The Official Covers vs Originals Thread

[prd004]

Originally Posted by bassbully

Blue, I beg to difer but you make have made it quite clear many times why you don't like Originals bands and prefer covers. Jive as well as I do not want this thread to go this way. You like covers Great! but this thread is about good reasons you play in an originals band not another covers v.s originals pissing contest.

Go back through the years and you will read posts from Blue arguing both sides of this great debate! Lol

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by prd004

Go back through the years and you will read posts from Blue arguing both sides of this great debate! Lol

I'm not really trying argue, there's not really a right or wrong side.

If anything after reading post and rehashing this topic, to me now it seems like the problem is bass guitar players deciding what and which type of band is the best match for them.

That's how I feel tonight.

Blue

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by bluewine

I'm not really trying argue, there's not really a right or wrong side.

If anything after reading post and rehashing this topic, to me now it seems like the problem is bass guitar players deciding what and which type of band is the best match for them.

That's how I feel tonight.

Blue

Ok! But that is not the topic. Again, what some good reasons you in an originals band? BTW..this only applies to those IN and originals band. Thank You.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by bassbully

Blue, I beg to difer but you make have made it quite clear many times why you don't like Originals bands and prefer covers. Jive as well as I do not want this thread to go this way. You like covers Great! but this thread is about good reasons you play in an originals band not another covers v.s originals pissing contest.

Hi bassbully

I have read my posts in this thread and I see nothing but support for originals bands.

Blue

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by jazzbill

In a couple of weeks it will be my one year anniversary with the originals band I play with. We get lots of opportunities that are not available to cover bands.
We have played several festivals ( Texas Music Revolution, Tommy Alverson's Family gathering, Greenfest); we've gotten to open for some well known acts ( Marsha Ball, Gary P Nunn, George Ducas, Larry Joe Taylor, Ray Wylie Hubbard ); We recorded a CD; I heard myself on the radio; We made a couple of best of lists andPlayed regularly at some great music venues. My previous cover bands played bars for drunken dancers. I get much more satisfaction from the originals.

Very cool! That would bring myself and I'm sure many others allot of satisfaction.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by bassbully

Ok! But that is not the topic. Again, what some good reasons you in an originals band? BTW..this only applies to those IN and originals band. Thank You.

I was in originals bands because I loved the material and I loved playing it.

I was not aware thread was restricted to only those in originals bands.

Blue

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by bassbully

In my experience this is not true at all. My covers bands worked and played originals in our sets and we loved them. My originals bands play covers and we enjoy them to.
I have seen national bands all original who throw in a cover or two at their shows many times.

It all comes down to what you dig and what kind of band fits you. My originals bands gig as much as we want and it is all we can handle. We get paid enough to keep doing it and it's all good.

My apologies, I should have clarified my statement.

I think it depends on location and our own individual experiences.

All the original bands I know and go see don't perform covers and the cover bands I see don't perform originals.

I'm sure things are different from region to region. In might even be different in Milwaukee, I can only comment on what I see.

Blue

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by bluewine

I think it depends on location and our own individual experiences.

All the original bands I know and go see don't perform covers and the cover bands I see don't perform originals.

Blue

WOW! Sorry to hear that...you are missing allot.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by bassbully

WOW! Sorry to hear that...you are missing allot.

I am sure I am.

Again my comments are based on what I've seen. There might be bands in Milwaukee that perform both.

Blue

[Brad Johnson]

I play whatever works for a particular gig. And most of the time I have fun because of the musicians I choose to play with. And the more I play, the more creative I am. I don't see that changing anytime soon. I don't think creativity really has as much to do with age as in experience. Now I have more ideas and an easier time translating that to my instrument.

[mellowinman]

Originals, of course, but they have to be GOOD.

And therein lies the problem.

"Here's one we wrote," says the cover band dude, and then everyone hits the bathroom.

We've all seen it.

"Play some Zeppelin!" shouts a drunk.

I went out hard pushing my originals, years ago, and found the music business to be tough. Now I just get by, playing covers, and maybe if I can find some originals that fit the genre we're playing, I'll throw them in, but that hasn't happened yet.

We have a favorite local band around here, (they're not MY favorite,) that everyone likes to tell me "should be national." They are a pure cover band, and I always answer that by saying, "with WHAT SONGS????"

Your band is only as good as its songs. My band is the best classic rock band there could ever be, because, as a cover band, we play the best classic rock songs there ever were.

Doesn't mean we'll get any kind of real reward for it, though. The songs were somebody else's hard work; somebody else's creativity.

I don't really get "covers vs originals" as a discussion.

I do think every player should take a good turn at both.

[James Judson]

Don't want to pop any ones bubble but they are all "COVERS". Are we covering one of mine or one of yours or one of McCartneys.

The debate is just a pi$$ing contest that musicians like to get into to justify their existense and elevate their status. What pi$$es me off is everyone here is "RIGHT".

Good music is where you find it!

YMMV

[Munjibunga]

Every song I ever wrote reads like a soil report. Covers for me.

[ChrisB2]

It's actually a dumb topic and I'm having trouble understanding why a mod would create such a discussion, but...

What irritates me about the topic is how playing covers is generally looked down upon by most of the "originals" guys and even some of the "covers" guys, a lot of them stating that they "conceded" to playing covers after failing at creating originals.

I have no interest whatsoever in attempting to write songs. It's not because I can't (even though that is possible), it's because I don't want to.

I want to play music to entertain people and play with others who want to do the same, and playing covers is the obvious best way to achieve that goal. I have no disdain for anyone's path of playing music but I get a little salty when people act as if being in a cover band is beneath them just because they are writing their own songs... that's no reason to criticize someone who chooses to not write them.

But... if the purpose of this thread is to sling some mud and let our balls out, I'll play... you originals guys are just too dumb to play the wide variety of styles required of a Cover Bassist and since you can only play simple lines from your own simple brain you "write" original "music" that no one wants to hear, that you play for your fellow delusional "artistés" and the captive bartender and cook since you can't sell tickets to your sad little "show" put on by a pimple-faced geek "promoter" trying to score some weed money off of bands desperate to "make it."

There. Do I get a star?

[lfmn16]

Originally Posted by lwknives

I just joined an originals band where an upper 50's guy wrote most of the music. I dont think age has anything to do with it, at least not as a hard fast rule. I know lots of older people who increased in creativity as they got older.
I dont think I will quit being creative as I get older.

+1

It's funny how some people (who won't be named) can be wrong about almost everything.

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by ChrisB2

But... if the purpose of this thread is to sling some mud and let our balls out, I'll play... you originals guys are just too dumb to play the wide variety of styles required of a Cover Bassist and since you can only play simple lines from your own simple brain you "write" original "music" that no one wants to hear, that you play for your fellow delusional "artistés" and the captive bartender and cook since you can't sell tickets to your sad little "show" put on by a pimple-faced geek "promoter" trying to score some weed money off of bands desperate to "make it."

There. Do I get a star?

Oh Lord! really I think you are just being sarcastic...right?

[MarkMgibson]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

Originals, of course, but they have to be GOOD.

And therein lies the problem.

"Here's one we wrote," says the cover band dude, and then everyone hits the bathroom.

We've all seen it.

"Play some Zeppelin!" shouts a drunk.

I went out hard pushing my originals, years ago, and found the music business to be tough. Now I just get by, playing covers, and maybe if I can find some originals that fit the genre we're playing, I'll throw them in, but that hasn't happened yet.

We have a favorite local band around here, (they're not MY favorite,) that everyone likes to tell me "should be national." They are a pure cover band, and I always answer that by saying, "with WHAT SONGS????"

Your band is only as good as its songs. My band is the best classic rock band there could ever be, because, as a cover band, we play the best classic rock songs there ever were.

Doesn't mean we'll get any kind of real reward for it, though. The songs were somebody else's hard work; somebody else's creativity.

I don't really get "covers vs originals" as a discussion.

I do think every player should take a good turn at both.

I don't get it either, especially the "vs" part. Let's face it, there's millions of musicians out there, but very few can write great songs, and even less can write great songs with commercial appeal. Unless you're a very talented song-writer, or are lucky enough to find yourself in band with one, you're probably going to end up playing covers. Otherwise you'll be playing crappy original songs to an audience of 12 (all friends of the band).

[Flyingfrets]

Originally Posted by plankspanker13

There is a time in one's life to play originals, and a time to play covers. As one ages, and has a life away from music, time-management and ROI become more important, and are thus rationalizations for playing covers, not to mention the fact that the pop music machine does not care for original material emanating from someone much beyond the age of 30.

This is my experience as well. I'm 52 and wrote, played & recorded originals between 1980 & 2005 (couple of cover bands for short periods along the way). Did next to nothing with music until August 2011 when the offer for my current gig came up. All Beatles (been a Beatle fan since I was maybe 8 or 9 so I love the music). With the life I lead away from music, getting my parts right is enough challenge for me. Not coincidentally, I also make far more money, more consistently with far fewer headaches and effort than I did pushing originals. Works for me...

[Phalex]

Jesus Christos Jong! Do they give new mods ban quotas or something? This is an ingenious way to get your numbers up, but....

I play covers, but I don't play them note for note generally. If there's a signature lick, I'll make sure it's played correctly in the right place, but other than that I am playing original music within the predetermined constructs of an existing framework.

[sobie18]

Originally Posted by Phalex

Jesus Christos Jong! Do they give new mods ban quotas or something? This is an ingenious way to get your numbers up, but....

Maybe Bluewine needs to be a Band Management MOD.....