Bubblegum band?

[Bass Viking]

Not that I plan to go through with it, but I`ve wondered about forming a group that plays music from the bubblegum genre. Bands like The Partridge Family, The Osmonds, The Archies, The Brady Bunch, etc. Of course, it would be campy as hell and appeal to an older audience but I think it could go over well if done properly. The dance floor would be packed!

For extra material, throw in some music from the Saturday morning TV shows we grew up with e.g. The Banana Splits theme, the Batman theme, the Super Six (which was done by Gary Lewis and the Playboys).

Any takers?!!

 

[sean_on_bass]

Would do quite well on the retirement home circuit

 

[bluesblaster]

Go for it, just don't forget the ruffle shirts and tight pants with bell bottoms. I think you need the period correct look to make it work as well as doing a bang up job covering those tunes.

I would also consider some Tommy Roe, Monkees and Tommy James, anything commercially mod or psychedelic should work.

I just saw Barry Williams (Greg Brady) the other day at the state fair, he just looks like an old Greg Brady these days

 

[ThudThudThud]

I have a Pandora station that has in rotation The Tubes, It Bites, Be Bop Deluxe, Spacehog, Jellyfish, Tears For Fears etc.
My wife refers to it as my "Bubble Gum Station." [rolleyes]
I was shocked, but quietly satisfied at seeing the bands you cited!

 

[Bass Viking]

Go for it, just don't forget the ruffle shirts and tight pants with bell bottoms. I think you need the period correct look to make it work as well as doing a bang up job covering those tunes.

I would also consider some Tommy Roe, Monkees and Tommy James, anything commercially mod or psychedelic should work.

I just saw Barry Williams (Greg Brady) the other day at the state fair, he just looks like an old Greg Brady these days

Absolutely right about the costumes! And how could I forget to mention the Monkees?!!

What was Barry Williams doing at the state fair? His Johnny Bravo gig?

 

[bluesblaster]

Absolutely right about the costumes! And how could I forget to mention the Monkees?!!

What was Barry Williams doing at the state fair? His Johnny Bravo gig?

Nope, just hanging out being a celebrity type. he made mention that the Brady Kids band performed at the grandstand 43 years previous.

 

[JRA]

a novel idea! i say "why not?" and i agree that for many crowds it could be a real winner.

do you play bars?

 

[Bass Viking]

a novel idea! i say "why not?" and i agree that for many crowds it could be a real winner.

do you play bars?

I have played bars but not in a while. I'm pretty sure it would work in that setting. The band could make jokes about drinking milk while the audience gets hammered.

 

[hrodbert696]

Bubblegum doesn't have to be all oldies.

 

[whatizitman]

I'm soooooo in. Make it campy as heck, but still put on a great show with kick a$$ vocals and harmonies. I would do it in a heartbeat.

*Sugar!. Ahhh, honey, honey!*

Definitely add in saturday morning cartoon and show themes and montage chase songs. I think some punk band did a version of the theme song from Land of the Lost way back when. Maybe there was some compilation album....

OMG Tenacious D did a version of it.

 

[Nev375]

Name suggestion: Bazooka Wrigley and the Big Red Juicy Fruit band.

 

[Joedog]

It might work. Not the kind of music I'd stick around for, but that's just me.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

Don't forget The Ohio Express, Bobby Sherman, Dino-Desi&Billy, to name a few.

 

[rtslinger]

Yeah nursing home circuit would dig it

 

[electracoyote]

Well, based on the soundtracks for the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, there's still a healthy audience for bubblegum and one hit wonders.

Also, listen to commercial advertising. They're digging pretty deep for old bubblegum tunes.

 

[rodak]

I add this "non-bass" bit of advice. IF you (or anyone else) do go through with this, and IF you decide to use period-correct attire and instrumentation, and IF you have an organ as part of the arsenal, PLEASE buy and use a real Vox Continental. I saw a Monkees tribute band once that had ALL the right stuff - guitars, amps, drums, outfits, etc, etc, but the organist was playing one of those crappy modern keyboards (black plastic, LCD display, "X" stand, etc), and it looked ridiculous. Continentals are not that hard to find, not that hard to repair and maintain, and not that terribly expensive, relatively speaking (about $2,000-ish)

 

[Bass Viking]

Bubblegum doesn't have to be all oldies.

Is that stuff considered bubblegum? I thought bubblegum was a late 60s/70s thing.

 

[Bass Viking]

I add this "non-bass" bit of advice. IF you (or anyone else) do go through with this, and IF you decide to use period-correct attire and instrumentation, and IF you have an organ as part of the arsenal, PLEASE buy and use a real Vox Continental. I saw a Monkees tribute band once that had ALL the right stuff - guitars, amps, drums, outfits, etc, etc, but the organist was playing one of those crappy modern keyboards (black plastic, LCD display, "X" stand, etc), and it looked ridiculous. Continentals are not that hard to find, not that hard to repair and maintain, and not that terribly expensive, relatively speaking (about $2,000-ish)

Agreed, image is important. But how much does one of those things weigh?

 

[kurth83]

I remember all the old musical cartoons that went with it, lots of psychedelic color in pulsating rainbow shapes. It was kind of sickening at the time (I wasn't a fan of either the music or the artwork), but in retrospect it is kinda funny.

But I am thinking you need some monitors or a projector with that kind of stuff on them to really complete the genre.

 

[Pirate Captain]

This would be great for the summer circuit out where i live...too many old farts banging away on "Needle and the Damage Done" while people are sipping margaritas poolside