Rockabilly style songs BUT not 1 / 4 / 5

[::::BASSIST::::]

I play in a roots rock & rockabilly style band. www.myspace.com/dickcashrockabilly.

I'm looking for suggestions of excellent cover songs that are different than the old 1 / 4 / 5.

Ideas?

[The Biz]

If you meant not 12 bar blues, here are some off the top of my head:


Just Because (Elvis, Collins Kids, ...)
Long Blond Hair, Red Rose Lips (Johnny Powers)
Susie-Q (Dale Hawkins)
Forty Days (Ronnie Hawkins)
Let's Have a Party (Elvis, Wanda Jackson) - a 12 bar with a twist...
Believe what you say (Ricky Nelson)


There are a ton of them but most will revolve around the I, IV and V...with the occasional II, and in very rare occasions III and VI

[zeytoun]

Well, the whole vi/V/IV/III progression is pretty common (Stray Cat Strut, Runaway). The i/iv/V is also pretty common.

But if you're a little bored of the I/IV/V, why not do some covers of stuff that is not traditionally Rockabilly? One pretty formula is to take a pop song that was sung by a female lead, and turn it into a rockabilly number (ala the Stray Cats with "You Can't Hurry Love").

[lunarpollen]

Many first wave rockabilly tunes songs were just rockabilly rearrangements of popular swing and big band tunes from the decade or two prior. You could try mining those depths for some nuggets

Ah wait, there's one instrumental tune that would be great to cover, from the Ventures' greatest album... A song called "Solar Race"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MioZBZGC_mc

[aluminumbassguy]

There are a lot of great country style rockabilly songs that would be great to cover. I can think of a Wanda Jackson song "Bigelow 6200" I believe that's how you spell it. I could be wrong. Or alot of the old jump stuff can be twisted also. Zeytoun had it right also, do covers of songs that are not rockabilly at all. I've seen some guys completly kill by doing rap and turning it into rockabilly. It was a 3 or 4 song medly. Filled the dance floor because a bunch of "pedestrians" knew the songs. I stood there in awe. The sky is the limit, look into the band Hayseed Dixie. You'll see what we are talking about. Good luck!

[wingnut]

Big Sky- Rev Horton Heat has some strange passages and turn arounds
Dark Side- The Hillbilly Hellcats has more of a walking jazz line. As a matter of fact, a lot of there stuff has some strange stuff.
Cherry Poppin' Daddys- especially the "zoot suit riot" stuff
The Old 97's- Some strange arangements on their stuff too
Also check out Th' Legendary Shakeshakers.

[aluminumbassguy]

Wingnut you are oh so right about the Hillbilly Hellcats. How about "Slappin my Baby Around"! Those guys are one of most talented and funny(tongue and cheek) rockabilly bands out there. Great songs, lyrics,production,everything! And it verges on pschcobilly but you can still hear everything on the album.

[Geoff Firebaugh]

'Bigelow 6200' was Brenda Lee, not Wanda.

If you wanna find stuff to cover that's not I IV V, you should delve into some older jump blues stuff i.e. Wynonie Harris, Louis Jordan, even old Jackie Wilson.

g

[wingnut]

Originally Posted by aluminumbassguy

Wingnut you are oh so right about the Hillbilly Hellcats. How about "Slappin my Baby Around"! Those guys are one of most talented and funny(tongue and cheek) rockabilly bands out there. Great songs, lyrics,production,everything! And it verges on pschcobilly but you can still hear everything on the album.

Yeah they are totally awesome. They come here a lot and we get to open for them. Chuck is a real nice guy and very down to earth. With any luck we'll playing with them in Boulder and Denver real soon. The next time they come here I'm going to get to sit in with them (holy sheepshit batman!)

[wingnut]

+1 on the old Jackie Wilson stuff. Also check out The Forbidden Pigs.

[aluminumbassguy]

Sorry Geoff, you are right. It was Brenda Lee. My bad.

[lunarpollen]

Originally Posted by aluminumbassguy

Wingnut you are oh so right about the Hillbilly Hellcats. How about "Slappin my Baby Around"! Those guys are one of most talented and funny(tongue and cheek) rockabilly bands out there. Great songs, lyrics,production,everything! And it verges on pschcobilly but you can still hear everything on the album.

They recently played in Sacramento and I was totally blown away by them. Chuck's guitar playing seriously made me think about giving up guitar and selling it (I am not a very good guitarist). But then the following week I saw a different band which made me change my mind about that (I may not be great but I'm definitely better on guitar than some people out there in gigging bands).

[lunarpollen]

Wayne Walker's "All I Can Do Is Cry" is a great tune that doesn't follow the 1/4/5 formula

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BaFr6ACKv0