Cover Band

[bassist_25]

When it comes to whether cover material is reproduced accurately, I base my taste a lot on the style of music. I generally prefer Top 40 type of stuff to be covered as closely to the record as possible. I want to hear the original vocal harmonies, the signature riffs, the original guitar solo, etc. When it comes to blues, I expect the band to put its own twist on it. When it comes to country, I fall somewhere in the middle. Many country records are extremely produced, and many bands don't have all of the original pieces (you're not going to hire a steel player just to play on 10 songs a night). Jazz isn't jazz if it isn't improvised. Some stuff has just been covered so much, every band grooves it a little differently. For example, how many bands do Mustang Sally the same way? I'm not even sure what the original version sounds like.

Sometimes you have to cover stuff a little differently. We're a single guitar band, so sometimes I have to play more busy under a guitar solo because there's no rythmn player there. Each situation is a little different. And with all of the different variables, you're not going to be able to cover everything exact. The key is being able to listen to a song and telling if there's just too much production on it or not to do a respectable cover. Collective Soul's one of my favorite rock bands from the 90s, but most groups are limited on what stuff they can cover because CS's records are very slickly produced.

[MeYatch]

BTW, for anyone who doesn't know; Tim, who started this thread is actually a really good drummer who does have giggin' experience.

I know, he's our new drummer!

When it comes to whether cover material is reproduced accurately, I base my taste a lot on the style of music. I generally prefer Top 40 type of stuff to be covered as closely to the record as possible. I want to hear the original vocal harmonies, the signature riffs, the original guitar solo, etc.

I fall somewhat in the middle here. I'd like to capture the original feel of the song, however close we have to be to accomplish that. But unless we stick to an incredibly tight song list, we aren't going to sound much like the original song no matter what we do. Ken (and a very small amount of singers in general) just doesn't have the range to sing everything the way it should sound. Most instrument players don't want to sling along 10 different axes to try to sound as close as possible. Plus I just don't care to learn every single fill in every song. I'll play it my own way.
For better or worse everything I play, sounds like me playing it. This gets more and more true the longer the song has been on the setlist. We've been playing "breaking the law" since long before the band existed, and it wouldn't surprise me to find out that we aren't that close at all anymore. A lot of the songs on our setlist aren't stuff I listen to on an everyday basis, once I know the song, I often don't hear it again, and time distorts my perception of it. The same is true with our original material. I play different fills than on the recording sometimes, eric ads stuff in, ken changes the way he sings things. The dynamic aspect of music is one thing that draws me to it.

[moxham123]

bassist_25


You wanted to hear the original version of Mustang Sally. Here it is.

Mustang Sally is a rhythm and blues song written and performed by Mack Rice and best known through a cover by Wilson Pickett.

According to music historian, Tom Shannon, Mack started the song as a joke in 1965 when Della Reese's band leader wanted a new Ford Mustang. Mack called the early version "Mustang Mama," but changed it after Aretha Franklin suggested "Mustang Sally."

Rice's version made it to #15 on the R&B Charts. Pickett's version made it to #23 in 1966.

You can listen to a song clip of the original version of Mustang Sally by Sir Mack Rice on this link.

You can listen to a song clip of Wilson Pickett's version on this link. It is the 2nd version done and is the one most played on the radio and the most well known version.

I have never heard two bands play Mustang Sally the same way. I don't know any band that plays it like the 1st or 2nd version. The interesting thing about this song is that it is a much bigger hit now than when it was out originally.

[VENTGtr]

"I know, he's our new drummer!"

That's awesome. Congrats all around.