Unexpected Positive Song Reaction...

[Old Blastard]

An originals, alt-rocky 90s-sounding rock band, we were fooling around with our drummer doing a disco-beat and wound up doing a wild version of Cher's "Do You Believe" that somehow morphed into The Cure's "Just Like Heaven," then into "Knocking On Heaven's Door" and then "Closing Time." It's gotten rave reviews and people will dance for all 8 minutes.

We get good response from "Leaving on a Jet Plane," "Country Roads" and a compilation of old timey hymns at a punk pace. Our "Wrecking Ball" went over surprisingly well.

We played "Mustang Sally" after a $20-tip request for a brewery full of imbibing bride's maids and was treated to a series of flashes right in front of the bass player (me). I think the shocked look on my 65-year-old faced just encouraged them.

Personally, I love that song.

 

[bherman]

I play in a classic country / outlaw country band. We end the night with a punky version of The Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer. The room always goes nuts.

Used to play in a bluegrass band that ended with "Life During Wartime", including banjo with lots of effects. Crowd always loved it....

 

[lermgalieu]

My old band did a pop punk cover of Katy Perry's Hot n Cold which just made so much sense once you heard it.

 

[Norm Nelson]

Thirding Mustang Sally. I had to sing it, once, lol. The broader world doesn't have the hate for the old chestnuts like a lot of us jaded guitar guys do

 

[DaveParker39]

I'm so sick of singing Stacy's Mom but people want to hear it.

I *hate* the main lead vocal hook and I *hate* how my voice sounds singing it. Like, no matter what I do, to me, it sounds like I'm reading a paragraph from a textbook.

But people want to hear it.

 

[Wyrdlow]

Whoa! I had to look and see where you are located! - I'm not sure if that was much of a hit in the US, but back when it was on "top" in the UK, my Aunt and Uncle lived there and they sent me 45's of several popular songs over there. "Ernie" was in there.....man, I had also forgotten that it was Benny Hill that recorded it! I'm thinking around 1971....
Some of the other popular songs (top 50, I think) they sent across the Atlantic were:
"Jeepster" by T. Rex
"Johnny Reggae" by The Piglets
"Gypsies Tramps and Thieves" by Cher
"Alone Again, Naturally" by Gilbert O'Sullivan
"Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum" by Middle of the Road
"I'd like to teach the World to Sing" by The New Seekers
"Tokoloshe Man" by John Kongos
....Hmmmmmm..... hard for this old guy to remember the rest, lol.

Thanks for bringing back those memories!

I think that's it's appeal! Audience members "of a certain age" have their memories jogged for the first time in years. A verse of, "Hang on... I think I know that...? Isn't that...?" and next thing they're belting out the chorus like There's no tomorrow! Younger ones look it up on their phones and find they like it too. I've heard us referred to as "that Ernie band"!
Some interesting stuff on your list! "Alone Again, Naturally" is just about the most miserable song ever to find its way onto Top of the Pops, surely, and "Gypsies Tramps and Thieves" is just about to go on our setlist!
Cheers!

 

[MegaSwing]

The truth is that England Dan & John Ford Coley virtually invented the Adult Contemporary vibe. Who had any idea at the time?

Much in the same way The Bellamy Brothers pretty much invented what we now agree is modern country, with ‘Let Your Love Flow’.

Cultural trends in music are peculiar and unpredictable things.

I wasn’t a fan, but they deserve credit.

 

[JES]

We are an all originals band and some of the ones I think will be duds go over very well (and vice-versa). Bottom line: try stuff on audiences and see what they like and learn from it. That's all I can do.

 

[ezstep]

For a wedding years ago, we were asked to learn and play I Can't Fight This Feeling (REO). We were amazed how many people requested that afterward and we left it in our line up.

 

[GretschWretch]

I've always wanted to do this one

It's better than this contemporary of GAH.

 

[tpaul]

The one that used to leave me scratchin' my head was "Fooled around and fell in love" by Elvin Bishop. I'm sure it amazed him as well when you look at his bio. But the crowds always loved it... Same with "Stepping Stone" by Paul Revere and the Raiders (and the Monkees, it's really not a bad tune).

The Sex Pistols did a great version of Stepping Stone

 

[Gervais Cote]

I play in a classic country / outlaw country band. We end the night with a punky version of The Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer. The room always goes nuts.

I can imagine that very well !

 

[HolmeBass]

"Grandma's Hands" by Bill Withers and a D-wight Yoakam bit where we did "Fast as You > Little Sister". Got loads of compliments from those. I was in one group that used to cover Beastie Boys "Sabotage". People usually came out of their seats for that one.
I was in a jazz group about 20 years ago that performed what we described as "wallpaper" or background/dinner music. We did lots of 80's stuff like Total Eclipse of the Heart, Land Down Under, Time After Time, etc. We made a killing in tips with that stuff. I loved the moment of realization some folks would have halfway through their dinner conversation when they suddenly stop and turn to us and shouted, "Are you guys playing freakin 'Africa' by Toto?!"

Time After Time is legit though - Miles played it! What a fantastic melody.

 

[Lardass5000]

"Crazy on You" by Heart

Jeesh! Stand Back! Airborne panties.

Never seen anything like it.
Follow it up with "Barracuda"
Yikes!

 

[mbrain]

We used to break out the Beastie Boys' Fight for Your Right. It was completely out of character for the band (nine people, including horns). The keyboard player, who typically didn't do any vocals, took the lead. People loved it.

 

[micguy]

To our surprise, the dance floor got full of "old" people dancing the best they could.

When a broken hip is a real possibility (or you've already had one replaced), you gotta modify your moves somewhat.

 

[Joebone]

Fourthing "Mustang Sally." Been a working musician (kid semi-pro/pro pro/now a mere hobbyist) for 53 years and never had reason to play it - until a 60th birthday bash two weekends ago, with a gaggle of attractive partygirls on the scene - and it totally killed.

 

[retslock]

I never thought people would appreciate such a stripped down version of Brandy either. After Sunday we're gonna practice that one and bring it back to the "active" list. I had some clunker notes in there.

Is this the Brandy by Looking Glass? If so that's a song I'd happily play. You can't wrong with a story song.

 

[retslock]

Fourthing "Mustang Sally." Been a working musician (kid semi-pro/pro pro/now a mere hobbyist) for 53 years and never had reason to play it - until a 60th birthday bash two weekends ago, with a gaggle of attractive partygirls on the scene - and it totally killed.

Played well it's still a killer.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

The biggest money maker we ever played...without a doubt.
Was a song we haaaaated.
"Achy Breaky Heart " was huuuuge at the same moment that the line dancing craze kinda exploded.
" Boot scoot boogie " was a close second.
When they offered us a 20 ...We'd say " Sorry, we don't know it".
When a Fiddy showed up, I'd turn around and say ...
" Achy Breaky Heart in A " !!!