BEATLES TRIBUTE setlist recommendations.

[sgtpepper]

I hope this is the right forum, if not, please Moderators feel free of moving this.

Well, I have a gig scheduled for March in my old Junior High/High School. It is because the school is having its 45th anniversary. The plan is that former/graduated students participate in the celebrations with live performances.

When I was in 9th grade I made this little British oriented open house participating with a live performace. We played Eric Clapton and Lennon/McCartney songs, obviously. So the Principal, that happens to be a woman that lived in London for many years, talked to me about doing this, like in the old days. But now she asked me to play a 10 +/- song Beatles setlist.

I contacted the right guys for this gig, two of them played with me that last time, and now I have a good band, talent and enthusiasm. 2 guitars, drums, keybords, and me.

I have this songs so far, but they are just McCartney compositions so I need some Lennon/Harrison/Starkey recommendations.

Let It Be
Hey Jude (for the closing performance)
Get Back
Lady Madonna (for the ladies (teachers) in the house)
Oh! Darling

LIMITATIONS:

- I happen to be the lead singer so I can't play-sing difficult songs/basslines at the same time. (i.e. I Saw Her Standing There) (YES I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE A MEDIOCRE BASSISTS CLUB NUMBER )

- Obviously I don't have a Philarmonic Orchestra or "Wix" Wickens on keybords so nothing like Eleonor Rigby, I Am The Walrus etc...

- Time. It's about 35-40 minutes, so remember it's only 10 +/- songs.

Have you guys done a Beatles Tribute before? Are you on a Beatles Tribute band?

Any help very appreciated.

THANKS.

[sgtpepper]

Come on guys. I trust you. Help me out with this.

[dougjwray]

Here are a few great Lennon ones, which should all be fairly easy to sing while playing bass:

Across the Universe
Strawberry Fields Forever
Norwegian Wood
It's Only Love (not well-known, but the chord change into the chorus is killer!)

and for Harrison (still giving major consideration to singing while playing):

If I Needed Someone (Paul's part is characteristically non-rote, but you could get away with playing quarter notes on the roots)
I Want to Tell You

Ringo wasn't exactly a writer in the Beatles, but since you mentioned him you're kind of limited to:

Don't Pass Me By
Octopus's Garden

[ben12390]

um... i am a HUGE beatles fan. and i love the idea of a tribute, but ive never been able to be in one.
but if i ever did one, our setlist should go in chronological order.
like start with love me do, or i want to hold your hand, or please please me.
then move on to like paperback writer, help, eight days a week, hard days night.
then on to with a little help from my friends, in my life, and your bird can sing, and ob-la-di ob-la-da.
then round it off with come together, hey jude, something, i've got a feeling, one after 909, day in the life,
and end with let it be

just go with the albums, and pick and choose from there.
any beatles fan will adore it. and love the history, and ironically, it can follow a good order for a show anyway, with rise and fall.

good luck! its hard to play bass and sing.

[Richland123]

My band does Please, Please Me, Come Together, and The Beatles cover version of Rock & Roll Music and they all go over very well.

[cdef]

How about doing Real Love or Free As A Bird? Both beautiful Lennon compositions (McCartney added the bridge in FAAB). Or for a rocker, Hey Bulldog.

[bassdud69]

Learn some Motown and pay tribute to the style of music the Beatles tried to replicate, failing miserably and later giving birth to the sh*tty pop music we hear today.

Nothing against the Beatles, their music isn't my style but it's more what they took away from music and what they left in its place that makes me dislike them very much.

I know they inspired countless musicians but think about how the world would be different if the Beatles hadn't taken the spotlight off so many different and evolving styles of music...

We could be listening to REAL music on the top 40 station instead of recycled garbage.

Let the Beatles rant end and the endless flow of Beatles fanboys' coming to their defence begin lol

[dougjwray]

Originally Posted by bassdud69

Learn some Motown and pay tribute to the style of music the Beatles tried to replicate, failing miserably and later giving birth to the sh*tty pop music we hear today.

Nothing against the Beatles, their music isn't my style but it's more what they took away from music and what they left in its place that makes me dislike them very much.

I know they inspired countless musicians but think about how the world would be different if the Beatles hadn't taken the spotlight off so many different and evolving styles of music...

We could be listening to REAL music on the top 40 station instead of recycled garbage.

Let the Beatles rant end and the endless flow of Beatles fanboys' coming to their defence begin lol

I once read an old interview with George Harrison (maybe early '70s... post-breakup) where he was asked where the next big thing was going to come from. He said, "Someone will try to imitate us and get it wrong, and create a new thing. Just like what happened with us." (I'm paraphrasing.)
Yes, they tried to imitate Motown and failed; you're forgetting their other influences: Everly Brothers, Brill Building pop, the girl groups, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Carl Perkins, Buck Owens and English music hall. Also, Stockhausen and other modern composers. And Indian music. The Beatles would probably be the first to agree with you that they failed to duplicate their heroes.

I also kind of agree with you about the damage that they did to rock music. The '50s R&B and rockabilly energy got drained from rock music when "Sgt. Pepper" spawned "rock as art" people and we got Yes, the Moody Blues, and the rest; and the polish of "Abbey Road" paved the way for overly slick '70s crap like the Buckingham-Nicks era Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor and that crowd. As the Beatles produced more "listening" music (starting around "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver"), a lot of the great adrenaline of their early music left.
However, I'd say that the Beatles did more things well than any other group in history, and their standard of excellence in so many areas is itself a positive influence on the past 50 years of music.

[electracoyote]

Start here:



Then send a PM to TB'er Ronn Roberts (iamthebassman) and read a few of his threads.

[Shakin-Slim]

I'm Only Sleeping is a beautiful song that's nothing very complex and it has that fantastic bass hook for ya! Check that.
Dear Prudence for a really easy bassline while you sing. Those two are the first ones I would think of if I was doing a Beatles tribute

[tdub0199]

Come Together
8 Days a Week

[MattyH]

Chronological order. Go from I Wanna Hold Your Hand (Fantastic opener), all the way up to maybe Day In The Life, or Back In The USSR. Then, take a break, and do the 2nd half of Abbey Road (Minus Her Majesty). Encore with Get Back, Birthday, and Let It Be. Trust me, I do this kind of stuff every weekend

[Baer]

All My Loving has a busy bass part, but it's all quarter notes on the beat so it's actually easy to play an sing. Eight Days A Week is similar. Things We Said Today is easy to play -- just make sure the guitarists play an Em7 instead of an Em. (I've known too many guitarists who play that wrong, and for some insane reason that little change gets under my skin.)

[stratovani]

Originally Posted by bassdud69

Learn some Motown and pay tribute to the style of music the Beatles tried to replicate, failing miserably and later giving birth to the sh*tty pop music we hear today.

Nothing against the Beatles, their music isn't my style but it's more what they took away from music and what they left in its place that makes me dislike them very much.

I know they inspired countless musicians but think about how the world would be different if the Beatles hadn't taken the spotlight off so many different and evolving styles of music...

We could be listening to REAL music on the top 40 station instead of recycled garbage.

It's funny, but if I had read this a few years after the Beatles' breakup, I woulf have fought you tooth and nail. But now that we've got a good 40 years under our belt, we're able to look back with a more critical eye, and I find myself agreeing with you a lot more than I could have way back then!

Let the Beatles rant end and the endless flow of Beatles fanboys' coming to their defence begin lol

Bet you never thought some old geezer who grew up in the Beatles' era would be agreeing with you!

[Joe_K]

Originally Posted by bassdud69

Learn some Motown and pay tribute to the style of music the Beatles tried to replicate, failing miserably and later giving birth to the sh*tty pop music we hear today.

Nothing against the Beatles, their music isn't my style but it's more what they took away from music and what they left in its place that makes me dislike them very much.

I know they inspired countless musicians but think about how the world would be different if the Beatles hadn't taken the spotlight off so many different and evolving styles of music...

We could be listening to REAL music on the top 40 station instead of recycled garbage.

Let the Beatles rant end and the endless flow of Beatles fanboys' coming to their defence begin lol

Wow, you put a lot of bait at the end of that hook. So, I'm guessing you don't have any suggestions for the OP to add to their set list?

[mwesth]

I'm so tired
You've got to hide your love away
Nowhere man
The ballad of John and Yoko

[jcalo]

If you can get your hands on one of Paul McCartney's recent DVD's and check out the Beatle tunes he's playing I'm sure you can come up with some of the more popular Beatle's songs. What better way than to check out the master himself and what he considers in his top ten.

[sgtpepper]

Guys, you are really helping me out with this.
I apreciate a lot all your sugestions.

jcalo: In fact the few ones I already have were taken from Paul's DVD's "Back in the U.S." and "Good Evening NYC".

MattyH: You are really giving me a very good idea on the list order.

Thanks a lot guys.

[Dirk Diggler]

Why Don't We Do It In The Road
Number 9
Helter Skelter

That should blow a few minds. LOL

Dirk

[sgtpepper]

Just wanted to keep you posted. The gig is this next Saturday.

The Setlist:

Come Together
Lady Madonna
Imagine
Don't Let Me Down
Oh! Darling

Acoustic:
Something
Blackbird

Hey Jude

Encore:
Let It Be
Get Back