My last regular DJ stint at The Beautiful & Damned, The Boogaloo is a happy occasion. Lots of friends, lots of dressed-up people. Let’s see who I can remember: Lawrence G, David R-P, Emma J, Adrian L, Lucy M, Vicky B and Beth and William, Shane MacG, Rhoda B, David B, Alex S, Jennifer C, Travis E, Anthony A, Seaneen M. And all the others.
I screen “Diary Of A Lost Girl”, the other big Louise Brooks movie. It’s released on UK DVD for the first time this very week. Impeccable timing, and as ever Archway Video get it in a copy for me to borrow.
The live act are Scales Of The Unexpected, a barbershop quartet who perform not just cover versions of known pop hits, but segue them together in such a clever way, it borders on Joycean wordplay. They get through what must be the best part of fifty songs in twenty minutes. And they can really, really sing, with proper falsettos and close harmonies. And they dress up. Even those of my friends who bridle at genre cover versions (like the Puppini Sisters) have to admit they’re impressed. Actually, the Puppinis are always worth seeing live, too.
So please do go and see Scales Of The Unexpected whenever they next play. Their website is here.
My final DJ set goes down well enough. Though I feel I’m trying to recreate past glories a little, which is one of the reasons why I want to give it a rest. I worry that I’m in danger of being ‘best known’ as Dickon The DJ. And once you feel you’re being Best Known For something other than what you DO want to be Best Known For, you have stop doing it.
Some people ask me if it’s the last Beautiful & Damned. To clarify, it’s MY last B&D at the Boogaloo for the time being. The club night itself – the name, the 1920s-leaning dress-up element, and the ‘anything goes, but only if it works’ concept – belongs to the Boogaloo venue, and not me. So people should keep an eye on The Boogaloo mailing list and website to see what happens. Perhaps they’ll get in other DJs and keep it going every month, or maybe it’ll just be Miss Red. I don’t know, but whatever happens, I don’t mind.
Admittedly, people have associated B&D as ‘my’ club night, and I should have made it more clear that B&D wasn’t ‘mine’, but the Boogaloo night at which I DJ-d regularly and helped to promote, rather than conceived outright.
So, the questions I’m now asked are:
a) Mr Edwards, are you going to return to B&D in the future?
Not sure. Not just yet, anyway.
b) So if you’re not doing that, why don’t you create a new club night, closer to Central London?
Answer: Never! I’m put off by the nuts and bolts aspect of being a club promoter. Worrying about enough people turning up, checking the listings are correct, doing flyers, keeping the venue staff happy, and so on.
c) What’s so hard about doing one night a month at the pub nearest your bed?
I just feel I’ve done it enough as a regular gig, and want to give it a rest. That’s all. One can’t keep doing the same thing forever. And when you find your heart saying “I wonder when this will end?” more often than not, it’s best to take a hint. Sorry if that disappoints those who like to see me DJ-ing, but one must be true to one’s heart.
d) Are you quitting DJ-ing entirely, then?
Oh, not at all. I’ll do the odd guest spot if I’m invited, sure, whether it’s The Boogaloo or elsewhere. The odd party. The odder the better. Not right now, though.
Thanks to all those who came to the club over the last twelve months. It’s been wonderful.
Here’s what I played last night, though not in this exact order:
flamingoes – i only have eyes for you
bert kaempfert – swinging safari
peggy lee- them there eyes
percy faith – theme from a summer place
puppini sisters – wuthering heights
puppini sisters – heart of glass
chordettes – mr sandman
cast of mary poppins – let’s go fly a kite
doris day – deadwood stage
alessi brothers – oh lori
dory previn – yada yada la scala
judy garland – trolley song
hoagy carmichael – ole’ buttermilk sky
liza minnelli – mein herr (from cabaret)
peggy lee – i could have danced all night (latin version!)
jacques brel – la mer
bobby darin – beyond the sea
louis armstrong – don’t forget to mess around (1926)
helen kane – I wanna be loved by you – (1920s)
nathan glantz & orch – don’t bring lulu (1920s)
gene austin – ain’t she sweet (1920s)
ella fitzgerald & count basie – sweet georgia brown
coon-sanders nighthawks – I’m gonna charleston back to charleston – (1920s)
frank sinatra – let’s face the music and dance
mel torme – right now
tom lehrer – the masochism tango
peggy lee – fever
louis armstrong – cabaret (1968)
doris day – move over darling
ute lemper – all that jazz
judy garland – get happy
louis armstrong – mack the knife (1956)
glen miller – in the mood
art landry – five foot two, eyes of blue (1920s)
cast of bugsy malone – my name is tallulah
rosemary clooney – mambo italiano
frank sinatra- new york new york
cast of a chorus line – one (finale)
dean martin – that’s amore
doris day – que sera sera
