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Billy Joel songs

#61
mstillman said:
TL;DR: Does My Life go over with crowds? What other Billy Joel songs work?

We always get a great response for You May Be Right. I've been saying we need to add another Billy Joel song. I suggested Only the Good Die Young, not so much for its "lead bass" part, but it's upbeat, familiar, a good singalong, and I've seen it fill other bands' dance floors.

The band is leaning towards My Life.

To me, this is almost like apples and oranges. ML is a much weaker tune, IMO. I can be OK with it being a lesser hit, but I just don't think it's a grabber. (Old band did Banditos by The Refreshments and people quickly loved it. Dying to do Maria by Blondie.)

I could very well be wrong. If anyone here has gigged My Life, how'd it go over?

Recommendations for danceable BJ tunes would be welcome ('cept I think we'll pass on Uptown Girl until one of us is with a supermodel).

(Wow, Only... just came on my radio station's stream as I type this)
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It also depends on your keyboard player.

A good one can wow a crowd with "Italian Restaurant" a bad or missing keyboardist can make BJ songs awful.
 
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#65
bassliner50 said:
As long as you have that relentless 1/8th note feel, you can approximate Allentown. Better yet, get a real pianist. so much better than an everyday guitarist.
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oh I was just talking about the video where I guess it was more visually appropriate for Billy Joel to play guitar as the narrator and he did know the chords as they flew by. I read where this was one of the first videos with a real choreographer
 
#68
kevindahl said:
I have to ask. Why another BJ song? You guys do one already. There are so many great dance/party songs. I would do another one only if your singer is a perfect ringer and you guys play the music flawlessly.

I have played in cover bands most of my life and it always made sense to me to be able to cover more artists than multiple songs by one artist. It gives you a wider appeal to the audience.
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Fair question. Largely because You May Be Right never fails. Also because people ask if we do any others. Finally, we're fortunate enough to have a good keyboardist and our vocals are decent to very good.

At gigs it's 2 or fewer songs by the same artist.
 
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#71
mstillman said:
TL;DR: Does My Life go over with crowds? What other Billy Joel songs work?

We always get a great response for You May Be Right. I've been saying we need to add another Billy Joel song. I suggested Only the Good Die Young, not so much for its "lead bass" part, but it's upbeat, familiar, a good singalong, and I've seen it fill other bands' dance floors.

The band is leaning towards My Life.

To me, this is almost like apples and oranges. ML is a much weaker tune, IMO. I can be OK with it being a lesser hit, but I just don't think it's a grabber. (Old band did Banditos by The Refreshments and people quickly loved it. Dying to do Maria by Blondie.)

I could very well be wrong. If anyone here has gigged My Life, how'd it go over?

Recommendations for danceable BJ tunes would be welcome ('cept I think we'll pass on Uptown Girl until one of us is with a supermodel).

(Wow, Only... just came on my radio station's stream as I type this)
Click to expand...
I quite agree with everything you just said, and I barely even listen to Billy Joel! Agree about "Maria" as well...
 
#74
Gyver said:
Agree about "Maria" as well...
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I think "Maria" could be my next "Lies" (a Knickerbockers tune that you'd likely swear was a forgotten Beatles one). A former 60s/70s band decided we'd add this. Over a handful of gigs we saw it quickly become very popular with our crowd.

I could see "Maria" working well sandwiched between 2 rocker hits.

Just because a song didn't get overplayed on the radio, doesn't mean it's not a good song, as they say.

(Ditto for "Banditos".)
 
#75
mstillman said:
I think "Maria" could be my next "Lies" (a Knickerbockers tune that you'd likely swear was a forgotten Beatles one). A former 60s/70s band decided we'd add this. Over a handful of gigs we saw it quickly become very popular with our crowd.

Lies by the Knickerbockers is a killer tune same goes with Incense and Peppermints / Strawberry Alarm Clock , most people don't know the band but like the songs.
Click to expand...
 
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#76
sawzalot said:
I've been in bands that played My Life and Only the Good Die Young. Both got great responses, actually Only the Good Die Young got a really good response. I've also played Miami 2017, which also got a good response back in the day. My Life might be good. One of my favorites is Zanzibar off his 52nd Street album, but I don't think anybody else likes that but me. :)
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Love that song! I recently moved my mom out of her home of 40 years into a memory care facility. Had to go through all the stuff she couldn't bring. Played a ton of her vinyls during the process including a poopie ton of Billy Joel. Pretty sure I bought her 52nd St. as a birthday present back when I was like 13 or something, when it was new. Anyway, hadn't heard that album in forever, really good stuff!
 
#79
mstillman said:
TL;DR: Does My Life go over with crowds? What other Billy Joel songs work?

We always get a great response for You May Be Right. I've been saying we need to add another Billy Joel song. I suggested Only the Good Die Young, not so much for its "lead bass" part, but it's upbeat, familiar, a good singalong, and I've seen it fill other bands' dance floors.

The band is leaning towards My Life.

To me, this is almost like apples and oranges. ML is a much weaker tune, IMO. I can be OK with it being a lesser hit, but I just don't think it's a grabber. (Old band did Banditos by The Refreshments and people quickly loved it. Dying to do Maria by Blondie.)

I could very well be wrong. If anyone here has gigged My Life, how'd it go over?

Recommendations for danceable BJ tunes would be welcome ('cept I think we'll pass on Uptown Girl until one of us is with a supermodel).

(Wow, Only... just came on my radio station's stream as I type this)
Click to expand...
I remember seeing a commercial or a mini-video when that song came out, where the bass player was playing this beautiful Burgundy Red Ric 4001. I had just purchased my first Mapleglo 4001 and wanted to trade it!
 

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