Members chord123 Posted November 3, 2015 Members Share Posted November 3, 2015 Anybody cover Sex Pistols or Journey tunes in their cover bands? Is this a good idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Opus Antics Posted November 3, 2015 Members Share Posted November 3, 2015 Journey always works if your singer can handle it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gismo recording Posted November 3, 2015 Members Share Posted November 3, 2015 Journey always works if your singer can handle it. And even if they can't, drop the key. A band I used to be in did "Loving, Touching, Squeezing". The original is in A but our singer couldn't quite handle it so we did it in G. The audience still dug it. and always sang along with the Na-Na-Na-Na part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 3, 2015 Members Share Posted November 3, 2015 Yep. Pretty much anything off the Journey Greatest Hits CD is going to find a receptive audience. They are all Classic Rock Radio staples. Having a singer who can deliver the songs is the key. Sex Pistols? Not so much. Not for a band playing all the other stuff (CCR, BTO, Mountain, etc) you've talked about doing, anyway. But, like anything else, you never REALLY know until you try it out on your audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jeff42 Posted November 3, 2015 Members Share Posted November 3, 2015 We dont do much classic rock but On occasion we still do Anyway You Want It. In the past have done- separate ways, lights, don't stop believing (or as one drunk girl called it Small Town Girl... GRRRR...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 yea don't do any of the tired played out crap every dad/grand dad band has been peddling for decades:) Try to find tunes that are great, everyone will know but that every other band doesn't play ALL THE TIME! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 yea don't do any of the tired played out crap every dad/grand dad band has been peddling for decades:) Try to find tunes that are great' date=' everyone will know but that every other band doesn't play ALL THE TIME![/quote'] Isn't part of the reason the everybody knows them is because bands play have played them to death? Seriously....what's left from the 60s/70s/80s that "everybody will know" that hasn't been played to death already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 No. There are lots of tunes left that people know and love for whatever reason aren't the 60 songs it's on everybody's list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gismo recording Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 Classic rock songs that most everyone knows that haven't been played to death Pink Floyd: Have a Cigar, Dogs, Mother, Brain Damage/EclipseRolling Stones: Loving Cup, Dead Flowers, Midnight RamblerLed Zeppelin: Your Time is Gonna Come, What Is and What Should Never Be, Four SticksQueen: Now I'm Here, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, Don't Stop Me NowBeatles: You Can't Do That, Rain, It's Only Love, Doctor Robert, And Your Bird Can SingDoobie Brothers: South City Midnight LadyEagles: Life in the Fast LaneSteve Miller Band: SwingtownDavid Bowie: Fame, Golden Years, Young AmericansSpirit: Fresh Garbage, Mr. Skin, It's Nature's WayElton John: Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Come Down in Time, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 Classic rock songs that most everyone knows that haven't been played to death Pink Floyd: Have a Cigar, Dogs, Mother, Brain Damage/Eclipse Rolling Stones: Loving Cup, Dead Flowers, Midnight Rambler Led Zeppelin: Your Time is Gonna Come, What Is and What Should Never Be, Four Sticks Queen: Now I'm Here, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, Don't Stop Me Now Beatles: You Can't Do That, Rain, It's Only Love, Doctor Robert, And Your Bird Can Sing Doobie Brothers: South City Midnight Lady Eagles: Life in the Fast Lane Steve Miller Band: Swingtown David Bowie: Fame, Golden Years, Young Americans Spirit: Fresh Garbage, Mr. Skin, It's Nature's Way Elton John: Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Come Down in Time, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Yeah cause all those songs you just listed will get the crowd on its feet to start dancing. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 Classic rock songs that most everyone knows that haven't been played to death Pink Floyd: Have a Cigar, Dogs, Mother, Brain Damage/Eclipse Rolling Stones: Loving Cup, Dead Flowers, Midnight Rambler Led Zeppelin: Your Time is Gonna Come, What Is and What Should Never Be, Four Sticks Queen: Now I'm Here, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, Don't Stop Me Now Beatles: You Can't Do That, Rain, It's Only Love, Doctor Robert, And Your Bird Can Sing Doobie Brothers: South City Midnight Lady Eagles: Life in the Fast Lane Steve Miller Band: Swingtown David Bowie: Fame, Golden Years, Young Americans Spirit: Fresh Garbage, Mr. Skin, It's Nature's Way Elton John: Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Come Down in Time, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Sorry, but unless "everybody" is only people over 50, most people won't know most of those songs. And most of the rest are complete snoozers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 For example? Which of these underplayed classics are slaying the crowds you play for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 The truth is there has been years and years (decades really) for the list of classic rock songs that "work" to whittle down to what it is and it has done so for a reason: They are the songs that crowds most respond to. It's decades of trial-and-error that has created the list of "standards". And with every year that passes, the number of songs from, say, 1974 that will continue to work on an ever-youngering (not a real word, I know) audience will get smaller and smaller. There ARE a few well-known classics that would work that few bands play because they are too difficult for most bands to perform well---you don't hear too many bands doing a lot of Boston, for example. And to this point bands themselves have helped limit the pool of recognizable tunes by reaching into the Margaritaville-well way too many times because those songs are easy to play. But the idea that you're going to get the same, or better, response from audiences by going "deeper catalog" on them? Sure, bury a couple of them in your set for the fun of it or to break things up or a bit of a vanity thing or whatever, but don't kid yourself that you can run most of your setlist this way. Not if you want to actually keep audiences and have venues wish to hire you back and/or pay you better. I love when people bring this up like it is some lightbulb-going-off brainstorm that they think no one else has ever thought of or tried before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wesg Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 Gizmo - I'm 42 and I only recognized about 1/3 of those song titles. I wouldn't want to play a lot of them in a typical Classic Rock show, either - I normally want people dancing, not looking for utensils with which to slit their wrists. That said, my wife would go ape{censored} if she was in a bar and the band played, "Mother". But she wouldn't get up and dance, she'd sit in her chair and sing along. Swingtown would be fun, though. It has a good hook and good drums. Our current "surprise hit" is Power Of Love (Huey Lewis). Maybe because of the press coverage we've seen given that this is "the year". Or maybe it's just because we really enjoy playing it, and it's a good song with a strong dance feel. I don't think I've ever seen another band do it. I wonder how long it will last for us. It's true that a lot of the songs out there are from the Margarita well. We play some that aren't that go over reasonably well -- Don't Fear The Reaper, Born To Run, Smooth -- but they required significant rehearsal and still need regular upkeep. But MS and BEG fill the floor every time. Wes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 My band did "Swingtown" for a bit several years ago back in our bar-band days. It got a 'meh' response, even back then. 15+ years ago, Steve Miller used to have a Bob Marley like appeal to the young hippie/snowboarder kids (in my neck of the woods, anyway) but that has long since waned. But there are certainly worse songs in the world to try and do. "Life In The Fast Lane" is about as overplayed on radio as any song ever has been in the history of music. But a lot of bands don't do it because it's difficult to pull off all those guitar parts well. But if you can play it, it'd probably be a good one to do. The Bowie stuff MIGHT work for the right band in the right situation. "Fame" off that list is the obvious winner. The other two won't have much connection to people under 40. The rest of the stuff on Gizmo's list? MIGHT work if you were in a Queen or Pink Floyd tribute band, but even then----you're going to play "Dogs" for 18 minutes? Or even for 4 and find many people who recognize it? Really? Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy? Outside of hardcore Queen fans, who has ever heard that song? In what universe is that a song "most everyone knows"? "Power of Love" is a good one for sure. Especially this year, like you say. A pretty good clue is any time you start hearing stuff on TV commercials, it's going to connect well with SOMEBODY. These advertising guys research this stuff pretty thoroughly. But then again---make sure to note who they are trying to connect that song with. If they are using it in a Geritol commercial, that may not be the audience you're trying to reach? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 Classic rock songs that most everyone knows that haven't been played to death Pink Floyd: Have a Cigar, Dogs, Mother, Brain Damage/Eclipse Rolling Stones: Loving Cup, Dead Flowers, Midnight Rambler Led Zeppelin: Your Time is Gonna Come, What Is and What Should Never Be, Four Sticks Queen: Now I'm Here, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, Don't Stop Me Now Beatles: You Can't Do That, Rain, It's Only Love, Doctor Robert, And Your Bird Can Sing Doobie Brothers: South City Midnight Lady Eagles: Life in the Fast Lane Steve Miller Band: Swingtown David Bowie: Fame, Golden Years, Young Americans Spirit: Fresh Garbage, Mr. Skin, It's Nature's Way Elton John: Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Come Down in Time, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Hate To pile on here but this is more of a B list of covers. As Guido said... this will play OK for the AARP crowd... but honestly even many of them would be scratching their heads. Play the hits... when you get into deep covers you are really creating a songlist for yourself and not the audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 4, 2015 Members Share Posted November 4, 2015 One classic song I seem to hear on some TV commercial or another a lot lately that I don't think too many bands play that might work for some bands is "Shambala" by Three Dog Night. "Mama Told Me Not To Come" gets played much more but is another good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted November 5, 2015 Members Share Posted November 5, 2015 One classic song I seem to hear on some TV commercial or another a lot lately that I don't think too many bands play that might work for some bands is "Shambala" by Three Dog Night. "Mama Told Me Not To Come" gets played much more but is another good one. The classic rock band I play with does Shambala every now and then. People will dance to it but not like they do when we play Don't stop believing or you shook me all night long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 5, 2015 Members Share Posted November 5, 2015 The classic rock band I play with does Shambala every now and then. People will dance to it but not like they do when we play Don't stop believing or you shook me all night long. I wouldn't think so. I'm just trying to think of any 'not so covered' songs that might still work and would maybe kinda sorta fit with what the OP wants to do. There's not a lot. I think all the classic rock gold has been pretty well mined over the last couple of decades. While our setlist contains a lot of older stuff that isn't strictly "classic rock" (disco, pop, R&B, hip hop) that works as well as the rock stuff for us, I'd say we are down to only about a half-dozen or so songs a night that are technically, full on "classic rock". Wanna guess 'em? Betcha can! Those two you mentioned plus: Pour Some Sugar On Me Livin' On A Prayer Your Love Any Way You Want It Jessie's Girl I Love Rock n Roll Played out to mother effin' death every single one of those. But if anybody has any "less played" gems that will work as well for us in those same spots in the set? That are going to pack the dance floor better and get the crowd screaming along louder because someone says "oh wow...I haven't heard a band play THAT one in FOREVER....!" I'm all ears. I'll wait right here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted November 5, 2015 Members Share Posted November 5, 2015 I am a Journey hater so refuse to play any even though I know they go over well. We do "How Long" by Ace, a one hit wonder that has a great groove and always gets people up dancing. Never heard anyone else do this and folks seem to instantly recognize it. We play "Life During Wartime" Talking Heads just because someone in the band did it with their old band and it always fills the floor, Just has a great danceable groove. Folsom Prison Blues is always a big hit for us as well Shambala would be a fun tune to add. We do Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap...people seem to like the ACDC And of course Play That Funky Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted November 5, 2015 Members Share Posted November 5, 2015 Personally, I'm limiting my stuff older than the 80's to just the killer great tunes that kill. That said, it doesn't have to be the overplayed bull{censored} either....The crowds that are into that are getting a bit long in the tooth. I'm doing lots of killer 80's that other people aren't playing that much. Peter Gabriel, Mister Mister, Phil Collins, Toto, etc....For the older stuff it's wedding stuff like Motown, Beatles etc.....I can't imagine playing bars for a crowd crusty enough to be into stuff that old anymore but to each his own!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted November 5, 2015 Members Share Posted November 5, 2015 Last weekend we hacked our way thru Don't Stop Believing to a crowd of 950. Went over terrible... (said no one ever!) [video=vimeo;144546323] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 5, 2015 Members Share Posted November 5, 2015 OH man.....you TOTALLY missed the 3 guys in the back walking out because they couldn't stand to hear your band play that waaaay overdone song, didn't you? Total FAIL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted November 5, 2015 Members Share Posted November 5, 2015 OH man.....you TOTALLY missed the 3 guys in the back walking out because they couldn't stand to hear your band play that waaaay overdone song' date=' didn't you? Total FAIL! [img']http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/core/images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] LOL... actually if you look at 4min 8 seconds in the video you can spot the lone dissenter. Arms crossed, expression dour.... he is clearly not having a good time and he is surrounded by a sea of drunk party goers who are screaming this song. He must be a guitarist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 5, 2015 Members Share Posted November 5, 2015 "I can play that solo SO much better than that dude!..." He might also be pissed because the girl standing in front of him is clearly ignoring him while checking out the keyboard player.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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