Members MDLMUSIC Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 I got hired to do a gig at a senior center. The guy in charge of entertainment told me to keep it mellow and low key, since just about everybody there was in their 70's or above. So I started the gig with mellow tunes from the 40's and 50's and got some polite applause. At the first break a lady who was obviously in her 80's came up and asked me if I could play something with more of a beat to it. When I went back on stage, I did "Johnny B. Goode". The entire crowd of about 60 people got up and danced. I followed that up with "Old Time Rock and Roll", then "Mustang Sally", then "Play that Funky Music". The dance floor was full for the entire set. I would do three or four fast songs to every slow song and the crowd loved it. At the end of the night, as I was packing up, the same lady came up and thanked me for livening up the party. As she was leaving she said, "We're old, but we're not dead yet." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 More well known than Johnny B Goode though? You literally have to never listened to rock radio or watched Back to the Future to have missed that song. I don't know how well Johnny B Goode is for anyone under 30 or 40. Yeah, it was in "Back to the Future", but that was 30 years ago and I doubt if I've heard it since then anywhere. The song was the "Sweet Home Alabama" of the 60s and 70s (as far as cover bands go) but I think it pretty much died after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 I got hired to do a gig at a senior center. The guy in charge of entertainment told me to keep it mellow and low key, since just about everybody there was in their 70's or above. So I started the gig with mellow tunes from the 40's and 50's and got some polite applause. At the first break a lady who was obviously in her 80's came up and asked me if I could play something with more of a beat to it. When I went back on stage, I did "Johnny B. Goode". The entire crowd of about 60 people got up and danced. I followed that up with "Old Time Rock and Roll", then "Mustang Sally", then "Play that Funky Music". The dance floor was full for the entire set. I would do three or four fast songs to every slow song and the crowd loved it. At the end of the night, as I was packing up, the same lady came up and thanked me for livening up the party. As she was leaving she said, "We're old, but we're not dead yet." good story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wrongnote85 Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 not a song request, but i once had a very bling'd out, corn row havin, gangsta thug type FREAK THE {censored} OUT when we started playing 'war pigs'. we started with the E to D chord intro and he ran from the back of the bar through the crowd of people to the front of the stage. when he got there he began jumping up and down while holding the guard rail around the stage yelling ''damn nigga, dis is ma song! how did jew kno mang, how did jew know!?!?''. this is all during the INTRO to the song, mind you. he proceeded to sing every word to the tune from the guard rail. it was awesome, and he's been to most of our gigs ever since. really nice guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 I don't know how well Johnny B Goode is for anyone under 30 or 40. Yeah, it was in "Back to the Future", but that was 30 years ago and I doubt if I've heard it since then anywhere. The song was the "Sweet Home Alabama" of the 60s and 70s (as far as cover bands go) but I think it pretty much died after that. It died in 68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 It died in 68 When I was first starting to play in bands as a young teen in the 70s it was one of the songs we did because it was relatively simple. And, like a young bands starting out back then (and now probably) we started out playing a lot of gigs at community events and such. So 50s stuff went over pretty well at those events and we could fumble through a lot of those songs OK. The 40 somethings who were hiring us liked those songs and there was that whole "American Grafitti"/"Happy Days" nostalgia thing going on at the time. "Back To The Future" played into that as well. When was that movie? 1985? And my big-hair 80s rock band did a couple of rocked-up versions of 50s songs that worked around that same time. But that was about the end of it. There was a really horrible disco version of "Johnny B Goode" that Elton John recorded in 1979 that was a major flop and very likely the worst musical decision he ever made in his life. Not sure what that says exactly, but it says something I think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tado921 Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 This happened last night: We were playing a club that was a little bit out in the sticks, and the owner had asked for country music. So our set list was mostly country, with a few bar band standards thrown in (Sweet Home Alabama, etc.) for good measure. Halfway through the first set, we are hearing people shouting at us to play Rock, and not just a few of them, people were sitting around looking bored. So the lead singer turns around and says "Sex Type Thing, go" and off we went. Crowd loved it, so we went that direction and finished up the first set to a great reaction, people dancing and singing along. On break, the owner comes up and says "Play more country, that's what they want." Uh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted February 12, 2012 Moderators Share Posted February 12, 2012 More well known than Johnny B Goode though? The chasm between these two statements points out a basic disconnect between musician and listener. Johnny B Good was at one time huge of course. A big hit. Then 60's and 70's musicians recut it putting a heavier slant on it. And we as musicians followed the course of that tune. Maybe learning a 70's cover as we were coming up. Making us more aware of Chuck and his contribution to the rock guitarist's vocabulary. The listener knows nothing of this. He sees Back To the Future, which is how old now? and it might vaguely register, but to us... it makes total sense. But it was an in joke. Chuck, Micheal J. Fox as guitarist wannabe. That whole sequence worked on several levels. The casual listener got that Fox was busting modern riffage over an oldie. But we... we got the whole Chuck, rock guitar development joke. Not everyone did. It is not their world of experience. That's why that scene needed to work on a few different levels. And this happens all the time with musicians. We confuse our experience with our listeners experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 And this happens all the time with musicians. We confuse our experience with our listeners experience. ^^^THIS. Most sig-worthy thing I've seen posted here in a long time. I think I may cut-and-paste it and use it in the "are you playing anything from the new Van Halen album?" thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 Yup that stuff was easy. I was playing in bands in 68 and things were pretty top 40 driven. That old stuff was dropping like flies off set lists as we moved on to newer stuff. Johnny b goode. roll over bethovan, california sun , satisfaction etc all got dumped. By 69 it was soul music and more top 40 soft rock stuff for us. Whats funny is that we have been reviving early 60s stuff in our shows. We started doing last time by the stones for our winter texan shows. Last time was on the set list for the first band I was in. Funny how things go full circle. Eagles go over well with that crowd too. We cold cocked take it to the limit in the third set last night. It wasnt too bad. someone requested it. One of the things about our band people like is we will hit requests cold. Print up a lyric sheet on break and hit it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 Honestly, with all the times I've heard the name I don't feel like I've ever heard one of their songs. Probably their best known song...I always thought they were quite good. [video=youtube;35Gk80-wiIw] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomm Williams Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 We got a request for some Heart. We're a 4-piece all-male band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 More well known than Johnny B Goode though? You literally have to never listened to rock radio or watched Back to the Future to have missed that song.As for Toad songs, ive heard the song guido61 posted in much the same way as Thy God posted but i couldnt tell you who played it or even the name of the song.I was just suprised she had never even heard of Johnny B Goode but to be fair we once played with another band that actually thought we wrote the song.for people in their teens in the late 90s-early 00s I would say Toad stuff would be more recognizeable. My bands have covered a few of their songs. I would say FALL DOWN and COME DOWN are their most popular. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7CI8eOxUCo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDJV4jJPfGI&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theAntihero Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 for people in their teens in the late 90s-early 00s I would say Toad stuff would be more recognizeable. My bands have covered a few of their songs. I would say FALL DOWN and COME DOWN are their most popular. I turned 18 in 2001 so i am of that age and can truthfully say that beyond the mention of the name no one in my age group and area listened to it. It might just be a regional thing but Toad wasnt popular around me. Johnny B Goode however is one of my favorite songs to cover as there have been multiple covers of it and its fairly easy to put your own spin on it. Our version is probably closest to the Hendrix version but a bit faster. Whats the amp in your avatar btw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 I turned 18 in 2001 so i am of that age and can truthfully say that beyond the mention of the name no one in my age group and area listened to it. It might just be a regional thing but Toad wasnt popular around me.Johnny B Goode however is one of my favorite songs to cover as there have been multiple covers of it and its fairly easy to put your own spin on it. Our version is probably closest to the Hendrix version but a bit faster.Whats the amp in your avatar btw?Reason Bambino with a few specific custom options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted February 12, 2012 Members Share Posted February 12, 2012 In my one-man-Geman-band act, I do a polka version called "Johann B. Gutt". Basically the same song with a polka beat and a thick German accent. A real crowd pleaser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hegmatronicon Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 I turned 18 in 2001 so i am of that age and can truthfully say that beyond the mention of the name no one in my age group and area listened to it. It might just be a regional thing but Toad wasnt popular around me.Johnny B Goode however is one of my favorite songs to cover as there have been multiple covers of it and its fairly easy to put your own spin on it. Our version is probably closest to the Hendrix version but a bit faster.Whats the amp in your avatar btw? I turned 18 in 2000 and it was never listened to amogst most of our social circle either. I'm not sure before this thread i could have named one of their songs either. And i dont recognise most of the ones posted here after listening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stratotastic Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 I turned 18 in 2000 and it was never listened to amogst most of our social circle either. I'm not sure before this thread i could have named one of their songs either. And i dont recognise most of the ones posted here after listening. LOL - same here. I'm a little older, but listen to pretty much everything. I recognize a couple of the songs but never knew it was them. Just sorta blends in with all that other mediocre, non-offensive stuff that came out in the 90s a la Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tim_7string Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 well Toad is pretty popular! You can't think of a single Toad song? This is either a joke or your area is far different than mine. The only song I have ever heard from them is the aforementioned "All I Want," and it is NOT that popular around here. I doubt people would even remember that tune that well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WynnD Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 Not a song request,But I've had several requests for people wanting my band to play anywhere from 1 to 2 hours extra, for free. That made me go, "uh...."Also, as a stage manager/FOH engineer, I've had several big bands come up to me and want me to mic every horn, individually. That also made me go, "uh...." Always write requests for more time on the back of a hundred dollar bill. That works so much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theAntihero Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 LOL - same here. I'm a little older, but listen to pretty much everything. I recognize a couple of the songs but never knew it was them. Just sorta blends in with all that other mediocre, non-offensive stuff that came out in the 90s a la Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, etc. Basically this,but ive only heard the chorus of the one song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jeff42 Posted February 13, 2012 Members Share Posted February 13, 2012 LOL - same here. I'm a little older, but listen to pretty much everything. I recognize a couple of the songs but never knew it was them. Just sorta blends in with all that other mediocre, non-offensive stuff that came out in the 90s a la Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, etc. I agree but songs in this category that came out in the 90s are getting requested more and more and the ones we play with my trio are working pretty well. Some better than they did a few years back when we tried them with the full band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted February 14, 2012 Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 LOL - same here. I'm a little older, but listen to pretty much everything. I recognize a couple of the songs but never knew it was them. Just sorta blends in with all that other mediocre, non-offensive stuff that came out in the 90s a la Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, etc.gosh, I can't imagine actual musicians calling either Gin Blossoms or Toad mediocre. Both bands had top-notch song writing and performing skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stratotastic Posted February 14, 2012 Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 I agree but songs in this category that came out in the 90s are getting requested more and more and the ones we play with my trio are working pretty well. Some better than they did a few years back when we tried them with the full band. I guess that kinda makes sense. What's the typical nostalgia cycle--20/25 years? That stuff should be hitting it's stride again pretty soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted February 14, 2012 Members Share Posted February 14, 2012 This is either a joke or your area is far different than mine. The only song I have ever heard from them is the aforementioned "All I Want," and it is NOT that popular around here. I doubt people would even remember that tune that well... certainly not a joke. Toad stuff was extremely popular with the more "in" stations during their heyday. Still is on the stations that play a lot of 90s-00s era rock stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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