S5, EP5: ARIA Top 10 of 1989

Aleks
Welcome to Project Engaged, a podcast for fun loving couples planning their non traditional wedding.

Eddy
We’re Eddy and Aleks, wedding DJs and celebrants who run a business in Melbourne called One More Song.

Aleks
On season five of Project Engaged, we decided to do something a bit different and bring it all back to the music.

Eddy
We’ll look at the most popular tunes in Australia by year, randomly choosing a different year for each episode.

Aleks
We’ll share our thoughts on the charts, plus tips for incorporating these songs into your wedding.

Eddy
For more wedding planning tips, please check out seasons one for. For now, let’s get into the episode.

Aleks
Hello. Hello. We are back. Wow. It’s been a bit of an extended Christmas holiday break, hasn’t it, Ed?

Eddy
It’s definitely been a minute, but we’re back now and we’re going to hopefully power through for the rest of this season.

Aleks
Woo. Sounds good, sounds good. And we’re very, very excited because we are joined by a special guest, very special guest today, our lovely friend and colleague, Dani.

Eddy
Yes, do you want to give Dani a bit of an intro before we bring her on in?

Aleks
Yes, I’m just going to wing it. All right, Dani. So we’ll see how we go, Dani. Dani is a jack of all trades type. She is a wonderful wedding dj. She’s also a singer and she runs an entertainment agency, Logan Entertainment. So she has a number of DJs and acoustic artists who work with her. She also has another business, Logan Events, where she is a wedding stylist, planner coordinator, does all the things to do with wedding planning and styling, which is very, very cool. Have I missed anything, Dann?

Dani
No, no, that’s, that’s, that’s basically it.

Aleks
Well, and a recording artist, we should say.

Eddy
Well, welcome, Dani, to our poddy. We’ve often talked about getting you on and as our listeners may or may not be aware, we. We do want to do as many of these as we possibly can, but it’s going to be mainly DJs for this season because we’re talking about music.

Aleks
Makes sense.

Dani
Thanks for having me. I’ve been like. I’m actually really excited about this. I reckon it’s gonna be really fun. Yay.

Aleks
All right, well, we are going to follow our usual format and then we feel free to jump in and tell us a little bit more. But as per usual, we’re going to go through The ARIA top 10 for a particular year and this, this time we have chosen Dani.

Dani
1989.

Eddy
1989.

Aleks
And this is the first year. Yeah. That the Aria charts came out yet? I think.

Eddy
I think it is, yes. Yeah, I’m gonna quickly check that now.

Aleks
Yeah, look, there’s a bit of fact checking that’s involved from time to time.

Dani
I think it was.

Aleks
Thank you. Did you listen to the episode with our friend John who he just like was correcting us the whole time. So no pressure. Don’t feel, you know, like you need to do that. But yes, I think. I believe it was as well. So we’re gonna have a look at the top 10. We’re gonna have a little bit of a chat about the tunes in the top 10 and how they go for weddings, whether we play them, any memories, etc. Ed feels like, yes, you’re gonna say something.

Eddy
Well, we also take a look at the Billboard top 10. So our friends over there in the US and the hottest 100 for all our indie bunnies as well. But typically we cap off the episodes with what happened in the year of 1989. And I just love the note that Alex put in. It was effed.

Aleks
Are we not. We can put an explicit warning on this.

Eddy
So let’s. Let’s. First and foremost, the Tiananmen Square protests. So in China, student led protests in Tiananmen Square were violently suppressed by the government, resulting in a large number of casualties. The event drew international condemnation and remains a significant moment in Chinese history.

Aleks
I don’t know why we put that in. It’s pretty sad. But then the fall of the Berlin Wall also happened in 1989, which is good. Which is good. And also solidarity in Poland. I put this one in because my family is Polish and this was a very significant. And it was the first time. It was the first non communist government in Eastern Europe.

Eddy
Yes.

Aleks
Pretty big milestone.

Eddy
Wow. Back in Australia, we face some economic difficulties here, although none of us remember those, particularly Dani with high interest rates on home. It seems weird reading this because obviously there’s a bit of inflation crisis going at the moment as we record this, but mortgages reached 17% interest rates, which is.

Aleks
It’s huge. But houses were also like 50 grand. So.

Dani
17% of that is not what it is today.

Eddy
No, no. It still obviously put a lot of pressure on families and businesses. But yes, I think you could buy a house for what, four times your income or less now? It’s something like that and rising. There was also the big ExxonMobil oil spill that spilled over in Alaska and obviously caused some pretty serious environmental damage. But, you know, it raised a lot of awareness for, you know, the dangers.

Aleks
Of oil, transportation as well and climate change. Although we haven’t really done much about that. So there you go. It was a bit of a shitty year.

Eddy
Yeah.

Dani
Did anything good happening this year?

Aleks
I did ask Gemini that and they didn’t have a lot of responses. I was like, cool, it’s just a crap field.

Eddy
I feel like, look, you know, listeners, feel free to fact check me on this because it’s coming out of my brain. Didn’t the Game Boy get released in 1989? That’s pretty fun.

Dani
Really?

Eddy
I think. Well, could have been 88 maybe, but the big old, the first, the big chunky one.

Dani
That’s right.

Aleks
Did you have, you have one of those?

Dani
I had one of those. I, I think I got it. It would have been in the mid-90s and our friends had gone to America and it was when, you know, nobody kind of really went overseas and when they did, it was like everyone was putting in their duty free orders. So they came back and they had bought me a Game Boy Duty Free, which was. That was. I had one game and it was PGA Golf World Tour, which kind of seems a bit random for, you know, a seven year old girl, but that was my favourite game.

Eddy
There you go.

Aleks
That’s so funny because I remember we had a family friend who lived over in Germany and came over with the Game Boys and it’s like, oh, he’s come from overseas and just got us Game Boys.

Eddy
Yeah, I won one from. Yeah, Talk about. This is in the 90s. Talk about how you used to win things. So I coloured in the back of a cereal box, sent it, sent it away. It was like a donkey.

Dani
I remember these competitions.

Eddy
Yeah, yeah. And one. It’s like one of the happiest days of my young life. It was like the same chunky one, but it was when they started coming out in different colours. So it was like a red one with a yellow. Yeah, yeah. So that was, that was fun. Okay, so the Game Boy. Okay, so the Game Boy came out then. So that’s, that’s, that’s a bit of fun in amongst all the horrible things.

Aleks
Terrible, terrible things. All right, let’s get into the Aria top 10 now, I have to say. Okay, so obviously this is at the end of the 80s. Yeah. And the 80s. I feel such a divisive decade for music. Like, I just feel like good 80s is so, so good and bad 80s is so, so bad.

Eddy
But you have that today, I guess.

Aleks
What do you reckon, Daddy? Do you, do you get many 80s requests? I feel like the 80s are kind of falling off a bit.

Dani
Not so much. Anymore. And I think it’s because of the age of the couples that they kind of centre more around the, you know, like being born in the late 90s. But I am kind of seeing 80s come back because as the younger couples are coming through their parents, it’s kind of the era where their parents were going out and probably stuff that they would have played at home. Yeah. Whereas. I don’t know, I feel like a lot of the time with people getting married more around my own age, my friends and things like that. Our parents were kind of that decade a little bit older, so they kind of are more into like the disco and all of that from the 70s. Whereas now the younger couples, their parents are, you know, kind of coming through that 80s time.

Eddy
Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. And it’s going to be funny when you have parents sort of coming through the 90s, so you’d be playing like teenage dirt bag for the parents instead of.

Dani
Yes.

Aleks
Getting there. Like, sometimes I look at the parents and I’m like, how much older are you than me?

Dani
Sometimes I think it’s probably not very much.

Aleks
Yeah, yeah. I’m like, you’re in your 50s. Oh, my God. Okay.

Eddy
Someone’s turning the big four zero this year. Oh, I think I’ve heard about it every single day this year.

Aleks
Every day.

Dani
It’s a big year.

Aleks
It’s a massive year. We have a lot of friends turning 40, though, so at least I’m not alone like you youngins. Anyway. All right, let’s get into it. Number 10.

Eddy
Yes. So number 10 was the living Years, Mike and the Mechanics. So what do we think about this song? Do we know this song?

Dani
I love this song.

Eddy
Yes.

Dani
I think this song is incredibly, incredibly moving. I’ve actually sung this song at a funeral twice because I think he wrote it about his father dying.

Aleks
Yeah.

Dani
Yeah.

Aleks
So not really a wedding.

Eddy
It is a very powerful song. It’s a beautiful song.

Dani
Probably. Probably a little bit depressing for a wedding, but. Yeah, I think, you know, because the lyrics, like talking about all the things that he misses about his father, basically, and the things that he wished he could have said.

Eddy
Yeah.

Dani
So, yeah, probably not really a wedding vibe.

Aleks
Not really a wedding vibe. So do you do. So you’ve. Do you sing it at funerals often? Like, is that something that you.

Dani
It’s not. It’s not something I do often, but I have done it in the past mainly for people I know, you know, relatives, that kind of thing. Or, you know, friends, if they’ve got something and they go, you Know. Oh, can you come and do this? But yeah, I have. I have done it. It’s a very, very different vibe to doing a wedding. Yeah.

Aleks
Wow.

Dani
Quite moving.

Aleks
Wow. Okay, so we all agree it’s a moving song, not really wedding appropriate. So.

Eddy
No, we wouldn’t generally play it at a wedding.

Aleks
No. And so I would probably give you a zero out of ten for zero. Well, when would. I mean, I suppose. All right, well, let’s backtrack. I can be pretty harsh with these things and then I realise I’m being ridiculous. What would be a. I suppose if you. You could. I suppose maybe if, like, there was a relative or, you know, sometimes you might play a song late in the night that’s like a dedication to someone, potentially.

Eddy
Yeah.

Aleks
So give it a one.

Eddy
Yeah, a one. Okay.

Aleks
Got a reserve, you know, you got. I don’t do many, like, fives. It’s like zero.

Eddy
And again, just to remind our listeners and. And everyone else, the. I guess the score we’re giving it out of 10 is the wedding playability.

Aleks
Wedding playability. What would you give it, Dani?

Dani
Yeah, I. I would probably say about a one or two as well. It’s. It’s probably low on the wedding playability.

Eddy
Yes.

Dani
Spectrum.

Eddy
Yeah. Yeah. No, I’ll agree. I’ll give it a two. I don’t like giving songs a one, so I’ll give it a two.

Aleks
Give it to you.

Dani
You’re nice.

Eddy
Try my best. Dani, do you want to cap off number nine for us?

Dani
I actually really love this track as well. Kokomo by the Beach Boys. It’s. It’s kind of a bit cheesy, but actually really. I kind of really get into it.

Aleks
I think it’s like. It’s got that. We have, like, a vibe playlist called, like, Sunday Session, and it’s. It’s kind of a Sunday sess. Sort of vibe. Like, I don’t actually think it’s cheesy. I’m surprised that it came out in the late 80s. I thought it was a lot earlier than that.

Dani
Yeah, I actually thought it was older than that as well.

Eddy
And I didn’t know this, but on our notes, the song was actually written for the movie Cocktail.

Aleks
You love Cocktail.

Eddy
I do love that movie.

Aleks
Have you watched it, Dani?

Dani
I have. I didn’t actually. I knew it was in that film, but I didn’t know that it was written for the film.

Aleks
I’m. I’m going to check.

Dani
Do you remember where. You know. Do you remember how songs, you know, movies used to have a song that was the theme song for the movie. And then they would release it and the whole film clip would be.

Eddy
Yeah, I think that was an 80s thing, or maybe 90s as well.

Aleks
I missed that. That was great.

Dani
That was. It was really good. And then they’d release the whole soundtrack around this one song. And no, people would buy it even though, like, they’d buy the whole album even though they basically just wanted it for the one song.

Eddy
Yes. Yeah. Because that’s really the. Unless you bought the single, that’s really the only way you could do it. Particularly if it was branded with the movie. Like, I think of. I played this on the weekend, actually. The king of wishful thinking. And how attached to Pretty Woman was it? Pretty Woman that was attached to us?

Dani
I. That I’m. I’m very. About that track. I love that track.

Eddy
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So things like that. And you just remember, you can almost just play out the film clip in your head. You know, musicians to an extent. But then it’s also got clips from. From the movies. Yeah. Very nostalgic vibe.

Aleks
So I think this is a really fun summary track.

Eddy
I hit number one, too.

Dani
Oh, really? Did it?

Eddy
Well, yeah. According to your notes here, it hit number one and it was their first number one hit since Good Vibrations.

Aleks
Oh, I hit number one. Oh, where? In the U.S. oh, in the U.S. yes. Sorry. Yeah, okay. Yeah, it was their first number one. Yeah. Hits in School Vibrations.

Eddy
I mean, that would have been. Yeah. I imagine the movie has something to do with. I don’t know if the movie was extremely popular.

Aleks
It’s a pretty movie.

Eddy
Oh, it’s. It’s. It’s. It’s a B movie. It’s quite dark, but.

Dani
But it is also Tom Cruise, so I feel like people were really about Tom Cruise then as well.

Eddy
Yeah, I love that movie. Yeah, it had the. The Aussie in it, too.

Aleks
Oh, yes.

Dani
Oh, yes. Who was that?

Eddy
I’m gonna look it up.

Aleks
You know, like, when you, like, watch 80s movies and, like, people were old then.

Eddy
Brian Brown.

Aleks
Brian. And they’re like.

Dani
They probably weren’t that old, but just the hairstyles and the fashion made them kind of aged them 10 to 15 years more than what they probably were.

Aleks
Totally. Absolutely. We always talk about this, like, everyone looks like they’re in their 40s and 80s.

Dani
Yeah.

Eddy
So what are we giving this track in the wedding? Playability out of 10 score.

Dani
I would probably use it. I’m just thinking about it now. I actually haven’t. But I would maybe chuck it in a playlist for, you know, Dinner vibes or, you know, canape set vibes. Slower but still upbeat. Yeah, Yeah, I would probably use it in that respect.

Eddy
I think I’d agree. I’d agree with that. Yeah. It’s a really cool cocktail hour.

Aleks
Yeah. It just makes you happy. Yeah, Yeah, I would. I’ll give it a six.

Eddy
Okay.

Dani
Yeah, I would probably say about a five.

Eddy
I think for the right environment, for the right wedding, for the right crowd, I’d probably. I’d almost even give it a seven. You know, played at the right time, after a few drinks, I think people will really get into this. It’s not a dance floor song, obviously.

Aleks
No. And it does depend on the age of the guests and whether there’s more, like family or if it’s an older couple. Sometimes. It could work really well. I assume that it would be different, Dani, for obviously playing it as a DJ versus, you know, singing or playing it live. Like.

Dani
Yeah, I’ve never. I’ve never played it live. I’m just thinking you could start. Would it? Yeah, I’m just actually thinking that actually might translate really nicely into an acoustic.

Aleks
Set, because I feel like with the. Yeah, you like. From what I’ve seen of acoustic kind of repertoires, it’s pretty wide ranging. Would you say that for your artists or are there, like, artists that are, like, more, I don’t know, like 90s vibes or smooth. Yeah, vibes.

Dani
I think different artists obviously have their strengths as well, and I think a lot of that kind of comes down to, you know, what their voice suits and also just the kind of music that they like because they’re the songs that they’ve kind of learned and get around. But, yeah, so I would say some of our artists kind of centre more around, you know, pop, R B, you know, that kind of chill 90s sort of R B stuff. And then others are more that kind of classic pub sort of repertoire.

Aleks
Yeah, yeah, that’s good. Yeah. And. And obviously couples will kind of know which one they fall into. Different.

Dani
Yeah. And even when couples don’t know, a lot of the time, you know, they’ll say, oh, we don’t really know if there’s someone specific that we want. I always say to people, if. If you’ve seen someone on our Instagram or socials or website, whatever that you really like the vibe of, I will always check their availability first. But then I can also, if they’re not available, recommend someone who is similar, who will also match that same vibe. But by the same token, you know, some couples kind of go, oh, there’s no one in particular, but this is the sort of music that we like. And so in that way, I can kind of go, okay, these are the people that will suit those sort of songs.

Aleks
Yeah, that makes sense. That makes sense. Good to have a variety of artists on your books.

Dani
Yeah. And even. Even in saying that, you know, none of them kind of do one thing, that they all obviously have their strengths, but everyone’s pretty versatile. They’ve, you know, they’ve all been doing it for, you know, 15 plus years, so they’re. They’ve all got very, very, very extensive repertoires. I always wonder how people have such good memories, because I certainly don’t.

Aleks
It’s very impressive, isn’t it? And it’s interesting as well, because, like, as an acoustic artist, it’d be so difficult to, like, sing a song that you just don’t like. So I feel like it’s different. Like, as a dj, you’re like, like, I don’t love this song. But, you know, you hit play, you play it for a couple of minutes.

Dani
You kind of jump around a little and you can get around it with. If there’s energy in the room. Whereas when you’re kind of playing the acoustic sets, because a lot of the time it is in the background and guests are not necessarily, you know, visibly engaging, you can. You can often kind of see guests engaging with the songs. You know, they’ll kind of do a little sway or they’ll, you know, hear a song that they know and kind of turn around and be like, oh, I haven’t heard this song in a while. Or, I like this. Or. But it’s not as much of a, you know, visible engagement as when you’re DJing on the dance floor. So a lot of the time with the acoustic sets, it’s more about setting the vibe that the couple are after.

Aleks
Yeah, and we always say we love live music for that, you know, part of the day, the ceremony and the cocktail hour. It’s so much fun. But, yeah, it would be very, very, very different. More chilled kind of vibe. All right, let’s move on. Oh, sorry, Go on.

Eddy
All good.

Dani
All good. Oh, good. I was just gonna say, especially even for the ceremony, I like. I love doing live music for the ceremony because, you know, it just kind of gives it a little bit more of a personal flavour. But also then I kind of say to couples all the time, you know, if you have a serious connection with the actual recorded version of the song, even if we’re booked to do know acoustic, they might want Acoustic for two of the songs. Maybe the aisle song and the song during the signing. But then when they walk back out after they’ve been announced as married, they want something super upbeat that might not translate into acoustics that well. Yeah, then we just use the recorded version of it.

Aleks
Yeah, I’ve seen that quite a lot, too. Levels, probably. I mean, not that I’ve seen levels of the Ceremony finish song that often, but yeah, Very, very interesting. So number eight, Ed.

Eddy
Well, number eight. It’s the new Kids on the Block. You got it. The right stuff.

Aleks
Funny. I mean, it’s a very catchy song.

Eddy
It is a catchy song. I think. Like, for me, it was too early. Like, I was too young to really get around this song. And then, of course, in, you know, the early to mid-90s, we had the Backstreet Boys and later on NSYNC and all that. That was kind of my boy band sort of history, I suppose. But it’s funny. And obviously, you know, famously, Mark Wahlberg was a part of this group for a little while. Then he sort of left and did his own thing. But his brother Donnie is still part of the group because I think they still tour.

Aleks
Oh, God. I think.

Dani
I think they were in Melbourne. I think they played at the Corner Hotel years ago.

Eddy
Still going.

Aleks
It’s funny, isn’t it? Like, I. I don’t play. I think I played this song once in eight years. And the reason I played it is because the couple, they’ll be older. They were huge fans. And when I say older, they were like 40 or something.

Eddy
Yeah.

Aleks
So specific, isn’t it? Like, it’s not really something I would play. I don’t think it’s super. Maybe not in Australia. I don’t think that’s super. Super. It’s well known.

Eddy
No, I don’t think I would agree with you too. It’s funny because this song has such an innocence to it because obviously, you know, we often talk about Backstreet Boys versus nc. NC was a little bit more edgier than Bad Boy sort of thing. But back in. In this day, in the late 80s, it was very bubblegummy and fun and upbeat before it kind of got, you know, Bad Boy.

Aleks
Yeah. Yeah.

Dani
But still. Still very G rated.

Aleks
Very G rated.

Eddy
Very, very G rated.

Aleks
Very different to me.

Eddy
Dani, have you spun this song much at weddings?

Dani
I have. Only once. So very similar situation to what Alex was talking about recently. I think was the end of last year. I had a couple that were in their 40s, and so the majority of their playlist was very, very 80s and the bride was a New Kids on the Block fan. So they specifically requested this song, but I think that’s probably the only time I’ve ever played it at a wedding.

Aleks
Yeah. And it’s. Yeah, it’s very. It’s a very specific request, isn’t it? Wedding playability. I mean, I think it’s. It’s catchy. And yeah, for the. For the right crow, like, yeah. You know, majority kind of 40s crowd, I would say it would work, but I’ll probably give it like a five.

Dani
Yeah, I would probably. I would probably do it about the same because. Yeah, it’s got to be the right age group.

Eddy
Yeah, it’s not a. Yeah, I. I’d even go a little bit lower, just give it a four, because I don’t. Yeah. I don’t know how well it would hit with. With, first of all, with Aussie crowds. Second of all. Yeah, just the. The ages are just. I wouldn’t say any. Any sort of. Gen Z is obviously generalising here. Would really get down to this. I wouldn’t know it.

Dani
Yeah, I don’t think. Again, yeah, generalising here, but that probably go. New Kids on the Block.

Aleks
Who is that, your old fatty Duddies? Yeah, we’re thinking, oh, this next one’s a bit weird. Dani, do you know the next one? Do you want to let us know what it is?

Dani
Yeah. I actually didn’t think I knew this song when I was reading through the top 10. Yeah, I didn’t think I knew it. And then when I actually went and listened to it, I realised I did know the chorus. I always forget, so. Bedroom Eyes by Kate Cebrano. Sorry. I realised I didn’t have to say the name of the song, but I always forget that Kate Ceprano was releasing songs in the 80s. I kind of more remember her from what she was releasing in the mid-90s. But, yeah, I actually. When I was listening to this song, I was like, I totally forgot about this. It’s kind of a cool vibe.

Aleks
I don’t think it’s. I don’t think it’s bad either. Ed, did you ever listen to it? Do you remember this song?

Eddy
Yeah, I do. It’s not something that I’d spin. It’s. It’s a nice song, but. Yeah, certainly. I’ve never. Never spun it at a wedding.

Aleks
No. But, you know, sometimes it’s. It’s. It’s good to. And this is why I enjoy these chats too. It’s good to just go, oh, okay. Well, that’s like. I don’t know. It could be. Sometimes we get like couples who really love Aussie artists. She’s Aussie.

Dani
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Aleks
So I don’t know. This could be. Yeah. No, I don’t know. I’m not that. I’m not that into it really. Probably wouldn’t. Yeah, I would say most people wouldn’t know it. Again, this is probably even more obscure than New Kids on the Block. I would say potentially. I don’t know. I’m going to give it. I want to give it a four.

Dani
Yeah, I would probably. Again, the only place I would maybe consider putting it is in an early set over dinner or you know, kind of pay set maybe. Yeah, three or four.

Eddy
Yeah, I’m about the same. So I think it’s safe to say that we’re not super passionate about this one.

Dani
Sorry, which, which play on words because she had that song Pass me.

Eddy
There you go.

Dani
Passionate.

Eddy
There you go.

Dani
That was. That was a terrible, terrible reference.

Eddy
It’s good. It works. Made it work. Moving on to number six. This is something I’m a little bit more passionate about. The Fine Young Cannibals. She drives me crazy.

Aleks
Are you passionate about this song? Are you more passionate than number seven?

Eddy
That’s for sure. It’s a cool song. It’s a cool song.

Aleks
Sorry. I wrote this note because I had to just say this is so weird. So this song got the weird owl treatment when he turned it into she drives like crazy about a woman you don’t want in the driver’s seat. What the hell?

Eddy
I don’t mind.

Aleks
You do.

Eddy
He’s had so many. He’s had so many hits, but he, he’s. He always. Because he can go and write whatever he wants, but he always asks the artists whether they’re okay with him.

Dani
Oh, really?

Eddy
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So he’s never gonna just release something randomly. So obviously he did some Michael Jackson songs and things like that. He asked Michael Jackson if it’s okay knowing full well that you could just do it. Yeah. So he’s quite a stand up guy. A weed al.

Dani
I like that. I like that a lot. Respect for the artist.

Eddy
Yeah, that’s right.

Aleks
That’s true. And yeah. So why do you like this song so much?

Eddy
I like the snare drum in this song. Like the sound of the snare drum is just so 80s.

Dani
It is very 80s. It’s huge.

Eddy
Yep, yep.

Aleks
Can’t say I’m. I’m sure this is. Sits in some oldies playlist or Old Souls or something that I’ve got somewhere.

Eddy
It pops up every now and then. I’ve had it. I’ve had it in the odd Spotify playlist.

Aleks
Have you?

Eddy
Yeah.

Aleks
Really? Wow.

Eddy
A background vibe, maybe build a dance floor vibes. But not everyone’s going to be get around it. But there will be people in the room that will really enjoy it, given the right age group. And I think we’re obviously seeing a bit of a pattern here for 1989 in the age group. It’s 40s plus.

Dani
Yeah. Well, I. I think the only time I’ve used this as a dance floor track was at that same wedding where the couple were in their mid-40s and it was alongside things like King of Wishful Thinking.

Eddy
Yeah.

Dani
And. Oh gosh, now I’m trying to think off the top of my head while I’ve got a list of songs in front of me that, you know, never.

Aleks
Let me give you up.

Dani
Not. Oh, yes. Things like that. It’s.

Eddy
Yeah.

Dani
All around that same time.

Eddy
Yeah. I can imagine. And hopefully I’m not wrong on this, but when we eventually get to the number one song, which is a song that I think we all do still play quite a lot, that song would have probably featured at that wedding that you played as well.

Aleks
Yeah.

Eddy
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. So let’s sum up. She drives me crazy. Fine. Young cannibals. What are you going to give this song in terms of wedding playability?

Aleks
6.

Dani
For the right. For the right crowd. I would maybe. I would say a seven. I think it could go off.

Eddy
Yeah. I’d probably agree with you, Dani. I’ll give it a seven.

Dani
It’s a good sing along moment.

Eddy
It is. Yep. Falsetto.

Aleks
Falsetto. Yes. I do love a bit of falsetto. I’m gonna take number five.

Eddy
Oh, this is a big one.

Aleks
If I could turn back time. Share. Huge. Sure. Share. I’m sorry but like, share. Have you guys seen that ad she’s on? The Ubereats. Is it Uber?

Dani
I was just talking about this with some friends the other day and I’d really like to play on words because it’s actually this song.

Aleks
Yeah.

Dani
And then.

Eddy
Yeah, yeah. I mean surely she doesn’t need the money.

Dani
Yeah. But does Christina Aguilera need the money? She did it.

Aleks
Yeah.

Eddy
True, true.

Aleks
I mean, what’s, you know, I guess they extra money is always good. New holiday home or just, you know.

Dani
A new mansion estate.

Aleks
Yeah, exactly. She’s 78.

Eddy
I would be concerned. Like this is just me.

Dani
78.

Aleks
Yeah, I know.

Eddy
It’s Insane.

Aleks
I can’t believe it.

Eddy
At that age. And she’ll probably outlive all of us. But I would be concerned that if the Uber Eat Eats ad, if I can get it out, it was the last thing I did. I’d be afraid to do things like.

Dani
That because imagine that’s what you’re going to be remembered for. I think it’s pretty safe that she’s going to be remembered for some other stuff.

Eddy
For sure. For sure.

Aleks
And I had. I had to put this in the notes as well because I find this amazing that she’s the only artist to have a number one single on a Billboard chart in each of the past seven decades.

Dani
That is wild.

Aleks
I know. Seven decades. She looks amazing. She looks.

Dani
Yeah. Also to be able to stay relevant for that long.

Aleks
Yeah.

Eddy
Seven decades. She’s 78. Seven decades.

Aleks
Six decades. Bloody Gemini.

Eddy
Because that means. Yeah. She would have been like under 10 for her first number one. Right.

Aleks
When was shared first number one.

Eddy
This is why you don’t rely on Amazon. Amazon.

Aleks
Gemini. Look at us now. I’m sure everyone knows what Gemini is, right?

Eddy
Because it’s chat GPT. Google’s version.

Aleks
Yeah. When was shares first you. Let’s talk about this song now. I love this song. I think it’s a great sing along.

Dani
Yeah, I love this song.

Eddy
It’s a. Yeah, it’s definitely now sing along crates. It’s one of Those like last 45 minute half hour bangers to kind of like get everyone super pumped for. For, you know, that last part of the dance floor. That’s when. That’s certainly when I use it same.

Aleks
I’m just trying to look up.

Dani
Everyone gets a bit. You know, it’s almost a little bit more than just the sing along moment because everyone kind of gets a bit dramatic while they. Yeah, they’re kind of music theatre dance moves. Yes.

Eddy
It’s.

Dani
I call them the music theatre dance moves because they remind me of when I used to do musicals.

Eddy
Yeah. Oh, look. And that makes. That makes a lot of sense. And this isn’t another one of those songs. I think we’ve brought this up in previous episodes that you kind of have to play the whole song out. Like one of the biggest questions we get these is I’m sure it’s the same with you, Dani, is how much of a song do you play generally? And the answer obviously is it depends. So like your Abbas and things like this and certainly when we get to number one, that particular song, you’ve got to play them out because if you mix out of them. Yeah, you’re in trouble.

Dani
Yeah. I even find it with, what am I gonna say? Whitney Houston, I want to dance with somebody. If I mix out of that track before it gets to her ad lib parts at the very, very end of the song, it’s like people go nuts to that stuff. And so I think, yeah, it’s always really interesting when couples ask you that question because it is so dependent on the actual song. And I think it’s also dependent on the crowd on the night. You know, so much of what we do is watching what’s going on. And yeah, if a song’s not resonating with the crowd, it is, you know, you go, okay, well I’m not going to play the whole song out this time. Even though nine times out of ten I will.

Eddy
Yes. Yep. And that’s the perfect, that’s the perfect answer for the question. Particularly when we’re seeing that new generation of DJs come through, which I like, like to call the tick tock generation of DJs. And they’re slamming so many mixes in, in a very short space of time. It’s really not indicative of what it’s really like to be there at a proper gig when, when you’re watching people. And I love that you said you read the crowd, you make decisions based on what’s happening in front of you. That’s for me, that’s DJing101.

Aleks
Yeah.

Dani
Yeah.

Aleks
That’s the skill.

Dani
It’s something you can only learn from doing it. You can’t, you can’t learn that. You can’t learn that in your bedroom. You can’t learn that at home. You have to learn that from just doing gigs. And it’s just trial and error. And I mean, you know, we’re talking about like playability of songs and things. And some songs, you know, every single week will work and work and work. And then one time you play it and it just doesn’t drop the same as it normally does. And that’s kind of where you have to be able to think on the fly.

Aleks
Absolutely. Could not agree more. And it’s ironic because the songs that do kind of generally you would play out are the songs that normally go off like it’s pretty rare, you know, for I want to dance with somebody to not work. Like you’re pretty screwed.

Eddy
Yeah.

Aleks
If that hasn’t worked and that was your vibe, you’re like, it’s gonna be an interesting.

Dani
When songs like, when that song doesn’t work, I go, okay, maybe this is just not Really? A dancing crowd?

Aleks
Yes.

Dani
Which also sometimes happens. Like sometimes you get crowds that are just not that interested in dancing. And that’s also super fun.

Aleks
Absolutely. Yeah. You’re there to create a vibe and you know, we’ve talked about this a lot, you know, all us DJ friends about when this happens, but you still kind of get compliments at the end of the night and everyone had a great time and. Yeah, it’s just. It’s obviously a little bit unusual to have a DJ and for a non dancing crowd, but it happens, it happens. Sometimes they’re not big drinkers, sometimes they’re just busy catching up. Happens from time to time. Love this song. I am going to give this for wedding playability, a seven.

Dani
Yeah, I’m gonna say eight because I just. I love Cher and I just. She. Yeah. Very, very.

Eddy
Yeah, I’ll give it a seven. Only because I genuinely play Believe more than this song and Believe would be higher for me. But I think that’s again, talking about generations. I think that’s generational.

Aleks
But it also. Types of couples. Like, we don’t tend. Tend not to have a lot of couples that want that kind of like sing along 80s vibe that often. You know what I mean? Like, it’s like a lot of our couples are quite dancy. So Believe is probably something that would work.

Eddy
They always want to sing just. It’s more 90s sing along. So that’s kind of where we’re at. Yeah.

Dani
Yes. Yeah.

Aleks
And.

Dani
And again, that goes back to the age group thing.

Eddy
Yeah, exactly.

Aleks
Cool. Number four, Dani.

Dani
This song is actually really, really, really nice for an acoustic set, so. Eternal Flame by the Bangles. Yeah, I. There’s. There’s no chorus in this song, which I think that was actually in the notes somewhere, which I didn’t. I didn’t actually really think about. And I’ve sung this song so many times, but I just didn’t think about the fact that there was no chorus. It’s kind of just like verses kind of tagged on to each other. But it is a very, very beautiful song.

Aleks
I like the songs that have an unusual structure. Like. Yeah, for example. Here we go. Ed’s rolling his eyes Everyone Shooting stars only has the chorus once and the whole song builds towards the chorus and that’s what makes it so bloody amazing.

Dani
Yeah, it’s huge when it does drop because that’s the odd one and only time that you hear it.

Aleks
Yeah. And you’re waiting for it and you’re getting on the ground and doing your thing, you know. And the song Was. Yep. It’s always. Isn’t it funny? Like some songs you just get that, like Sandstorm. Like, it’s just everyone gets on the ground so. Good. I. Yeah, I think, like, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t play this at a wedding. But that’s obviously from a DJ perspective, but as you said, probably quite a nice vibe for like a pre ceremony or.

Dani
Yeah.

Aleks
Maybe a cocktail hour. Ed, what do you reckon?

Eddy
Yeah, I’d agree with you. Obviously, it’s not a dance floor song, but it’s. It’s got a beautiful melody to it. Yeah, I like that. It was inspired by the eternal flame in Elvis Presley’s Grave, according to the notes here.

Aleks
Got my random notes.

Dani
I like that a lot.

Eddy
Yeah. So that’s kind of cool.

Aleks
Yeah.

Eddy
Piece of trivia.

Aleks
Yeah, Nice piece of trivia. I’m gonna give this song a four. Dani.

Dani
I’d give it. I’d give it a six for an acoustic set.

Eddy
Yep, yep. I’m just gonna split hairs here. Just number five. Five. So it, you know, it’s dramatic. Yeah, yeah, that’s right.

Aleks
All right. Oh, we’re at the top three now. And number three, Ed.

Eddy
So number three is I’m gonna be 500 miles. The Proclaimers, obviously. Scottish duo. It’s a fun song. I would say it’s on bit on the cheesy side. But that’s not to say I don’t play it. I only play it when it maybe pops up in a Spotify playlist or a request from a request from the couple. I’ll tend to stay away from it otherwise. But when you do play it and it’s the right crowd, it goes off.

Aleks
Stamping the feet and all that jazz, I suppose.

Dani
Yeah. I find it. I find it to be one of those polarising songs that people say it’s either in people’s requested playlists or it’s in their do not playlists.

Aleks
I agree.

Dani
So I find it’s. Yeah, it’s one of those songs that’s. It’s probably not something that’s like, oh, yeah, maybe it’s either they really want it or they really don’t want it. I played this on the weekend, just gone because the groom was Scottish. So there was. All night people were requesting it and I kept saying, yep, I’m not playing it at 9pm It’s a little bit early, but I will get there. I promise you I’ll get there. And when I did, it absolutely went mental.

Aleks
Do you know what’s. You know, it’s funny when people like request a song all night and it’s happens to be like a final song for the couple. Yeah, that’s so hard. Cuz you’re like, I get to it.

Dani
Yeah, I know. I’m like, I don’t want to tell you that this is the final song because I want to keep the surprise, but it’s going to be the final song.

Aleks
Yeah, I know. And you sort of, sort of screw yourself that way. It is often on our do not plays and I have had a Scottish groom and he’s like, please do not play this song. I think. But yeah, I have had a few people say that it’s like the Scottish version of the nut bush at weddings.

Dani
But yeah, I could see that. Or yeah, probably the Scottish version of what, what we would say of the horses.

Aleks
Yes. Actually that’s probably more accurate because it’s not. Doesn’t have an associated dance with it. But yeah, for a sort of like a pub sing along vibe in the last half hour. It’s definitely, definitely works. I’m actually going to give it a six. Very generous.

Dani
I’m gonna go a little bit higher because I feel like when couples have requested it it’s because they know that their crowd will get around it. So I am going to give it an 8. And also I thought I would add this a little bit as well. I’m just, I was just remembering. So I played it as a DJ last weekend and the weekend before that we did it as an acoustic version as the aisle song for the ceremony and it was actually the first time hearing it acoustic was the first time that I’d actually really listened to the lyrics and they’re really very beautiful lyrics.

Aleks
Very romantic.

Dani
Yeah, really really romantic. It’s because I, I’m used to playing it as a DJ and people are just screaming and stamping their feet and it’s, you know, I’m kind of jumping around and having a dance with them. But yeah, listening to it and actually listening to the lyrics I thought this is a really, really well written and.

Aleks
Nice song and goes really well for a wedding. There you go. Interesting.

Dani
So yeah, they used it, we used it as the, the aisle song.

Aleks
That’s a nice.

Eddy
Yeah, I’ve actually had that situation as well. Obviously I wasn’t playing it live, but yeah, there’s, there’s a couple, you know, taken back, sort of acoustic sort of. Really. Yeah. So no, it’s, it’s, it works well there I would say Playability wedding. It’s hard because we don’t generally Play it at the weddings we play. But I. I think It’s a solid six for me. @ the right wedding, it will just absolutely go off. And yeah, like you said, Dani, there are some stripped back acoustic versions that work quite well.

Aleks
Yeah. So it’s about a seven on average. All right, top two. I’m gonna laugh because I know how Ed feels about this next artist. You just aren’t a fan, are you?

Eddy
Not really.

Aleks
Number two is the Look, Roxette. Why do you not like, did you hear it a lot when you were younger or something?

Eddy
Yeah, see, my mum was a big fan of rock sets when I was young.

Aleks
Sorry, Jackie.

Eddy
I just heard a lot. She doesn’t listen to this podcast. Yeah, it’s just corny for me. Very corny. Yeah. And I haven’t had a lot of success playing their music at weddings, to be perfectly honest.

Aleks
Yeah. I’ve got a funny note here. The song’s lyrics have been described as high grade meaninglessness, but that was true.

Eddy
Of a lot of. Of. Of artists. You know, you’re say European artists, you know, you look at like the Backstreet Boys and who wrote their songs. They don’t really make sense. Because they weren’t.

Dani
Well, no, because they’re writing in a language that’s not their first language.

Eddy
Exactly. Obviously they can. They can make a hit though. Like, in fact, you know, there’s the argument to be said that writing it that way is. Is great because it’s unusual.

Aleks
Yeah, yeah.

Dani
Podcast. A songwriting podcast once, I can’t remember which podcast it was, where they were talking about European songwriters and producers and how when they’re writing, because they’re not writing in their first language, they’re actually more thinking about the way that the words sound before they’re thinking about what the actual real meaning. And not to say that they’re writing songs that absolutely make no sense and, you know, words that don’t go together, but they’re not overthinking the lyrics as much as perhaps songwriters who are writing in their first language.

Aleks
So. Interesting, isn’t it? And it’s. It’s. Yeah. And you know, like you were saying about 500 miles, you. It was the first time you actually had a really good kind of listen to it. So. Yeah, I don’t. People kind of gloss over lyrics a lot, I think, which is really interesting. I actually have a memory of this song at a really, really fun wedding because the bride and her dad did like a choreographed dance together to this song, which I thought was really fun. So it’s Giving me. That’s given me, like, a good memory of it. But I wouldn’t play it. I don’t particularly. Do you play this much, Dani?

Dani
I don’t think I’ve ever played this song.

Aleks
Okay, well, it’s gonna go and get. Yeah, it is a little bit. I do agree it’s a little bit cheesy, kind of like.

Dani
Also hilarious that we’re saying we’ve never really played it and it’s number two on the Aria charts from that year, so it’s obviously a very popular song at the time.

Aleks
At the time, yeah. But just hasn’t really.

Eddy
Yeah, well, my mum was a fan also.

Aleks
Wasn’t everyone’s mum, like, a fan of Belinda Carlisle in the 80s? Late 80s?

Dani
Yeah. Belinda, Carla, Eurythmics.

Aleks
Yes.

Dani
Rock set, obviously.

Eddy
Yeah, yeah. No, I would agree.

Aleks
The. The pop divas are there.

Eddy
Yeah.

Dani
Yeah.

Eddy
It’s funny how some songs have just had staying power where others, you know, like this song, even though it almost hit number one, which is insane.

Aleks
Yeah.

Eddy
It’s not something that’s really stuck around, particularly when we get to number one, which we, you know, I’ll give it a bit of a drum roll. We always allow our guest to reveal what the number one.

Aleks
So can we write. Where can we rate this one?

Eddy
Have we not read it? I’ll give it three.

Dani
Yeah, Yeah, I. I’d probably give it a two in terms of playability.

Aleks
Oh, wow.

Eddy
Oh, yeah. All right, this next one’s probably going to be off the charts, so let’s give it a bit of a drum roll. And Dani, you can reveal what our number one 1989 ARIA chart song was.

Dani
I’m so excited and I was so, so happy when I saw this that it was number one for this year and that I was going to get to talk about this because it’s Madonna. Like A Prayer is probably my favourite song ever.

Eddy
Wow. Oh, that’s cool.

Dani
Yeah.

Aleks
Well, this worked out well, didn’t it? I know.

Dani
I thought, oh, my gosh, this is so perfect. Love is.

Aleks
And we were talking, weren’t we, about that amazing doco, which I still have to dig out, that was on Free To Air TV a couple of weeks ago.

Dani
I haven’t watched it yet, but we were talking about this the other day.

Aleks
She’s an amazing artist. Or actually, I have to rewatch it because I was sort of getting ready for work. So tell us what that. Like A Prayer. Yeah. Controversial at the time. Very controversial at the time.

Dani
I think it can kind of. Madonna is just controversial in general. Isn’t she?

Aleks
She is.

Dani
She’s just pushes boundaries. And I think that, I mean, kind of like Cher, she’s been able to kind of reinvent herself and stay relevant for so long without kind of giving away the crux of what makes her such a good artist.

Aleks
Yep. So true. So true. And this, this is one of those songs that really. You sort of have to play the whole thing.

Dani
Yeah, yeah, I. I think so. There’s a very, very, very, like, extended version of this. I actually have the single version of this on vinyl and there’s a really, really extended version of it that goes for about eight minutes.

Aleks
Wow. I mean, it’s a pretty long song anyway. I think it’s.

Dani
I know the actual, you know, dare I say radio edit. I think that’s five, four or five minutes.

Eddy
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it’s a real journey of a song from start to finish. And you’ve got that.

Dani
You can’t drop it in halfway. It’s. You need that sort of the intro going in and everybody, when they hear it just goes, oh, my God. Oh, my God. I love. I mean, obviously I’m really excited right now. I love it.

Eddy
Yeah, it’s instantly recognisable when you obviously, you get that door closing and you get that choir coming in and people will clock it pretty quickly.

Dani
Yeah. Actually, Alex, we were talking about this the other day. There’s acquire version of this song. I heard it on an Instagram reel, but it’s actually in. I think it’s the Deadpool and Wolverine film. One of the Deadpool films. And it’s a choir version of the whole song. It’s. It’s really cool.

Eddy
Yeah, yeah. And this is. It’s. Yeah. Again, you know, obviously it’s your favourite song and it has been featured in a recent big Marvel movie, Deadpool and Wolverine. And I think because of that we’ve had it a lot in requests in the last however long the movie’s been out.

Aleks
Like, I. I thought they did. Like, I thought for the trailer for the film they had like a really upbeat remix.

Eddy
No, it was a slightly edited version of the song.

Aleks
Yeah, I want to get that one. So do. Do we play the original? Dani?

Dani
I play the only. The original. I actually have. There’s a version that I really like which is off. That I actually play more so than the very original version, but it’s off a Madonna album called the Immaculate. Now I’m going to tongue tie myself. The Immaculate Collection, which came out in the mid-90s, I’m going to say. And it’s basic, basically like a best of, but it was a re. Edit and it is a. It’s got a bit more of a driving beat to it, which I just. I like for a dance floor.

Eddy
Yeah. Yeah, I think I know the version that you’re talking about.

Aleks
Oh, I need to get this. I need to get these guys. Because I haven’t been playing this for some reason. You know, you go through like stages of songs. Like, I play this a lot when I first started and then I just sort of like, don’t know. I just stopped. I mean, there’s some songs like Give me, Give Me September. I want to dance to it. Like, you just don’t stop. But, yeah, this. I feel like this is something I stopped, but I got to get back into it. So I will look up the immaculate.

Eddy
It’s also a great song to play later on when you need to kind of reset the dance floor and you might have been playing some dancey sort of foot of the floor stuff and you need people to have a bit of a breather and kind of build up again so that it works really, really well. I didn’t know this. That again, looking at some of the notes. This song features recordings by Prince on the guitar. Yeah, I did not know, but there may.

Dani
Yeah, he plays guitar on it.

Eddy
That’s awesome. He is an incredible. Was an incredible guitarist. Yeah.

Aleks
All right, well, we. Everyone loves this song, clearly. What are we going to give it, Dani? I think we know yours.

Eddy
Dani’s giving it a 10 for sure.

Dani
Yeah, I’m. I. I’m a 10. I actually just quietly. This is my aisle song for my wedding.

Aleks
I love that.

Dani
But an acoustic version.

Aleks
Yeah, I love that.

Dani
Yeah.

Eddy
And does the future husband know this or.

Dani
No? No, he. 100. Yeah, no, he does know this. It’s. I have often joked about, you know, I’m quite a dramatic human. I do come from a performance background and so I’ve often joked about the fact that I don’t want to walk down the aisle. I’d like to just come out of the ceiling basically suspended, you know, coming down like Pink does when she enters her show. And there’ll just be like a spotlight on me and glitter will be falling and I’ll just come in singing this song with a little Madonna earpiece microphone. And he’s constantly like, I don’t know if you’re joking or not. And I’m like, oh, no, this is 100% real. Obviously I’m joking. This is not. Not actually going to happen. But it’s Become a running joke. Now that every wedding venue we go and look at when we’re there, I just ask about the rigging situation. You know, I’m Michael, because I’m kind of thinking that I might want to be suspended from the ceiling.

Aleks
Then the venue’s like, oh, that date’s just been booked. Like, we do not want to be.

Dani
Like, we do not want you. That’s an ohs. That’s. That’s. There’s, like, liability all through that. But, yeah. So.

Aleks
Wow. Watch this space. Watch this space. Look, I. I’ll give it a nine.

Eddy
Yeah, it’s a nine for me, too.

Aleks
Okay.

Eddy
So pretty high Joe rules.

Dani
Yeah.

Aleks
Well, I’m glad that was a good number one, because it’s a bit disappointing when they’re shitty.

Dani
Yeah, I think you guys rated that lowly. I don’t think we could be friends anymore.

Aleks
Yeah, true.

Dani
I seriously question your taste in music. That’s. That’s for sure.

Aleks
That would have been awkward. All right, let’s run briefly through the top 10 on the Billboard charts. Can’t say I know a lot of these, to be honest with you.

Eddy
Did you want to run through 10 to 1?

Aleks
10 to 1. Giving you the best that I got. Anita Baker. Does anyone know that? No.

Dani
No.

Aleks
9, baby, I love your way. Free Bird, Melody, Will to power. Nope. No idea. Oh, number eight, Girl, you know it’s true. Millie Vanilly. Yes.

Dani
Good, good time.

Aleks
We. We love Milli Vanilli, Ed. And I really, really love Millie Vanilly.

Dani
That’s really cute.

Aleks
So catchy. Wind beneath My Wings, Bet me to lies. Number seven.

Dani
Great, great song.

Aleks
Yeah. Yeah, Good song.

Dani
What film was that song in?

Eddy
Sirens, Peaches, Beaches.

Dani
Beaches. Beaches.

Aleks
I’ve never. I’ve never.

Eddy
I don’t know. I know because of Seinfeld.

Aleks
Yeah, that’s right. She wasn’t talking about number six. Cold hearted Paula Abdul.

Dani
I don’t know much Paul Abdul, to be honest.

Aleks
Same. Number five is Miss you much, Janet Jackson, but I don’t. Do you know this song, ed? It’s a WeChat. Is this Ryan weird? Number four, straight up. Paul Abdul. Straight up.

Dani
That is actually one Paul Abdul. I do.

Aleks
Oh, you do know. Okay, number three. I do know this song. Every rose has its thorn. Poison. Yep. Is that the guy that was on Rock of Love?

Eddy
Yeah. He had a reality TV show.

Aleks
I feel like Rock of Love is something that Dani would watch. You like that kind of trap?

Dani
Yeah, definitely. It’s, like, in that same vein as, like, you peep my Ride. Was it on mtv?

Eddy
Yeah. Quite possibly, yeah.

Aleks
It was. It was a terrible, terrible show. Number two, My Prerogative, Bobby Brown. Don’t know that particular one.

Eddy
It’s a cool song.

Dani
No.

Aleks
Okay.

Dani
I don’t know that either.

Aleks
I feel like you’re. It’s really into Jazzy Jeff, so I feel like Bobby Brown. Yeah, he plays a lot of Bobby Brown.

Eddy
Questionable artists, but.

Aleks
Yes, exactly.

Eddy
Yeah. But I think the song’s kind of fun. Yeah.

Aleks
Yeah. And number one, Look Away, Chicago. I don’t know. My mum was a big Chicago fan. I don’t know if I know this particular song. Dani, do you know Look Away?

Dani
I. Yeah, no, I. I only know a little bit of Chicago. I don’t know this one.

Aleks
Don’t know. It’s a bit war charts.

Eddy
Very different to the Aussie charts. Very.

Aleks
Oh, now, Dani, do you want to go through the hottest 100? Because that is pretty good. Some of it.

Dani
Yes. Am I going from 10?

Aleks
10? Yeah.

Dani
Okay, so number 10 is the forest by the Cure.

Aleks
Don’t know that particular one.

Dani
I actually don’t think I know this song.

Aleks
No. Oh, okay. Zooming to number nine.

Dani
Yep. Birthday by Sugar Cubes. I’ve actually never heard of this band in my life.

Aleks
No, it hasn’t.

Dani
Are they from Iceland? Is that what it says?

Aleks
It does say that.

Eddy
Yes.

Aleks
Yes.

Dani
Yeah. Okay. Random number eight. Talking to a Stranger by Hunting Hunters and Collectors. Great Aussie band.

Aleks
Yeah. I can’t say I know that song. I do know the next one, though.

Dani
Seven is How Soon Is now by the Smiths.

Aleks
Great song.

Dani
Great band. That song, I feel like come back recently, where they were in there was an indie film which had a lot of. I’m trying to think what it was that had a lot of the Smiths in the soundtrack.

Aleks
Like recent or not?

Dani
Super, super recent, I would say in the last 10 years.

Aleks
Okay. Because, you know, how soon is.

Dani
It could have been in the last 15 years, because I still think that 1995 is 10 years ago.

Aleks
Yeah, I think it’s five years ago. But How Soon Is Now? The Smith was the song for the craft in the mid-90s. Do you remember that?

Dani
Yeah. Yes, I do. Yeah.

Aleks
Yeah. So that was that. I really loved it then. I do actually play this at weddings. How Soon Is Now?

Dani
Really?

Aleks
Yeah, for like. Like, background. I’ve had some older couples who have been, like. Had a bit more indie tastes.

Dani
Yeah. Okay.

Aleks
Number six.

Dani
Number six is Holiday in Cambodia by Dead Kennedys. I actually don’t think I know this song.

Aleks
No. I don’t know what a weird, bad Name? Number five.

Dani
Number five is excellent. Blue Monday by New Order. I play this at weddings.

Aleks
Same.

Eddy
Oh, yeah. Banger.

Dani
There’s also a really cool Kylie Minogue release. It’s a mashup of Blue Monday. It’s called can’t get Blue Monday out of my Head. And it’s Blue Monday and Can’t get you out of. Yes, My head.

Aleks
I actually play that more than Blue Monday. That is.

Dani
I probably played that more than Blue Monday on its own. Yeah. Because I think generally in a wedding crowd, people will resonate with, you know, the main kind of melodic riff of Blue Monday, but not so much the lyrics. And then they can’t get you out of my head because who doesn’t like Kylie? And so the two kind of. It. Yeah, I think it works.

Aleks
I think it works too. Yeah, it’s a really, really good track.

Eddy
That’s awesome.

Aleks
Number four.

Dani
Number four. That’s Entertainment by the Jam. Again, I don’t think I know this song.

Aleks
No, I don’t know it. And number three, is that. What’s the band?

Dani
That is the band.

Aleks
Oh, it is the smile.

Dani
Yeah. Yeah. I came across this band, actually. My. One of my cousins found, I don’t know, was going through like, really old kind of indie stuff and was. They’re kind of along the same sort of vibe as the Smiths and the Cure, I would say.

Eddy
Yeah. So Cure was taken, Smith’s was taken. So they just decided to call themselves.

Dani
I like it. Yeah.

Aleks
Quirky.

Dani
Yeah. Yeah.

Aleks
Number two.

Dani
Number two. Another. Hunters and collectors. Throw your arms around me. Which obviously is like a pretty big Australian sing along. I would say.

Aleks
Definitely.

Dani
I probably don’t play this that much anymore, but I reckon there was definitely a time probably, you know, closer to 10 years ago where it would probably come out a little bit more when, you know, in that later, last 45 minutes, sing alongs moment.

Aleks
Yeah, yeah, for sure. And number one.

Dani
And number one, excellent, excellent track. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division.

Aleks
Got to be a pretty cool crowd to get away with that one.

Dani
Yeah. But this is actually another one that we have done as an acoustic song, which it actually kind of sounds a little bit depressing, but the lyrics, when you do it acoustic, are actually really nice. It’s like a really well written song, even though it’s a bit sad. And that’s one thing that I do say to couples when they’re kind of choosing their songs for, you know, the key moments of their day. You know, the. Not just the ceremony, but also, you know, if they’re going to do a first dance or an entrance or any of those kind of moments. I think sometimes they can get really hung up on listening to every single lyric of the song. And if it doesn’t match their story or if there’s, you know, one line in there that doesn’t, you know, speak about everlasting love, they. They won’t choose the song, even though they really, really love the song. But I often say to people, you know, people are watching your vibe. They’re not sitting there, you know, intricately dissecting the lyrics of the. Of your aisle song. They’re watching you walk down the aisle and you’re gonna have a better time and resonate more with the song if it’s a song that you love.

Aleks
Could not agree more. We’ve often said this as well. People get so caught up. It’s so bizarre and it’s really not about that. As we, you know, talked about earlier, like, the lyrics, a lot of the time people aren’t really paying attention to the lyrics as it is. It’s more how the song sounds and. Yeah. How you’re resonating with it. So I could not.

Dani
Yeah. Like, if I, like. If the couple’s having fun, everyone’s having fun. That’s, you know, totally.

Aleks
That is a very, very good takeaway. Are we going to go through the top 50 singles ARIA? Any notable.

Eddy
Yeah, so we’ve got some honourable mentions. So I’ve got it in front of me here. So number 12, teardrops Womack, which I think is the vibes.

Dani
Oh, yeah.

Eddy
I should play this song more.

Aleks
But you play the. I play the Neil Francis for, like, early.

Eddy
Oh, yeah. Yep. So there’s been some notable sort of re edits and different versions, so that’s really, really cool down to. There’s not a hell of a lot that jump out at me, to be completely, completely honest with you. But Madonna’s expressed yourself at number 28. That’s great for, like, gay weddings, I find, as well. Yeah, that kind of hits really nicely.

Dani
Playing very badly on Smith street on the weekend for Pride.

Eddy
There you go. There you go. Number 33 was Tina Turner’s the Best.

Aleks
Oh, yeah.

Eddy
That goes.

Dani
Yeah. Excellent.

Eddy
Late into the night.

Dani
It’s made a huge comeback since it was on Sheets Creek.

Aleks
Yes.

Eddy
There you go. Yeah. And you’ve got those. What’s the artist that did the sort of the B. The acoustic version of that.

Dani
Yeah. I can’t think of the artist now, but we do this a lot for. A lot. Acoustically for ceremonies or that using that acoustic version for DJ for First Dance.

Eddy
Yeah, yeah. One song I love to play, particularly on Build the Dance Floor is funky cold 38. So good. Yeah, it works really well into Bust the Move and that.

Dani
Yeah, it actually does. That’s good call.

Eddy
Yeah, that’s kind of cool to get people up and about. So that’s on there. Wild Thing, Tone Loke, I don’t think is as strong as funky comedy, but that’s in the charts as well. One that’s a bit of a wild card that comes up here and there is on the Enya Orinoko flow.

Dani
Yeah. Had this randomly come up, but it’s always one of those, you know, must play requested songs because the couple or like with their friends, they’ve got some sort of interpret memory behind the song.

Eddy
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that’s. That was number 43. 45, I would say. Arguably a better song for Daryl than the main song that. That we always hear is one summer 45.

Dani
Yeah, yeah, I’m with you on that same. I prefer it to the Horses big time.

Eddy
And look, there’s a couple of Kylie songs. It’s not a year that I think I remember fondly musically, to be completely honest. And I know that we give each of the top 10 a kind of rating out of 10, but I would say this year, generally for wedding payability for me would be pretty low.

Dani
Yeah. With the exception of Madonna, obviously. That’s kind of probably the only one that’s really stood the test.

Eddy
Yeah.

Dani
Of time.

Eddy
Yeah. Definitely agree.

Aleks
I reckon it’s like a three out of ten for the year.

Eddy
Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised if if, depending on when it was released on the year, Madonna’s track would be well in the top 10 of. Of 1990 as well, because that was just such a mammoth tune. But, yeah, there you have it. 1989. Okay. With the exception of. Of Like A Prayer, basically. Basically.

Aleks
But luckily we had.

Dani
Yeah. And. And Turn Back Time.

Aleks
Ah, yes, yes, of course. And of course we had wonderful, wonderful commentary and insight from you, Dani. Thank you so much for joining us. We didn’t really get into the other side of your business, but let us know or let our listeners know where people can find you.

Dani
So on socials, on Instagram, we. I’ve got both the businesses set up separately, so Logan Ent for the entertainment side of our business and Logan Events for the planning and styling side of our business. I kind of set it up that way. So it’s pretty obvious which weddings we’ve done music for and which weddings We’ve done the styling and planning for and Our website is www.loganonline.beautiful.

Aleks
Beautiful enough. I did forget to mention that you do a lot of the DJs and acoustic artists that you have on your books do also do some public gigs. So if people are interested in checking that out, definitely give Logan Entertainment a follow because I know you always post the public gigs.

Dani
Yeah, at the start of each month I will always post where people are playing publicly. So yeah, I mean, obviously when, when we’re doing public gigs, the set list is more tailored to the venue that, you know, each artist is playing in. So it might not really give like the best sort of like idea of like a wedding playlist, but it does give you an idea of their style and, you know, whether you think they’re talented. I obviously think they’re all incredibly talented. So yeah, you can check out their skills, see if you like their vibe and yeah, beautiful.

Aleks
I love that. That’s really, really great for people to be able to say that. Thank you so much for joining us. You’ve been an absolute legend, as expected. And thank you for having me.

Dani
This is so much fun.

Aleks
Amazing. Thank you so much. Till next time.

Eddy
Thanks, Dani.

Aleks
Let us know if you’re listening. If you like the episode what you thought of 1989 and what other years you would like us to cover next.

Dani
Woo.

Aleks
Catch you next time. Thanks for tuning in and we hope you loved this episode.

Eddy
If you did love this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, Apple Music or a podcast service of your choice.

Aleks
See you next time.