Upbeat and sentimental

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Last night I requested a DJ to play something upbeat and sentimental for me, and she ended up playing David Kilgour mixed into the Field Mice, which was a valiant effort. But can the two not be combined into one song? Give me examples. Be My Baby?

Nick, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think I really mean 'Upbeat, uptempo and sentimental'

Nick, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

dancing queen. one more time. stock ilm answers i know, but...

gareth, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

actually, i'm not sure of the above after all

gareth, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

VU, "Waiting For My Man"

dave q, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No, they'll sort of do. I think disco is the main thing here, the only problem being that I find all disco unutterably melancholic, even when the lyrics are supposedly upbeat. This includes One More Time

Nick, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

(in addition to disco) upbeat and sentimental describes approx. 99% of Northern Soul

m jemmeson, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the reason i retracted my choices was that i find them melancholic rather than sentimental. i'd like to re-instate One More Time as sentimental too, but think Dancing Queen is melancholic, but not sentimental as it is too cold and distanced (ace though obv)

gareth, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

upbeat and sentimental describes approx. 99% of Northern Soul

You're right. That's why indie kids love it so.

What about more recent tracks?

Nick, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

'Good Times' by Chic - "dance as desperation" (c) R. Christgau.

Andrew L, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yecchy indie answer: The Dismemberment Plan's "Back and Forth" (possibly more self-aware than sentimental).

Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"I Like Love" - Norma Jean

"I'll Always Love My Mama"-the Intruders

Arthur, Wednesday, 22 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

One of my favorite singles this year is "I'll Be Waiting (Gray & Pern Club Mix)" by Full Intention Presents Shana, on Rulin/Ministry of Sound (also on Disco Kandi 4), and it's exactly the kind of heart-tugging celebratory disco track you're talking about. The first couple minutes are pro forma club-house beat-and-bassline buildup, with some breathy, ear-tugging, haunting diva-croons of "iii- eee, iii-eee, iii-eee, iii-eee" followed by a shouted "WAAAIIIT-ING!" that's mixed medium-foreground--loud and not-loud simultaneously, drawing you in and set you up for the main event. Nondescript first verse at 2:30 or so, nothing terrible but its sole purpose here is to set up the chorus, a knockout: "I'll be waiting/Till your heart decides to stay," stoic but ravaged, perfectly sung, magnificent, and its emotionalism shadowboxes with that "iii-eee" stuff to quite stunning effect. (Reference: Barbara Tucker singing the words of "Beautiful People" while her sampled "Deep deep inside, deep deep down inside" bobs along underneath.) The bridge, though, is what fucking kills: "Two arms to hold you/Two lips to kiss you/Won't do me any good/All I do is miss you"--I mean, Smokey Robinson could've written that. Then we get a buildup-breakdown-pause and then shout-it-OUT-girl that's damn near fucking religious, and back to the chorus before a quick fade (the only flaw, and one I suspect would be fixed if I bought the 12-inch instead of having it on this CD compilation).

But yeah, upbeat, uptempo, sentimental, emotional as fuck. There you go.

M. Matos, Thursday, 23 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)


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