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Good Blues Songs?


Mlucas
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If you've got a singer who can handle the story-spinnin' style of the lyrics, I've heard a couple of really good versions of 'House Rent Blues' (or 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer') over the years; it were made famous by George Thorogood.

For bluesy/souly stuff which people are likely to at least have heard before (if that's a priority for your band!) you could do worse than spending an evening in with The Commitments, The Blues Brothers and Roadhouse on DVD.

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Blues is great for finding radically different interpretations, which you can plunder to make your own - eg "Stop Breaking Down": Robert Johnson, Jeff Healey, White Stripes. "Killing Floor": Muddy Waters, Electric Flag, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin (Lemon Song), Dr Feelgood.

For sheer energy and fun it's hard to top Foghat's "Road Cases" album.

Edited by spinynorman
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[quote name='gary mac' post='1121286' date='Feb 9 2011, 12:54 PM']What is becoming clear through this thread, is that one mans idea of the blues can be very different to the next.[/quote]

When I was younger I listened a lot to Rory Gallagher and what I'd now call blues rock. I never 'got' the classic blues stuff but the older I get, my taste in blues has got more down and dirty and dare I say ...ethnic. I used to be in a brillaint blues band, there was no rehearsals, no sound checks and you had to guess which harp the front man was using to find the key to the song. It was a great distraction from my main band where everything is done to military precision but stupidly, I walked and have regretted it every day since.

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[quote name='phil.i.stein' post='1120554' date='Feb 8 2011, 08:17 PM']more of a funk-blues thing really, but awesome for bass.

the eponymous l.p. is well worth seeking out, especially their version of Dylans' 'ballad of hollis brown', and their version of 'voodoo'.

of course getting someone with a voice like Aaron Neville is the hard bit.. :)

[/quote]

Possibly funky reggae?

But it's definitely reggae.

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I think the venue and audience preference has to dictate how diluted the 'Blues' material becomes.
Your average town centre pub, unless it's a Blues venue would probably require Soul/Blues (the Commitments/ Blues brothers take)
However if you tried too many classic soul re- hashed songs at a Blues festival you may come a cropper.

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[quote name='gjones' post='1121737' date='Feb 9 2011, 07:05 PM']Possibly funky reggae?

But it's definitely reggae.[/quote]
in as much as the guitars and keys emphasis is on the backbeat, i would agree.

the bass is more funk, but the lyrical content and chord progression has a strong blues influence to my mind.

with a rearrangement for a three piece band, i reckon it'd work at any blues gig.

just thought i'd suggest something slightly different to the standards is all..

Edited by phil.i.stein
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[quote name='wayne58' post='1121765' date='Feb 9 2011, 07:21 PM']I think the venue and audience preference has to dictate how diluted the 'Blues' material becomes.
Your average town centre pub, unless it's a Blues venue would probably require Soul/Blues (the Commitments/ Blues brothers take)
However if you tried too many classic soul re- hashed songs at a Blues festival you may come a cropper.[/quote]

Maybe. But after all, blues is a state of mind rather than a strict style of music. IMO of course.

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[quote name='Mlucas' post='1120503' date='Feb 8 2011, 07:54 PM']Hi chaps and chapettes, my band is currently just building up a few blues covers for emergency use etc, but are struggling! We are a 3-piece band, so no prog keyboard solos! So far we have done:

Pride & Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Sweet Home Chicago - Blues Brothers
Help! - The Beatles
The Forecast Calls For Pain - Robert Cray

Can anyone think of any chilled out blues we can cover?[/quote]

try some electric era blues !

Need your love so bad by peter greens fleetwood mac cos the bass line and guitar will make you cry loads of great tunes by peter green jspencer kirwin, some amazing bass lines by john mcvice check it on youtube "peter green"
anything by the john mayalls blues breakers check out the beano album
anything by savoy brown
stan webbs chicken shack (amazing player Stan's only geezer i know who can down a bottle of whisky and make his guitar sing like an angel)
stuff by blodwyn pig
the groundhogs some of their early stuff is very bluesey

then you have

the americans the three kings albert bb and the other fella ha ha ha
johnny winter
allman brothers
robertus cray
muddy waters

this is only the surface its a whole different world make you own 1 4 5 tunes up have fun!

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