Shake Your Tail Feather

There's a reason that I've dressed up as a 60s girl group member the last two Halloweens. My love of oldies music makes me wonder if I wasn't meant to belong to a different era.

Not so much? OK, well it was worth a shot. P.S. - This is what happens when a dork like me gets access to Photoshop.

Here begins another feature: a listing of classic songs that I believe more than stand up to the test of time. Songs we all know somehow, probably from movies or commercials, maybe from a little of our parents' influence too. If you haven't been to a Motown-themed dance night (try Rififi in the East Village every third Saturday of the month), it's kind of amazing how much of the sound is familiar. And what fantastic dance music! Aside: my mom tried to teach me to do the mashed potato once... way harder than it looks.

I really got to rediscover some of the greats while preparing to DJ my parents' 40th anniversary party this summer. The Shirelles, The Chiffons, The Platters, The Penguins... this stuff makes me happy. Kind of takes me somewhere else when I'm typing away in cubicle land. I also wanted to go with a theme of all love songs for the party, then realized.... they're ALL love songs.

Let's start with one that I'll admit got my attention as part of the end credits to There's Something About Mary. "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations, from 1968. Try to sit still. You just can't.