new mashups we worked up.. predictions on fail/win?

[Austincowbell]

1. Billie Jean/Caribbean Queen - We play it out of the Billy Ocean key and the last chorus is myself singing the Billie Jean chorus while the drummer sings the Caribbean Queen chorus because we both say the word "one" at the same time ("...two hearts beat as one", "...says that I am the one") - I'm nervous about this one as it's a four piece with no keys and I don't think it will be thick enough with just guitars.

2. Santeria/Billionaire - I think this one will kill. At least I hope so.

3. Pony by Ginuwine and The Intruder Song. If you haven't heard the intruder song it's this:

I think it will kill with half the people and the ones who haven't heard it will get it next show. At least I hope so.

4. California Girls by Katy Perry/She Drives Me Crazy by FYC - The drummer sings this one and I move back to play drums. He's a really big dude so him singing Katy perry might sell it.

5. Empire State of Mind by Jay Z/Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus - This one might kill as well... or fail miserably...

6. Dynamite by Taio Cruz/Free Fallin by Tom Petty - We'll essentially do the whole song to the Taio Cruz dance beat except drop out almost everything for the 2nd tom petty verse (vampires livin in the valley) which I'll sing softer and then we'll bring in the whole band. I think this one will kill as well.

 

SO, thoughts? Have any of you done any of these songs as non mashups and had success or failure?

[mstreck]

 

2. Santeria/Billionaire - I think this one will kill. At least I hope so.

 

 

I had considered the very same thing... please let me know how it goes!

[bnelly428]

1. i dont even know caribbean queen, so i would say as long as billie's involved through the entire song it should be fine

2. will probably kill, two great songs with great grooves

3. would love to hear or see a video of you guys doing it, people might not get it though.

4. i'd like it, FYC might be a stretch for some of the younger bar crowds.

5. i think you're right one or the other

6. i'd like it if it were a facebook page !

 

Do you do one songs music and both lyrics or combine both at certain parts? or are these just mini medleys that you shift keys around for?

[wheresgrant3]

1. Billie Jean/Caribbean Queen - We play it out of the Billy Ocean key and the last chorus is myself singing the Billie Jean chorus while the drummer sings the Caribbean Queen chorus because we both say the word "one" at the same time ("...two hearts beat as one", "...says that I am the one") - I'm nervous about this one as it's a four piece with no keys and I don't think it will be thick enough with just guitars. Hmmmm I hear you on the production side... but really I think the mash is brilliant but is Billy Ocean going to connect with a college crowd. Seriously I think the problem may be that you have a memorable song mashed with an unmemorable one. Although if there was ever guys to sell it, it would be you! 2. Santeria/Billionaire - I think this one will kill. At least I hope so. I think it will sell... be forewarned that bands have already done this, so it may not 'wow' people in "I've never heard that before' sorta way. But I think it will be gold. 3. Pony by Ginuwine and The Intruder Song. If you haven't heard the intruder song it's this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKsVSBhSwJg I think it will kill with half the people and the ones who haven't heard it will get it next show. At least I hope so. That intruder song has just enough novelty now that it may work... this has potential 4. California Girls by Katy Perry/She Drives Me Crazy by FYC - The drummer sings this one and I move back to play drums. He's a really big dude so him singing Katy perry might sell it. This is golden... and I'll throw another in the mix... Tik Tok-Keisha>Califonia Girls>She Drives Me Crazy... go for the trifecta. 5. Empire State of Mind by Jay Z/Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus - This one might kill as well... or fail miserably... FAIL.. Party in the USA lasted one show... and we played it as an instrumental. Empire is slow and sentimental. 6. Dynamite by Taio Cruz/Free Fallin by Tom Petty - We'll essentially do the whole song to the Taio Cruz dance beat except drop out almost everything for the 2nd tom petty verse (vampires livin in the valley) which I'll sing softer and then we'll bring in the whole band. I think this one will kill as well. I'd have to hear it. I can't picture Tom Petty at the tempo you just described. SO, thoughts? Have any of you done any of these songs as non mashups and had success or failure?

 

These are all very creative.

[Vito Corleone]

 

1. Billie Jean/Caribbean Queen -

 

 

These two are so similar I question whether they even qualify as a "mash up".

 

Which brings up an interesting question I have for the mashup bands (we don't really do many at this point)--- is there a point where songs are SO similar that you don't bother with them?

 

We were working up "Bad Romance" the other day and the drummer suggested we do a bit of the rap from "Vogue" in the middle of it and my thought was that the two are so similar it almost becomes a "why bother--will anybody even notice"?

 

Or do these sort of very-similar 'mashups' work well too?

[bnelly428]

we used to add a few lyrics from songs like "she will be loved" "barbie girl" and "im yours" but it didnt go over well at all.

 

a la

[bnelly428]

also poker face.

[wheresgrant3]

 

These two are so similar I question whether they even qualify as a "mash up". Which brings up an interesting question I have for the mashup bands (we don't really do many at this point)--- is there a point where songs are SO similar that you don't bother with them? We were working up "Bad Romance" the other day and the drummer suggested we do a bit of the rap from "Vogue" in the middle of it and my thought was that the two are so similar it almost becomes a "why bother--will anybody even notice"? Or do these sort of very-similar 'mashups' work well too?

 

 

Sometimes yes... and sometimes no. It's all in how it's delivered. I think there's a certain point where some song blends are so seamless that the audience doesn't realize there was a transistion. That sometimes leads to a bit of confusion and if anywhere that's where pairing a huge song like Billie Jean and Carribean Queen can get people lost instead of singing (or dancing)along. We've had songs in the middle of medley's flop because the audience didn't catch the change, become confused and start to drift.

 

I think the advantage of Austin's band is that their entire presentation is made of mashups, song blends... etc, so the audience is prerpared and bought into the fact that there will be a change. Additionally it's also the novelty of having them perform the tune... the energy, delivery and presentation. It's like a comedian telling a great joke... it needs to have a setup and then a punchline. It also helps if the audience knows a joke is coming.

[Austincowbell]

 

These two are so similar I question whether they even qualify as a "mash up". Which brings up an interesting question I have for the mashup bands (we don't really do many at this point)--- is there a point where songs are SO similar that you don't bother with them? We were working up "Bad Romance" the other day and the drummer suggested we do a bit of the rap from "Vogue" in the middle of it and my thought was that the two are so similar it almost becomes a "why bother--will anybody even notice"? Or do these sort of very-similar 'mashups' work well too?

 

well... There isn't really a right or wrong way to do mashups and we jus3 t kind of started doing them without trying to make it a niche or anything. Not to mention there are only a handful of mashup bands around so none of us really have the authority to tell you... BUT

 

When we make a mashup a significant factor in keeping it in our rotation is "will there be a 'hey' moment where the audience gets it and thinks it's cool. If there isn't a clear distinction between the songs there isn't really a point because the mashup isn't "cool".

 

truth be told, This mashup was the drummer's idea and the rest of the band really likes it so we're doing it.

[Vito Corleone]

 

well... There isn't really a right or wrong way to do mashups and we jus3 t kind of started doing them without trying to make it a niche or anything. Not to mention there are only a handful of mashup bands around so none of us really have the authority to tell you... BUT When we make a mashup a significant factor in keeping it in our rotation is "will there be a 'hey' moment where the audience gets it and thinks it's cool. If there isn't a clear distinction between the songs there isn't really a point because the mashup isn't "cool". truth be told, This mashup was the drummer's idea and the rest of the band really likes it so we're doing it.

 

 

 

Cool. Just trying to get a better handle on how to approach it since we don't do many and I'd like to do more. The only one we really do right now is more of a medley than a mashup (IMO) where we string bits of Gonna Make You Sweat/The Power/Good Vibrations together. But it tends to sag in the middle bit. I think it's because, like you say, it doesn't have that "hey" moment like we get when we kick into the 3rd piece.

 

Like you said, there's no right or wrong way, but there ARE some general principles that likely work more often than not.

[TrickyBoy]

1. Billie Jean/Caribbean Queen - We play it out of the Billy Ocean key and the last chorus is myself singing the Billie Jean chorus while the drummer sings the Caribbean Queen chorus because we both say the word "one" at the same time ("...two hearts beat as one", "...says that I am the one") - I'm nervous about this one as it's a four piece with no keys and I don't think it will be thick enough with just guitars.

 

Keyboards are overrated, especially because you're not doing the songs "true" Personally I think this one will work well as long as people get the Billy Ocean tune. Now if they don't get the Billy Ocean tune, you're screwed.

 

2. Santeria/Billionaire - I think this one will kill. At least I hope so.

As close to a can't miss mashup as you can have

 

 

3. Pony by Ginuwine and The Intruder Song. If you haven't heard the intruder song it's this:

I think it will kill with half the people and the ones who haven't heard it will get it next show. At least I hope so.

 

I got nothing

 

4. California Girls by Katy Perry/She Drives Me Crazy by FYC - The drummer sings this one and I move back to play drums. He's a really big dude so him singing Katy perry might sell it.

This one struck me as awkward at first, but as I think of the FYC song in my head and sing Cali Girls over it, it really works

 

5. Empire State of Mind by Jay Z/Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus - This one might kill as well... or fail miserably...

Honestly I'm not feeling good about this one

 

6. Dynamite by Taio Cruz/Free Fallin by Tom Petty - We'll essentially do the whole song to the Taio Cruz dance beat except drop out almost everything for the 2nd tom petty verse (vampires livin in the valley) which I'll sing softer and then we'll bring in the whole band. I think this one will kill as well.

I LOVE that Taio Cruz song, so I see this working really well

[Austincowbell]

Ok, here were the results:

 

1. Billie Jean/Caribbean Queen - It was a B-. The crowd was cracking up when I sang the Billy Ocean style vocal but it was more funny than good.

2. Santeria/Billionaire - It killed. The whole crowd sang along. A+

3. Pony by Ginuwine and The Intruder Song - The bass sound was a little weird but when we went into the intruder song people lost it. It was awesome hearing hundreds of people singing "Hide yo kids, hide you wife". A-

4. California Girls by Katy Perry/She Drives Me Crazy by FYC - It's kind of a novelty song where we trigger a sample of the Benny Hill song before we all shuffle around. It was a B

5. Empire State of Mind by Jay Z/Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus - Train wreck fail... we would need to rehearse a million times to get the timing down perfectly and even then it might not go over that well. It's killed.

6. Dynamite by Taio Cruz/Free Fallin by Tom Petty - Best song in our set. The whole crowd sang along to both songs and danced and went crazy. A++

[SBF3000]

{censored}, I am very unhip.

[jeff42]

We are doing a new "pop" medley that is starting off with Billionaire. I have been trying to push them to add Santeria to the beginning and flow right into Billionaire. Now I know it works I guess I'll push harder.

 

I talked about adding just a little part of The Intruder Song but I don't think enough people will get it. Like Chocolate rain