The song “Makin’ Whoopee” was composed in 1928 by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn, and was originally written for the Broadway Musical Whoopee.  The title, and the song itself makes no bones that Makin’ Whopee is a euphemism for sexual intimacy, and I can only imagine that it was considered quite risque for it’s time.  The song begins harmlessly enough, singing of weddings, honeymoons and early marital bliss, but quickly changes to the realities of babies, diapers and other inferences of responsibilities.  One definition I read even referred to the tune as “a dire warning, largely to men, about the ‘trap’ of marriage”.

Makin’ Whoopee has probably been played by DJs at thousands of weddings, and although it will probably continue to be played at thousands more,  a closer look at the lyrics makes me ponder if it should.

“Makin’ Whoopee”

Another bride, another June
Another sunny, honeymoon
another season, another reason
for Makin’ Whoopee

A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
the groom is nervous, he answers twice
It’s really killin’, that he’s so willin’
to make whoopee!

Picture a little love-nest, down where the roses cling,
Picture the same sweet lovenest, think what a year can bring.

He’s washing dishes, and baby clothes
he’s so ambitious, he even sews
But don’t forget, folks, that’s what you get folks
for Makin’ Whoopee!

Another year, or maybe less
What’s this I hear? Well can’t you guess?
She feels neglected, and he’s suspected
of Makin’ Whoopee!

She sits alone, most every night
He doesn’t phone her, he doesn’t write
He says he’s “Busy”, but she says “Is he?”
He’s Makin’ Whoopee!

He doesn’t make much money, only a five-thousand per
some judge who thinks he’s funny
Says “You’ll pay six to her”

He says: “Now judge, suppose I fail?”
The judge says: “Budge, right into jail!
You’d better keep her; I think it’s cheaper
Than Makin’ Whoopee!!

Personally, I think the song is harmless, and the fact that it’s a standard that’s been around for years and been covered by artists like Eddie Cantor, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Rod Stewart gives it a classic chic that make the second part of the song somehow humorous and socially acceptable.  It’s been in movies like The Fabulous Baker Boys where Michelle Pfeiffer does a very sexy rendition sprawled across a piano, Sleepless In Seattle in a duet by Ricky Lee Jones and Dr. John, and two Woody Allen movies (Everyone Says I Love You and Husbands and Wives).  Cookie Monster even did a version on Sesame Street called “Eatin’ Cookie“!

Is it just cute irony, or is it bad taste?  Again, I like the song personally, particularly the Ray Charles live version where he injects his own name into the line “Ray, son, right into jail” and then asks the audience  “You know what I’ve been doin, don’t you?” and the crowd goes wild.  I laugh to myself every time I hear it.

So I pose the question to the reader… Is Makin’ Whoopee “okay to play” or is it best left alone? What do YOU think?

-Craig

Photo courtesy of  Scott Spitzer Photography & Design
www.scottspitzer.com

In a series of recent articles by ‘The Man Registry‘ published on the OneWed ‘Savvy Scoop’ blog, the author offers the readers some of what I would call ‘misinformation’. The first article goes on to say things like “Go see your DJ or Band live” (an absurd suggestion, as a DJ has no right to invite perspective clients to someone else’s wedding), where the next article suggests that in choosing an iPod over a DJ or band, the only thing that is sacrificed is the announcer.

(Click here to see OneWed’s blog post)

Now considering that DJs and bands pay OneWed to advertise, is it really wise for OneWed to publish articles diminishing the value of professional entertainment/entertainers at a wedding reception?  Doesn’t seem like OneWed is looking out for it’s advertisers.

But in regard to the article…

When Aunt Rose comes up and requests a jitterbug, will the iPod somehow know just the song to play? Or maybe the random groomsman knows, and he can pull it up… after having three vodka tonics, or assuming he knows what a jitterbug is in the first place.  Or maybe the iPod can look at the dance floor and see it’s time to change it up a bit because some of the older folks have sat down for dessert and it’s a great time to play a mix of newer music for the younger guests still dancing?

I could go on, but why? I’ve talked about iPods in previous blog posts, and can see the merit in them from a budgetary perspective… but that’s all.  Heck, why not save money on the bartender as well and just set up a keg in the corner?

The bottom line really is, if you want to have entertainment at your wedding, then hire entertainment.  Both bands and DJs bring a lot more to a wedding reception than just making the announcements. An experienced DJ vs. an iPod can make all the difference in the success of your event.

Since coming across this article I expressed my sentiments to OneWed, who went on to shift the blame to The Man Registry, claiming that they were not the authors of the article.  This was disappointing, as OneWed forgets that it is published on their blog, and hence is an endorsement in itself.  As far as The Man Registry goes – a website geared more to grooms and groomsmen – I’ve always found their site to be a great resource in the past, so I’ll just write this off as a hiccup.  Chris from The Man Registry contacted me by email today, and although I told him I would be posting a response to his article, he did see my points and I found him to be quite affable. Thank you Chris.

-Craig

The Man Registry – www.themanregistry.com

‘DJ Brain’ illustration by Sean Gallo Designs

In a discussion I had recently with one of my DJ employees, he asked me if I thought the song ‘Just A Gigolo’ by Louis Prima (and later re-done by David Lee Roth) was appropriate for a wedding, and my answer – as cliche as it might seem – was “If you question it, then the answer is no.”

Now certainly if it were a request of the bride & groom, it should be played, but I would pose the question of it’s appropriateness in the context of a wedding.  Perhaps if it were used during a garter toss to connotate ‘the single guys’ then yes, but I certainly wouldn’t want to play a song that might infer the Groom was gigolo, or a ‘player of women’ at his wedding.

As a DJ for over twenty years, and somewhat of a music aficianado, knowing lyrics is second nature to me.  When I sit down with a bride and groom or a mitzvah client or any client for that matter to discuss music I see myself as the person they are trusting in for guidance, and sometimes it is important to illustrate for them why a particular song choice may not be the best choice, and 99% of the time it’s pointing out something in the lyrics.

A great example that I cannot soon forget is that of a bride and groom requesting the song ‘Careless Whisper’ by George Michael as their first dance (you know, the ‘bride and groom’ dance that happens at the beginning of the reception).  when they asked I paused for a moment, and then asked if they wouldn’t mind my taking a moment to excuse myself from the meeting for a moment so that I might print out a copy of the lyrics for them to review.  Here is a short excerpt of what i printed…

I feel so unsure
As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies, something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen and all those sad goodbyes

I’m never gonna dance again
Cause guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it’s easy to pretend
I know you’re not a fool

I should have known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I’d been given
So I’m never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you

Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
Ignorance is kind
And there’s no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you’ll find

Essentially, the song is about a relationship where someone cheated.  Don’t get me wrong, musically it’s a great song, it was a popular hit and it’s pretty good to slow dance to, but in the context of starting off your marriage with a first dance to a song about cheating, it’s probably not such a great idea.  When the bride read the lyrics the look on her face spoke volumes, and the two of them chose another song.  The same idea goes for so many other songs as well.  ‘Let’s Get It On’ by Marvin Gaye may be risque for a bride & groom’s first dance, but how awkward would it be as a father/daughter or mother/son dance?

Take some time to think about your song choices.  Most song lyrics can be found on the internet using Yahoo, Google, or some other search engine.  Check out your song and its lyrics before making it a song of significance, and if you aren’t sure about the artist or title, ask your DJ.  A good DJ should always be an invaluable resource for you regarding song choices, if not at the very least a second opinion.

-Craig

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

I just read a great article titled ‘Five Tips On Hiring A DJ’ published on Savvy Scoop, which is the blog for www.OneWed.com.   Here is the link, as you should probably read that before continuing here.

http://www.onewed.com/blog/savvy-scoop/2009/05/20/man-registry-5-tips-hiring-dj

Now I will say that overall it was a good article with good advice, with one small exception… Tip number three.

“If you get the opportunity, visit an event or reception that your DJ is working. This will give you a good read on his etiquette and manners while he’s at work.”

When you hire your caterer, you meet with them during the week to taste food, pick plates, etc.  Your florist you meet with and choose arrangements typically at their floral shop and when choosing a photographer or videographer seeing their work online or meeting with them during the week to look at their product is perfectly acceptable.

So why is it the DJ is put in the precarious position of sometimes being asked (or expected) to allow potential clients to come into someone else’s wedding reception and ‘view’ their work?

Several years ago, Cutting Edge Entertainment decided not to allow this practice anymore.  Now as a consumer myself, I can somewhat understand the reasoning behind the client wanting to observe… but the negatives far outweigh the positives and the risk factor just isn’t worth it.  The bride I have booked – and their wedding – are the focus of the day, and the sale of a new client is in no way to interfere with that.  Oh we tried it in the past, but quickly learned that it was a very bad idea.  Even though we would get an ok from the bride and the hall, it still often times turned out to be a decision I would regret.

1. Just because we ask the ‘visiting potential customer’ to dress appropriately, does not mean they will.  On more than one occasion they showed up in jeans and a casual shirt, and stood in the doorway – ‘looking’ – for close to a half hour.  Brides and caterers don’t like this, nor do I.
2. What a potential client sees at a particular event is specific to that bride & groom’s requests, and in no way reflects how we handle every event.
3. In one instance, the potential client contacted me on the following Monday after upset that the DJ didn’t take time to talk to them.  Again, on the day of a wedding we are there to serve our booked client, not to sell a future client.
4. Many event facilities simply don’t allow ‘observers.’  Being that we are recommended at dozens of facilities that have us on their ‘preferred vendor’ lists, it wouldn’t be a very good idea for us to compromise that relationship.
5.  (This one is the best) Invited a potential client to observe a wedding, turns out the observers were known to the bride and groom and (call me lucky) they didn’t like them.  I had to ask the observers to leave and as you can probably imagine I lost that sale.

I could go on, but the point again is that there is no viable justification for potentially compromising a clients wedding day for one future potential sale.  I have found that when explained to a potential client this way, they are typically understanding and respect our policy.  Do we lose some sales because other DJ companies are willing to allow day-of observers?  I’m sure we do, but I sleep better at night knowing that my company isn’t taking this unnecessary risk.

We seem to do just fine with strong recommendations from event facilities, fellow vendors and past brides.  We invite clients to meet with us at our office to discuss what our company has to offer and show them video footage.  We can also provide references from past brides and in some cases even put potential brides directly in contact with former clients if need be.  Just not on their wedding day.

Most importantly, I can tell brides with confidence that we – the DJ company – will not be inviting anyone to their wedding.  The focus of the day is that client, and nothing else.

-Craig

www.cuttingedgedjs.com