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medleys?
- Thread starter morgansterne
- Start date
I feel it's definitely a good idea, so long as you can make it your own / keep it interesting, whilst also doing the various songs justice. It's entirely possible to do medley/mashups that keep the audience and yourselves entertained, just gotta find your flow.
- Jun 6, 2012
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Roland GR 88
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We have successfully meshed Suffragette City-The Jean Genie-Rebel Rebel-Suffragette City. It always kills.
A medley we are considering is one of some songs by The Animals. Check out David Johansen's Animals medley on You Tube.
We have also done Shine On 1-5, Have A Cigar, Shine On 6-9 similar to The Floyd's 1975 live version.
Ultimately, I would prefer to do all of these individually.
A medley we are considering is one of some songs by The Animals. Check out David Johansen's Animals medley on You Tube.
We have also done Shine On 1-5, Have A Cigar, Shine On 6-9 similar to The Floyd's 1975 live version.
Ultimately, I would prefer to do all of these individually.
Too much is made of the distinction between segues and medleys IMO. Even with the former the original structure is not preserved, in the strictest sense, since there are altered or omitted sections (namely the intro, the coda or both).
As for me, I do segues, quick citations and everything in between including mash-ups. I strive to keep it interesting and creative, with fluid transitions and meaningful juxtapositions, and rely on my judgement (as a listener first and foremost) on what to shave off the original composition. If I find significant melodic or lyrical value in a part of the song believe me, I'll be the first to want it in, even if the medley chunk represented by that song ends up longer than the others.
I'm confident that also the fan of the individual song among the audience, even if a little disappointed (s)he is not gonna hear it in its entirety, understands why some specific parts had to go, and from the very start I make the message clear, from the arrangement and interference of other songs, that it won't be a straight rendition of the track anyway.
I don't claim to be infallible though. In the end it may just suck royally to some folks. Still, combining different compositions together is part and parcel of how I express myself as a musician: if I fail I'll just try to do better next time.
Besides putting some effort into designing the transitions, my only tip is to respect the songs, all of them: there are inevitably some you or others in the band like less, but make sure it doesn't show, and you don't play them half-heartedly or even communicating how deeply you're convinced they suck and don't count, or else the aforementioned fan will notice and be irritated by it more than by the omissions.
As for me, I do segues, quick citations and everything in between including mash-ups. I strive to keep it interesting and creative, with fluid transitions and meaningful juxtapositions, and rely on my judgement (as a listener first and foremost) on what to shave off the original composition. If I find significant melodic or lyrical value in a part of the song believe me, I'll be the first to want it in, even if the medley chunk represented by that song ends up longer than the others.
I'm confident that also the fan of the individual song among the audience, even if a little disappointed (s)he is not gonna hear it in its entirety, understands why some specific parts had to go, and from the very start I make the message clear, from the arrangement and interference of other songs, that it won't be a straight rendition of the track anyway.
I don't claim to be infallible though. In the end it may just suck royally to some folks. Still, combining different compositions together is part and parcel of how I express myself as a musician: if I fail I'll just try to do better next time.
Besides putting some effort into designing the transitions, my only tip is to respect the songs, all of them: there are inevitably some you or others in the band like less, but make sure it doesn't show, and you don't play them half-heartedly or even communicating how deeply you're convinced they suck and don't count, or else the aforementioned fan will notice and be irritated by it more than by the omissions.
We do a couple but I hate the first one, though it can be funny to watch people's reaction. The 1st one we start with Werewolves of London (people actually think it's Sweet Home Alabama for obvious reasons) but when I start singing the Werewolf lyrics, people's faces are like "Why the hell's that?", then we go into All Summer Long by Kid Rock which people like and sing along to (shortened version like Werewolves) then into Sweet Home AL. but I'm getting real sick of that medley. The other is All Shook Up into DOn't Be Cruel, both are short enough to equal just a kind of a little extra long Elvis song. That 2nd one seems to be the better received one.
The problem with the Werewolves/All Summer Long/Sweet Home mashup has been played nonstop on the crap bar circuit for however long that All Summer Long ripoff has been out in the public. For me the problem is I always thought Sweet Home is Skynyrd's weakest hit; I hate Kid Rock, and I think Werewolves is clever and funny. Luckily, I am absolutely NO ONE's audience!
We only do one true medley and it's parts of 5 slow oldies do wop tunes. It's amazing how many compliments we hear about it. The dance floor gets packed and people sing along.
These are the songs – (What’s Your Name, Earth Angel, Sincerely, In The Still Of The Night, Those Oldies But Goodies)
We do something else where we will play a few entire songs by one act non-stop such as:
I Think We’re Alone Now, Hanky Panky, and Crystal Blue Persuasion by Tommy James & The Shondells
Blue Suede Shoes, Don’t Be Cruel, and Return To Sender by Elvis Presley
Cracklin’ Rosie and Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
These are the songs – (What’s Your Name, Earth Angel, Sincerely, In The Still Of The Night, Those Oldies But Goodies)
We do something else where we will play a few entire songs by one act non-stop such as:
I Think We’re Alone Now, Hanky Panky, and Crystal Blue Persuasion by Tommy James & The Shondells
Blue Suede Shoes, Don’t Be Cruel, and Return To Sender by Elvis Presley
Cracklin’ Rosie and Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
One we do is going from Sweet Emotion into Play That Funky Music... the outro riff of the one is darned close to the intro of the other.
Oh Yeah
Right, the stuff we have put together, usually includes a good 75% of the originals, maybe more. Sometimes even merging the outro with an intro in some way, keeps the set moving and the band on our toes.
- Apr 1, 2000
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My band does tons of these. We put Jimi's "Fire" in the middle of Bruno's "Runaway Baby." We do a piece of "Cake By The Ocean" into MJ's "Billie Jean." We used to do Katy Perry's "Birthday" at the same time as Maroon 5's "Sugar" (literally at the same time - two singers singing the choruses simultaneously). And we do this one (and add a bunch more tunes to it
If you do them well medleys can be a lot of fun for the band & the audience.
But they can also be a lot of work.
When I was teaching & we had bands I was in charge as well, and I did most of the arranging, etc.
With the more advance students I could give them the frame work & they woudl help work out the parts--but most of them weren't there yet.
My first year there was a music festival & my boss suggested a medley for the most advanced band--and I thought that could work--so I put one together--and found out how much work it was.
I didn't do another medley with a band for 4 years--then I did medleys two years in a row--one was a Satriani medley & the otehr was Hendrix.
It was more fun then as I had more experience teaching the bands-and knew the students better.
but they can still be more work than just playign a single song--which songs? What order? when to switch to another song? what sort of transitions? Is it working? Not working?--etc, etc.
But they can also be a lot of work.
When I was teaching & we had bands I was in charge as well, and I did most of the arranging, etc.
With the more advance students I could give them the frame work & they woudl help work out the parts--but most of them weren't there yet.
My first year there was a music festival & my boss suggested a medley for the most advanced band--and I thought that could work--so I put one together--and found out how much work it was.
I didn't do another medley with a band for 4 years--then I did medleys two years in a row--one was a Satriani medley & the otehr was Hendrix.
It was more fun then as I had more experience teaching the bands-and knew the students better.
but they can still be more work than just playign a single song--which songs? What order? when to switch to another song? what sort of transitions? Is it working? Not working?--etc, etc.
My most recent band(s) - plural since it was the same group of musicians that backed various singers depending on the gig - were always looking for opportunities to add medleys/segues to keep the flow going.
Backing one particular pair of females, we would open with Please, Mr Postman and medley into Rescue Me >> Nowhere to Run >> Freeway of Love. The difficult part was the last transition as I'd have to flip my Hipshot lever so I'd have the low D to use for the intro/main riff on the Aretha tune.
The most fun I had with an arrangement was the main band with these guys. It originated out of a light moment during one rehearsal, and added some spice to an overplayed cover song we did, Play That Funky Music. It killed on the few gigs we tried it before the band ran its course - thanks to the drummer, of course.
Coming out of the 2nd (usually) or 3rd breakdown ("Lay down the boogie ... til you die), instead of using the low E to end the phrase on the word die, that low E would instead be the first note of the groove to Rapper's Delight (iow Chic's Good Times)! Our rhythm guitarist would rap 3 or 4 verses of RD before we'd segue back into Funky Music to end the song. Pretty funny for a group of mostly 50-year-olds.
We extended it during that one time we were blessed to have a wedding party enter the bar during one of those gigs!
Backing one particular pair of females, we would open with Please, Mr Postman and medley into Rescue Me >> Nowhere to Run >> Freeway of Love. The difficult part was the last transition as I'd have to flip my Hipshot lever so I'd have the low D to use for the intro/main riff on the Aretha tune.
The most fun I had with an arrangement was the main band with these guys. It originated out of a light moment during one rehearsal, and added some spice to an overplayed cover song we did, Play That Funky Music. It killed on the few gigs we tried it before the band ran its course - thanks to the drummer, of course.
Coming out of the 2nd (usually) or 3rd breakdown ("Lay down the boogie ... til you die), instead of using the low E to end the phrase on the word die, that low E would instead be the first note of the groove to Rapper's Delight (iow Chic's Good Times)! Our rhythm guitarist would rap 3 or 4 verses of RD before we'd segue back into Funky Music to end the song. Pretty funny for a group of mostly 50-year-olds.We extended it during that one time we were blessed to have a wedding party enter the bar during one of those gigs!
We used to do several short medleys in my old bar band. One of the best-received started with Bad Company’s “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love,” morphed into the extended chunka chunka bass and drums groove of Grand Funk’s “Some Kind of Wonderful” and then came back to the power chord ending of the original song. It flowed together pretty well and I’m not sure if dancers even realized it was two songs.
A true medley where you mix parts from several songs together is almost always bad. Too cutesy, not really doing justice to any of the chopped-up songs. If you like a song well enough to do it, you should do it completely and well. Unless you're on a TV show with a limited time slot, I'd recommend not butchering material like that.
A better option is to make a few sub-groups in your set list. Three or four songs in a sequence that you all know and remember can be a good way to structure your show. You can make each set into 3 or four clusters. Several benefits include:
- Pacing. Start a segment with something mid-tempo, listenable, well-known, then segway into up-tempo for a couple, then right into a slow one to hold them on the dance floor before they can all wander off to their tables. Or slow to fast, whatever works.
- Less dead air. No one likes listening to bands between songs. What'da'ya want to do next? I dunno. Only have to regroup after several songs, when the dancers can go get a drink and recover.
- Excitement. Pace up in keys too. Maybe start with something in D, then the next one in E, then jump up to G and A. Create some aural excitement as well as little climaxes in your mini-sets.
- Repartee. You can have little set transitions between songs that become part of your act. You all know what's next and can go right into it, or have your routine tight so you don't lose interest or attention between songs. Try a little schtick, people like that.
- Big starts & finishes. Figure out what your best songs are to grab 'em at the start of a set and bring the crowd into the excitement. Hit 'em with a few really good ones to start and move right into a few more before they can wander off. Then at the end of each set have a few ready that lead up to a big finish. Knock 'em out with something that'll run around in their heads over the break. Pace it to a climax to end the set on a big finish.
I've been doing this for my last several bands over the last 25 years and find it to be very professional and organised. Just put a little bracket around a few together on your set list. Find out which ones work together and lead well into each other. Keep it subtle, not like a big thing you have worked out.
But don't mince-up good songs into silly medleys, and don't put bad songs with good ones just to be clever.
A better option is to make a few sub-groups in your set list. Three or four songs in a sequence that you all know and remember can be a good way to structure your show. You can make each set into 3 or four clusters. Several benefits include:
- Pacing. Start a segment with something mid-tempo, listenable, well-known, then segway into up-tempo for a couple, then right into a slow one to hold them on the dance floor before they can all wander off to their tables. Or slow to fast, whatever works.
- Less dead air. No one likes listening to bands between songs. What'da'ya want to do next? I dunno. Only have to regroup after several songs, when the dancers can go get a drink and recover.
- Excitement. Pace up in keys too. Maybe start with something in D, then the next one in E, then jump up to G and A. Create some aural excitement as well as little climaxes in your mini-sets.
- Repartee. You can have little set transitions between songs that become part of your act. You all know what's next and can go right into it, or have your routine tight so you don't lose interest or attention between songs. Try a little schtick, people like that.
- Big starts & finishes. Figure out what your best songs are to grab 'em at the start of a set and bring the crowd into the excitement. Hit 'em with a few really good ones to start and move right into a few more before they can wander off. Then at the end of each set have a few ready that lead up to a big finish. Knock 'em out with something that'll run around in their heads over the break. Pace it to a climax to end the set on a big finish.
I've been doing this for my last several bands over the last 25 years and find it to be very professional and organised. Just put a little bracket around a few together on your set list. Find out which ones work together and lead well into each other. Keep it subtle, not like a big thing you have worked out.
But don't mince-up good songs into silly medleys, and don't put bad songs with good ones just to be clever.
Didn't vote up top. Simply due to very limited experience with medleys.
But the party band I recently joined loves to do medleys. In some cases, I'm happy we do them (certain songs are boring as hell after the first minute, so sliding into another song keeps things goin and changes the vibe just enough). But in other cases, I hate to break the flow up like that.
But the party band I recently joined loves to do medleys. In some cases, I'm happy we do them (certain songs are boring as hell after the first minute, so sliding into another song keeps things goin and changes the vibe just enough). But in other cases, I hate to break the flow up like that.
