Picking dance songs

First, my background. Starting at age 12 when my parents bought an upright piano, I did my grade 8 Royal Conservatory of Music in Piano in four years. Being raised RC, I played organ at our church. I love the Classics, but pop interested me more. Throughout high school and up to age 33 I played, Country, Country Rock, Pop, and all manner of Rock at Legions, weddings, high schools, pubs, biker bars and lounges in Kamloops, Prince George & points north, down to Vernon & Kelowna. I dabbled with guitar & bass in the early years, but as a professional musician I played all three instruments, and was a vocalist and at the end had my own band which was very very good. Got married at 27, had my two sons, and came home "off the road" to find my oldest son didn't recognize me, which ended my traveling career, making that decision two weeks before the "Elvis Elvis Elvis" show came looking for a keyboard player to travel all over the orient for 6 months!

Settling down to married life, I played in bands, taught music, I got my Bronze Medallion in Swimming, became an electronics Technician, and practiced piano 8 hours a day for a year and got my Royal Conservatory Grade 10 Piano under my belt. But to get that officially you also need your music theory Level 2. As I was doing that, my "now-ex" found someone else she preferred better and moved on for 3 years, leaving me with my sons. I packed up everyone and moved from Kamloops to Richmond, and finished my Music Theory lessons there, but since then I haven't played professionally. But I spent 11 great years in Scouts with my sons, almost got my CGA, was A&B Sound's top audio salesman, then their general accountant, then Bridgeport Carpets Controller, and now am a full time Computer Technician with London Drugs.

I first took lessons with Robyn probably in 1996. Did well with Rumba, Cha Cha & Foxtrot, but Waltz just left me uncoordinated, and my ex complaining about my lead & all, and from that point on she refused to take dance lessons again. Forward to Jan 2002, my ex left us again for good, and in Sept 2002 I started dance lessons again and the rest is history. Except I hated the small dance floors and most of the music I had to dance to. Lessons with Robyn pointed to one important fact - it was OK to dance to great music, so in March 2005 I started "I-Love-To-Dance".

When it comes to music I leave nothing to chance. It's all arranged in advance for two reasons. First to ensure the music inspires great dancing, second to ensure that all dance styles are covered adequately to keep everyone happy! I picked this song because at the last dance some dancers thought it was 4/4 and not a waltz. But waltz indeed it is, and gives you my thought process when picking songs for the dances.

Let's analyze 2 versions of a beautiful Mozart Viennese waltz.

Paul Mauriat - from 1973 Click on link to listen to the song

Richard Abel - from 1994 (Richard Clayderman version very similar musically)

The Paul Mauriat version, despite the silly fuzz guitar opening is by far the more musically inspiring song. Classical music has tempo variations, quiet & loud parts, and classical musicians training is to "feel" the music. This song is 62 bpm (beats per minute-Viennese generally being 60 bpm.).

The Richard Abel version in comparison is 56 bmp, and is better recorded - what you'd expect being 21 years newer. This version is quite typical of much ballroom music, that is, too often in standardizing the tempo and style of dance the music loses it's beauty and life. With my CD player, I could bump the speed to 60 bpm, but it still would have no vitality, as the way the music is played and conducted it's lost all of it's spark and beauty and is just draggy. Notes that should be staccato, are slurred as if the musicians were on sleep medication. The entire song is played at one volume level, as if the intent were to play it in elevators and shopping isles. Mr Abel's playing is admirable, and the only positive thing I could say is that on this version you can make a case that in a noisy environment it may be easier to pick up the 1,2,3 1,2,3. for some people. This song is simply better dinner music.

Paul Mauriat's version in comparison, even if slowed to 60 bpm is THE type of music I'd want to watch really good International Dancers dancing to. Even from the point of choreography, it has much to work with even though it's 50 seconds shorter.

Opening - fuzz guitar & the 1,2,3 1,2,3,... of the violins immediately sets what you need to be doing with your footwork, there is no doubt that this is genuine Viennese. Starting quietly, the song builds as more instruments are added - at 32 seconds most of the band is playing. Listen to the bass guitar - it's interesting also, and is doing a slow 1,2,3!

It builds to a crescendo at 1:07 and then a diminuendo and drops down at 1:19. Notice also that the violins take some of the melody and then the piano - keeping things interesting again.

And then builds to one more climax at 2:19, but this is a different crescendo than before because it's taking us to the end of the music which really ends at 2:41. But even this version is better because it's not a long silly ending leaving you wondering what to do with your time - you can tell where the ending is and thus have time to prepare your partner for a proper close to the dance. Some dancers might find the final 30 seconds confusing because the arrangement just "goes a bit wild", but just like any Salsa where some find it hard to find the "one", just listen to the melody and you can't go wrong!

The Richard Abel / or even the Richard Clayderman versions are pretty, because you can't take that away from Mozart's beautiful melody, But Paul Mauriat's version sets the dance bar higher because it's simply better music.

It's the same reason I wouldn't ever play the ballroom versions of Santana's Cha Cha's when the Santana version is available or any other redo for that matter. In order for me to prefer a redo it has to be something really special. A good example of a great redo is Michael Buble's version of Sway, which is better than any of the older originals & copies of this song.