Last 5 songs you learned (or relearned)

The last song I learned/am leaning is Ella Fitzgerald’s “Easy To Love” because I wanted to replicate her singing melody on my fretless.

I recently came back from a long break on bass, and since coming back have mostly been playing along to jazz standards and hip-hop songs, and I haven't really learned any of these songs (as in seriously transcribed them, or learned them note for note), but I feel like the last songs I learned before this break were Black Chamber’s “Other Days”, “Molduga Battle” from the Zelda BOTW, the Michael Myers (Halloween) Theme (both melody and bass), and Rush’s “Working Man”.

It’s all a wide range of music, but was all stuff I just wantes to learn or figure out.

I was trying to play some harder stuff last night, and while I had learned Tool’s “The Pot” a few years ago, I completely fo4et everything except the main riff, so I’m going to relearn that after I get this Ella song under my belt and perfected.

 

After a few months layoff from rehearsals due to covid, my guitarist and I have decided to try rehearse starting in the next week or two in case we can salvage half of the season and just for fun.

Apropos of that, yesterday I reviewed Wave, Corcovado, Besame Mucho, Work Song and Satin Doll plus a few others.

 

These new to me songs were learned for an audition. I was already familiar with most of the other stuff on the song list:
Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care

I like the Wilburys song a lot.

These were learned, rehearsed and played with a pick up band for a party last fall:
4 Non Blondes-Spaceman
Eagles - Already Gone
Led Zeppelin - What Is And Never Should Be
Linda Ronstadt - When Will I Be Loved
Linda Ronstadt-It's So Easy
Miley Cyrus - Jolene
Sheryl Crow-My Favorite Mistake
Sheryl Crow - Everyday Is A Winding Road
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Midnight In Harlem
The Go-Gos - Our Lips Are Sealed
Tom Petty - You Wreck Me

These went over very well. I had played with the guitar player before but the singer and drummer were new to me. Unfortunately scheduling conflicts prevented this band from continuing.

 

i'm finding that old stuff (played for years!) is a "re-learning" experience for me!

pre-lockdown, newest (to me) first:
1. a tune by lettuce for the gig (new to me).
2. relearned a re-arranged medley: groovin' and lovely day.
3. relearned a wayne shorter tune (pinnochio).
4. re-acquainted uptown up - maceo
5. we're re-tooling a bunch of original stuff so those bass parts are changing. i guess that counts.

all i got.

 

1) She Caught the Katy (transcription)
2) Stop Draggin my Heart Around (by ear)
3) Autumn Leaves (transcription)
4) Pain of a Troubled Life - Allison Kraus (learning the vocals)
5) Ain’t no Mountain High Enough (transcription)

 

Last five I've been working on (can't honestly say that I've learned them at this point).
Grigory Leps - A Glass of Vodka on the Table
John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom Boom
The Pretenders - My City Was Gone
The Allman Brothers - Whipping Post
The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight

 

Walk like an Egyptian -afterburner version
God save The Queen - pistols
Ties your mother down - queen
Beds are burning - midnight oil
Ballroom blitz - the sweet

 

Plush- STP
Imagine- John Lennon
Dangerous- Shaman's Harvest
Whole Lotta Rosie- AC/DC
Control- Puddle of Mudd

 

Pancho and Lefty
It Ain’t Me Babe
Ramble On
3am
You Wear it Well

 

Since I’ve recently got another 5-string, I’ve been exploring a lot of synth bass lines. From 80’s new wave, all the way to recent R&B.
I have no expectations of ever performing those songs, but glad to be reminded of how satisfying it is to be able to ring out that open b-string.

 

Five is way too ambitious for me, I get easily distracted. Today I learned Pump It Up by Elvis Costello, as a huge Bruce Thomas fan I’m surprised that I didn’t get to this one for around 40 years. His genius is all in there, that song is as much fun to play as I suspect that Elizabeth Hurley is.

 

Working on the trumpet part, to play on guitar (not bass) to the Gene Krupa version of ‘All By Myself’ by Irving Berlin. I used to play it on trumpet .

 

I had to learn several songs that I could play & sing for for a gig, because the rock trio I’ve been in for close to 30 years have a couple members that have had some health issues and can’t sing as much as they once could.

if that seems strange, you’ll understand when you get to that age...

Time - Pink Floyd
Times Like These - Foo Fighters
Cumbersome - 7 Mary 3 (I think they’ve been asked to change their name)
Twilight Zone - Golden Earring
Hot Legs - Rod Stewart

I learned a few others, but I think these are the last five I learned or re-learned. I had played Time in a couple other bands, but I didn’t sing it, so that is a re-learn.

I learned Times Like These a few years ago to play at an annual pig roast that had been going on for 30 years. The couple that put it on said 30 years was enough, so they were quitting that year. I played at #1 & #30 and I forget how many times I played in between, but it was several.

I wanted to do Vanilla Queen by Golden Earring, but it’s even older & way out of the mainstream, so I went with the big 80’s song “Twilight Zone”. Surprisingly, it gets a good crowd reaction.

I took over singing Cumbersome from the guitarist to get another one on my list and off his.

Hot Legs - I have no idea why I put this one on my list. I think it was one I heard on the radio while jamming and discovered I could play and sing it at the same time. It also gets a surprisingly exuberant reaction from the crowd. One of those songs that makes a lot of folks grin....

 

SWLABR, Cream
Come Dancing, Jeff Beck
Stand Back, ABB
Blue Sky, ABB
The Real Me, Who