Freebird, and other cliche covers

[Joe Nerve]

I heard Freebird while driving to work today. It got me thinking...

First, I never, ever heard a band cover Freebird.

Second, if a band ever did, and they did it as recorded - that would be one of the most AWESOME covers a band could do. IMO, of course. Never really listened closely before, but there's a WHOLE lot of stuff going on in that song, and it doesn't sound easy at all to play convincingly.

Why and how did that become the cliche, 'please don't ever play it', cover song?

And with that out of the way, what song do you think SHOULD be the cliche, 'please don't ever play it' song. My votes go to one of these:

• My Own Worst Enemy
• Don't Stop Believing
• Blister in the Sun

What sayz you?

 

[electracoyote]

Iron Man
Smoke On The Water
Stairway to Heaven

There is a whole list of "cliche" rock songs that most cover bands avoid because of the stigma (a symptom of caring too much about what the two snooty musicians will think rather than what the other 99.9% of the people in the room a.k.a. "the audience" will think). But I would submit that 1) Most cover bands couldn't do a good job with those songs if challenged to play them start to finish, and 2) If a cover band actually rehearsed those songs to the point of nailing them live, as-recorded, most cover band audiences would lose their minds.

I witnessed a cover band try to shrug off shouts for "Freebird," and then they gave in and did the intro (with the slide melody). Turns out they knew it like the backs of their hands, the whole live version, with two guitars trading licks at the end and the whole nine yards. The crowd ate it up with a fork and spoon.

 

[micguy]

In my day, it was "Smoke on the water". Became a non - approved song that nobody touched, largely because a lot of amateurish bands did horrible versions of it, and everyone grew tired of hearing it butchered. Then I saw the reformed Deep Purple. They did.....a very decent version of it - almost like they knew what they were doing. After seeing them live, my band did a decent job at it - we figured enough time had passed. People loved it. People know the song, and they do like it, they just want it to be performed well.

Lesson: Play it well, it'll be OK.

 

[mellowinman]

One of my bands ended every show with Free Bird, and we tried to do it as faithfully as possible.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

Iron Man
Smoke On The Water
Stairway to Heaven

There is a whole list of "cliche" rock songs that most cover bands avoid because of the stigma (a symptom of caring too much about what the two snooty musicians will think rather than what the other 99.9% of the people in the room a.k.a. "the audience" will think). But I would submit that 1) Most cover bands couldn't do a good job with those songs if challenged to play them start to finish, and 2) If a cover band actually rehearsed those songs to the point of nailing them live, as-recorded, most cover band audiences would lose their minds.

I think you hit the nail on the head here, spot on!

"A symptom of caring too much about what the two snooty musicians will think rather than what the other 99.9% of the people in the room a.k.a. "the audience" will think"

IMO, it's not the people in the crowd that will complain about the cliche songs, it's other musicians. And in that case I'll go to the same answer I give to people that ask to sit in and don't accept a polite NO as an answer...."go get your own gig"

The only one we play from the ones mentioned so far is "Blister in the Sun" It's never on our set list but if someone asks for it, here it is. And it always goes over well so no foul to me.

 

[electracoyote]

The only one we play from the ones mentioned so far is "Blister in the Sun" It's never on our set list but if someone asks for it, here it is. And it always goes over well so no foul to me.

If you have a party crowd that's even a little tipsy and ready to roll, I have yet to see "Blister In The Sun" fail to pack the floor.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I'll play anything. I really don't care. I just think it should be some other song that people make fun of . Not Freebird.

 

[Joe Nerve]

In my day, it was "Smoke on the water". Became a non - approved song that nobody touched, largely because a lot of amateurish bands did horrible versions of it, and everyone grew tired of hearing it butchered. Then I saw the reformed Deep Purple. They did.....a very decent version of it - almost like they knew what they were doing. After seeing them live, my band did a decent job at it - we figured enough time had passed. People loved it. People know the song, and they do like it, they just want it to be performed well.

Lesson: Play it well, it'll be OK.

I had a Deep Purple tribute that lasted one gig about 2 years ago. We did Smoke On The Water, as recorded. It was one of the most awesome covers I've ever done. That song is fun to play, and somewhat challenging, too.

 

[JRA]

i can't get any of my jazzer friends to play misty.

 

[Biggbass]

Mustang Sally
Brown Eyed Girl
Louie Louie
Wooly Bully

just to name a few

 

[DirtDog]

I think most of these "don't ever play" songs are urban legends made up by ourselves as musicians. Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, Freebird, you name it.

I'm siding with @Joe Nerve, @electracoyote and @Johnny Crab on this one. I desperately wanted to play Freebird in my last southern rock/country rock band. I though it would be awesome and we definitely could have pulled it off. And to have that in our back pocket when the inevitable happens - a drunk yelling out "Freebird" and then launching into it - would have pleased me to no end.

In my experience, I had the "two snooty musicians" in one of my bands saying they'd never play Mustang Sally. This from two guys who must have played that song a billion times in a previous band - and never failed to pack the dancefloor any of those billion times. No, they'd rather play the deep cut and put everyone to sleep in the process. That's fine for a jam session, but for a bar gig....kiss of death.

 

[bound'n'blocked]

I was in a band that did Freebird on occasion. Crowd always liked it.

Our "lots of stuff going on at once" song was Molly Hatchett's version of "Dreams I'll Never See".

BnB

 

[bassicmike]

I was in a band that did Mustang Sally regularly. I loved it, it has a deceptive bass line that is so much fun to play, and get it slinky enough. I'll always play it, given the chance. And it always got the dance floor going.

A different band played Brown Eyed Girl. Same again, re: the dance floor. (During rehearsals however, the singer used to sing the most pornographic version of the song imaginable)

Would have loved to do Wooly Bully. One of the first singles I ever owned as a young lad.

With yet a different band, every now and then we would whip out Pink Floyd's Echoes. The sheer audacity won over the crowd every time.

 

[bassplayer2014]

All very good points of view here. The main reason I cringe when someone brings up: Freebird, Brown Eyed Girl, Play That Funky Music, Etc, is that from my experience many folks who propose these songs as a staple in the set list are due to their for what ever reasons not wanting to learn new material. I'm happy to play these songs if they are done well, with passion, energy and especially is it's appropriate for the situation and/or requested by a group of funsters out for a good time.

 

[Richland123]

 

[saabfender]

I think most of these "don't ever play" songs are urban legends made up by ourselves as musicians. Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, Freebird, you name it.

They're somewhat lazy choices and, as such, are typically played in a mediocre fashion. When a group gets together, it's a lot of "what songs do we all know?", play through them, not really rehearse them properly then deliver a lackluster performance.

I'm not sure how "Freebird" gets lumped into the list of "Simple Man" "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "Some Kind Of Wonderful" - it's a really strong song that's not easy to pull off.

If a band has really thought through "Mustang Sally" and can nail it, I'll listen the whole way through. If it's lame, I'm gone.

 

[rtslinger]

I heard Freebird while driving to work today. It got me thinking...

First, I never, ever heard a band cover Freebird.

Second, if a band ever did, and they did it as recorded - that would be one of the most AWESOME covers a band could do. IMO, of course. Never really listened closely before, but there's a WHOLE lot of stuff going on in that song, and it doesn't sound easy at all to play convincingly.

Why and how did that become the cliche, 'please don't ever play it', cover song?

And with that out of the way, what song do you think SHOULD be the cliche, 'please don't ever play it' song. My votes go to one of these:

• My Own Worst Enemy
• Don't Stop Believing
• Blister in the Sun

What sayz you?

We cover Freebird the live version it is long as hell but the crowd goes crazy when we end it so we continue to do it.

 

[saabfender]

With yet a different band, every now and then we would whip out Pink Floyd's Echoes. The sheer audacity won over the crowd every time.

I've had this fantasy with "Astronomy Domine" for some time. And you say it worked? I'll tell the guys.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

All very good points of view here. The main reason I cringe when someone brings up: Freebird, Brown Eyed Girl, Play That Funky Music, Etc, is that from my experience many folks who propose these songs as a staple in the set list are due to their for what ever reasons not wanting to learn new material. I'm happy to play these songs if they are done well, with passion, energy and especially is it's appropriate for the situation and/or requested by a group of funsters out for a good time.

Yes, exactly. We play some old stinkers, but we don't treat them like a chore, we get into it. We move, we laugh, our BL calls out the names of people in the crowd who are dancing like nobody's looking, etc.

 

[Darkhorse1962]

I was in a band that did Freebird on occasion. Crowd always liked it.

Our "lots of stuff going on at once" song was Molly Hatchett's version of "Dreams I'll Never See".

BnB

Dreams I'll Never See is my absolute favorite to play. It's hard to find a lead that can do all 32 bars of the solo, though. I've been in a couple. The vocals are right in my wheelhouse so it rocked when we did it.