Spin Discography

If you will indulge me I wanted to share with you about spin class discography.  What I discovered is a subtlety that Kristen opened my afflatus to. When a current selection is new and rising on the Billboard Charts people want to hear the song in its entirety not a remix version. A remix version is a viable alternative to songs that were ‘hits’ a year or even 18 months ago. The effect of bringing back a popular song makes it ‘new’ again in a remix version. This is not the case in my opinion for up to the minute chart toppers. 

For example the song by Carly Rae Jepsen: “Call Me Maybe” is a huge hit now and it was featured in a small clip with US Olympic athletes acting it out. No one wants to hear a club mix of this song, not yet anyway. It takes time for us as the listener to engage a new song, as one of our favorites and to alter its original form too soon can rob of us the pleasure we clamor for.  

Not all remixed songs are welcome especially if they are altered too much from their original form because what attracted us to these selections in the first place become sour notes in our memory of the original.  Personally David Guetta’s monster smash  “Without You” had a remix done   and when I heard this version played in KSC I was immensely disappointed because in the original the bridge featured two 23 second choruses that are so rousing but the remix completely ignored this part of the song and therefore   was a letdown. A much older song from 1986 by New Order called Bizarre Love Triangle was issued in a remix format with two other old songs sandwiched between and the effect of a rap version instead of the original lyrics was to me blasphemy.  

Remix is not new I can remember on the dance floor back in the 80’s DJ’s mixing some great disco and punk rock songs primarily by extending them through rewinds of the intro in order to make the song longer and delay the opening set of lyrics. And as a former dancer and now spin aficionado when you hear your favorite song you want it to last forever.  Now the technology makes these early attempts at remix seem Neanderthal by comparison. Thanks to David Cooper for the inspiration for me to write about this small nuance.  

A remix is like putting a new sole on a favorite pair of shoes.  

Peter Returns! Well for a Day Anyway

As I slowly sauntered into the club today for the 9:45 KSC there standing larger than life was our former EQ manager Peter Rothermel. Pete was and no disrespects to his predecessors the best executive in charge of our beloved Woodbury. His quiet demeanor almost belied the power and grace that he employed in making our club a jewel in the Equinox chain. He moved on to a much larger club in Great Neck and membership is up way up. I know this to be true because when I hit Rocky Ribacoff and Tripp Doherty’s classes during the week at Pete’s new place his new club  needs a fleet of parking attendants. Now although its not official yet it looks like he’s about to be promoted again to Regional Manager status and this day he was performing a club audit for the mother ship. I am sure things went well as Louis Cohen has done an exemplary job after Pete’s departure. I know we all wish Peter the best and its just my opinion that he is heading up the corporate ladder two rungs at a time.  

And now on to the Queen of Spin Kristen James who I might have to start asking for her autograph because I am seeing more images of her on TV than I am in person. Well maybe that’s an exaggeration but KJ is wowing the local CBS affiliate with appearances weekly on the new hit show: Live from the Couch giving fitness tips to those less fortunate than us who get to experience her innate talent each morning.   We knew it was just a matter of time for our charismatic one. Her choreography is different every morning and is custom made to the ride she has in mind for us.  She makes us feel like athletes and all you have to do is look around the studio to see that her students are in the shape of their lives.

I love writing about the EQ talent and I dream what it would be like to tour all the clubs in the chain and chronicle the different stories about all their big league talent. 

BLOW ME another kiss

I have to equivocate when I decided on this title because it is after all a bit risqué but in listening to the new song today its rather tame in it’s entirety but that’s not what the artist PINK had in mind when she released it. It’s all about shock these days and when FLO-RIDA released Blow My Whistle someone had to one up him by releasing the aforementioned title.  And really truth be told what’s so bad anyway? America is so stifled when it comes to the peak sensation and the ritual that surrounds it a little frankness is nothing we adults aren’t more than familiar with. 

Today was a very oral (or is it aural) session in many ways beyond the music being played. At the start the chatter was nearly deafening in this mornings 8:30 because evidently the hens had plenty to cluck about (not sure about what however) and us roosters had to just wait until the Queen established decorum until finally we were on our way. Deb Levy (Boots) was in an unfamiliar position in bike #9 next to yours truly and my friends she is quite vociferous herself as I have never had occasion to listen to this superhuman fit female because she’s usually in the next to the last row with Lauren (Red) and my friend 4 Names, MSBK, Michelle Shelby Benderly Koss. Boots always gives a great accounting of herself and I nicked a bit of her energy when she wasn’t looking. I’m allowed I am 61 damn it!  

Another great session as I have said here hundreds and hundreds of times and today the Evil Woman was fairly playful going on about taunting Harold with a hamburger from Five Guys that she was going to withhold from him and of course Don Berman who deserves his own Red Badge of Courage because he has no escape as its lockdown everyday and night  and his only sustenance is three bowls of steam, grilled Salmon and a heavy dose of “Get Up Don Berman!”

Let’s Do It! Blow My Whistle Baby and another kiss make mine French.  

Where Are the Italian Girls?!

They’re right here in the Lavender Palace. Kristen James and Dana Mancini our own Italian girls wowed us today with a 90-minute playhouse. Showering the studio with trinkets (I didn’t get any) it was surprising how quickly the time sped by just like Nicki Minaj leaving on her Starship. This is the first time in my 2 ½ years that we’ve had 2 spin instructors leading us and I for one think we need more of events like these. 1+1 in this case equals 3 as the energy quotient is cubed. Unfortunately due to mechanical and electronic difficulties we weren’t able to hear the Queen and her Princess in stereo for very long.

During the warm-up I felt an overpowering adrenaline rush in my solar plexus and as the first song echoed in my brain, Tongue Tied (My Best Friends House) I went breathless. Sometimes it’s just so hard to contain my enthusiasm in KSC. And the power of these 2 together would blow a 50-amp fuse.  They are their own power source and you can tell these two women like and respect each other and it’s as natural as can be. Their individual styles may differ but they put on a terrific exposition this morning. 

Tell me where are the Italian Girls?! Faccia bella cara mia.

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Where are the Italian Girls?! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElLCpVN37hs

Playhouse 90

 I was afforded the luxury of spending time with my friend Jesse today and Kristen’s name came up in one of our confabs. He offered his own praise of this woman as being one of the best motivators that he has ever experienced. He has only had a modicum of classes with her and although he is not a devotee like most of us he was duly impressed with her personal stamp that she puts on in her classes.  And not to wax on ad nauseam but at least it wasn’t me this time talking about her as I have done in over 400 episodes here in KSC.

Wednesday KSC has a 90-minute version in store and I was lead to believe that Dana Mancini will be accompanying KJ in the segment. Quite some time ago I suggested that having two instructors in the class would be a real treat but simple economics I was told prevented such possibilities. The energy that will be generated might just be too much for the Lavender Palace and the paint may start to peel off the walls. I for one am excited. 

Today I missed spin with my friend Tripp Doherty and Tuesday is just not the same without Mr. Mayhem and fortunately Friday comes soon enough so I can get my dose of adrenalin to make up for my withdrawal today. Wednesday however will be like a bonus with the Queen and one of her Princesses and I will add an epilogue tomorrow. 

You Can Blow My Whistle

Have you heard Flo Rida’s new offering? Whistle. The title doesn’t quite give away the full lyric, which is: You can blow my whistle baby. None too shy is Mr. Flo Rida and with this song he takes a sexual intimacy and bellows about it out atop a beautiful scenic cliff featuring a bevy of scantily clad beauties frolicking in the surf below. I love this guy even if his lyrics make no sense because his voice quickens my pedal stroke and shoots me full of adrenalin whenever I hear one of his songs plated. Just wow.  

Now let’s get to today’s ride in KSC. What can I say that I haven’t said before in over 400 offerings here?  Well Kristen James has taken her dynamism and jumped her popularity even higher to the next escarpment on talent mountain because she is becoming even more playful, spontaneous and even courageous.  Today as she played the remix of Flo Rida’s The Club Can’t Handle Me (one of my favorites) at the songs bridge she sang out: “ On John’s cue… Breakaway!” That put me right into orbit and the anaerobic zone (she knows how to play me) and what made it courageous in my mind is that here she was turning it over to me knowing full well it was coming back to her just like that old one person paddle ball game with the rubber band on it.  It’s all coming together for her and I will make sure I have my DVR recording for her segment on Live from the Couch tomorrow morning between 7 and 9 am.  

Another moment in Cinematic history featured a famous line about a whistle, (tame by today’s standards) spoken by Lauren Bacall in an exchange with her costar and husband Humphrey Bogart in the movie To Have and Have Not (1944) from the William Faulkner novel. (He co-wrote the screenplay)  She said: You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and... blow.”

Flo Rida’s version suits me just fine even if the whistle is silent.  

FLO RIDA: WHISTLE  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSnkWzZ7ZAA