Question for people who cover "Brown Eyed Girl"...

[RoboCop00]

Do you have 2 guitar players doing it? Think it would be okay if it was done with one person with an electric playing the intro lick and then just strumming the chords? I know in the studio version there's one guy playing the rhythm on an acoustic and another guy picking notes from the chord on an electric.

[Lee Flier]

I'm in a 3 piece and we've played it once or twice... yeah, like you say, I just play the intro riff (the bass line is really strong in that part anyway so it holds things together nicely) and then sorta half strum/ half finger pick the chords and little passing riffs during the song. Works fine.

[Tedster]

Yes. We played it on occasion. I'll admit it.

 

We did it three piece. Bass lick...guitar lick...verse. It's nice to have another guitar to do the fills, but it's not imperative. I just found it a bit more challenging to sing it and do the fills at the same time...but you might be slicker than I am at that stuff.

 

Could I talk you into doing "Domino" or "Wild Nights" instead???

[Guitar Centaur]

That's one of those tunes that's been around so long, and been overdone so much, that I'd take some serious "artistic license" with it if I were you.

 

Come up with your own arrangement.

[Lee Flier]

I actually like the song and I haven't, personally, played it to death, so I don't mind keeping the arrangement intact. I think the signature guitar parts are part of what makes the song so memorable, so I would think the audiences would want to hear that. I know I would.

 

I have a pretty high tolerance for repetition actually, if I think the song is great to begin with. Some of the "popular" covers on the other hand, I never liked and therefore would never play them.

[JBJ]

we do it a 3 piece. I play the intro lick then the rythmn with little arpeggios and licks thrown in. It's not bang on whats played int he original recording but it's close enough IMO. we rock it a bit more too.

[Guitar Centaur]

 

Originally posted by Lee Flier I actually like the song and I haven't, personally, played it to death, so I don't mind keeping the arrangement intact. I think the signature guitar parts are part of what makes the song so memorable, so I would think the audiences would want to hear that. I know I would. I have a pretty high tolerance for repetition actually, if I think the song is great to begin with. Some of the "popular" covers on the other hand, I never liked and therefore would never play them.

 

 

Well I sort of assumed that the signature lick would need to stay in. I don't think it's a good idea to make it unrecognizable.

 

I'd probably concentrate more on the vocals anyway. I can't stand Morrison's voice.

[ZenFly]

LOL I actually do imitate his voice (which I can't stand) ...doesn't seem to matter. They dance and love it anyway.

 

we do this (as does every other bar cover band I know of) with one guitar.

 

Just do the lick play chords/arpegios then fills between the lines.

[jumpduck]

Consider the Henry Paul Band cover. More rockin interpretation, driving drum line, and pretty easy for one guitar to do it justice.

[worthyjoe]

This doesn't help the original poster but I have to share that recently at a gig, during a break some chick asked us to play the song that goes "Hey there Rodrigo."

 

After figuring out what she meant, we played the song with that as the first line.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Whether I'm playing it w/ my trio (guitar/bass/percussion), extended trio (electric fiddle and/or reeds added to basic trio) or solo, I never play it note-for-note like the original.

 

I never play anything note-for-note like the original!

[Guitar Centaur]

Originally posted by worthyjoe This doesn't help the original poster but I have to share that recently at a gig, during a break some chick asked us to play the song that goes "Hey there Rodrigo." After figuring out what she meant, we played the song with that as the first line.

 

At least she didn't ask you to do that Elton John classic:

 

"Hold me closer, Tony Danzaaaaa!"

 

[worthyjoe]

Originally posted by Crustycabs At least she didn't ask you to do that Elton John classic: "Hold me closer, Tony Danzaaaaa!"

 

I heard a couple others like this from a guy a couple weeks ago but I can't remember them. But it made me think it would be hilarious if a cover band specialized in that stuff.

[fastplant]

 

Originally posted by worthyjoe I heard a couple others like this from a guy a couple weeks ago but I can't remember them. But it made me think it would be hilarious if a cover band specialized in that stuff.

 

 

"There's a bathroom on the right"

[azzzy]

We did a heavy metal version of "Brown Eyed Girl" - power chords, double kick drum and all. Usually right after "Money For Nothing". Audience went nuts.

[srsfallriver]

I must have played this song hundreds of times already. I've played it in several different groups and several different line-ups (keys, 2 guit, bass/ keys, 1 guit, bass/ 2 guit, bass/ 1 guit, bass). Brown Eyed Girl will usually go over no matter what the line-up and going over is what really matters (to me anyway). Any song with any line-up sounds great when 80%+ of your audience is dancing and singing along!

[LiveMusic]

 

Originally posted by srsfallriver Any song with any line-up sounds great when 80%+ of your audience is dancing and singing along!

 

 

Uh, well, there's a limit. Like 35 years.

 

I used to love that song before it became the defacto bar band staple. Put a c-note in my palm, I'm game. Which ain't gonna happen. Or house key if you're a brown-eyed babe.

[orfalot]

I can concentrate on the lead because our singer is playing acoustic. I play something very similar to the original mostly finger picking a couple of strings at the time, I've done my version so many times now the original doesn't sound right!

[pink floyd cramer]

My old band used to go off on a reggae groove right in the middle of it, then back to the original beat. Dancers were always good sports. My contribution as a keyboard player was to play steel drum sounds ala the Jimmy Buffet version.

 

I always thought that what made the song was the original guitar parts (with lots of 6th's) and it always puzzled me that so few guitarists play it right.

[pink floyd cramer]

PS I love a forum where "Brown-Eyed Girl" gets its own thread.

[unichord]

 

Originally posted by pink floyd cramer I always thought that what made the song was the original guitar parts (with lots of 6th's) and it always puzzled me that so few guitarists play it right.

 

 

It is a tough song to do the guitar parts as recorded....took alot of woodshedding to get it smooth.

 

A big part of it is the guitar tone - what equipment do you think was used on the recording?

[ZenFly]

 

Originally posted by unichord It is a tough song to do the guitar parts as recorded....took alot of woodshedding to get it smooth. A big part of it is the guitar tone - what equipment do you think was used on the recording?

 

 

It allways sounded like a simi hollow like a 335 into a twin or something like that.

 

I use a clean Blackface patch with the humbuckers in the middle position...tone rolled back a bit.

 

Then just use pick and my middle finger to pick the intervals. add other fingers to taste.

 

I allways pitch the "high price of gas" when we get a request for that song...feed the kitty!

 

Next we'll be talkin old Doobie Brothers.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Originally posted by fastplant "There's a bathroom on the right"

 

I do a few parodies of classic rock tunes at my gigs...currently, the ones that gets the best response are "She's got a chicken to ride" (Ticket to Ride) and "Slow Witted" (Hot Blooded)...