Members chord123 Posted March 28, 2017 Members Share Posted March 28, 2017 Our classic rock band started a year ago got booked for 50th class reunion--play list would be heavy on 60's and 70's tunes Any suggestions on tunes. Anybody play a class reunion before?Number of guests: 100 guestsRequested: Classic Rock Band Equipment Needed: Sound/PA SystemLightingMicrophonesBackline (instruments) Expenses Covered: Yes, but it depends on the budget Age Range of Audience: 45-6465+ Performance Loc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted March 28, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 28, 2017 Done it [10 years ago for 40th...]For that crowd, heavy on Beatles Pre-White Album, Beach Boys, Jefferson Airplane [pre-Volunteers], Buffalo Springfield, Herman's Hermits, Tommy James, Stones, Rascals, Lovin' Spoonful, Monkees...and some good MoTown and Stax material like the Four Tops, Temptations, Marvin Gay, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Sam and Dave...this is the poprock/late Brit Invasion/soul crowd, so keep the stoner rock to a minimum [Hendrix, Cream, Zep, etc., but you will get requests for it]. If you have a female vocalist, then there is also Aretha and the Supremes material... Take a look at the Billboard Hot 100 for 1966 to 1968...http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1966/hot-100http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1967/hot-100http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1968/hot-100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members senorblues Posted March 30, 2017 Members Share Posted March 30, 2017 The first band I ever played in was comprised of students in Ms. Butts 4th period Junior English class. We graduated HS in 1965 and have played for two reunions (although not the 50th). The set list was all hits from those two years. Like riding a bicycle . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted March 30, 2017 Members Share Posted March 30, 2017 Still Alive and Well.When I'm 64Life's Been Good To Me So FarCat's In The CradleOld and in the Way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chord123 Posted April 1, 2017 Author Members Share Posted April 1, 2017 This our songlist. for the 50th reunion. We want to add 10 more easy songs. The Beatles,The Beach Boys and Jefferson Airplane are out of our league. We don't do vocal harmonies. We have a keyboard player. Any easy song suggestions. Anybody ever do Twist and shout. The vocals sound tough. Wild Thing sounds like it might work. 1 American Band2 Green River 3 Mississippi Queen 4 Who'l stop the rain 5 All Right Now 6 Carol7 Cocaine8 Got a Line on You 9 Tush10 Johnnie B Goode Set 21 Ridin the Storm Out2 Born to be Wild3 Bang a Gong4 Jumpin Jack Flash5 Gloria6 WonderfulTonight7 Suzie Q8 Long Cool Woman9 Takin Care of Business10 Sweet Home Alabama11.Satisfaction12 Paint it Black13 For Whats its worth14 Roll Over Beethoven Set 31 Ramblin' Gamblin' Man2 Smoke on the Water3 Brown Sugar4 Simple Man5 Saturday Night Special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members senorblues Posted April 1, 2017 Members Share Posted April 1, 2017 Check out Billboard top 40 lists for specific years. If we're talking about the class of '67, most of your songs were released a few years later. Not that they all stopped listening to music after graduation, but if it's about shared high school experiences, you might want to go back a few years to fill out your list. The tricky thing is that I gather you're all younger than they are and music changed dramatically from the early to the late 60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted April 1, 2017 Moderators Share Posted April 1, 2017 and those relate to the mid 1960's how? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted April 1, 2017 Moderators Share Posted April 1, 2017 I already gave them links to the Billboard top 100...they are not the right band for this gig...no harmonies? Brit Invasion era...I'm a bit younger than the celebrants, but I was alive when that was all happening... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted April 1, 2017 Moderators Share Posted April 1, 2017 okay, easy, with keys? From The Appropriate Era [your list does not cover their HS years...!!]No harmonies? Gee, Twist and Shout sounds hard? You guys should give up, seriously, this is not the right gig for your band...Garage rock then:96 TearsLouis LouieWild ThingShoutLighter Shade of PaleGreen OnionsLike a Rolling StoneAin't Too Proud To BegWooly BullyHang on Sloopy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted April 2, 2017 Members Share Posted April 2, 2017 Yeah. It's a HS reunion gig. Play songs from the years they were in HS. Figuring out setlists doesn't get any easier than this. They are there for the HS memories. Give them those. Not songs that came out as they were going through the first divorce. Daddymacks suggestions are all great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members senorblues Posted April 2, 2017 Members Share Posted April 2, 2017 How many of you would take this gig? Learn thirty-five songs, nearly all a fair amount older than what you are currently playing? Near as I can tell, your pay is as yet undetermined. Whose bright idea was this? The only reunion gig I've ever done and would ever do, would be my own with my old bandmates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted April 2, 2017 Members Share Posted April 2, 2017 I did my 50th, and when I was in school, I played for the same people. Oh my did they get old I just played songs that were popular when we were in school together plus 3 or 4 years before and after. I also threw in some newer songs that I know that age group likes, but since it was a reunion, I kept most of the show full of oldies. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted April 2, 2017 Members Share Posted April 2, 2017 Pay undetermined is a deal breaker for me. Learning the songs would depend on if I can still use them after the gig. If not, I'd have to charge a lot of money to take the gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted April 2, 2017 Members Share Posted April 2, 2017 I'd say "Don't take the gig." If you can't do Beach Boys, Beatles, Airplane, and have the confidence to pull the gig off well, it's better not to take the gig. There is not much worse than a gig gone bad. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chord123 Posted April 2, 2017 Author Members Share Posted April 2, 2017 Garage RockI Fought The LawGood Lovin Ballad Love is All Around Fortunate Son (For those who fought in the Vietnam war) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted April 3, 2017 Moderators Share Posted April 3, 2017 Thank you, guido...I do try... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted April 3, 2017 Members Share Posted April 3, 2017 How many of you would take this gig? Learn thirty-five songs' date=' nearly all a fair amount older than what you are currently playing? Near as I can tell, your pay is as yet undetermined. Whose bright idea was this? The only reunion gig I've ever done and would ever do, would be my own with my old bandmates.[/quote'] I wouldn't take such a gig. The idea is to hire the right band in the first place and if you're the wrong band, to not take it. Nothing sucks more than playing for 3 hours when you know you're the wrong band for the event. Having said that, it isn't imperitive that your entire set list be from the 4 years these people were in HS. But hit the high notes. 10 of them should be? The rest should lean more towards older songs than more recent. Most of these people would feel more nostalgic about hearing 50s rather than 70s I would think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted April 3, 2017 Moderators Share Posted April 3, 2017 ^yeah, now you're getting it... but remember Good Lovin' has a call and response...Other songs requiring no harmony or can be done sans harmony effectively, from that Era..Summer in the CityMr. SoulEight Days a WeekMrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely DaughterOver Under Sideways DownWell Respected ManYou Really Got meThe Last TimeSweet Little 16Roll Over BeethovenHail Hail Rock and RollMemphisSecret Agent ManFor Your LoveI'm Looking Through YouWhen A Man Loves A WomanSittin' on the Dock of the BaySunshine SupermanMellow YellowPenny LaneLight My FireRoadhouse BluesRiders on the StormThe LetterHello, I Love YouI Heard It Through The Grapevine Keep these ones from your original list, add in the one's I suggested and you have the right show!2 Green River 4 Who'll stop the rain 6 Carol8 Got a Line on You 10 Johnnie B Goode2 Born to be Wild3 Bang a Gong4 Jumpin Jack Flash5 Gloria7 Suzie Q11.Satisfaction12 Paint it Black13 For What Its worth14 Roll Over Beethoven This is your closer...a nice slow song with a sentimental touch...6 WonderfulTonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chord123 Posted April 3, 2017 Author Members Share Posted April 3, 2017 How about Chuck Berry " School Days" the song that describes the high school experience. Up in the mornin' and out to schoolThe teacher is teachin' the Golden RuleAmerican history and practical mathYou studyin' hard and hopin' to passWorkin' your fingers right down to the boneAnd the guy behind you won't leave you alone Ring, ring goes the bell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted April 4, 2017 Members Share Posted April 4, 2017 How about Chuck Berry " School Days" the song that describes the high school experience. Up in the mornin' and out to school The teacher is teachin' the Golden Rule American history and practical math You studyin' hard and hopin' to pass Workin' your fingers right down to the bone And the guy behind you won't leave you alone Ring, ring goes the bell I think many classic 50s songs would work fine. These are songs that are from grade school for these people, so they'll have fond memories of them as well. However, I wouldn't fall into the trap of thinking the specifics of the lyric is going to make a difference. Nobody is listening to or paying attention to the lyrics. They are drinking and dancing and singing along rather involuntarily from memory-response. The Berry tunes Daddymack mentioned will all work better because they are better known songs. But "School Days" is probably fine too if you'd rather play that one than something else. As a general rule, it can be easy as a musician to overthink the songs in the setlist. We've all made this mistake at one time or another, I'm sure. Always remember that the audience response to songs is rather primal and instinctive. They aren't there to think. They are there to move and be moved. 3 people out of 100 at this gig might like "School Days" better than "Roll over Beethoven" because of the lyrics. But "Beethoven" will be more likely to fill the dance floor. IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chord123 Posted April 4, 2017 Author Members Share Posted April 4, 2017 Also our singer is a baritone and higher pitched songs are out of his range. So were looking for lower pitched vocals. Although our bass player has higher pitched voice you could call maybe a tenor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Drummer44 Posted April 4, 2017 Members Share Posted April 4, 2017 Also our singer is a baritone and higher pitched songs are out of his range. So were looking for lower pitched vocals. Although our bass player has higher pitched voice you could call maybe a tenor. Just play some of those songs in lower keys. Easy. And in some cases, better. If we played a 50th reunion, all we'd have to do is play what we played 50 years ago. Gak! Although we had a female vocalist who's voice was every bit as good as Grace Slick's... so those always got everyone's attention. Back then, it was important to be able to intersperse enough slow songs throughout the evening. Can't tell whether that would apply to a 50th reunion crowd, but it was mandatory at the time. I'd imagine a few songs especially selected for audience sing-along might get some love. Even have some pre-printed lyric sheets to hand out... We've done something like that more recently, and mostly the (ahem: older) crowd seemed to enjoy that. We even got audience members to come up and do lead vocals on a few songs; some of that was semi-ghastly but the crowd went wild. -D44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted April 4, 2017 Members Share Posted April 4, 2017 We even got audience members to come up and do lead vocals on a few songs; some of that was semi-ghastly but the crowd went wild. Turning into somewhat of a karaoke night is always a good option. Especially if that band's singers aren't all that great. People would much rather watch the Football Hero and the Prom Queen make fools of themselves on stage trying to sing "Heard It Through The Grapevine" than listen to the band do a mediocre-at-best version of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted April 4, 2017 Moderators Share Posted April 4, 2017 ^ yep most of those songs are easily re-keyed to suit your vocalist, but looking at the original list you put up, I don't think there was much of my list that he couldn't manage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted April 6, 2017 Members Share Posted April 6, 2017 I agree. Nothing is worse than being mis-booked for a gig. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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