Does anyone know the real way to play Brick House

[llatham]

And would care to share it?

 

I'm getting triads like C and Bm (to make Am7 and D6) for the RH - seems like it basically does first inversion versions of C, Bm, and Am, and sometimes a higher 2nd inversion C, then down to a plain D triad.

 

Though it varies throughout that seems to be the basic gist of it.

 

The LH is a different story - I can hear "in between" low notes like a D or an E here and there...but the rest I have no clue - slow downer apps - I can pick some things out but just not skilled enough to really know if something "obvious" is going on.

 

I'm not looking to exactly transcribe the whole thing but it would be nice to get at least a basic pattern down for both hands and then just kind of vary the upper triad parts for variety.

 

Also the break - seems like something like A7sus4 - A-D-E-G - I've seen all kinds of variations - Am9 or Em/A or a G/A and things like that...Since the horns are also playing that one's not as big a deal.

 

Too many things online are just "piano arrangements" that try to include the vocal lines or horns and so on. I just want what the EP actually plays, or at least a pass or two that I can use as a jumping off point - I prefer to play "note for note" outside of obvious improvisatory things, but while there's some improv going on here there is a "basic principle" and that's what I'm looking for.

 

TIA if you can help.

[Morrissey]

Check out the second half of this thread for some relevant discussion: https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2874484/2

[Stokely]

I found a youtube vid a long while back that showed the horn parts, or at least a simple version. Sounds right to me, but I happen to HATE keyboard horns and avoid them if I can get away with it. Just a personal preference.

 

We've played it a million times and people love it even though our version isn't "real". We are a five piece rock band and play it accordingly and it works We worry about the groove and energy as a band.

[Theo Verelst]

The song has a strong cynical component with bluesy elements, that's an essential component. I plaued it on stage as a number of vamps with improvised groove elements, a bit more as a happy song than the original. That still requires groove-ability which may or may not possess, and and instrument that sound a bit right for the job, like most plugins I've heard will most likely fail.

 

T

[KuruPrionz]

We used to play it, the bassist carried the day, that and the singers.

 

I knew where to put the "Uhhh!!!", that's important.

 

With drums, keys, guitar, bass and two lead singers (keyboards and I did most of the vocal harmonies), there is only so much you can get done.

If the dance floor is full, you've done your job.

 

We were a Motown cover band. You'd need strings, horns, a chorus/choir, congas and bongoes and all sorts of fun stuff to pull off a real Motown Tribute act. Not gonna be enough money to pay 20+ people anyway, I have no idea how Ray Charles pulled it off but he did.

[Baldwin Funster]

The most important part. Is the pronunciation of 'OUSE!

[MathOfInsects]

My condolences. That song is solidly in my "However many times I played that song, that's enough times to play that song" category for me. Maybe it will have some retro/nostalgic/ironic charm if it ever comes back into rotation now. But I am not hopeful.

[zxcvbnm098]

While I do roll my eyes periodically for songs like this, Mustang Sally, et al, my mood always brightens when I see the dance floor packed and people singing along. I would rather do a night of all songs I'm tired of playing but the audience is grooving to than something I get personal satisfaction playing but the audience is lukewarm on. Brick House NEVER disappoints when it comes to packing the dance floor....and I do mean NEVER.

 

YMMV...

[El Lobo]

I have no idea how Ray Charles pulled it off but he did.

"If you want to be a Raelette, you have to let Ray." Maybe never said, but the idea was real.

[Shamanczarek]

It's been about thirty years since I played this in a band. About fifteen years ago the band I was in wanted to do it. We rehearsed it for a couple of weeks and I was working out simulating the horn section. I found the recurring sax riff could be done with just the left hand on an alto sax and I could do the trumpet harmony with the right hand on keys. It was starting to come together musically but after a lot of effort the singer had to concede it just wasn't his style. So luckily I escaped having to play it.

 

Wish I had this isolated mix back when I did play it.

 

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaB-CAYTMPI

[llatham]

 

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaB-CAYTMPI

 

Oddly I couldn't seem to find this one on YT but it is the Isolated Audio track that I have.

 

But no one seems to know how to play just the keys.

[dazzjazz]

You can clearly hear the rhodes comping in the breakdown towards the end of the tune....I love the little RH/LH interplay on the Rhodes - who played that?

Here's the right hand...like a lot of funk it has a distinct latin clave to it.

 

[jejefunkyman]

Thanks a lot for the isolated tracks and for the right hand transcription ð I"m still playing this tune and loving it ð! As said before, it"s a real dancefloor filler, and I like how it grooves (when the drummer and the bass player do it right ð).

 

I was playing the keys slightly differently but I will change this to play it as described here, to respect the original groove.

 

I"m also handling the horns, as my band doesn"t have a horn section, but here I can of course only play a simplified version of it.

 

I"m using the Vox Conti"s horn sounds, which are quite nice and fit well for this song.