Members steve mac Posted May 8, 2016 Members Share Posted May 8, 2016 Out to dinner last night at a beach restaurant when I was "tapped up" to do a regular weekly gig there. Whilst discussing terms I asked if it was ok to tell some of my more risqué stories between songs and I thought the owners reply was genius. He said, "Just play Living Next Door to Alice" as your first song, if they join in then yes, if they don't then no." Don't know why I've never thought of this before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted May 9, 2016 Members Share Posted May 9, 2016 I'm clueless. I checked out the song on YouTube and it's not bawdy at all. Why is this an indication? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members senorblues Posted May 9, 2016 Members Share Posted May 9, 2016 I checked, too. Never heard it before and wondered what the fuss was about . . . . until I checked the comments and saw that "getting into her pants" was a popular reinterpretation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 9, 2016 Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2016 Must be some colloquial Brit thing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted May 9, 2016 Author Members Share Posted May 9, 2016 It's a lovely, innocuous song which was a hit in the seventies for a band called Smokie, but when they started playing it live and got to the chorus, it became a call and response with the crowd. They sang " living next door to Alice" and the crowd shout back, querying Alice's identity. I use the song occasionally to "waken up" an audience and get them singing, it has never failed. However I have never thought of using it as a test of how blue I could go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted May 9, 2016 Author Members Share Posted May 9, 2016 It's all over Europe and Austrailia etc. it was also a hit in USA but I guess Amercans are too refined to sing back to it. (sorry made myself laugh then) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted May 9, 2016 Members Share Posted May 9, 2016 You can do the same thing around these parts with "Mony Mony".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members STM86 Posted May 9, 2016 Members Share Posted May 9, 2016 Where's the f-ing salt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 10, 2016 Moderators Share Posted May 10, 2016 Years ago, I heard a guy do a song live titled 'If You See Kaye...' which never got any radio airplay... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted May 10, 2016 Members Share Posted May 10, 2016 Thanks Steve. Now I've got the damn thing running through my head. What a strange thing, though, to have happen to your only[?] hit song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted May 10, 2016 Author Members Share Posted May 10, 2016 It is an earworm. I can't imagine you could play it anywhere outside of the US and not get that response. I fingerpick the first verse which just adds to the poignancy before the chorus hits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted May 11, 2016 Members Share Posted May 11, 2016 You could play it in Canada and not get that response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted May 11, 2016 Members Share Posted May 11, 2016 I am thinking that an audience needs to be fairly well lubricated before you will get the expected response? Maybe not the best choice for first song? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted May 11, 2016 Author Members Share Posted May 11, 2016 I think perhaps. I play too more erm, now how can I put it? Less refined crowds than some here. Most will have been on the beer since breakfast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted May 12, 2016 Members Share Posted May 12, 2016 Over here they ask for "Strokin" by Clarence Carter and the rednecks used to ask for Jimmy Buffett's "Let's Get Drunk And Screw". We play a mixed audience, and so we don't do either of those. Long ago I found out that when you do "everybody's music" it's easier to make enemies than it is to make friends. So we don't go too hard-core in any one genre and try not to offend anybody (and there are a lot of prudes in the USA - much more than I noticed in Europe). Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 12, 2016 Moderators Share Posted May 12, 2016 prudes? in the USA? Say it isn't so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members STM86 Posted May 13, 2016 Members Share Posted May 13, 2016 Try replacing sex with violence. We love ourselves some violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted May 14, 2016 Members Share Posted May 14, 2016 I've often wondered why we appreciate violence more than sex. In the movies, graphic violence is often G or PG (depending on how graphic) while naked female breasts or any simulated sex is R to be sure. Confusing: Murder is illegal, put portraying murder on TV or the Movies is legal. Sex is legal but portraying it on TV or the Movies is very restricted and depending on when, illegal. Personally, I hope my children have great sex in their lifetime, and I hope they have no violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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