montunoman Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Another blow to live music or just changing taste? http://parade.condenast.com/260238/erinhill/why-did-dancing-with-the-stars-fire-longtime-band-leader-and-live-band/?utm_source=paradenewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=_newsletter_201402051537 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Taste of whom? The show is successful, I doubt the audience was clamoring for this change. IMNSHO, it wouldn't have been hard to tweak what they had to work better for the more "modern" songs. It seems like penny-pinching to me. "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgoo Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I don't watch much TV & I've never seen the show, so I can't place any kind of judgment on the MD or the ensemble. If it's predominantly an acoustic big band type ensemble, then they certainly wouldn't be very capable of faithful recreations of modern pop music. Finding a new MD that's equally competent in old school & modern music might be tough, but I'm sure in the right hands they could achieve it. For example, American Idol's band does a pretty good job at covering a lot of genres. That being said, I'm inclined to agree that this is a penny pinching move. Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio www.gmma.biz https://www.facebook.com/gmmamusic/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midiotlv Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Sad. TV chases the young demographic at all costs. Forget the rest of us (who have $$ except for right after NAMM). Always sad to see live music disappear in favor of recorded. "Inspiration is not a choice, it's got to search you out..." - Jason Falkner Kurzweils, some oldie but goodie stuff from Yamaha/Korg, and soft-synths that I've barely explored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B3bluesman59 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 The band and related staff (arrangers, etc)totally around 20 people were fired for one reason only: to save money. The show's producers have already announced that they will be using canned music for the next series. The ratings of the show were very good with all demos except the young...this had nothing to do with the type or quality of the music....it was strictly a dollars issue. Just because you have 18 musicians does not mean you have to use all 18 on every tune. They could easily do a small combo thing for some of the current tunes. But you need a big band when you are going to do tango, cha-cha, waltz, big band, and all the other dance styles that are featured on the show. The show does not appeal to younger viewers because they are not interested in the ballroom and stylistic dances that the "stars" do and many of the "stars" are upper demo folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammondDave Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Outrageous! An 18 piece band comprised of excellent professional musicians not being able to pull off modern musc? Maybe they needed to tear their shirts off, expose their nipples, and bang out one chord progressions like The Black Eyed Peas... Bullshit. '55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Wow, this brings me back to 1949, which is before I was born. This sort of stuff is cyclical; why get upset? It'll all come back around some day, like it did last time. We're in a constant cycle of canned vs. live. All things are organic in how they behave, and organic things seek balance. When things get out of balance, it isn't sustainable (and/or people get bored), and it swings back around again. Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 The DWTS orchestra should hire a management company to book them on gigs all over the world. Turn lemons into lemonade. PD "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammondDave Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 It's too bad that the musicians union is so weak. If they tried this bullshit 25 years ago all productions would have ground to a halt. '55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealvicz Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 So they are going to take a successful show featuring ballroom dancing as enjoyed by grey hairs, and jazz it up a bit in the hope that hip young things are going to tune in instead? So they can flog them KFC and Coke instead of pile ointment and incontinence pants? "Just a tad more attack on the filter, Grandad!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 The DWTS orchestra should hire a management company to book them on gigs all over the world. Turn lemons into lemonade. They could even encourage dancing at these gigs. Hook up with those ballroom dancing classes that are popular nowadays and get some of their students to dance for free tickets. Invite the audience in general too. "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Jx Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Let me take the other side of this. I don't watch dancing with the stars, but my wife does and sometimes I'm in the room while it's on. The band's treatment of modern songs are awful to the point of distraction. Imagine Liza Minnelli singing Katy Perry. Picture Joe Piscopo imitating Frank Sinatra singing Bruno Mars. That's the vibe coming from the pit. They may be fine musicians, and when given a chance to play something like "in the mood" they'll nail it. But when every other number is a hack job, it's no surprise that the producers are going another direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brettymike Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I would like to hear some of these lack luster "hack job" performances , to see what you guys are talking about. The whole show got fired here a while back - alas the $cupboard$ was empty , not even a bone for the dog. (but they did keep the live band at the time). Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Jx Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I would like to hear some of these lack luster "hack job" performances , to see what you guys are talking about. [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s9NimkdI6I Here you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve LeBlanc Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I would like to hear some of these lack luster "hack job" performances , to see what you guys are talking about. [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s9NimkdI6I Here you go. nothing wrong with that band IMO http://www.youtube.com/notesleb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brettymike Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Thanks Eric , - in that one , everything sounded fine to me!?!?!. A band I loved and admired was Ricky Minor's band , who used to back American Idol some years ago. Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluzeyone Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Outrageous! An 18 piece band comprised of excellent professional musicians not being able to pull off modern musc? Maybe they needed to tear their shirts off, expose their nipples, and bang out one chord progressions like The Black Eyed Peas... Bullshit. :laugh: +*just pissed my pants* "A good mix is subjective to one's cilia." http://hitnmiss.yolasite.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluzeyone Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Penny pinching for sure..makes me sick.."Dear God you've heard me ask this before..but please take me back to the 1920's." Back when music was played by musicians and seldomly heard without them. "A good mix is subjective to one's cilia." http://hitnmiss.yolasite.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Dave Arch's band on Strictly Come Dancing (you Yanks do know we invented this stuff, eh? ) is pretty impressive, IMO. They do their best to faithfully reproduce the arrangements, albeit in truncated format for the dance, rather than go for a 'brass with everything because we have it' approach, and most of the time they succeed pretty well. Especially given that they have to learn up to about 25 songs each week, with only a couple of days to arrange and rehearse the dance numbers. Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37 Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losendoskeys Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 This is ironic. This show is a spinoff of the BBCs "Strictly Come Dancing" in the UK. The format is identical - same use of an "in-house" band for all the live music. In fact they brought over an American producer to the UK to snazz up the whole production. I really can't see the BBC getting away with eliminating the live music part so let's see what develops here, but as a ballroom dancer myself one of the main features and enjoyment is to dance to live band music. Someone is missing the point.........there again, it's not a dancing competition, it's a popularity contest. Yamaha CP70B;Roland XP30/AXSynth/Fantom/FA76/XR;Hammond XK3C SK2; Korg Kronos 73;ProSoloist Rack+; ARP ProSoloist; Mellotron M4000D; GEM Promega2; Hohner Pianet N, Roland V-Grand,Voyager XL, RMI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 but as a ballroom dancer myself... My God, Alan, you're a dark horse, aren't you? Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37 Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Wright Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 but as a ballroom dancer myself one of the main features and enjoyment is to dance to live band music. My wife dragged me to classes several years ago. It was fun, but the Viennese waltz just about killed me. Never looked at a dance floor during a gig quite the same after! "I cried when I wrote this song Sue me if I play too long" Walter Becker Donald Fagan 1977 Deacon Blues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losendoskeys Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 but as a ballroom dancer myself... My God, Alan, you're a dark horse, aren't you? Aidan It was a pact with the Devil AKA SWMBO - she said seeing as how I spent so much time playing music I should spend a similar amount accompanying her to dancing lessons Still, it does mean I get into close contact with lots of slim ladies.......... http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o430/alanjpearson/Noches%20De%20Tango/746aadf1-bede-41a0-a31b-85e0d211575c_zpsd2447842.jpg Yamaha CP70B;Roland XP30/AXSynth/Fantom/FA76/XR;Hammond XK3C SK2; Korg Kronos 73;ProSoloist Rack+; ARP ProSoloist; Mellotron M4000D; GEM Promega2; Hohner Pianet N, Roland V-Grand,Voyager XL, RMI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingstonCrim Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I was shocked to hear the DWTS band got fired. My wife started watching this show some years ago, and eventually I started watching it with her, and it became one of my little "guilty pleasures". Lots of fine dancing, sweet young things in skimpy outfits, and some really actually well-produced music. Hardly a show goes by when we don't comment to each other about how Harold Wheeler and the band/singers do a knock-out job each week. I mean, the sheer variety of styles they have to cover and THAT MANY new songs & arrangements each week complete with strings, horns etc. and they pretty much nail it. Keeping in mind the context of the show and what their role is, even if I don't love every song they always did an impressive job. Now there's one less big reason to keep watching. Yeah it's gotta be expensive to keep the live band, but this is a highly successful show and there's gotta be plenty of budget available. Corporate greed at it's lowest. Sadness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegerardi Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 This show is a spinoff of the BBCs "Strictly Come Dancing" in the UK. No it isn't- There hasn't yet been a woman on DWTS that can hold a candle to Flavia Cacace. They're just poor imitations. Good thing I'm in the US- I'd be stalking her for sure just to get one chance to Argentine Tango with her... And with blown out knees from tennis, I can't Argentine Tango! ..Joe Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losendoskeys Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 This show is a spinoff of the BBCs "Strictly Come Dancing" in the UK. No it isn't- There hasn't yet been a woman on DWTS that can hold a candle to Flavia Cacace. They're just poor imitations. Good thing I'm in the US- I'd be stalking her for sure just to get one chance to Argentine Tango with her... And with blown out knees from tennis, I can't Argentine Tango! ..Joe LOL! I know her well - she taught us years ago before SCD and I have danced Arg Tango with her, as well as others! Wait til I see her next.......... But actually, Argentine Tango aside, as the majority of pro dancers are just Ballroom/Latin trained, I disagree. There are some brilliant male and female dancers on the US show which put many of the UK dancers to shame. in particular Derek and Julianne Hough - who trained in the UK. Absolutely stunning. I remember watching Derek doing a spin turn in the quick step and had to slow down the replay to see he actually did the spin TWICE in the time everyone else takes to do once - phenomenal. Yamaha CP70B;Roland XP30/AXSynth/Fantom/FA76/XR;Hammond XK3C SK2; Korg Kronos 73;ProSoloist Rack+; ARP ProSoloist; Mellotron M4000D; GEM Promega2; Hohner Pianet N, Roland V-Grand,Voyager XL, RMI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 My wife occasionally watches the show, and I'm always amused at how I can get sucked into it. I never made a point of paying attention to the band, but was often struck by how thoroughly professional and capable they were at handling an incredibly wide range of material with grace and finesse. It was especially nice when they had superstars joining in. They even had Stevie one night, and they kicked ass IMHO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tmztb_2QTA I don't expect a dance orchestra to sound exactly like the originals. Heck, I don't even expect the original artist to sound like the record. Not that it's my favorite style of production -- it's not. But if I were the producer, it's pretty much exactly what I'd be shooting for, given the context. It's a frickin' dance show for a mass audience, and given that, they nail it, and they brought a lot to the show. I'll defer to people with more insight into pro music, but as far as I can tell, these guys bring it. Er, brought it. The show will be weaker for the change. It won't kill the show, though. Most viewers are more interested in the dancing than the music. Ticket sales to the show may suffer, but probably not as much as the quality of the live show will. Put it this way: if I was in town and didn't have anything planned and my wife suggested seeing the show live, with the live band I wouldn't hesitate. With canned music, I would. But .... well, I doubt I'm typical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmammal Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 The reason the union has no teeth any more is because they tried very hard during the strike in Vegas like 25 years ago or whenever it was and wound up losing. We all know lots of Vegas shows are canned or mostly canned now. The kids started really getting into DJ's what, 15-20 years ago? Those "kids" are now 30-40 and are the meat of the advertising demo. Us old farts can talk all we want about how you're not going to watch any more, how it's all bullshit and all that happy stuff. Trust me, nobody cares. At all. Commercial entertainment of all kinds has always been aimed at the younger demo. This talk reminds me of the famous Hollywood story about Paul Henreid going to some casting calls later in his life. He walks into the casting directors office and it's a young twentysomething kid. He asks Paul what he's done and without a word Paul pulls out two cigarettes, lights them both and offers one to the kid. The kid says, no thanks I don't smoke. I have no idea if this is actually a true story or just an inside joke but it illustrates the point. Bob Hammond SK1, Mojo 61, Kurzweil PC3, Korg Pa3x, Roland FA06, Band in a Box, Real Band, Studio One, too much stuff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dongna Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Trust me, nobody cares. At all. I think this. I mentioned the band getting fired to my wife (who sometimes watches the show), and her reply was "there's a band?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkFloydDudi Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I would like to hear some of these lack luster "hack job" performances , to see what you guys are talking about. [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s9NimkdI6I Here you go. [video:youtube] That is how the song is meant to sound... Anything with trance-style stuff, I'm sorry but that band simply does not cut it. I sort of disagree with anyone saying they are trying to save money. That show is making millions of dollars. I would find it difficult to believe that the amount spent on that band was really breaking them. In the article, there is a direct quote saying it wasn't about the money. Now whether that is 100% accurate is of course unknown. What I do know, is a song like in the example above - people don't want to hear some corny 18-person band rendition of it. It is a pop dance tune, which requires synths - which that band failed miserably at reproducing. But while I hate to see a live band being replaced - I have heard people who watch the show complain that band just doesn't do a lot of the modern songs justice. Now why they didn't just add another keyboard player or 2 in, I'm not sure? I would think that would allow them to bring in any samples or newer sounds? nothing wrong with that band IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.