Plz suggest acoustic gtar songs with a great 'hook'.

[Rockin John]

Please suggest some songs....

I'm giving serious thought to going into bars to do a couple of sets with an acoustic guitar. Just me singing and accompanying myself, and would be in addition to the band.

I'd like the songs to be really well known (but I know that's subjective) and have a strong sing-along element / chorus to make audience participation easy if they want to. I'd prefer the songs to be no later than mid 70s-ish numbers as I simply won't know them otherwise.

They can be from any genre / style and from any author as long as they are suitable for a single acoustic guitar. But please be aware that I'm no better than a strummer so sophisticated chords and fancy changes will be beyond me!

My current ideas are:-

A few up tempo blues numbers.
Get it On: T Rex
When I'm 64: Beatles
Where do you go to my lovely: P Sarstedt
Knocking on Heavens door: Dylan
Spirit in the sky: Greenbaum
Maggie May: R Stewart
Cant buy me love: Beatles
Take it Easy: Eagles
I hear you knocking: Edmunds (I know not the original writer)
When I' Dead and Gone: MCGuiness Flint
American Pie D McClean
Yellow Submarine: Beatles
Faith: G Michael
Achey Breaky Heart: BR Cyrus
I feel fine: Beatles
You wear it well: R Stewart
Sailing: Ditto
Hey Jude: Beatles
Bright side of Life: Monty Python (classic British Comedy series)
Massachusetts: Bee Gees

Wisdom as always, warmly appreciated.

John

[Deacon_Blues]

Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds, Burning Love, etc
Bryan Adams - Summer of '69
Robbie Williams - Angels (this is a must!), perhaps also Let Me Entertain You
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
The Lovin's Spoonful - Daydream
Mamas & Papas / J. Feliciano - California Dreamin'
Van Morrisson - Brown Eyed Girl
Jon Denver - Leaving On A Jetplane
Otis Redding - Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay
Hendrix - Hey Joe
Oasis - Wonderwall
Uriah Heep - Lady In Black
Doobie Bros. - Long Train Running, Listen To The Music
Eagles - New Kid In Town, Desperado, Tequila Sunrise
CCR - Have You Ever Seen The Rain, Proud Mary, Suzie Q, Lodi, Bad Moon Rising etc.
Rolling Stones - Angie
Simon&Garfunkel - The Boxer, Mrs. Robinson
U2 - Still haven't found what I'm looking for


There's a few... didn't want to limit myself to only older songs so there's a few newer ones as well on the list. I honestly think you shouldn't limit yourself either. If you do newer songs as well you'll gain more respect from also younger audiences, that perhaps are more frequent bar visitors than the older generation. At least that's the situation here. So by playing newer songs you're making yourself accepted among a larger group of people, meaning more gigs.

I think most songs with a strong melody and not too many instrumental parts can be made convincingly with only an acoustic guitar. For instance that last U2 song is great to do on only an acoustic.

Finally, I don't know what kind of voice you have, but these are the kind of songs I could imagine performing on only an acoustic guitar, and a lot of them I've played and sung in various bands already.

(By the way, I think the name of the guy who did America Pie was named Don McLean, not McClean.. )

[T-Bird]

Hi, John.

A few that I play when doing acoustig gigs by myself or with a percussionist. A few ones that You listed and few newer ones. Not in any particular order and the artists may not be the original ones.

Honey Bee: Petty
Running Down A Dream: Petty
I Won't Back Down: Petty
Yer So Bad: Petty
I'm Bad I'm Nationwide: ZZ-Top
Arrested For Driving While Blind: ZZ-Top
Bedroom Thing: ZZ-Top
Dust My Broom: Don't even know the original
Celluloid Heroes: The Kinks
Hotel California: Eagles
Take It Easy: Eagles
The Usual: Hiatt/(Dylan)
World In A Jug: Canned Heat
Goin Up The Country: Canned Heat
Turn The Page: Seger
Summer of 69: Bryan Adams
Hello Mary Lou: Ricky Nelson
Far Far Away: Slade
I Love To Boogie: Bolan/T-Rex?
Get It On: T-Rex
All I Can Do Is Write About It: Lynyrd Skynyrd
Tuesday's Gone: Lynyrd Skynyrd
The ballad of Curtis Loew: Lynyrd Skynyrd
Down South Jukin': Lynyrd Skynyrd
Gimme Three Steps: Lynyrd Skynyrd
Keep Your Hands To Yourself: Georgia Satelites?
My One Desire: Stray Cats
Looking Better Every Beer: Stray Cats
On The Edge Of Sundown: Molly Hatchet
The Passenger: Iggy Pop/The Stooges
Too Many Nights In The Roadhouse: Trad?
When A Blind Man Cries: Deep Purple
Ubangi Stomp: Alice Cooper version
Dancing In The Moonlight: Thin Lizzy
Red Bandana: Merle Haggard
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life: Monty Python
Ol' Panhead: David Allan Coe
The Ghost Of Hank Williams: David Allan Coe
The Day My Wife Met My Girlfriend + a few others: Rodney Carrington
(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66: Can't remember the original.
Octopus' Garden: Beatles
Let It Be: Beatles
Moving On: Bad Company
Shooting Star: Bad Company
Highwayman: The Highwaymen
Standing At The Crossroads Again: Dr.Feelgood
Roxette: Dr.Feelgood
Don't Wait Up: Dr.Feelgood
Bird Of Paradise: Snowy White
Have You Ever Seen The Rain + some of the other classics: CCR
Teenage Lament 74: Alice Cooper
Achy Breaky Song: Weird Al Yankovic

There's quite a few that I don't remember now and a 30 or so finnish tunes also. Some original, some translations from outlaw country mostly.

Regards
Sam

[lunarpollen]

Queen - "'39"
the Moody Blues - "Question"

[stratovani]

There's a lot of Rush tunes that sound great on an acoustic, such as:

Xanadu (I do it in Drop D)
2112
Closer To The Heart
Hemispheres (if you're feeling really brave!)
The Pass
Bravado
Driven
Hope (12-string, altered tuning)

[Rockin John]

Some teriffic suggestions here and thanks VERY MUCH so far, guys.



John

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is one of my favorite songs featuring acoustic guitar.

[AnchorHoy]

Here's a few that've worked well for me. Most of these probably ain't gonna fly with the under-30 crowd (although I've been pleasantly surprised every now and then). Eye up the crowd and pick-and-choose as necessary

Axis: Bold as Love - Hendrix
Little Wing - Hendrix
Dig a Pony - Beatles
Since I Fell for You - Old Standard (Bonnie Raitt version)
Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac
Hero in Me - Gaines Jeffery
Ol' 55 - Tom Waits
Willin' - Little Feat
You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker

[The_Ox]

Try "Clap" by Yes

It's an incredibly complicated country-ish instrumental that's also very catchy.

here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KN2qvtosmM


hope it helped!

[sarcastro83]

Debaser by the Pixies... one person playing a guitar should be able to pull that off... might be interesting... and that song just sounds like one long hook.

[warwick.hoy]

The Weight ~The Band

[Deluge Of Sound]

Bob Marley's Redemption Song springs to mind.

[Rockin John]

Thanks folks.

I did an open mic session last night with this acoustic thing. As very first time out I was rather nervous about how it would go. But I was pretty well recieved ... then again, I was on home ground!

Interestingly, I was surprised how I could hear my vocals and, therefore, how I missed hitting the pitch from time to time. And, therefore, how bad that was!!! With the band I usually just 'go for it' and I guess I've learned I must be doing the same missing the pitch as I did last night. Bad....

Another thing that's slightly off topic is that, looking at these songs and studying the chord progressions, I'm starting to learn a bit more about music and that has to be good. Most songs have to be transcribed to a different key because my vocal range is limited after the accident, and that helps my understanding of music, generally.

Yes, this acoustic thing will help me enormously, I'm sure.

And thanks again for all your suggestions.

John