atomicwash Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 My band, BingBong, plays mostly originals and we toss in a few covers. Our sound is kind of Pretenders, Blondie, Elvis Costello, etc. with female vocals. We enjoy the art of writing our own tunes and we are lucky to be in a town that appreciates bands doing originals. Ideally, we like the covers to get the audience dancing (or engage them) in a set that's mostly originals. We've recently been talking about learning some new covers so that we don't do the same Cure, Modern English, INXS, or Bowie tunes. One of our members wants to do more modern pop tunes (what? 80's not modern?). What songs have you covered that gets the audience going and that might be a good fit for BingBong? Any suggestions appreciated! Sample - Here's our album: https://open.spotify.com/album/5OeIvzLvB9hvqiV8vg9VSL https://www.bingbongband.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtrdaddy Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Here’s a few you don’t hear bands play every day: Dave Edmunds: girls talk The Romantics: what I like about you Graham Parker: Stupefaction Graham Parker: Endless Night Elvis Costello: Pump it Up Blondie: Heart of Glass Eddie Grant: Electric Avenue Devo: Whip It M: Pop Muzik Ian Lloyd: Slip Away The Clash: Train In Vain Joan Jett: Nag Todd Rundgren: Bang the Drum Gary Numan: Cars Iggy Pop: Real Wild Child David Johansen: Personality Crisis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Custom Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 My experience with going the described route is you will be a cover band within a year. People always respond more favorably to music they know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceM Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Try this one: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Doin’ it Right by April Wine might fit what you’re looking for!! Sure worked for several cover bands I was in. And it’s really fun to play!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Here’s another by Pete Townsend that seemed to fire a crowd up live. Rough Boy’s off the Broken Glass album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Dave Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 How about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crwth145 Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Might be a good fit... Motels - Mission of Mercy Cute... Republica - Ready To Go Hard not to like... Hole - Malibu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomicwash Posted October 29, 2019 Author Share Posted October 29, 2019 4 hours ago, Studio Custom said: My experience with going the described route is you will be a cover band within a year. People always respond more favorably to music they know. We’ve held this formula for 7 years, just tired of the same covers. Great suggestions! Keep’m coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveL Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Not exactly pretenders vibe or huge hits but some of my fave under the radar tunes That tread the alt/pop vibe. hoodoo gurus bittersweet hole. Malibu concrete blonde Joey divinyls. touch myself Also love the presidents of the usa version of video killed the radio star from the wedding singer soundtrack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disturber Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Come on, come on by Billy Idol is a party starter. Fun riff to play as well. We used to cover this one in a band I was in, in the early 90's. Great fun to interpret in a guitar band. Obscure perhaps , but people love it (guitardaddy mentions this song as well, take it as a good omen. Have faith in us, we know stuff): And, seriously, if you want more options of cover songs than you even really need... ...just get the STIFF box set from Amazon. Everyone should have this box set at home. It's mandatory for a pop nerd. https://www.amazon.com/Stiff-Box-Various-Artists/dp/B0000032VR Some fine tunes from that box set you can cover: Ian Dury - Sex and drugs and rock n roll Heart of the City - Nick Love Solitary confinement - The Members A new England - Kirsty Maccoll Pick Me Up - The Inspirational Choir Of The Pentecostal First-Born Church Of The Living God And this one, I love this one. Great riff. Hits them right in the face: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Haynie Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 The Joker by Steve Miller makes people dance. Studio Custom is right about the danger of devolving into a regular bar band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixesandsevens Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Definitely all of you standing in front of either a brick wall or train tracks. Preferably in matching leather jackets. Oh, wait... that cover... Regarding Studio Custom's comment, I would suggest maybe taking an unexpected cover and make it your own. Like take a Black Sabbath song and twist the arrangement to suit your sound/vibe. I've done that in the past and while our band flamed out, we never became a cover band. There's a ton of bands on youtube now getting good mileage out of this. Where it's almost a roleplaying thing for them by doing big band arrangements of Radiohead and whatnot. It stretches the definition of cover band a little and seems to me that folks would be more likely to accept originals from you since you're not just a stunt double for the record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamerhead Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Mustang Sally. Ice Cream Man. Free Bird. Did I miss any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennyboy-UK Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Some stuff by P!nk - there are some good rocking ones, and how about some Katy Perry? Waking up in Vegas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Scepter Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 What's the age and mindset of the audience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCChris Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 2 hours ago, Steve Haynie said: The Joker by Steve Miller makes people dance. In what alternate universe is this the case? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Haynie Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 5 minutes ago, MCChris said: In what alternate universe is this the case? It works down South. Seriously. People dance to The Joker. Try playing it sometime and watch the women in the audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamerhead Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Not all our dance floors have poles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCChris Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Steve Haynie said: It works down South. Seriously. People dance to The Joker. Try playing it sometime and watch the women in the audience. That settles it: the South shall not rise again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchee Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 This one's got a nice beat, easy to dance to: If you're feeling inventive, you can always mash it up with U2's 'Desire' and/or George Thorogood's 'Who Do You Love'. They've all pretty much got that 'Bo Diddley beat'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtrdaddy Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 31 minutes ago, crunchee said: This one's got a nice beat, easy to dance to: If you're feeling inventive, you can always mash it up with U2's 'Desire' and/or George Thorogood's 'Who Do You Love'. They've all pretty much got that 'Bo Diddley beat'. I haven’t heard that in twenty - plus years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshoowah Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Covers my past bands have played to get the booties shakin with positive results: Stevie Wonder - I Wish, Sir Duke, Superstition The Romantics - What I Like About You REM - The End Of The World As We Know It Jackson 5 - ABC, I Want You Back Elvis Costello - How To Be Dumb, Pump It Up CCR - Looking Out My Back Door, Proud Mary ELO - Mr Blue Sky Anything from Otis Redding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomicwash Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 3 hours ago, Dave Scepter said: What's the age and mindset of the audience? Let’s say 30 - 60 years of age, leaning to the elder side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
it's me HHB Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Mission of Mercy is a great suggestion for a female fronted band! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.