#1644902 - 03/11/05 11:44 AM
The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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typi
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Registered: 12/15/01
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Folks,
Me and the band are hashing about over which tune or medley of tunes we should open with. We do a wide range of material from many different eras, and we cater to 2 distinct markets: We do clubs(NOT an extremely young clientele), AND we do private parties (banquets, weddings, and the like.) Private affairs sometime dictate how our sets will start (a cocktail hour or dinner hour, for example most often are on the quiet side, part of the background wallpaper or woodwork.)
For those other times tho, I like to start STRONG, making somewhat of a powerful STATEMENT. Others in the group (old coots that they are) like to start out a little on the mellow side, more softly, and build to a dramatic and powerful climax later on.
Some tunes we have done as openers:
Hush Deep Purple
Free-Ride Edgar Winter
Ride Like the Wind Christopher Cross
Would love to hear other suggestions and opinions. What say you all? Thanks in advance.
_________________________
"You're either WITH me, or you're AGIN' Me!" (Yosemite Sam)
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#1644903 - 03/11/05 12:09 PM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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ihategarybettman
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My old band and I used to start every set with Link Wray's "Rumble." Not only is it one of the coolest instrumentals in rock history, it lets you and the band ease into the set with something that's simple to play.
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#1644904 - 03/11/05 12:39 PM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Picker
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Pablo Cruise "Place In The Sun"
ZZ Top "Thunderbird"
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Anal probe wouldn't fit past his head!
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#1644905 - 03/11/05 01:30 PM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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coyote
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DeepPurple - Highway Star, Burn
JethroTull - Aqualung
Wings - Live & Let Die
Stevie Winwood - Gimme Some Lovin'
Yeah, I like to grab the audience from the get-go.
_________________________
I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist.
This ain't no track meet; this is football.
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#1644906 - 03/11/05 01:34 PM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Botch.
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"Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" was the greatest concert intro I've seen, but may be a bit much for a dance club...
We're starting with Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe" right now, works well.
I saw a band start with "Margaritaville" and I left the club before they got to their second song, just a warning! :rolleyes:
_________________________
Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will http://www.puddlestone.net
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#1644907 - 03/11/05 02:51 PM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Muddy Run
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LOL...yeah...that's definitely in the same bargain bin with Proud Mary...I usually pick something that nobody else does...something I can groove into by myself...then a couple more join in...a minute and a half into it they don't know what hit 'em. Then you've at least won 'em for the first set...
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#1644908 - 03/11/05 03:38 PM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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NMcGuitar
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We usually try to start with something that we're all so comfortable with that we don't have to think about trying to get into the groove (that should definitely be a consideration).
We'll usually do something like "Cold Shot", "Close to You, Baby", "The Letter" or something like that (upbeat, but not the show-stopper - you need somewhere to go after your 1st tune).
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#1644909 - 03/12/05 05:13 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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way2fat
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The Immigrant Song is the best opener I've seen live. Usually we do three songs in the opening salvo, along the lines of Big Chief, Buck's Hot Rod, and Cissy Strut.
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#1644910 - 03/12/05 07:39 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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x factor music
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the most recent band (besides frontiers) i was in used to open with "roxanne," but we would open with a little guitar and vocal intro, then come in with the familiar guitar riff everyone knows after the "you don't care if it's wrong or if it's right..." line...pretty cool song to open with.
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#1644911 - 03/12/05 10:13 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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Deep Purple, "Fireball" or "Burn"
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#1644912 - 03/14/05 08:10 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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cherri
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I like start with Susan Tedeschi's "Rock Me Right".
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#1644913 - 03/14/05 09:27 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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CMDN
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Whatever you do, you wanna make a strong statement and get everyone's attention.
Cheap Trick opened with "Hello There" on ... Live At Budokan.
Kiss: Alive starts with "Deuce."
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Erik
Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?
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#1644914 - 03/14/05 10:44 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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EscapeRocks
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Well naturally we start with a Journey song 
Depending on the night, we start with "Where Were You" with an extended intro section, similar to the Captured Album, to rev up the crowd.
We also use "Separate Ways" as an opener after some heavy synth power chord intro-type stuff.
Both seem to really energize the crowd as well as get us pumped up.
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#1644915 - 03/14/05 11:14 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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GZsound
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We start with an original medium blues number that builds to a kicking end and then go right into Feeling All Right (Joe Cocker), Get Back (Beatles), into Hold On (The Temptations)..
Our average time between songs is fifteen seconds.. All talking is done over a music bed.
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Mark G.
"A man may fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame others" -- John Burroughs
"I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man." -- Thomas Jefferson
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#1644916 - 03/15/05 01:24 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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GZsound
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I'm an idiot.. We do Hold On by Sam and Dave..not the Temps...doh!
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Mark G.
"A man may fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame others" -- John Burroughs
"I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man." -- Thomas Jefferson
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#1644917 - 03/15/05 06:15 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Tedster
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If I had the band to do it with, my ultimate cover opening song would be "Baba O'Riley".
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#1644918 - 03/15/05 10:33 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Fendercaster
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My bands are mostly country oriented, so we want to get the crowd on the dance floor from the get-go. Lately, we've been starting with "Boot Scootin' Boogie", it's still a dance favorite, and if no one else will dance, the two steppers will be out there! In an earlier (way earlier) band, we used to start with "The Only Hell my Mamma Ever Raised", at the time, it was a popular dance song.
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#1644919 - 03/15/05 01:51 PM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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PBBPaul
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We gauge our first song to the crowd. If it's a small, mellower group, we start with an instrumental Jazz/Blues like Chitlins con Carne or Back At The Chicken Shack. If they're slightly boisterous we start with a Funk instrumental (improvised). If they're there to party, we lead off with a kickin' version of Fats Dominoe's I'm Ready.
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#1644921 - 03/15/05 06:54 PM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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GZsound
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Hey!! Our nursing home gigs all start with "Moondance" followed by "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" and "Summertime".
Those nursing home folks know how to boogie!!
_________________________
Mark G.
"A man may fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame others" -- John Burroughs
"I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man." -- Thomas Jefferson
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#1644922 - 03/16/05 12:31 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Tedster
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Gotta follow that up with "Feelings!" (Dick Vitale voice) Yeah, baybee!!!
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"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine...(WAH WAH WAH WAHHH!)"
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#1644923 - 03/16/05 12:42 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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d gauss
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anything by yanni or john tesh is sure to please, though maybe a hint of "ventura highway", or "macarthur park" if you really wanna rock the house..... and when they just can't take it anymore..... there's always "muskrat love"....
-d. gauss
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#1644924 - 03/16/05 02:44 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Tedster
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Actually, my old acoustic act used to open on occasion with "Ventura Highway". Of course, we were playing coffee houses and low-key joints, but it's a great harmony tune.
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"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine...(WAH WAH WAH WAHHH!)"
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#1644925 - 03/16/05 04:57 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Muddy Run
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Originally posted by Tedster:
Actually, my old acoustic act used to open on occasion with "Ventura Highway". Of course, we were playing coffee houses and low-key joints, but it's a great harmony tune.
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#1644927 - 03/16/05 07:41 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Picker
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When the crowd looks really tough, we get into our Hoagy Carmichael bag. If you've never seen a leather-clad biker break it down to "I'm A Cranky Old Yank In A Clanky Old Tank On The Streets Of Yokohama With My Honolulu Mama, Singing Them Beat-O-Beat-O-Flat-On-My-Seat-O-Hirohito Blues", then you ain't seen never a leather-clad biker break it down yet!
_________________________
ROCK GUITARIST ABDUCTED BY ALIENS AND RETURNED TO EARTH!
Anal probe wouldn't fit past his head!
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#1644928 - 03/17/05 04:08 AM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Ouizel
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I once started a show with "Several Species of Small, Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict".
Once.
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Ya gotta watch da Ouizel, as he often posts complete and utter BS. In this case however, He just might be right. -Clay (Chillybug)
Eagles may soar, but Ouizels don't get sucked into jet engines.
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#1644930 - 03/17/05 12:31 PM
Re: The Greatest Opening Tunes of all Time are.........
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Fendercaster
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Freebird! 
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