The Arts Section 09/25/22

WDCB's Gary Zidek sits down with acclaimed photographer Paul Natkin to talk about his 40-plus year career as a music photographer.

The Arts Section: Paul Natkin Puts 40-Plus Years of Pics Into New Book

Let's dance the Night away! We're now at my 18th Disco mix and it is my longest and most complex yet at 154 minutes. That's two hours and thirty-four minutes of non-stop dancing! I just couldn't stop throwing in so many great songs that I found. They blended together so nicely.

This one contains the most tracks yet: a set of twenty-five well-balanced classic hits and forgotten gems, lovingly blended with care and skill, ready to serve as the perfect backdrop against which to experience a close encounter at the Disco!

1. "The Heart to Break the Heart":  France Joli (1980)
2. "Love Story (Where Do I Begin)":  Andy Williams (1979)
3. "Lady Bump":  Penny McLean (1975)
4. "Helplessy": The Moment of Truth (1975)
5. "I Remember Yesterday":  Donna Summer (1977)
6. "Love's Unkind":  Donna Summer (1977)
7. "Get Off Your Aahh! and Dance":  Foxy (1976)
8. "In New York":  Passion (1980)
9. "It Don't Have to be Funky (To be a Groove)":  The Salsoul Orchestra (1976)
10. "Love is in You":  Nightlife Unlimited (1979)
11. "Hold Me, Touch Me":  New York Disco Machine (1978)
12. "I Need a Man":  Grace Jones (1977)
13. "Music in My Heart":  Ultimate (1979)
14. "Do it in the Dark":  Shobizz (1979)
15. "I'm Ready/Disco Star":  Strange Affair (1980)
16. "Don't You Know How Much I Love You":  The Love Unlimited Orchestra (1978)
17. "Rhythm of Love":  Brandye (1978)
18. "Classical Dancin'":  Walter Murphy (1979)
19. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind":  Gene Page (1978)
20. "(Everybody) Get Dancin'": Bombers (1979)
21. "Do it at the Disco":  Gary's Gang (1978)
22. "Music":  Montreal Sound (1977)
23. "I Gotta Keep Dancin'":  Carrie Lucas (1977)
24. "Inner City Suite":  Inner City Symphony (1976)
25. "Let's Lovedance Tonight":  Gary's Gang (1979)

Disco Mixes

Disco Nights

Young man born in 1982 who loves reliving the ‘80s and ‘70s Disco music I was raised on.

Aside from family party D.J.s, was introduced to the concept of mixes via flea market tapes. Dabbled in it myself with equipment my father got me at age 10. With the advent of mp3s, got to do things I couldn’t with vinyl and CDs: precisely match up beats to the millisecond and use longer tracks as space is unlimited. Always wanted to present entire extended 12” dance remix versions as intended, not edited fragments. Means fewer songs per mix but whole work of the artist, producer and remixer can be appreciated.

I decided early on that each mix would follow a common beat style for consistency. I will not mix a four-on-the-floor Disco/dance beat with a standard two/four rock beat, or freestyle beat, and so on. It sounds sloppy and jarring. And tempos must be as consistent as possible as well. Songs will smoothly transition from one to the next as best I can make them—beats will be matched to the millisecond; this also includes the groove, or the "feel" of each song. I won’t blend two songs that don’t sound complimentary or harmonious together if I can help it.

For each mix series, I try to adhere to a common thread, which includes length. I made arbitrary choices from the first mixes. Though everything is relative, I like structure, routine, and consistency. For example, the ‘80s Hi-NRG Megamixes will run around 90 minutes, give or take a few; ‘80s Mid-Tempo Pop Mixes will be a minimum of 60 minutes; and Disco mixes will always be a minimum of two hours—and so on.

One problem I have is haste; I always seem to throw together the mixes in such a hasty fashion in order to upload them that I later remember songs that would have fit well in them. Either I forgot them because I didn’t have the files, didn’t take note of them ahead of time, or because of my hyper creative mood, so I constantly update the uploaded mixes. Keep vigil over them because they are always being changed.

I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoy making them. Nothing brings me more joy than knowing people are enjoying them with me. I would give anything for club D.J.s to play them so I can dance to my own mixes in the clubs in which they were intended to be heard!

One last thing: I decided, out of safety concerns, not to allow my files to be downloadable. There are options for you listeners, however, such as using Audacity to record them at your preference. Or there are plenty of online apps that will convert the links into mp3 files for you, including soundcloudmp3.org, sclouddownloader.net, soundcloudtomp3.app. So do what you wish!

New tracks tagged #The Moment of Truth