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Good dance tunes for a classic rock/blues band


Bob L

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If this topic was done to death in the past, my apologies in advance (I am relatively new to the forum). I play keyboards in a classic rock band (weekend warrior). We started as more of a blues band (guitar player from Austin...lots of Stevie Ray Vaughn).

 

Now that we are gigging we always come up short with tunes that people (mostly women) like to dance to. We are trying to be more of a party band.

 

Some tunes that work for us:

I'm a Believer - Smashmouth (Women love to dance to this! Go figure...)

Gimme Some Lovin - Spencer Davis

What I like about You - Romantics

Taking care of Business - BTO

Forget You - Cee Lo (not classic rock, but we learned it anyway)

 

For those of you in classic rock bands, what songs work for you to get people dancing? What more contemporary stuff do you play that works. We are a quartet - guitar, keyboards, bass, drums so keep that in mind.

 

The songs need not be keyboard oriented (but songs that absolutely require two guitars are probably not a good idea). I can cover some brass also but I don't think Tower of Power would be a good idea either...

 

I'll update the post and give folks some recognition for songs that end up working for us (or even buy someone a beer if they live anywhere near Silicon Valley!).

Korg CX-3 (vintage), Casio Privia PX-5S, Lester K, Behringer Powerplay P2, Shure 215s

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Much as it pains me (in some cases) these always work, in no particular order, the songs that always get them dancing from our current set list:

 

Green River

Kids Wanna Rock

Born on the Bayou

Hold on Loosely

Take it Easy

Summer of '69

Sharp Dressed Man

Wrap it Up (Fab. T Birds)

Cross Roads

Rock'n Me Baby

Jenny (Ughh)

Gimme 3 Steps

Glory Days (ALWAYS)

Center-field

Days Go By

Long Train Runnin

You May Be Right

Sweet Home Alabama

You Really Got Me

Home

Cherry Cherry

Sweet Caroline

Freebird

My Sharona

 

 

 

Steinway L, Yamaha Motif XS-8, NE3 73, Casio PX-5S, iPad, EV ZLX 12-P ZZ(x2), bunch of PA stuff.
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Maybe some of the things I´m penning for my to-be no-guitars band will fit your requests... IMHO, it would be interesting not to go too far from your blues/classic rock roots, to maintain some kind of unit on the set list... So a little bit of soul music and classic funk will be a good fit and will entertain the new crowd without making the old crowd go boo... Things like:

 

Feeling Allright - Joe Cocker

Everyday People - Sly And The Family

Superstition - Stevie Wonder

Use Me - Bill Withers

Hold On I´m Coming - Sam And Dave

Sweetest Thing - JJ Grey

 

more to come...

 

 

 

My drawbars go to eleven.

Gear: Roland VR-09, Nord Electro 2 61, Korg CX-3. Hear my music: facebook.com/smokestoneband

 

 

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OT Peeve -

 

I'm a Believer - Smashmouth

 

You know this is generally known as a song by The Monkees, and was originally written and performed by Neil Diamond, right?

 

Perhaps you listed Smashmouth because your band is going more for that feel than the originals, and that's okay. It just bugs me when people talk about a classic song as if the recent remake was the only version. I've seen people credit "Killing Me Softly" to Fugees. :facepalm:

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I was thinking about starting the same thread just a few days ago! I'm in a similar situation, although my band is a bit bigger (2 guitars, bass, drums, 3 backing vocals, keys and singer), and we are on the scene for full 11 years so we have trouble finding new songs to play that fit the classic rock/blues label.

 

Songs that always work for us are:

 

Sweet Home Alabama (ugh)

With a little help form my friends

Suspicious minds

Get back

You've lost that loving feeling (we do a tighter rock arrangement of this one)

 

 

 

 

Here's my list I keep in excel, it's not our full list, but you might be able to find some good songs in there (also, don't ay attention to the typos, I'm not the original author) :

 

Let's spend the night- The rolling stones

Feelin' allright- Joe Cocker

Hard to handle- The black crowes

Mustang Sally-Wilson Pickett

Southbound- Allman brothers band

Get back- The Beatles

Jealous again- The black crowes

Who are you-The who

Suspicious minds- E. Presley

Sweet home Alabama- Lynyrd Skynyrd

With a little help-Joe cocker

Soulshine- Allman brothers band

T for Texas- Lynyrd Skynyrd

Beast of burden- The rolling stones

Allright now- Free

You can leave your hat on- Joe Cocker

Fat bottomed girls- Queen

You got me rockin- The rolling stones

Feels like makin love- Free

Dancin in the street- David Bowie

Glory days- Bruce Springsteen

Im free- The rolling stones

Highway to hell- AC/DC

Gimme some lovin- The Spencer Davis Group

Like a rolling stone- The rolling stones

Chain of fools- Aretha Franklin

Brown sugar- The rolling stones

Somekind of wonderfull- Grand funk railroad

Cant get enough of your love- Bad Company

Gimme all your lovin ZZ TOP

Sweet home Chicago-Robert Johnson

Shake your tailfather- Ray Charles

Saw her standing there-The Beatles

Movin on- Bad company

Lie to me- Johnny Lang

Kansas city

Going down- Bruce Springsteen

You lost that lovin feelin- Elvis Presley

Under my thumb- The rolling stones

Tumblin dice-Rolling Stones

Sister luck- The black crowes

whisky rock n roller- Lynyrd skynyrd

The weight-The Band

Travelin man-Lynyrd Skynyrd

Rocking all over the world-Status Quo

Somebody to love- Jefferson Airplane

Im Free-Rolling Stones

Oh la la- The Faces

Gimme shelter-Rolling Stones

Im your captain-Grand Funk Railroad

you got that right- Lynyrd Skynyrd

Delta lady- Joe Cocker

Dancing in the street-Martha and the Vandellas

You do something to me- Paul Weller

Let the good times roll

Whiskey rock n roller-Lynyrd Skynyrd

Letter- Joe Cocker

Whatever you want-Status Quo

Tulsa time-Don Williams/Danny Flowers

I know a little-Lynyrd Skynyrd

Little devil-The Cult

Listen to the music- Doobie Brithers (novo)

When the night comes- Joe Cocker (novo)

Kickin my heart around - Black Crowes (novo)

Stay with me - Faces (novo)

20th century boy - T Rex

Proud Mary

Statesboro Blues

Hot Stuff

 

 

 

I could use some good suggestions myself, so if any of you can recommend me a popular rock/blues song that matches the style of the aforementioned list - please do.

 

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I play a clone wheel but if I cover I'm a Believer I generally use an Italian combo organ synth patch for that tune. I think it sounds better on a Farfisa than a Hammond.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Unfortunately I am old enough to know it is a Monkees tune (the written by Neil Diamond bit was a recent discovery). I put Smashmouth as our version sounds more like that. Great tune for Hammond clonewheel!!
:thu: I'm old enough too, though it was reruns for me and my older sister's record collection where I heard it.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Mustang Sally (Taylor Hicks)

Not Your Stepping Stone (Minor Threat)

Why I oughta... :cop:

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I have heard Mustang Sally played so many different ways, by so many bands that its nearly indistinguishable from the original Mack Rice version or the Wilson Picket cover.

Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12

Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell

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AROUND HERE, women like to dance to modern / Top 40 Country.

 

We do plenty of what is classified as Classic Rock also. The Brickhouse / Love Shack/ Funky Music/ old Journey tunes/ etc... still works also. But women love new Country right now.

 

Our thing is covering a big variety of genre. I am currently struggling with finding new pop rock stuff to add to the sets. You and I by Lady Gaga is curently on the to learn list. Nora Jones does some nice stuff we worked up but seems like everytime I turn on the local pop station it is Autotuned vocals with sequencing out the wazoo. I never got into sequencing. I didn't have the patience for it.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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While you're on Smashmouth (covering Neil Diamond), I think All Star, Walking On the Sun, and Can't Get Enough of You Baby all work. [incidentally, "Can't Get Enough" is another cover (Question Mark & the Mysterians), and the original is great on its own.]

 

There are a handful of songs from the 80s that I can still listen to, and would (and in some cases, do) play without having to hold my nose: I Melt With You (Modern English); Just Like Heaven and In Between Days (Cure); Abracadabra (Steve Miller); Shake It Up (Cars). And those ones aren't necessarily covered by everyone and his brother.

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One of our stranger classic rock covers is ZZ Top's LaGrange. Our lady vocalist sings it. I have a Hammond solo in it. Something about a woman singing a song about a whorehouse just seem different.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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One of our stranger classic rock covers is ZZ Top's LaGrange. Our lady vocalist sings it. I have a Hammond solo in it. Something about a woman singing a song about a whorehouse just seem different.

 

We do "All Right Now" with a female vocalist, and she, being late 40's, chuckles about how the lyrics make her sound like a cougar... :D

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Mustang Sally (Taylor Hicks)

Not Your Stepping Stone (Minor Threat)

Why I oughta... :cop:

But then there's Baker Street (Foo Fighters)

:taz:

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Santeria - Sublime

 

Higher Ground - I should say Red Hot Chili Peppers just to stir it but Stevie W.

 

Brick House - Commodores

 

 

Korg Kronos 2 61, Kronos 1 61, Dave Smith Mopho x4, 1954 Hammond C2, Wurlitzer 200A, Yamaha Motif 6, Casio CDP-100, Alesis Vortex Wireless, too much PA gear!
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Play that Funky Music by Wild Cherry and AC DC's You Shook Me All Night Long and Mony Mony literally gets them running up to the dance floor in MA bars we have played along with (of course) Sweet Home Alabama.

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Casio WK-7500,Yamaha P50m Module/DGX-300

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