Need a couple new dance tunes

[whatizitman]

...
EDIT: No. Dumb Things - Paul Kelly is a crap suggestion.

Crap suggestion for a dance tune in a West Texas cover band? Yes.

Crap suggestion in general? GAWD NO. I love Paul Kelly, and there are great covers of his songs. But he's almost completely unknown in the US. I only heard about him through a US transplant from Aberdeen. I saw him in a tiny club in Austin years ago, and I haven't heard about him playing anywhere in the US since. Sad, since he's brilliant. Yanks don't know what they're missing.

EDIT: And I've found that a dance song doesn't necessarily have to be a dance/funk tune, but just has to be RECOGNIZABLE and sing-songy by the ladies, and with a groove. Lots of 70s and 80s songs fit that.

 

[alealex]

Get Ready. The Rare Earth's version doesn't need horns or the Temptations' harmonies

 

[edencab]

Tubthumping - Cumbawumba
oowatanite _ April Wine

 

[Dana R Gregory]

You could try Dancing With Myself and Rebel Yell by Billy Idol. Good danceable beat. You could also try Hot Stuff by Donna Summer. No horns required. Another one that comes to mind that doesn't need horns is Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry.

 

[Fat Fingers]

Hound Dog by Elvis is easy with a three-piece and gets the ladies movin'. Its older, but definitely recognizable. Its such a basic tune that you can jazz-it-up or make it 'funky' every other round.

 

[BassUrges]

oooh, ooohh: The Bad Touch. Has a nice beat, offers a bit of room for the guitar to fill in the synth role.

If you have the stones to pull off the lyrics.

 

[buldog5151bass]

If you do Twist and Shout, you can make a medley - Good Lovin', La Bamba, etc. - any I/IV/V.

Walk This Way
Play that Funky Music into Brickhouse

Always try to work out medleys so the crowd can't sit down - even if you just have the drums keep a beat going while you start another similar rhythm song

 

[BassUrges]

Flagpole Sitta

Something in your mouth (again...if you can pull off the lyrics)

Do you wanna touch me

Kryptonite

Smuggler's blues

 

[broosh61]

A couple to consider: not classic dance songs, but I think they will get the job done, and very playable for a three peice band

1. Cant Hardly Wait - The Replacements
2. Alex Chilton - The Replacements
3. Burning Love - Elvis
4. Rockin in the Free World - Neil Young

 

[tjh]

If Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl, etc go over well for your scenario, maybe bring in some more 60's tunes ... again, medleys can be a great format to keep the floor full ...

Hang on Sloopy
Memphis
Pretty Woman
Little Bit O'Soul
Hanky Panky
Long Cool Woman
Little Sister
Louie Louie
You Really Got Me

Nothing here that couldn't be worked easily into a 3 piece ...

 

[ERIC31]

Hurts So Good - John Mellencamp
Talkin In Your Sleep - Romantics
Gimme All Your Lovin - ZZTop

These three always worked in the cover projects I was involved with over the years. The ladies love 'em!!

 

[pudgychef]

Soul Stripper - ACDC - great rock song that is, by it's early DC nature...utterly danceable..as long as you (as the bassist) bring it...folks can't help but shake to that baseline...great tune

 

[pbassjbass]

Any Chuck Berry song.

 

[BurnOut]

The Humpty Dance, of course

 

[AztecViking]

Rappers Delight
Mary Had A Little Lamb - Buddy Guy/SRV
Love Roller Coaster
Kung Fu Fighting
Rockin' The Casbah

I like Dread Zeppelin's version of Kung Fu Fighting with a reggae/Elvis touch. They sneak in a really nice and quite audible fart tone too at about 2:35!

 

[Phalex]

Shut Up and Dance By Walk The Moon

Can't Feel My Face By The Weeknd

Harder To Breathe By Maroon 5

Locked Out Of Heaven By Bruno Mars

I've played them all with a 3 piece + Vocalist, and they kill!

 

[Lesfunk]

Cake by the ocean
Lonely boy - black keys

 

[kartiste]

"Some Kind of Wonderful" by Grand Funk Railroad NEVER fails to get people up and dancing at our gigs. Don't know what it is about that song, but it just makes people move.

It's the anticipation of that move to the relative minor.

 

[40Hz]

Great last song:




Pretty much anything by Buddy Holly. His stuff was all written for a G/B/D trio and meant to be played in dance halls.

 

[Benny the Finger]

When our rhythm guitarist breaks a string (happens more than he'd like), we continue as a 3 piece and play Spooky by ATlanta Rhythm Section, La Grange by ZZ Top, or the Letter by the Box Tops...always goes seamless and gives guitarist 10 mins to right his ship...