We know you are all missing the joy of throwing shapes to your favourite DJ, so we've got them to bring the tunes to you! Mitch MacDonald gives us 10 of his favourite tracks and tells us why he loves them...
Mitch Presents is a Galway based DJ who throws some of the best parties in Ireland. He conducts sessions throughout the country and is best known for his work at Electric & The Blue Note. In recent years he has shared the stage with artists such as Long Island Sound, Boots n Katz, Mix & Fairbanks, DJ DEECE, Mr.Scruffs, Dathaí, The Disconauts, Le Galaxie, Jape, John Daly, Brian Deady and loads more. He has got crowds jumping at Electric Picnic, Body & Soul, Sea Session & Life festival to name just a few.
Now, especially for This is Galway and in no particular order, here are 10 absolute bangers to get you dancing around the kitchen....
BOZ SCAGGS - LOWDOWN
Where do I begin? The bass-line, drums and the sexy smooth chords along with his voice have won this tune the title of 'My Favorite Song of All Time'. But it goes deeper than that. My Uncle Ken introduced this to my father after coming back from San Fran, back in the day, and I was introduced to it when I was a young lad. Sadly he is not with us anymore so this song always holds a special place in our house, as he is always in the room when it comes on. Most notable, the lyric “Gotta have a Jones for this - Jones for that"
OLIVER $ - DOIN' YA THANG
Anyone who has seen me DJ around Galway's Westend, at festivals, in the big smoke or abroad, would know that this gets a whirl every time I play. It's a consistent tune in my bag and always will be! Of course, I didn't find it myself, it was passed down from one Galway Westend Head and all-around sound prick, Keith Disconaut - who sadly isn't with us anymore, but will always live on through The Boozer's music. It was about 10 years ago, I first met Keith in The Crossroads Bar in the Parish (Moycullen). I was behind the bar and he was high-stooling, telling me all about "proper" house music for the whole night. At the time I was playing cheesy mashups and thought I was class! He told me about this track and hundreds more during the time we spoke. From that day, I never looked back and bought every recommendation he gave me on wax, even though I hadn't a clue what I was buying! HONORABLE MENTION - Keith’s classic quote about a tune by Kings of Tomorrow, 'Finally' - "The one with George Benson on it... I was playing it while you were still playing with barbies"
DAVID BOWIE - FAME
In most Irish households there is a picture of Christ above the main entrance. But in our house, it's a Bowie Record, and it’s Hunky Dory, which will give you an idea of how much Bowie I was exposed to from a young age. In my opinion he is probably the most creative person living or dead (change my mind....). Now I know 'Fame' isn't on Hunky Dory but it's one of his tunes that really spoke to me. His appearance on Soul Train still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He just looks super fucking cool. The day he returned back to Mars - I was walking around Galway and oftentimes I would wander down to the Bell Book & Candle to go for a wee dig and a chat about music with Paul. That day I said I’d go down as I think music is a great healer - low and behold in the 4th record in the 1st bin I found the Let's Dance album and it was a surreal moment as in my own way I got some closure from the news I found out that morning about Bowie being no longer with us. The record was retired to the wall of albums in my home house right along side the Honky Dory one.
"IS IT ANY WONDER"
MAC DEMARCO - MY OLD MAN
I love all of Mac's tunes but this one really stood out to me. My father is a graphic designer and, more importantly, a serious music lover. So following in his footsteps of taste and (questionable) Dad jokes, this tune kicks me right in the feels. Honorable Mac DeMarco Mentions: 'Viceroy', 'On The Level', 'Moonlight on the River'
THE STONE ROSES - FOOLS GOLD
I was a late bloomer to the Roses, but 'Fools Gold' always struck a chord with me when watching MTV as a young lad and not knowing who they were at the time. That bass-line and the drums, his vocals, 9 mins of sheer "GIVING IT LARGE MATE", class! In my teenage years, the ‘Parish Men’ (men residing in Moycullen) would rock out and later I would do so with my college mates. The best moment of all time was going to see them with all of those lads, and especially Eoin Scully who turned me onto them and that whole Manchester sound. “IT WAS BIBLICAL” as a famous frontman says. Honorable The Stone Roses Mention - 'I am the Resurrection'
NEIL YOUNG - HARVEST MOON
This song needs no explanation in any way, shape or form. Neil is one of the greatest in music history and 'Harvest Moon' is such a beautiful song. I always said it would be the song I'll dance to on my wedding day. I am so happy to say I met someone who had the same request (wink, wink - brownie points!). Funny how music works and not all requests are bad! Lovely, lullaby-esque guitar and romantic melodies. Simply an amazing song! Honorable Neil Young Mention: 'Poolside'
BIG PHIL LYNOTT - OLD TOWN
This is a solo record - I am well aware - but Thin Lizzy was the first band I ever heard and the first CD I ever bought. They made me want to play guitar and be proud to be Irish. It's evident with how huge they were around the world with so many other tunes, that they deserve their own Top 10. Big Phil's 'Old Town' filled me with so much joy and is packed full of nostalgia of being a young lad in Ireland. Phil's voice, the video and of course the horn section is incredible. "OLA"
STEELY DAN - PEG
It's no big secret that Steely Dan is a way of life in our house. The sheer musical sophistication of Becker and Fagen, as a unit, is out of this world. They give Edwards and Rodgers a run for their money when it comes to musical partnerships. All through the years of listening to 'Peg' at family parties, in the car, in the office and playing them while Djing, nothing could ever top seeing them live with my father and my older brother (and fellow DJ) Killian. It was literally mind blowing! Becker had passed a few weeks before the gig but in the words of Donald Fagen, "the show must go on you guys". Everything from the intro to the groove, the Michael McDonald backing vocals, make Peg one of the best tunes I've ever heard and definitely has to be in my Top 10. We had notions when we were younger that this was "Dad yacht rock jazz fusion". The older we got the more we finally got it. The gig was a religious experience. It was part of a double header along with The Doobie Brothers. The night after the disco, the lovely ladies of the house joined us for Chris Isaac and Hall & Oats. Family outing as we would say! Honorable Steely Dan Mentions: 'Deacon Blues' & 'Black Cow'
IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS - INBETWEENIES
It wasn't the first tune of Ian's that I was introduced to but it is hands down my favorite one. All the elements of funky groove and his tongue-in-cheek lyrics make this group one of Britain's best exports. The opening track of the record Do it Yourself was picked up by yours truly in Waterloo Records on a recent trip to Austin Texas. I was like a kid in a candy shop and it was like I won the Willy Wonka Ticket when I found it as it had been on my hit list for ages. The piano breakdown in the middle is a thing of beauty. I love how it sits right back into the groove ever so subtly with a big horn section finish...CLASS!!! Honorable Ian Drury Mention: 'Reasons to be Cheerful, Pt. 3' & 'Wake Up & Make Love'
GEORGE BENSON - GIMME THE NIGHT
Another constant in my bag, this set will be played for sure! From start to finish it’s just a stone cold groove. We all know George is one of the best guitarists of all time but when I heard this first it filled the drive for late night sexy grooves and was the backbone of my sets. It was the barometer of what was good and bad, groove wise. It's a song I always showed my mates (and anyone who would let me put it on at parties), absolutely hanging and any chance I COULD I WOULD. It was handed down to me through my Dad's old records and when in Amoeba Record Shop in LA found it in a 2$ bin I didn't know how to feel. I snapped it up right away but to me its a top shelf record. Honorable George Benson Mentions: 'Love X Love', 'Breezin', KINGS OF TOMORROW - FINALLY (he features on a remix and just makes it 1000 times better).
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