Mixmas Season

Above, the heavenly centerpiece of the graphics on my new dj-promo-only Christmas cd, entitled "Hark!" As one who strives not to take the Christ out of Christmas, please note that my angel is wearing a crucifix (on what appears to be rosary beads, but don't email the Pope to report someone wearing a holy item as fashion accessory; remember the heat Madonna took over it).

I tried especially hard this year to present a mix of songs that would indeed provide much needed holiday cheer, and all set to a dance beat. To that end, I've included Britney Spears' now-ironic "Santa, Can You Hear Me", a loungey dance-mix of Kay Starr's classic "Waiting for the Man with the Bag" (I do hope she's referring to Santa!), plus the spanking new Marius de Vries remix of the Pet Shop Boys' grammatically correct "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas."

There's a Hanukah rap number as well, and two of the 17 tracks are devoted to your New Year's Eve party (the original ballad version of ABBA's "Happy New Year" and Pepper Mashay's splendid disco version of "Here's to Life," the final toast on this promo mix). I've also included one of my very own creations: my Cha Cha Heels mix of "Not on Christmas," a disco extravaganza looping dialogue from the famous Christmas sequence from John Waters' film, "Female Trouble," starring Divine. I find it heartwarming.

I've been dedicating my time lately to transforming dialogue and songs from classic movies into dance tunes. It's a bit time-consuming and tedious to get the desired effect but very gratifying when I finally get it right. My wish for the new year is to create enough of these mixes for an entire promo cd. Maybe I should call it something like "Buddy Beaverhausen Goes to Chelsea Movie Classics," in honor of the long-running Thursday Night series at Clearview's Chelsea Cinema. ("Where dreams come true," as host Hedda Lettuce is wont to frequently remind us.) However, that title may prove too limiting if I also decide to go with non-movie dialogue and Broadway show tunes as well.

So far, I've mixed "I'll Plant My Own Tree," Judy Garland's original but deleted recording (she was booted off the set) from "Valley of the Dolls", and "The Bodega Bay School." ("Mast Attack" remix (not a typo; listen to Brit character actress Ethel Griffies recite her line.)) The latter is a mix based on dialogue from the diner sequence from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds." Anyhow, these should surface sometime soon in my promo club mixes, so beware.

Just in time for the holidays, I found a new supplier of rare and fabulous remixes, in the UK. Pointer Sisters "Happiness," The Byrds "Mr Tambourine Man," The Beatles "We Can Work It Out," Dolly "Jolene," Frankie Valli "Grease" and even "Climb Every Mountain" by Peggy Wood, Junior Vasquez mix. No song of any era is off limits, and I hope to be including at least some of these remixes in my sets and on my promos in 2010.

And this from Edge New York, in Kevin Scott Hall's "Kevin on Kabaret" column on December 2:

"Rare delights

Meanwhile, for something completely different, if you can get your hands on DJ Buddy Beaverhausen’s promo Hark!, snap it up!

He always finds rare delights such as "Christmas Tree" by Lady Gaga, a new Pet Shop Boys holiday treat, or a Madonna/Gwen Stafani mash-up. You’ll definitely be dancing to something called "Please, Please Santa" by Bo & Monica. And we all need a little "Hanukah Homeboy" by Doc Mo She, right?

Best of all is an original mix called "Not on Christmas", dialogue culled from John Waters’ "Female Trouble" set to a club groove. Hilarious! . . ."