Fringe Guest Selector: Magic Nostalgic's top tracks

Ahead of Magic Nostalgic's Edinburgh Fringe shows this August, John-Paul Mason tells us about ten of his favourite tunes from some of the categories you might find on their famous wheel

Feature by John-Paul Mason | 01 Aug 2017

On 24 Oct 2009 Magic Nostalgic was born at Edinburgh's Electric Circus. It's a club night like no other which leaves everything to chance with the spin of a wheel every 30 minutes, deciding your dancing fate. From Girl Bands vs Boy Bands to Disco Divas, 90s Rave to Power Ballads and more, it's guranteed that wherever the wheel lands there's always something worth dancing to. Founder and DJ John-Paul Mason talks us through ten of the best you can expect to hear at their night in Edinburgh this August.

Category: RIP

Queen and David Bowie – Under Pressure
[Hot Space, 1982]
A category that actually came to be as a result of a Skinny poll nonetheless. It's one that has provided a lot of very emotional moments since we started it a few years back. On occasion, the entire half hour has even been given over to an artist we love who has passed away – Whitney Houston, George Michael, Prince – but David Bowie last year was really special, and this song in particular. We had a live Bowie DVD on the screens at the Electric Circus and during this song it properly hit me that I was never going to see him live. I think it was the double whammy of hearing Freddie and Bowie at the same time. It was a special moment and also the first time we have ever played it.

Category: One Hit Wonders

The Buggles – Video Killed the Radio Star
[The Age of Plastic, 1980]
One Hit Wonders is one of my favourite categories and right from the start I knew we could have a lot of fun with it. It’s a thin line when it comes to them, you can’t go too obscure as you don’t want to lose the crowd but this song is a sure fire winner and it's incredible that The Buggles only really came up with this and nothing else. The break when you can turn it down and have the crowd singing ‘You arrrrrre!’ is a pretty great buzz to be on the other side of.

Category: Camp David

Erasure – A Little Respect
[The Innocents, 1988] 
I always (ALWAYS!) have to explain this category, the savvy amongst the crowd will know that it’s an Alan Partridge reference but simply put, it's camp or gay anthems. And there is no better than this song; if there is anyone in the room who doesn’t know this song then they need to get out more. It's as infectious now as it was when it was released and really brings a crowd together in a way that few other songs can. I absolutely love it and it's usually what we finish that half hour with.

Category: 90s Rave

N-Trance – Set You Free
[Electronic Pleasure, 1995]
90s rave is normally one that we keep covered up 'til the end of the night but during the festival it's going to be there from the start, so if we have to start with this, in my opinion, one of the finest songs of the 90s, then it's no great shame. It's been covered by both Arab Strap and Frightened Rabbit and there's a reason why; it's incredible. I can’t remember us ever playing it and it not going down well, it's even sparked several stage invasions!

Category: Power Ballads 

Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse of the Heart
[Faster Than the Speed of Night, 1983]
One of our favourite categories, and the crowd's as well, is another one that we normally keep covered up but it's going to be there from the start in August too. This song is, quite simply, difficult to contain, it is that big. The atmosphere when we play this is euphoric and I love watching groups in a huddle absolutely belting it out. It's also another one that is very difficult to follow up!

Category is: Motown and Soul 

Ike & Tina Turner – Proud Mary
[Workin' Together, 1971]
Whenever the wheel lands on this category it always surprises me how much of a reaction it gets, I suppose I underestimate how much people love it. It's always great to get people dancing if it's after Power Ballads or Rock Gods for example. The songs are so short too so we can pack so much into the half hour, and we never fail to play this song. It’s just so great and despite it being released in 1971, everyone knows it, it also has the line 'big wheel keep on turning' so how could we not play it?

Category: Rock Gods

Van Halen – Jump
[1984, 1984]
One of the best openings of a song ever in my opinion, that fizzing synth just sets up the rest of it. It's pretty ridiculous that Eddie [Van Halen] nearly threw it on the scrapheap as the rest of the band didn't like it. It's always been a favourite of mine and it's also the song that allowed me to discover that I could in fact, scissor kick and jump at the same time; I even did this in heels one Halloween while dressed as Frank N Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Landed it too!

Category: Karaoke Classics

Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
[Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show, 1969]
It's no secret to anyone who knows me that Diamond is one of my favourite singers of all time, I have seen him live five times and will make that six later this year in Glasgow. I made my karaoke debut in Bathgate singing Cracklin' Rosie so it's pretty great to be able to play this to a room full of people who all give it back to you at full pelt. Another song that regardless of its age, everyone knows it, this category is a lot of fun to do too as we have played some pretty wild songs in it. I'll never forget the first time we snuck in Ironic by Alanis Morissette, the place went mental!

Category: Movie Music

Kenny Loggins – Footloose
[Footloose (soundtrack), 1984]
I think this may be my [actual] favourite category as it allows two things I love dearly to come together. There are so many great songs in films and they really spark something with the crowd as you have that double delight of hearing something that relates to something they've watched many times. Footloose is a ridiculous film, about a small town that tries to ban rock music and dancing but it has some amazing songs and this is one of them. If you aren't up for losing it on the dancefloor to this then you should be at home.

Category: Hip Hop

Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy
[Ready to Die, 1994]
This category used to be merged with R'n'B but we decided it deserved to have its own half hour as there was so much of each genre. I remember my epiphany with Biggie Smalls came one night when I was sharing the decks with Jack Sutherland at Electric Circus. He played this and after about 30 seconds, I leaned over and asked what it was, he was appalled I didn't know it and looking back, so am I. I was always more West Coast than East, so had disregarded this. I can now say it's one of my favourite hip-hop tracks, there are so many amazing lines in it – 'Birthdays were the worst days, now we sip Champagne when we're thirsty' being just one of them.


Magic Nostalgic runs at The Gilded Balloon at Rose Theatre, Edinburgh, 5, 12 & 19 Aug

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