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That one random song your cover band does that nobody else does.
- Thread starter two fingers
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Our trio GameChangers plays Groove-Blues songs that are "Judiciously obscure, yet captivatingly familiar". One such tune is On The Beach, by Chris Rea.
"I Want You Back", as in the MJ tune? In my neck of the woods that is played by every wedding/party band at every gig!
I play in a band whose entire concept is "B" sides and more unusual R&B/funk tunes... We play stuff from John Cleary, The Motet, Pimps of Joytime, Sister Sparrow, Rumer, Incognito, and Leon Bridges, to name a few... we also do stuff people recognize, but one of the most common reactions to our performances is "Gee, I think I knew like 5 of those 20 tunes...". We say, "That's the point".
We would buy a drink for anyone that could name the song and what movie it was in. Most people got the movie but not the name, and the band name was even more of a challenge. Fun song.
One Way or Another -Blondie. It rocks.
Bob Lee (QSC)
In case you missed it, I work for QSC Audio!
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I sure do! I first saw him in the WHA with the Cincinnati Stingers in a game against the Whalers up in Springfield. He got shellacked, but I couldn't say it was his fault because the Cincinnati defense was abysmal. I was actually impressed by his acrobatics in making saves. I think he faced nearly 60 shots that night and he must've been exhausted by the final horn.
Same here! We do some Wood Brothers, War and Treaty, Aaron Kamm and the One Drops, Jarle Bernhoft, Mingo Fishtrap, Lucas Nelson and the Promise of the Real, and more. I try to bring up some of the artists during the show, and we've had quite a few people say that they follow us partially because we're always suggesting cool new music for them to find online!
The guitarist is Wilko Johnson. He's 74 now and has become a bit of a National Treasure. He goes out as a three piece, with drums and bass, still with his curly lead. I caught him at a festival three years ago and was convinced he was using a backing track - he wasn't. He sings and plays lead and rhythm all at the same time. Something to behold.
Locomotive Breath - Because my wife is a badass flutist.
We also do Dust in the Wind, Landslide, More Than Words and Blackbird, because I also play Classical Guitar.
We also do Dust in the Wind, Landslide, More Than Words and Blackbird, because I also play Classical Guitar.
My blues trio did this one by Buddy Johnson
And this from The 'O'neders.
And this from The 'O'neders.
My old band would sprinkle in commercial jingles that everyone would recognize. The big crowd pleasers were the Free Credit Report dot com jingles. Quick hitters that always got a laugh, especially as the night would go on. Audience would always catch on by the 2nd or 3rd one. I'd always read the disclaimer message at the end. There had to be 7 or 8 of them.
Also, I'm on a Boat by Lonely Island from SNL. I was always surprised how many people knew the lyrics. We'd really rock that one out.
Also, I'm on a Boat by Lonely Island from SNL. I was always surprised how many people knew the lyrics. We'd really rock that one out.
The last band I was in was a cover band that did songs from the 1960's (Creedence and the Beatles) on through the 2000's (Lenny Kravitz, Buckcherry*).
You want to talk about a song that devastates an audience, especially the women? "Crazy Bitch" by Buckcherry, man we would break into that song and the dance floor would be flooded with girls and women from 20 to 60 and most of them knew the lyrics. Nothing like a bunch of drunk women going CRAZY BITCH! along with the singer LOL.
The singer (who was REALLY good and also played acoustic guitar and some electric guitar) was masterful at picking songs, for example he suggested "Long Cool Woman" by the Hollies, a song that was out before the singer was born.
I said I loved the song but is anybody going to like a song that came out when I was in 8th grade?
Man did they ever, that was probably our second most popular song with girls other than Crazy Bitch; there is something about the chugga chugga riff in that song that just hits them in a spot that makes them flood the dance floor. We did a great version, I made sure to program in the appropriate slapback echo on the vocal FX because the song pretty much demands that effect.
ANYWAY getting to the point of the thread; the song I brought to the band to do was "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult.
This was a minor hit for them back around 1984/1985 but at the time we played it (circa 2010 - 2012) it was getting tons of play in commercials.
Chances are you might think you don't know this song but you do, as soon as you hear it you recognize it.
Anyway that song always went down a storm as well and certainly qualifies as obscure.
Analogeezer
You want to talk about a song that devastates an audience, especially the women? "Crazy Bitch" by Buckcherry, man we would break into that song and the dance floor would be flooded with girls and women from 20 to 60 and most of them knew the lyrics. Nothing like a bunch of drunk women going CRAZY BITCH! along with the singer LOL.
The singer (who was REALLY good and also played acoustic guitar and some electric guitar) was masterful at picking songs, for example he suggested "Long Cool Woman" by the Hollies, a song that was out before the singer was born.
I said I loved the song but is anybody going to like a song that came out when I was in 8th grade?
Man did they ever, that was probably our second most popular song with girls other than Crazy Bitch; there is something about the chugga chugga riff in that song that just hits them in a spot that makes them flood the dance floor. We did a great version, I made sure to program in the appropriate slapback echo on the vocal FX because the song pretty much demands that effect.
ANYWAY getting to the point of the thread; the song I brought to the band to do was "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult.
This was a minor hit for them back around 1984/1985 but at the time we played it (circa 2010 - 2012) it was getting tons of play in commercials.
Chances are you might think you don't know this song but you do, as soon as you hear it you recognize it.
Anyway that song always went down a storm as well and certainly qualifies as obscure.
Analogeezer
Yep, it's amazing how he does it. I liked that album he did with Roger Daltry about 5 years ago, plus you get Norman Watt-Roy as part of the deal. But the incredible thing is how he beat cancer.
"Blood And Roses" by The Smithereens
and
"The Oath" by KISS
and
"The Oath" by KISS
I played in a band that did originals and a lot of prog rock covers, mainly Emerson, Lake and Palmer, but also classic (pre Beer Commerical) Genesis, King Crimson, UK, etc.
Needless to say it was a fun band for us, we did not play a lot of gigs (maybe two a year max).
Three piece band, no guitar (other than me doing some stuff on acoustic), me and the keyboard player were total ELP fiends, and the drummer was not far behind. They were also really into fusion stuff but we played songs with vocals for the most part.
Anyway we did Peter Gunn, because ELP opened with it on the Works Tour. You really should hear their version it's something else.
I think why ELP did Peter Gunn was it was a great soundcheck song, the PA could be tweaked and fine tuned during that because it had everything but the vocals in it, Emerson played a short lead solo (on the GX-1). Then they broke into Hoedown which was a great segue from Peter Gunn into Hoedown.
We didn't do Hoedown but what we did do was do Peter Gunn and then Karn Evil 9, 1st impression Part Two.
I had the signature sample and hold riff for that programmed into my Roland JP-8000 synth, and triggered it from some foot pedals (Roland PK-5); that way the keyboard player didn't have to cover that bit.
Hardest piece of music I ever learned to play, we spent a good 5 months learning it, two practices a week, probably an hour per practice.
What had never occurred to me about ELP music is it sounds the way it sounds because it is almost NEVER in a standard key. Usually something with a ton of sharps or a ton of flats. So your regular bass patterns from rock music, played in E, A, or D, need not apply.
Peter Gunn was a lot of fun to play, as it was easy and the keyboard player got to wank on an extended solo, lots of fun.
Analogeezer
