Wow! It is a lot of work to plan a party. I haven't done it for 8 months and there is usually a reason for that, since at Chez WMM when we decide to do one of these, we go for it!
THE PLAYLIST
This is a critical factor for a good party. In this case, I was very restricted: the party takes place in January of 1978 - I could go backwards into 1977 for my music and I could go forwards by a couple of months (assuming that some dance music was likely released or tested at Studio 54 first). Of course, I have no reason to believe that, but I wanted the Stones' Miss You, so that is my story and I am sticking to it! If you find this very anal retentive on my part - you are correct!
There will be a 2nd playlist of newer hits. My husband insists that someone (read: him) is going to want to dance to "Gangnem Style " at some point late in the evening. But I will not mix those new songs into my Studio 54 playlist. As well, the playlist below is 50 songs long, so I think this will take almost all of my party! I have tried to put in some kitsch/irony, some funk, and some slow dances (very useful for breaks, refreshing drinks, eating something, going out for a cigar, etc). The party can't be all dance music all the time; there needs to be big builds at various points in the evening.
I am quite pleased with the list. If you can think of anything I have missed, please let me know ASAP as I will be getting it all set this evening on my ipod (luckily, I already own a lot of these songs, so it won't be too expensive!)
I am getting excited!
*****************
I am still feeling really tired. I guess it takes quite a while to get over being so tired and worn out! I am slowly getting there! I actually got one room completely cleaned out today, but now all I want to do is go and take a nap! The other thing about being off work is deciding what to wear every day. I am so used to dressing up that it is taking me a while to dress more casual for around the house. Yesterday, I took my new pink pants for a run around the house!
My daughter and I were having real issues with the camera so this is not a great shot at all! And can you tell my bedroom is next for a good de-clutter????
Have a great day and stay safe out there!
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| I am imagining this will be the scene outside my house Saturday night! |
This is a critical factor for a good party. In this case, I was very restricted: the party takes place in January of 1978 - I could go backwards into 1977 for my music and I could go forwards by a couple of months (assuming that some dance music was likely released or tested at Studio 54 first). Of course, I have no reason to believe that, but I wanted the Stones' Miss You, so that is my story and I am sticking to it! If you find this very anal retentive on my part - you are correct!
There will be a 2nd playlist of newer hits. My husband insists that someone (read: him) is going to want to dance to "Gangnem Style " at some point late in the evening. But I will not mix those new songs into my Studio 54 playlist. As well, the playlist below is 50 songs long, so I think this will take almost all of my party! I have tried to put in some kitsch/irony, some funk, and some slow dances (very useful for breaks, refreshing drinks, eating something, going out for a cigar, etc). The party can't be all dance music all the time; there needs to be big builds at various points in the evening.
I am quite pleased with the list. If you can think of anything I have missed, please let me know ASAP as I will be getting it all set this evening on my ipod (luckily, I already own a lot of these songs, so it won't be too expensive!)
| Artist | song |
| John Williams Orchestra | Star Wars Theme |
| KC and Sunshine Band | I'm your boogie Man |
| Leo Sayer | You Make Me Feel Like Dancing |
| The Spinners | Rubberband Man |
| Thelma Houston | Don't Leave Me This Way |
| Beegees | How Deep is Your Love |
| Carly Simon | Nobody Does it Better |
| Ram Jam | Black Betty |
| Heatwave | Boogie Nights |
| Beegees | Night Fever |
| Commodores | Brick House |
| Foreigner | Cold As Ice |
| Jimmy Buffet | Margaritaville |
| Beegees | More than a Woman |
| Styx | Come Sail Away |
| David Soul | Don't Give Up on Us |
| Dolly Parton | Here you come again |
| Fleetwood Mac | Don't Stop |
| Village People | YMCA |
| Sex Pistols | God Save the Queen |
| David Bowie | Heroes |
| Feetwood Mac | Go Your Own Way |
| KC and the Sunshine Band | Shake your Boogie |
| Steely Dan | Peg |
| Supertramp | Give a Little Bit |
| Abba | Knowing me, Knowing you |
| Fleetwood Mac | Dream |
| Boz Scaggs | Lido Shuffle |
| Eagles | Hotel California |
| ELO | Livin Thing |
| Manfred Man | Blinded By the Light |
| Stevie Wonder | Sir Duke |
| 10CC | The Things We do for Love |
| Rolling Stones | Miss You |
| Aerosmith | Walk This Way |
| Village People | Macho Man |
| Queen | Bohemian Rhapsody |
| Peter Gabriel | Solsbury Hill |
| Donna Summer | McArthur Park |
| Andy Gibb | I Just want to be your everything |
| Chic | Le Freak |
| Chic | Dance, Dance, Dance, Yowza, yowza, yowza |
| Alicia Bridges | I Love the Nightlife |
| Abba | Dancing Queen |
| Gloria Gaynor | I will Survive |
| Donna Summer | Bad Girls |
| Beegees | Stayin' Alive |
| The Trampps | Disco Inferno |
| Melissa Manchester | Don't Cry Out Loud |
| Donna Summer | Last Dance |
I am getting excited!
*****************
I am still feeling really tired. I guess it takes quite a while to get over being so tired and worn out! I am slowly getting there! I actually got one room completely cleaned out today, but now all I want to do is go and take a nap! The other thing about being off work is deciding what to wear every day. I am so used to dressing up that it is taking me a while to dress more casual for around the house. Yesterday, I took my new pink pants for a run around the house!
Have a great day and stay safe out there!
I think when you feel like you want to take a nap you should go and take a nap! My experience with organizing my house has shown me that an hour a day can be most effective, every day you tackle something and you'll be fresh for it.
ReplyDeletePlus you are supposed to be resting my dear!
Your playlist is amazing, how much fun will this be. Barry cracks me up yet again. I will be thinking of you on Saturday night, I'll either be staying home or having a potluck with some friends, what an old stodger. I'll be wishing I was tripping the light fantastic at Studio 54 you can be sure of that.
well fell free to bring all your friends!
DeleteOh Barry is a hoot - did I mention he has a bit of a thing for Pitbull, too? This from the man whose favourite band is the Tragically Hip? Who knew?
Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs! Oh i loved that and had forgotten all about it, must download it asap, oh there's some great songs on there, Chic and Donna Summer and 10cc and the Stones - love love love.
ReplyDeleteOh I love Lido Shuffle - that would be in whatever CD I would have to bring to a desert island. That and Sir Duke!
DeleteWMM, this is fab-u-lous! I would probably add ELO's Mr. Blue Sky (although it should be Ms. in your honour), Earth, Wind & Fire's Fantasy, and for mellow drink breaks Billy Joel's Just the Way You Are, something by the Carpenters who were definitely top-of-charts start of 1978 or Linda Ronstadt's Blue Bayou PLUS Bob Marley & The Wailers This Is Love. Party on, like Dani will be with you spirit. And does Barry da B. have a Psy Gangnam Style tux outfit? Inquiring minds want to know.
ReplyDeleteHey GF - good point re: Billy - I meant to go back and get him and add him to the list. Okay, we definitely need more!
DeleteNo tux for Barry! I will take a picture of the hat he is wearing, which will be paired with a really greasy shirt, hardly buttoned and some bling for sure! My son does a killer impression of one of the friends in Saturday Night Fever "I love the way you move, Tony" so I will bring him out now and then when required. One of his favourite movies is "The Warriors" - same era - and I bet they would have beat the crap out of the Studio 54 crowd!
Love the list, especially the ABBA and Donna Summer songs! One of my favorite disco songs is It's Raining Men by the Weather Girls, but that didn't come out until 1979 (I checked). Likewise, YMCA wasn't out yet either. I didn't realize how late in the 70s these songs came out!
ReplyDeleteYou're going to have so much fun! :)
Darn - I thought YMCA was out by then. I am trying to be pure. Since I am not perfectly pure, I am going to have to go back and get It's Raining Men! I love that song! So campy!
DeleteOh, I missed the YMCA on your list! I might be wrong about it (I hope I am - that one is always fun at parties).
Deletenope you are right - released in 78 and hit the top of chart in 79
DeleteYour party will be so fun, are you going to dress in 1978 styles as well? Maybe you mentioned that in a previous post but I'm behind on my blog reading.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I was at Brooks Brothers last evening and saw the silk cowl-neck top. The feel of the silk is just divine and it is fully-lined in silk as well. I didn't have time to try anything on as I just dashed in to do a return but will likely shop a bit on the weekend and if the fit works that one will come home with me. All the FW12 styles are 50% off in store now so I may pick up some winter accessories too. Their cashmere-lined leather gloves are usually lovely. When are you going to NYC?
HI xoxo, first week of March, so I am sure I will find something great there! I know where BB is on 5th Avenue, so it will be a stop for sure!
DeleteI am thinking of wearing my JC sequin camo dress, paired as gaudily as I can with a gold poncho and my gold shoes and hair that will almost be straight up. I just went and bought mousse and the strongest hairspray! It will be frizz city and very big!
SO glad to hear about the blouse - it looks so promising! By then, I will be down some pounds and will be good to go!
OMG, you absolutely must post photos of your outfit. I am stitches just reading about it! The hair, the hair!!
DeleteWMM, thanks for the trip down Memory Lane! So much good music there - it will be a hoot!!
ReplyDeletePatricia - there will be pictures! I promise!
DeleteI know the words to more of these than I'd like to admit. All. the. words. Happy to provide you a tutorial about being in your 50's-- you will be great. I don't know what EWF song may have originated in your chosen time span, but guaranteed to be good dancin'.
ReplyDeleteEWF?
DeleteLane - I could use a good tutorial!
I will definitely be dancing!
I believe that's Earth, Wind and Fire ;-).
DeleteOk, I realized that I grew up in the next music generation as many of these are obscure to me, at least by name (well, not ALL of them). I am definitively an 80s disco girl ;-).
I LOVE that picture, I hope you have hired a good bouncer ;-)
Oh Ema! I must be so tired - thanks for the EWF!!!
DeleteOh I can do 80s with you, too! But yes, you were a wee babe in 77/78! I was only 13-14 years old - I could not have gotten into studio 54! But OMG, wouldn't it have been fun for a night! I bet Drew Barrymore was there!!!
LOL "I bet Drew Barrymore was there!", wmm you are always killing me with the excellent one-liners!
DeleteLove your playslist, WMM! Even though I am also more of an 80's music kind of girl, I have also listened to much of your playlist, and have many favorites. Abba (I have their greatest hits cd), Donna Summer, the Bee Gees (actually, little brother Andy was my favorite, but out of the 3 older ones, I would go for Barry), and David Bowie are just a few of them I like. What a fabulous party you are going to have! I wish we could all come celebrate with you! :)
ReplyDeleteHI FFM - I think the music holds up really well. Barry and I actually had the first dance at our wedding to Wild is the Wind by David Bowie! How obscure is that?
DeleteYou are giving me flashbacks to the 8th grade! How did you decide on the Studio 54 theme? It's going to be so much fun. What kind of food and drink are you serving?
ReplyDeleteHi Cate - Well most people will likely bring there own drinks, but I will have champagne chilled! Not sure yet about food.
DeleteI had already done a 70s party and then I realized that the ultimate disco party was Studio 54! Am off to gather more accoutrements today and will keep you posted!
Great list I'm getting excited for you! At first I thought how could you leave out Elton John but that year was during his reclusive period when he wasn't doing much. I though of 2 more hits from that time period to maybe add to your list.:Blondie's Heart of Glass and the classic Rod Stewart Da ya think I'm sexy which could provide lots of campy fun!
ReplyDeleteOk I obviously can't follow directions. I suggested songs later in 1978 although they are both fabulous. If you want to be a purist:Turn to stone by Elo, Baby what a big surprise by Chicago, You're in my heart by Rod Stewart, Best of my love by the Emotions, and Your smiling face by James Taylor.
DeleteThanks Shopping Celle more for the list! Love these! Everyone always loved Rod!
DeleteIt's going to be a spectacular party - such a great playlist. Are you serving food from that time period as well?
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy - I am going to do some research. If we do what we actually served then, there would be cheez whiz on ritz crackers - especially where I grew up! Will see what I can dig up and let you know!
DeleteWere's Leo Sayer...remember him? When I need you. I just hold out my hand and I touch you.... You make me feel like dancing, dancing, dance the night away. God I'm old. Throw a drink back for all of us!
ReplyDeleteBlue booby - that song always made me feel so sad!
DeleteHey Blue Booby! Leo is #3 on list, but not sure why I didn't have When I Need YOu on list - Leo Sayer was first concert my husband ever saw! Leo had that great hair, too! Wonder where he is now?
DeleteAlways got him confused with the aerobic guy Richard Simmons. I have been singing Leo's song all damn day.
DeleteOh yay, all the best from the Bee Gees! For some reason I have "Shake Your Groove Thing" playing in my head now.
ReplyDeleteI have boogied to more than a few of these, I will be there in spirit as well. So much fun! And I can't wait to see pictures!!
Hey Tiffany Rose - it is going to be fun for sure. Today, I will sort out the food. I am also still cleaning and trying to rest! Lot going on! Laughed when I saw Gigis after drak review for you this a.m.!
Delete