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Proud Marys of yesterday and today


pogo97

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I was practising and turned to "You are My Sunshine" and it struck me that it was probably the "Margaritaville" of the 40s and 50s. An older friend of mine used to call wedding gigs "Proud Marys" because you'd always have to play "Proud Mary." "BEG." Today, maybe "Wagon Wheel"?

 

Any thoughts about what the "you gotta learn them for a wedding gig, no excuses" songs have been over the years?

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'At Last'...ever since Beyonce covered it, at every wedding gig it is on the list. Naturally, I prefer the Etta James version...and the SophistiCats version was pretty good too...;)

I do it in the solo act, but usually as a request, or I feel like channeling Etta [i do 'I'd Rather Go Blind' as well, but definitely not a wedding song ;) ]

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IME the new "middle of the road" must play wedding songs today are things like Uptown Funk, Rolling In The Deep, Moves Like Jagger and so on. Maybe Rehab and Mercy if they are drunk enough. Basically dance tunes that are a few years old. For older folks, nothing has changed but the new set seem to like songs from their yesteryear, which is only a few years ago. "OMG, I haven't heard this song in ages, 2015 was soooo long ago - I just love this classic retro stuff".

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That's nothing new though...one keyboardist acquaintance was whining about a recent wedding he did, where he got requests from the guests for material by Pantera, ColdPlay and Slipknot...on acoustic piano? Seriously...people really are clueless about music, and worse when the drinks are free...

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A bit off-topic, but clueless request:

 

I'm playing at a retirement home at 5:30 today. I was told that their theme right now is "the arctic." Not a big song topic, but I trotted out my winter songs and brushed them up and learned "when the iceworms nest again" (a really really stupid song, but actually uses the word "arctic").

 

This morning I get this email: "... just touching base about tonight Caribbean music would be great would like it all to be upbeat if that’s ok"

 

So I know what I'm doing today.

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For bands' date=' I think "Play That Funy Music" and "Brick House"...[/quote']

 

Two songs my wedding band has never played and never gets requests for. But if we did, I'm sure they'd work just fine. I put both of these into the "generics" category for which 100 other similar songs would suffice and as long as you do something similar to those, the audience is going go to be just as happy.

 

For us it's probably "Billie Jean" and "Stayin' Alive" that work just as well in those slots.

 

As far as "no excuses" songs go...."Shout", "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Don't Stop Believin'" are probably as close as we get to songs we just would almost never do a wedding without playing.

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I'm always amazed when I see folks chanting "no, no, no" as if Amy was still alive, and it is all just a big joke. Oh well, no stranger than me playing it. However I would never do the tune solo - then the blame would all be on me. I did get a request for Mercy the other day. The sax player in my duo thought she meant Mercy, Mercy... but I knew she meant the Duffy tune.

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Billie Jean... the new Brown Eyed Girl - it keeps going and going and going. Guess I better learn the words, 'cause I keep playing and mumbling it - not my finest hour. Funny how the youngsters really like that tune. Guess a good beat is a good beat.

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Never mind yesteryear. I just played a place this Sunday where there was a fan convention for the TV show Once Upon A Time. http://www.creationent.com/cal/ouat_vancouver.html Near the end of my shift, the room started filling up with young "twenty something" year old women.

 

The young solo artist after me, started off with Proud Mary. The ladies loved it, especially since he followed it up with some current song that sounded quite similar. Great voice, talented kid. Yep, I have met the competition, and they are nineteen, or twenty-seven, same difference...

 

The younger solo performers have it pretty good. If necessary, they can get by on their looks, and they can do all the old crusty musty tunes they want, and not get called "dated". Oh well, it was my turn long ago - guess I can't complain.

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The younger solo performers have it pretty good. If necessary, they can get by on their looks, and they can do all the old crusty musty tunes they want, and not get called "dated". Oh well, it was my turn long ago - guess I can't complain.

 

Yep. I knew I'd get old, but I had no concept of being old. The things I believed. Oh my!

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Funny, I was just talking to someone about wedding songs on Saturday night, and how people request weird songs, like Rehab, and she was telling me how she gets requests for Billie Jean at weddings...and she looks at the requestor and says 'you realize this about a girl trying to frame a guy for a paternity suit, right?'

I don't think kids ever get to the lyrical content anymore...it is all about the 'beats'...beats me...

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Never mind yesteryear. I just played a place this Sunday where there was a fan convention for the TV show Once Upon A Time. http://www.creationent.com/cal/ouat_vancouver.html Near the end of my shift, the room started filling up with young "twenty something" year old women.

 

The young solo artist after me, started off with Proud Mary. The ladies loved it, especially since he followed it up with some current song that sounded quite similar. Great voice, talented kid. Yep, I have met the competition, and they are nineteen, or twenty-seven, same difference...

 

The younger solo performers have it pretty good. If necessary, they can get by on their looks, and they can do all the old crusty musty tunes they want, and not get called "dated". Oh well, it was my turn long ago - guess I can't complain.

 

I would be one of the young ones. I mean, I'm pushing 30, but for the solo guy market I fall on the young side. I know when I drop by these forums, I'm probably the worst musician in the room. Which is kind of the point I suppose. But I know that youth alone has a lot to do with the good responses I get. I'm young enough to not be "old," and old enough to not be looked at like a child.

 

To answer the original question though, it's Wagon Wheel. Tips vary wildly from night to night, and I have my other "signature" tunes, but I get tips for that one every single time. And what's odd is that it's so darn straight forward and midrangey. I've never done anything with it. Just play the same chords over and over and sing it. People just love that song. It's a nice pleasant tune, but I just haven't ever been able to identify what makes it such a hit.

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Wagon Wheel...another song where I would hardly call the lyrics exactly 'romantic', or compelling, good storytelling or anything else that would make me like a song. I looked at it when it first was getting big [good lord, two years ago?!?] and felt it would be gone in 6 months based on lack of content, etc. ...'Look how wrong you can be...'

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Enjoy your youth, I'm envious of the road ahead of you, but I'm not sure I would want to do it all over again - maybe just some of it :) And don't sell yourself short. If people are digging what you do, then you must be doing something (or a lot of things) right.

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When we started playing the yacht club / country club / retirement development market, the most requested song was "Stardust", followed by "In The Mood". Nobody requests them anymore.

 

Same for "Alley Cat"

 

As the baby boomers moved into the market it was "Shout" and that one died when they ran out of energy

 

"Proud Mary" took it's turn as well as "Joy To The World" (3 dog night).

 

"Love Shack" seems to have run its course.

 

"Kenny G" has faded (they never asked for a particular song, just Kenny G).

 

I won't mention BEG, "Sweet Caroline" and a few others, because they haven't faded yet. But all things must pass.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

 

.

 

 

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We learned Wagon Wheel back in 2005 from the Old Crow version and thought we'd pretty much driven it into the ground with our crowds. Eight years later Darius digs that fossil back up and now there's no escaping it. I'd always referred to it as the new Old Time R&R, but same idea really.

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Whenever this subject comes up, I keep wondering what the source of requests is. Is It music they play at home or in their car? Is it music they think you're style is especially suited to? (I wish!) My theory is that often as not they request songs that other performers have played the last time they went out for a night of dinner/drinks/music.

 

So there's a self-reinforcing cycle determined by your peers. No?

 

I would at least hope that the keys guys get different requests than the guitar players. . . .

 

Observations/questions from an obviously newbie soloist . . . . .

 

(I can't imagine anyone asking me for "Wagon Wheel". We'll see.)

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I would at least hope that the keys guys get different requests than the guitar players. . . .

 

I play piano. I had finished a set of early 30s material. A woman asked me if I could play "Margaritaville." So, no.

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