Recommend some songs for my band to cover!!!

mebusdriver · #1 05-11-2011, 03:47 PM

O.k. I play bass in the Georgia National Guard. One of the bands I play in is a "Classic Rock" band. You'd think that with all the knowledge and awesome musicians we'd be playing some great music. However...... every time my band leader sends me charts for rehearsal I ended face palming....

So I need TB's help compiling some good songs to recommend for gigs. The only catch is that a majority of the songs have to have horns. We have a huge horn section and we like to use them. However, if it's a great song and there aren't any horns one of our members will write an arrangement.

I'm looking for songs from artists like Stevie Wonder, Chicago, Billy Joel, James Brown, and Earth Wind and Fire.

I'm not looking for stuff like the B52's, Kool and the Gang, and K.C. and the Sunshine Band.

While I do like a lot of that stuff it's a bore to play and it can loose it's mojo quick. The younger members are trying to move away from the disco and dance stuff. I'm only 27 and I grew up with music from the 50's thru 80's but I'm sure there are guys here who've been doing this type of stuff for a lot longer than me and have played many many many gigs like this. Please help!! Thanks.

FunkyD · #2 05-11-2011, 04:03 PM

How big is the band? Are we talking about a marching band? If so, here are two tunes that I think would sound great if executed by a killer marching band:

Chicago = 25 or 6 to 4
EWF = Shining Star

Good luck.

mebusdriver · #3 05-11-2011, 04:37 PM

Were a rock band. We have up to ten horns, drums, percussion, up to four singers, keys, a couple guitars, and bass.

We play 25 or 6 to 4, Does anybody know what time it is, and Saturday in the park.

kcole4001 · #4 05-11-2011, 05:42 PM

How 'bout my fave Stevie Wonder tune, Superstition?
You have all the elements to do it right.

plankspanker13 · #5 05-11-2011, 06:18 PM

No mention of Tower of Power yet in this thread; I guess I had to do it. Soul With a Capital S ought to work well.

Turock · #6 05-11-2011, 06:20 PM

Check out Tower of Power, then check out Chase.

Rodger Bryan · #7 05-11-2011, 06:23 PM

Boogie on Reggae Woman

Turock · #8 05-11-2011, 06:28 PM

Vehicle

mebusdriver · #9 05-11-2011, 06:34 PM

I'm working my way up to T.O.P havent been playing that style long enough to nail a lot of those lines.

We do Sir Duke. I really wanna play more Stevie. Our key player is a monster. Boogie is a damn good tune. Cant belies I didn't think of that.

SMILEYSIXX · #10 05-11-2011, 07:24 PM

Not sure if it would be the kind of music you'd want to do, but you could do some Weather Report.

plankspanker13 · #11 05-11-2011, 08:11 PM

Don't forget to cop some UB40 arrangements; they had a dozen folks onstage, too.

JSK5String · #12 05-11-2011, 08:24 PM

Smooth by Santana would go over well, good horn parts on that one. I'm not that big of a fan, but Huey Lewis & the News sure had a lot of hits with horns in them. A buddy of mine saw them live once with the Tower of Power horns sitting in and he said it was one of the best shows he's ever seen.

oniman7 · #13 05-11-2011, 08:58 PM

I'm not much for this kind of music, but I happened to pick up an earth wind and fire vinyl, and I love the song Serpentine Fire.

Also, I think a song by King Crimson would be awesome. Either 21st century schizoid man, or maybe Epitaph if you want a slower song.

mebusdriver · #14 05-12-2011, 06:26 AM

Man I wish we could okay some old Crimson...... That would be killer. And we do one Huey Lewis tune. Gonna look for more of those. Thanks a lot guys. Keep em coming. How about some old sole or funk or r&b? All the Motown stuff had horns. I'm sure there's a lot i don't know about. What are some tunes you guys cover?

Bredian · #15 05-12-2011, 06:31 AM

Blood Sweat and Tears, Cold Blood (Down to the Bone),

Ric5 · #16 05-12-2011, 06:44 AM

Beatles ... Gotta get you into my life.

DJS · #17 05-12-2011, 06:45 AM

Check out the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. They have horns, and they can totally rock.

Someday I Suppose, great song, nice bass part:

YouTube - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Someday I Suppose

Downunderwonder · #18 05-12-2011, 07:09 AM

If Metallica can work with a symphony orchestra I'd say just pick whatever you fancy and rock them horns hard!

mcapote · #19 05-12-2011, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mebusdriver

One of the bands I play in is a "Classic Rock" band.

I'm looking for songs from artists like Stevie Wonder, Chicago, Billy Joel, James Brown, and Earth Wind and Fire.

so this isnt the classic rock band huh?

mebusdriver · #20 05-12-2011, 09:31 AM

Well that's just what's it's labeled. I guess it's more of an oldies band? Idk..... We cover all kinds of stuff. But were trying to take it more in this direction. Right now it's a really random group of songs that don't work together. So I'm trying to take the biggest chunk of songs from the same genre and push it that way.