Should you play Mustang Sally?

[Artobass]

I love the flow chart! Ultimatley if the crowd wants to hear the song, then play it.

[Flabass]

Originally Posted by dtripoli

From "The Do's & Don'ts for Band Performance, songs to avoid"

Playing these songs in these type bands will get you fired, banned or beat up:

*Rock n Rock: Tush
*Southern Rock: Free Bird
*Progressive Rock: Stairway to Heaven
*Jam Rock: Layla
*Metal: Enter Sandman
*Jazz: Moondance
*R&B/Soul: Mustang Sally

And, never, ever play "Jumping Jack Flash". Nobody has ever once played this song decently and many highly skilled musicians have tried. Everybody from Tina Turner to Peter Frampton have attempted it with less than stellar results. Even the Stones themselves fumble with it live. It's just one of those studio songs that doesn't translate to live. Do yourself and the audience a favor, leave it off the set list.

Seen Johnny Winter do "Jumpin' Jack Flash" several times and it is always Kick A**

[rimbaud]

You should play it in a blues jam-session when the singer can't start the song right on 3... that's fun (no need to say that the singer suggested the song to the other musicians...?)

Or let's give it a try in rockabilly style " a la Brian Setzer", less fun for blues guitarists (re ), but fun for everyone else in the band !!!

[gweimer]

I'm always amazed at how volatile the discussion of this song gets. I wonder how the bass player crowd would feel if we were discussing a song like "Bernadette".

[dtripoli]

Originally Posted by Flabass

Seen Johnny Winter do "Jumpin' Jack Flash" several times and it is always Kick A**

I stand corrected.
Yes, Johnny is the exception to the Jumping Jack Flash rule but mentioning him didn't fit my post narrative.
Damn, can't get anything by this well informed Talk Bass community...lol

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by btp

The thing about these classic songs is that you've gotta step up and play it like you mean it -- channel your inner Wilson Pickett, so to speak. Have you heard a live, original recording? It's stunning -- no wonder it's a classic. These songs are only lame or stale or half-assed if we approach them with that attitude.

As for Jumping Jack Flash, check this: Doctor Decade: Jumping Jack Flash - YouTube
That song rocks with just a solo guitar, if you dig in and play it.

That's something that many artists never figure out. And I'm cool with that... it just means more work for me.

It's both kind of sad and amazing how little imagination many musicians have. Name a song and they immediately go into "Must Play This Just Like The Recording!" mode. Funny thing is that in most cases the only thing forcing them to do that is them.

Threads like this just remind me of how lucky I am to not have to be stuck with musicians with half the timber industry up their butts. Ever played a James Brown inspired version of "Stairway..."? I have. Played "Sweet Home Alabama" in a Prince vein too... and far stranger things than that. And I've played at plenty of bars where the patrons weren't hammered on the whole and they appreciated musicians having fun with THEIR TAKE on classic tunes along with playing orginals. Yes, you can like cover music and not be drunk.

If you don't have the imagination or chops for that kind of thing I'd guess that would make it pretty hard to do.

Oh look, a box. I must get in it!


Enjoy.

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by pklima

Good point. You can change it. I mean, it's not "Freebird", which specifies that "this bird you cannot change".

Good point but that lyric is easily ignored. BTDT

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by gweimer

I'm always amazed at how volatile the discussion of this song gets. I wonder how the bass player crowd would feel if we were discussing a song like "Bernadette".

Considering most probably can't play it... beats me.


My guess is that MS has sucked so many times when they've either heard it or played it it's become a touchstone of sorts. There's a relatively easy fix though... don't suck. Have fun with it.

[Beany]

Originally Posted by dtripoli

And, never, ever play "Jumping Jack Flash". Nobody has ever once played this song decently and many highly skilled musicians have tried. Everybody from Tina Turner to Peter Frampton have attempted it with less than stellar results. Even the Stones themselves fumble with it live. It's just one of those studio songs that doesn't translate to live. Do yourself and the audience a favor, leave it off the set list.

Actually, I saw the Beach Boys play in a college gymnasium back in '72 or '73, and that was the best song of the night.

[Gaius46]

Originally Posted by Brad Johnson

Considering most probably can't play it... beats me.


My guess is that MS has sucked so many times when they've either heard it or played it it's become a touchstone of sorts. There's a relatively easy fix though... don't suck. Have fun with it.

Yup.

It's not on my current band's set list but if it's requested we'll do it. I'll either take the "find a new and interesting way to play it" route or just sit back and enjoy watching the packed dance floor.

[davidgoldman]

I have been playing it since the 60's when it first came out. A band from WI did a version that was pure white and went over at most high school dances. When I heard the Wilson Picket version, we started playing it that way. I saw Otis do it two weeks before he died. It's a great song from a great time period. All that said, I'm getting sick of playing it myself.

[Road Hat]

Our strategy around playing Mustang Sally is to get the three hottest ladies in the club to gather around a mic and sing the Ride Sally Ride parts. Off-key and cacophonous? Absolutely. Is everyone in the audience paying attention at that point? Absolutely. We use the same strategy for Sympathy For The Devil. Hot girls + cowbell + "Hoo Hoo" vocals = audience engagement and repeat business.

Personally, I'd rather not play the song again. Same thing with Mercury Blues. But the audience will never know - they're helping to pay my bills, and deserve to hear what they want.

One last strategy for particularly heinous requests is to suggest that they write the request down on a $100 bill. No takers so far, though.

Being an unrepentant hippie cowpunk, I do refuse to play Redneck Mothers. "Kickin' hippies asses and raising hell" indeed.

[burnunit]

Originally Posted by Road Hat

Being an unrepentant hippie cowpunk, I do refuse to play Redneck Mothers. "Kickin' hippies asses and raising hell" indeed.

Just substitute "Kissin'" for "Kickin'".

[Liam Wald]

Just because a bazillion bands play it like crap doesn't mean that you shouldn't play it if you can do it really well.
(see THE COMMITMENTS)
No denying that it is a definite crowd pleaser.

[funkingroovin]

I live in a touristy resort area,so for six months of the year,it seems EVERYONE has a band. The biggest selling point for my band is that we refuse to play all the beat-to-death cover band standards. Our business cards promise you'll never hear us play Mustang Sally,Brown Eyed Girl,or anything by Bob Seger...nothing against Bob,he's a great guy,but as he vacations here often,there's no way we'll risk butchering one of his tunes as he stands in the shadows..again

[Blankandson]

When "Back in the USSR" came out my band hated it but we got requests for it. So we did a really good 60 second version - and would go immediately into "Born To Be Wild." We never got complaints if they were drunk. Sober ones would stare at us for a minute but they got over it.

[Liam Wald]

The biggest problem with "cover" songs is that most bands are really playing a cover of someone else's cover of a cover.
A few bands take a cover and really make it their own with a bold and original arrangement.

[Frayed Knot]

This argument always amazes me.

Some time back I was on iTunes and saw all the artists that had recorded this tune. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Foo Fighters, the list goes on and on.

According to Rolling Stone it is one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time yet most cover bands feel it is beneath them. It wasn't beneath Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck. It is not beneath me. I play my my heart out when I play this song and it feels great.

[seanm]

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

The biggest problem with "cover" songs is that most bands are really playing a cover of someone else's cover of a cover.
A few bands take a cover and really make it their own with a bold and original arrangement.

Agreed. Most bands cover the Commitments version of MS, which is probably the weakest version every recorded.

Originally Posted by Frayed Knot

This argument always amazes me.

Some time back I was on iTunes and saw all the artists that had recorded this tune. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Foo Fighters, the list goes on and on.

According to Rolling Stone it is one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time yet most cover bands feel it is beneath them. It wasn't beneath Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck. It is not beneath me. I play my my heart out when I play this song and it feels great.

+1 I personally base my playing for MS on the Buddy Guy version. If it is good enough for Buddy Guy, it is good enough for me

[caeman]

If I am getting paid to play it, then yes, I will play it. If no money is involved, I probably will still play it. Because, I happen to like the song. it may be old and tired, but is a good rock song, easy to sing to and the PAYING crowds like it.