This Monday Mixtape was a special request from one of my listeners. I put up a shoutbox for requests and Ebony so sweetly requested a mix of songs that inspire women. This was perfect timing because my birthday is Saturday and nothing makes an Aries feel better than some pump-me-up music. Some of my choices may leave you like huh? but I must say all of these songs mean a lot to me. I’ll never forget when I went on an interview for Pepsi and my cell phone went off. It was my mother of course, but I was so embarrassed because my ringtone was “Don’t Cha”. My interviewer smiled at me and said, “I love that song too”. I got the job.

Anyway, I hope this mix inspires you. I made it kid friendly because my daughters need to listen to it too! Enjoy!

1. Golden – Jill Scott
2. God In Me (Remix)(Ft. NeYo) – Mary Mary
3. New Attitude – Patti Labelle
4. I’m Every Woman – Whitney Houston
5. Gypsy Woman – Crystal Waters
6. The One – Mary J. Blige ft. Drake
7. Just Fine – Mary J. Blige
8. Glamorous Life – Sheila E
9. Don’t Cha – Pussycat Dolls ft. Busta Rhymes
10. Poker Face – Lady GaGa
11. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
12. She Works Hard For The Money – Donna Summer
13. Padlock  – Gwen Guthrie
14. Ain’t Nothing Going On (But The Rent) – Gwen Guthrie
15. Young Hearts Run Free – Candi Stanton
16. Spotlight (Remix) – Jennifer Hudson Ft. Young Jeezy
17. Ladies First – Queen Latifah Ft Monie Love
18. Be Optimistic – Sounds of Blackness
19. Hate it Or Love it – Mary J Blige ft.The Game
20. Independent Woman – Destiny’s Child
21. Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) – Beyoncé
22. Hate on Me – Jill Scott
23. Miss Independent – Ne-Yo
24. A Rose is Still a Rose – Aretha Franklin
25. Irreplaceable – Beyonce
26. Whats Love Got To Do With It – Tina Turner

carmella1

This week’s Monday Mixtape is dedicated to my sister and BEST FRIEND Divalicious.  It’s full of her favorite ladies from the 80′s!!!It was her 40th birthday and although I wasn’t able to celebrate in person with her in Memphis, she knows I was there in spirit. She is my very best friend. Ever since she was 10 and I was 7. Everything  that has happened in our lives have always been similar and it was she who forced me to buy equipment 10 years ago and to start djaying for money. Actually she got me my first gig. She named me DJ Diva and then took the hype man name of Divalicious.

She’s always been by my side! My biggest supporter and my biggest fan…she has my everlasting love. These are all of her (our) favorite songs to dance together. Yes, dance together. There is no one I’d rather dance with more than my sister so when you’re dancing to this Sis..think of me twirling you around. I love you! Happy Birthday!

Track Listing

1. Best Friend – Brandy
2. I’m Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) – Jocelyn Brown
3. Say, Say, Say – Alicia Meyers
4. Fools Paradise – Meli’sa Morgan
5. Somebody Else’s Guy – Jocelyn Brown
6. Just Us – Two Tons of Fun
7. I Know You, I Live You – Chaka Khan
8. I Want to Thank You – Alicia Myers
9. Dance Turned into a Romance – The Jones Girls
10. Doctor Love – First Choice
11. Street Life – Crusaders with Randy Crawford
12. Over Like A Fat Rat – Fonda Rae
13. Inside Out – Odyssey
14. Another Man – Barbara Mason
15. Padlock (Larry Levan 12 inch’ Mix) – Gwen Guthrie
16. Give Me Your Love – Sylvia Striplin
17. Victim – Candi Staton
18. When You Wake Up Tomorrow – Candi Staton
19. Call Me – Skyy
20. Candy Man – Mary Jane Girls
21. Meeting In The Ladies Room – Klymaxx
22. I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On – Cherelle
23. Nasty Girl – Vanity 6
24. Native New Yorker – Odyssey

You know my birthday is coming up so if you haven’t responded to the invite…please do so…I’d love to see you all there but I understand if you can’t make it! (for those out of town I know you can’t make it but I didn’t want to leave you out!)

This week’s Monday Mixtape was inspired by several different factors. Whenever I go to a party I always request songs…I can’t help it! And I always love when they play a track beyond the 2 min break…for me …some songs are meant to be 5-9 mins long!

I was watching Rupaul this week so I had a feeling I wanted to hear some Carl Bean.

Also, do you have a favorite mix or playlist that you like to hear while you getting ready to go out? Well I have been lacking one of those…so this one will be perfect!

My sister Divalicious usually has a request and this week it was for Jocelyn Brown.

Lastly…I happened to hear my husband singing Gwen Guthrie’s Aint Nothing Going On But The Rent and it was so funny that I had to throw that in too. Remember…the Mixtress does take requests! Just drop them in the comment section or facebook or twitter (yeesh)

@KingBoola I got your Alexander O’Neal coming!

TRACK LISTING

1. Native New Yorker – Odyssey
2. The Glow of Love – Luther Vandross
3. I Know You, I Live You – Chaka Khan
4. Just Us – Two Tons of Fun
5. Somebody Else’s Guy – Jocelyn Brown
6. I’m Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) – Jocelyn Brown
7. Inside Out – Odyssey
8. Candy – Cameo
9. Another Man – Barbara Mason
10. I Was Born This Way – Carl Bean
11. My Love Is Free – Double Exposure
12. Music Is My Way Of Life – Patti LaBelle
13. Running Away – Roy Ayers
14. Ten Percent – Double Exposure
15. It’s Not Over – First Choice
16. Ain’t Nothing Going On (But The Rent) – Gwen Guthrie
17. Padlock – Gwen Guthrie
18. Single Life – Cameo

]]> http://themixtress.com/2009/03/16/monday-mixtape-request-volume-1/feed/ 5 1:02:10 This week's Monday Mixtape was inspired by several different factors. Whenever I go to a party I always request songs...I can't help it! And I always love when they play a track beyond the 2 min break...for me ...some songs are meant to be 5-9 mins [...] This week's Monday Mixtape was inspired by several different factors. Whenever I go to a party I always request songs...I can't help it! And I always love when they play a track beyond the 2 min break...for me ...some songs are meant to be 5-9 mins long! Mixtapes DJ Diva no no http://themixtress.com/2008/10/13/gwen-guthrie-aint-nothing-going-on-but-the-rent/ http://themixtress.com/2008/10/13/gwen-guthrie-aint-nothing-going-on-but-the-rent/#comments Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:28:30 +0000 DJ Diva http://themixtress.com/?p=263

This week I took the Monday Mixtape back to the 80′s. The 80′s Smooth Grooves Volumes are very popular so I blessed you with another edition. It should be called the Divalicious and EJ session because my sister suggested half the tunes and EJ have been giving us these tracks on his OSWs. Some of your favorite podcasters dropped in:

EJ Flavors of EJFlavors.com

Fave of the Friday Favecast

Mr. Fresh of VibesandScribes

DarrenKeith3 of MyLoveForMusic

Todd Kelly of Flowink.com

I hope you enjoy…and what do u think of my new header?

Track Listing

1. Say, Say, Say – Alicia Meyers
2. Dance Turned into a Romance – The Jones Girls
3. Somebody Else’s Guy – Jocelyn Brown
4. Over Like A Fat Rat – Fonda Rae
5. I Want to Thank You – Alicia Meyers
6. Ain’t Nothing Going On (But The Rent) – Gwen Guthrie
7. Walking into sunshine – Central Line -
8. I’m In Love – Lilo Thomas
9. I Just Gotta Have You (Lover Turn Me On) – Kashif
10. Holding On (When Love Is Gone) – LTD Featuring Jeffrey Osborne
11. Just A Touch of Love – Slave Featuring Steve Arrington
12. Get Down On It – The Gap Band
13. Padlock (Larry Levan 12 inch’ Mix) – Gwen Guthrie
14. Falling In Love – Sybil
15. Watching You – Loose Ends
16. She’s Strange – Cameo
17. Mary Jane – Rick James
18. Juicy Fruit – Mtume
19. GQ – I Do Love You

Video of the Paradise Garage

Track Listing for the Larry Levan Mix

 1. I Like What You’re Doing To Me – Young and Company
2. Give Me Your Love – Sylvia Striplin
3. Let No Man Put Asunder – First Choice
4. Double Exposure – Ten Percent
5. I Know You, I Live You – Chaka Khan
6. Just Us – Two Tons of Fun
7. Victim – Candi Staton
8. Doctor Love – First Choice
9. Everybody Dance (Clap Your Hands) – Le Chic
10. Walking Into Sunshine – Central Line
11. You’re The One For Me D-Train
12. I Got My Mind Made Up – Instant Funk
13. Seventh Heaven – Gwen Guthrie (Larry Levan 12′ Remix)
14. Don’t Make Me Wait – Peech Boys
15. You Used To Hold Me So Tight – Thelma Houston
16. Street Life – Crusaders with Randy Crawford
17. Padlock – Gwen Guthrie (Larry Levan 12 inch’ Mix)
18. Young Hearts Run Free – Candi Stanton
19. Push Push in the Bush – Musique
20. MY LOVE IS FREE – Double Exposure (1976 Salsoul)
21. George Krantz – Din Daa Daa
22. Love Is the Message – MFSB and The Three Degrees

Biography

Opening in February 1978 and closing down in the fall of 1987, Paradise Garage is quite possibly the most revered of all of the great Dance clubs. Strongly influenced by David Mancuso’s stellar sound system and familial atmosphere at The Loft, Paradise Garage became known for industry-defining sound and a congenial, loving environment. DJ Larry Levan presided over the Garage and inspired a reverence from club audiences unsurpassed in the history of Dance music. Paradise Garage became known musically for preserving the spirit and ambience of classic Disco while moving resolutely forward in musical style and innovation. The Dance music genre Garage is a lasting tribute to the club’s importance to Dance music history.

Located at 84 King St., New York City, in an old garage building, Paradise Garage officially opened February 17, 1978 in 20,000 square feet of space after hosting a series of construction parties while the space was under construction. Envisioned as an ongoing party by its owner Michael Brody instead of a club, Paradise Garage issued much-coveted memberships for those who wished to attend. Throughout its history, the clientele of Paradise Garage was predominately black, Latin, and gay, but as its reputation grew, key figures in Dance music from all backgrounds came for the Paradise Garage experience.

Throughout its history Paradise Garage had only one resident DJ, Larry Levan, widely revered as one of the most talented of all Dance DJs. A veteran of the Gallery, Continental Baths, and Reade St. (Paradise Garage’s immediate precursor), Levan had strong connections with the New York Disco community. One of his closest colleagues, Frankie Knuckles, left New York for Chicago shortly before the opening of Paradise Garage. Knuckles would go on to fame as a key founder of House.

Aside from Larry Levan’s worshipful following, Paradise Garage was also known for building and maintaining one of the best Dance music sound systems ever. Richard Long was hired to design the sound system and he brought in Al Fierstein. Together they developed equipment specifically for the space at the Garage. A paper presented at the International Convention of the Audio Engineering Society explains in detail their application of acoustical principles when designing an optimal system. A number of clubs have attempted to recreate the aural qualities of the Paradise Garage sound system, but have never succeeded in creating a true duplication. Long and Fierstein put together the system for the specific space in which it was used making the sound experience unique to Paradise Garage.

Larry Levan’s musical palette at Paradise Garage was one of the most diverse ever in a Dance venue. He would incorporate elements of Rock, Disco, Jazz, R&B, Latin and more if it seemed to fit the mood of the moment. While nearly anything might be heard on the dancefloor, a more specific style began to emerge as a predominant sound. Ultimately known as Garage, this style was true to the sound and feel of Disco while adding technological elements that successfully brought the music forward. Levan’s intimate connection with the record label West End Records, run by Michael Brody’s life partner Mel Cheren, insured success for such West End classics as Karen Young’s Hot Shot, The Peech Boys’ Don’t Make Me Wait, and Taana Gardner’s Heartbeat.

As with most all classic Dance venues, Paradise Garage did come to an end. Owner Michael Brody announced that the Garage would close after a final party September 26-27, 1987 which drew an estimated 14,000 people over the two days. The official reason for closing was failure to renew a lease. Michael Brody claimed local residents ‘did not want a black club in the neighborhood’ and so refused to renew its lease, but Brody was also very ill and would die within months of the closing of Paradise Garage. The reputation of the Garage and Larry Levan has dimmed little with the passing of years. In recent years, West End Records has engaged in a program of re-releasing live sets by Larry Levan and a number of favorite mixes from the Paradise Garage era. Part legend and part reality, Paradise Garage is certain to live on.