TimR Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Ross' thread about Freebird and the running joke on Mustang Sally prompts me to ask. What tunes are the most often covered by bar/function bands that you either love or hate? (or even love to hate) Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thabottomend Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Cocaine Do not be deceived by, nor take lightly, this particular bit of musicianship one simply describes as "bass". - Lowell George "The music moves me, it just moves me ugly." William H. Macy in "Wild Hogs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 this is a very geographical question. there are a few songs that everyone in mississippi knew that no one in michigan would ever expect. that said, if i never have to play, or hear a crappy band play, hard to handle again in my life, i'd be very happy. robb. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 We play Hard to Handle crappy. I have bunch of songs I am tired of, until the dance floor fills up, then they are fun again.... Depends on the crowd I suppose. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Smoke on the Water. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Boogie Oogie Oogie Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Brown Eyed Girl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenfxj Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Celebration Push the button Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jode Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Wonderful Tonight. Margaritaville. Sweet Home Alabama (particularly IN Alabama). "I had to have something, and it wasn't there. I couldn't go down the street and buy it, so I built it." Les Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Takin' care of business. "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I used to have songs that I thought of like that. Because we don't gig that often (and I don't go out that often), I don't think I care one way or the other. Weird - years ago I would have agreed with most of the songs posted thus far (but not Hard To Handle - sorry). Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizzone Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Proud Mary "I could drink booze to unwind every day instead of learning bass... But then my wife would never tell me how much I'm improving" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Boogie Oogie Oogie I actively find the best times to play that lick; that is, when people are least likely to expect it. For example, in between songs at the blues jam or a jazz jam. But I don't go to the jazz jam anymore 'cause I always end up playing with the schizophrenic piano player. I got nothing against people with disabilities, but damn it, do I have to play with that cat EVERY FREAKIN" TIME I show up, while the house band gets stoned in the basement? I mean, spread it around a little and share the responsibility, eh? The guy plays really well. Just he doesn't play well with others. That's gotta be real frustrating for him. Did that go off topic???? Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I have bunch of songs I am tired of, until the dance floor fills up, then they are fun again.... Depends on the crowd I suppose. brick house was like that. especially in college towns. so bored, but then, well... robb. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Brown Eyed Girl AMEN! Van Morrison has an amazing catalog of songs, and people still insist on hearing just one of them. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Hell yeah, Nick. I am a huge Van Morrison fan, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 You would think that some band somewhere would get to a breaking point and say "Screw that, we're gonna play 'Caravan' instead!" But NOOOOO, they have to make every brown eyed girl in the audience feel special by singing this song. UCK! Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I'm in the perfect mood for this thread. In no particular order: Brick House Smoke On The Water Old Time Rock & Roll (or ANY Bob Segar song for that matter - he sucks, deal with it) Mustang Sally (ride Sally, into the pits of hell) Brown Eyed Girl (play "Wild Night" or ANYTHING else by Van Morrison instead, you assclowns) Jenny Jenny (867-5309) (sadly my cover band plays this steaming pile) Centerfold (we used to play this but mercifully don't anymore) Wonderful Tonight Cocaine Layla Crossroads Margaritaville Sweet Home Alabama While My Guitard Gently Weeps (and George Harrison turns over in his grave) Any Bruce Springsteen song (they were never good when "the boss" did them - they are even worse when Johnny Hacks-A-Lot plays them) Get Down Tonight Play That Funky Music Celebration I need to stop now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Chicken Dance (I hate wedding receptions). The Perfect Country Song (break out the garden weasel). Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottom End Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I'm more likely to be tired of hearing these songs played (poorly) by a band than I would be if I was in a band playing the same songs. "Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 There are huge geographical differences - some of those songs I have never heard played live. Most music I love to play even if it's a song I've never likes to listen to. Overplayed stuff I love to play includes Mustang Sally and Louie Louie. The only one that makes my heart sink is Brown Eyed Girl but I still have fun on it occasionally. http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 Hard to Handle is a good tune to pick for this category. I think that the Stone Crows murdered it. I wonder if anyone ever sits down as a band and says we're going to play THIS version of it. As a result you get the Guitarist and Drummer trying to play a rock version while everyone else wants to hear a Soul version. If I never play it again it won't be a bad thing. AND who ever wants to dance to Summer of '69. Maybe in a crowded pub of drunk blokes, but we've played it three times and cleared the dance floor, BUT it still gets on the set list. Give me strength! Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham56 Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 My 16-year-old niece who lives in Scotland was in a one-off band formed for a single performance at a school music night. She was voted in as singer. I asked her what song they did: "Oh, some old rock one. Sweet Home Alabama." I was amazed. Of all the songs they could have done, why on earth would a bunch of 16-year-olds want to play THAT one? "Whose idea was it?" "The Teacher's" It turned out that one of the teachers was playing guitar with them. He was in his 50s, hadn't played in a band for 30 years and had bullied the rest of them into dragging out this old cliche. On the night he also played far too loud and long... You just can't escape... Cheers Graham www.talkingstrawberries.com - for rocking' blues, raw and fresh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I don't know about the thread. We play a lot of these over played songs and I agree, playing them can get old but folks ask us for them. We have a lot of songs in our arsenal but we get requests for the same old songs many times. These are good songs (mostly). If you play them well and they are dancable you have a good thing. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 There goes my set list. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Same here Ross, we play a lot of them too. The trick is to do something different with them. Like Mustang Sally. I use it as an excuse to work in some slap technique. The guitar player hates when I do it though. I have to admit I'm pretty tired of LaGrange and Tush though. I've been playing them since they first came out. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I could take a break from SRV's "Pride and Joy". And I could take break from hearing "We're an American Band". Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I don't know about the thread. We play a lot of these over played songs and I agree, playing them can get old but folks ask us for them. We have a lot of songs in our arsenal but we get requests for the same old songs many times. These are good songs (mostly). If you play them well and they are dancable you have a good thing. I say to hell with that. There are lots of great songs out there that haven't been played to death. But people have gotten into this beaten down classic rock radio mindset that they can't break out of. Give them some really good songs as an alternative and I could see the crowd coming around and not making their god-awful requests for "Brown eyed girl" and "Sweet home Alabama". Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I say to hell with that. There are lots of great songs out there that haven't been played to death. But people have gotten into this beaten down classic rock radio mindset that they can't break out of. Give them some really good songs as an alternative and I could see the crowd coming around and not making their god-awful requests for "Brown eyed girl" and "Sweet home Alabama". I agree with everything you said, in principle, but... It doesn't explain why all those songs were on the "B" side. A song doesn't reach "classic" status by virture of being played to death by every house band in America (Mustang Sally exempted). It has to meet the crieteria of: it's got to be very familiarit's got to have a groove that ungainly people can dance to or sing along withit's got to be at least remotely playable by the average house band A Pink Floyd tribute band will always play "Money". They will never play "Several Species of Small, Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict" (Ummagumma) Really lousy classic rock bands in this town work about twice a month. Really good heavy metal bands in my town can't get out of the garage. Watching young people dance to Nirvana is akin to watching a room full of people being tasered simultaneously; I'm not going out there, flop about, work up a sweat and buy beers. Really good smooth jazz bands (more on this in a later tread) play to empty houses. My 22 year-old son (guitar) loves "Sweet Home Alabama" but doesn't get "Give Me Back My Bullets". Crowds like what they like. They dance, socalise, drink beers and make money for the club. Give them some really good songs as an alternative and I could see the crowd NOT coming around and STILL making their god-awful requests for "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Sweet Home Alabama". Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Here are some very easy alternatives: Wanna play a Van Morrison song instead of "Brown eyed girl"? Play "Caravan". Everyone knows it and they can sing along. Wanna play a Skynyrd song instead of "Sweet home Alabama"? How about "What's your name?" instead? Wanna play a decent soul/blues tune instead of "Mustang Sally"? How about "In the midnight hour"? People know and love these tunes. They may even remark that your band is cool because you're playing great material that they're not hearing from every other bar band. You really just need to scratch a little bit beneath the surface. Because if the band can play the overplayed songs really well, then they can probably play these really well, too. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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