Big Apple, Motown Magic, Under the Sea). Have fun with it, and have friends/employees contribute ideas as well. Don't forget disposable cameras - you can collect these and make a lasting memory video for all attendees!

The Sound of Music
Music is an integral part of any party (not being biased here; it is absolutely vital!). You should pick a band or DJ (or both) that have a quality reputation and are able to provide referrals consistent with the type of event you are putting together. Word of mouth is excellent, but be sure to follow up with questions such as: What do they have in their library/playlist that would fit your event? Will there be children there, and if so do they provide edited versions of popular songs? If you require more interaction, such as games, activities or announcements, be sure to let them know ahead of time and type up specific announcements in advance for the performers to refer to. And don't forget that disclosing party and venue size and onsite equipment is extremely important, so that your performer can give you an informed quote.

Extra, Extra! (Entertainment, That Is)
You have the place, you have the tunes... now what? You can add even more interactive entertainment! There are dancers that teach simple dance routines in Disco, Latin, Stepping, Shag and Swing. You can crank up karaoke, or add a clown, magician, comedian, impersonator or caricature artist to the line-up. These are all great ways to get some fabulous photos and blackmail... er, I mean video....

Bartender, Pour Me Another
If alcohol is going to be part of your event, consider having it at or near a hotel, or making sure you have the names and numbers of your local cab company or an organization such as Safe Ride, which will get your over-the-limit guest and their car home safely. Provide plenty of non-alcoholic choices for designated drivers and non-drinkers (you can find hundreds of tasty recipes here ) and encourage attendees to check their keys in to an appointed Key Guard if they are going to drink. Remember this variation on an old adage; an ounce of prevention is worth about $5,000-$10,000 in legal and court fees!

Feed Me, Seymour!
The theme and location of your event will play a large part in determining the food served. A more casual party benefits from the flexibility of a buffet, a more elegant soiree' would bring to mind a seated dinner. Ask guests to provide any details about special dietary considerations such as diabetes or vegetarianism when they RSVP so you can make informed decisions when considering the menu. Be sure to find out if the venue allows outside catering, as many venues have in-house services they require you to use, or may charge a fee should you choose to use another caterer. Limit the amount of salty foods and be sure to include vegetables, meats and cheeses; this will keep guests from getting overly thirsty and possibly drinking too much.

As always, I want to know what YOU think! What is the best thing you've seen or experienced at a party? Was there a unique presentation or type of entertainment you just can't forget? A big no-no you've observed? I would love to hear from you and share it with others.

Thank you for visiting! - DJ Prism

This Is Halloween - a spooky selection of songs for your party!

2011-10-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

UPDATED 10/25/11: Song suggestions added by fans!
Here are some of the great suggestions that rolled in from my Facebook and Twitter friends, especially SecretAsian Man, fellow DJ extraordinaire!!

Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum
Hell Is For Children - Pat Benatar
Helter Skelter - The Beatles/Pat Benetar/U2

Living Dead Girl - Rob Zombie
Zombie - The Cranberries
Running with the Devil - Van Halen
Living' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Like a Prayer - Madonna
Living on the Edge - Aerosmith
The Other Side - Aerosmith
Living after Midnight - Judas Priest
Smells like a Teen Spirit - Nirvana
The Roof is on Fire - Rockmaster Scott
Love, Sex and Magic - Ciara
Candyman - Sammy Davis Jr
She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult
After Midnight - Eric Clapton
Magic - Olivia Newton John
You Can Do Magic - America
Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
Do you Believe In Magic - Lovin' Spoonful
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
Could it be Magic - Barry Manilow
Magic Man - Heart
Run Like Hell - Pink Floyd
King of Pain - The Police
Rapture - Blondie
Murder She Wrote - Chaka Dumas
Dangerous - Kardinal Offishal
Thunderstruck - AC/DC
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Mental Health - Quiet Riot
Spirit in the Material World - The Police
I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight - Cutting Crew
Men in Black - Will Smith
It's the End of the World - REM
Back to Life - Soul to Soul
Life - Haddaway
Silence - Sarah McLauglin
Bad to the Bone - George Thorogood
Fever - Peggy Lee
Temperature - Sean Paul
Cold as Ice - Foreigner
Urgent - Foreigner
Blue Monday - New Order
Le Freak - Chic
Let's go Crazy - Prince
Genie in a Bottle - Christina Aguilera
Hocus Pocus - Focus
Doctor, Doctor - Thompson Twins
Lullaby - The Cure
Stairway to Heaven; House of the Holy - Led Zeppelin
Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins


Greetings all, and thank you for taking the time to visit my first blog!

The only thing that makes me look forward to the cooling weather (I'm a Florida girl, not so big on cold) is the holiday season, which kicks off with what is one of my favorite holidays - Halloween! It's an all ages time of revelry, where you can be anything you want to be, and candy rains from the sky... but of course I am a great deal about the music. Whimsical, creepy, futuristic, or classic, here are some suggestions for your party playlist. There are many contemporary versions of the classics, and remixes galore of everything, so look around to find the sound that suits you best. Of course there are many, many more so please share if you don't see what makes you scream below!

Heart-Thumping Theme Music

Amityville - Lalo Schifrin

Beetlejuice - Danny Elfman

Exorcist Theme (Tubular Bells) - Mike Oldfield

Friday the 13th - Harry Manfredini

Halloween Theme - John Carpenter

Jaws Theme - John Williams

Psycho Theme - The Ghost Doctors

The Shining Theme

Twilight Zone - Gregor F. Narholz

Any creepy movie theme will work... what's your poison?

Creepy Classics/Family Favorites

Come Little Children - Bette Midler

Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead - Various

I Put A Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins; Bette Midler

Jeepers Creepers - Various

Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley

Monster Mash - Bobby 'Boris' Pickett

Munsters Theme Song

Scooby Doo Theme

This Is Halloween (and most songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas)

They're Coming to Take Me Away - Napoleon's Ghost

Witch Doctor - David Seville; Toybox

Halloween kid compilations will include many of these and hundreds more!

Haunting Rock Hits

Abracadabra - Steve Miller Band

Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Bat Out Of Hell - Meatloaf

Black Magic Woman - Santana

Bloodletting - Concrete Blonde

Boris The Spider - The Who

Dangerous Type - Letters to Cleo

Devil Inside - INXS

Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band

Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Dragula - Rob Zombie

Enter Sandman - Metallica

Evil Ways - Santana

Evil Woman - Electric Light Orchestra

Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group

Ghost Riders in the Sky - Blues Brothers; Johnny Cash

Ghost Song - The Doors

Ghost Town - Shiny Toy Guns

Godzilla - Blue Oyster Cult

Grimly Fiendish - The Damned

Halloween - Misfits; AFI

Hell's Bells - AC/DC

Highway to Hell - AC/DC

Howling For You - The Black Keys

Hunting For Witches - Bloc Party

I Think I'm Paranoid - Garbage

Love Potion No. 9 - The Searchers

Moon Over Bourbon Street - Sting

Moondance - Van Morrison

My Immortal - Evanescence

Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones

People Are Strange - The Doors

Poison - Alice Cooper

Scary Monsters - David Bowie

Season of the Witch - Donovan

Shout at the Devil - Motley Crue

Spooky - Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section

Sweet Transvestite - Tim Curry

Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling Stones

Teenage Frankenstein - Alice Cooper

The Killer in Me - Smashing Pumpkins

This Is Halloween - Panic at the Disco, Marilyn Manson

Twilight Zone - Golden Earring

Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix

War Pigs - Ozzy Osbourne

Welcome to My Nightmare - Alice Cooper

Welcome to the Black Parade - My Cemical Romance

Werewolves Of London - Warren Zevon

Wild Thing - The Troggs

Witches Promise - Jethro Tull

Witchy Woman - The Eagles

Just Dance... If You Dare

Addams Groove - M.C. Hammer

Are You Ready For Freddy? - The Fat Boys

Batdance - Prince

Batman - Get Cool

Beautiful Monster - Ne Yo

Black Cat - Janet Jackson

Breathe - Prodigy

Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

C'Mon, Catch Em By Surprise - Tiesto

Candyman - Christina Aguilera

Closer - Nine Inch Nails

Come Undone - Duran Duran; My Darkest Days

Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

Crazy Train - 3 Elements

Crypt Jam - Crypt Keeper

Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen

Danger! High Voltage - Electric Six

Day N Nite - Kid Cudi

Days Go By - Dirty Vegas

Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo

Devil Inside - Utada

Disturbia - Rihanna

Dude Looks Like a Lady - Aerosmith

E.T. - Katy Perry

Echo - Gorilla Zoe

Elevate My Mind - Stereo MC's

Every Breath You Take - The Police

Fade to Black - Apoptygma Berzerk

Firestarter - Prodigy

Freak - Estelle

Freak A Zoid - Midnight Star

Freaks Come Out At Night - Whodini

Frozen - Madonna

Galvanize - Chemical Brothers

Ghost in the Machine - B.o.B

Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.

Ghostly Groove - Paul D Lewis

Ghosts 'n Stuff - Deadmau5

Halloween - Aqua

Halloween '09 - Fast Foot

Halloween 2010 - DJ Sign & Purple Project

Halloween (Techno Remix) - DJ Tiesto

He's a Pirate (Tiesto rmx) - Klaus Badelt

Heads Will Roll (Tiesto Remix) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Hell - Squirrel Nut Zippers

How Soon Is Now - The Smiths

Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran

I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow

I'm A Goner - Matt & Kim feat Soulja Boy & Andrew W.K.

I'm Your Boogie Man - KC & the Sunshine Band; White Zombie

In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins

In the Dark - Dev

In For the Kill - La Roux feat Kanye West

In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett

Insane in the Brain - Cypress Hill

Insomnia - Faithless

Intergalactic - Beastie Boys

Interview with a Vampire - Ras Kass

It's Spooky In Here - Baha Men

Jump in the Line (Shake Senora) - Harry Belafonte

Lil' Devil - The Cult

Mad World - Tears For Fears

Man In The Moon - Fragma

Maniac - Kid Cudi

Monster - Kanye West

Monster - Lady Gaga

Murder was the Case - Snoop Dogg

My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me - Ghetto Boys

Mysterious Ways - U2

Need You Tonight - INXS

New Moon On Monday - Duran Duran

Nightmare On My Street - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Nightmares - Dana Dane

October - Deadmau5

Oh Yeah - Yello

Out Of Limits - Marketts

Paralyzer - Finger Eleven

Phantom of the Opera - Harajuku

Poison - Bel Biv Devoe

Psycho Killer - Talking Heads

Resurrection - PPK

Robot Rock - Daft Punk

Sadeness Pt 1 - Enigma

Sandstorm - Darude

Scream - Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson

Sex Drugs & House - D-Devils

She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby

She Wolf - Shakira

Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell

Something In My House - Dead or Alive

Spin Spin Sugar - Sneaker Pimps

Stan - Eminem

Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart

Superfreak - Rick James

Supermassive Black Hole - Muse

Superstition - Stevie Wonder

Sweet Dreams - Beyonce'

Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics

Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson

Tainted Love - Soft Cell

The Creep - The Lonely Island feat Nicki Minaj

The Haunted House Of Rock - Whodini

The Killing Moon - Echo & the Bunnymen

The Mozza Mash - Cheeky Boy

The Time Warp - Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Witch Queen of Halloween - Redbone

Thriller - Michael Jackson

Torture - The Jacksons

Toxic - Britney Spears

Twilight Zone - 2 Unlimited

Vampire's Revenge (Blade) - Paradise Decay

Walking On Air - Kerli

Weird Science - Oingo Boingo

Who Can It Be Now - Men At Work

Wicked Game - Chris Isaak

Wicked Ways - Blow Monkeys

Wild Thing - Tone Loc

Witch Doktor - Armand Van Helden

Word Up - Korn

Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400