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[TimR]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1496052884' post='3308363']
I would sooner play Sally or Superstition than Dakota or Sex On bloody Fire any day of the week.
[/quote]

They're only tunes and it's only 3 minutes of your life.

I just play the music, if people enjoy it, I've done my job.

There's a lot of musical snobbery going on. These are great songs to have in the bands armoury in case they're requested. You don't have to play them all every week.

The problem is, we are in bands that play these tunes and probably see other bands playing tunes we play. We've surveyed BassChat and found while there's lots of duplication, no bands are playing all the tunes and no band has an identical setlist.

There's quite a bit confirmational bias going on.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1496050896' post='3308340']


Well, thank god it was that rather than 'Everything I do'
[/quote]

Hard to see that one becoming a pub band classic (thankfully)!

[Rich]

Before this thread disappears into a whirl of alleged musical snobbery and confirmational bias (whatever TF that is), just thought it'd be worth mentioning that one of the most oft-quoted criteria mentioned in the 'Requirements for Joining a Band' thread so far is "music that I like/will enjoy playing". Is that 'snobbery' or just personal taste?

[BassTractor]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1496053191' post='3308368']
Played properly there's nothing wrong with any of the songs mentioned so far.

But that's the problem. They are very rarely played properly.
[/quote]

This hits the nail on its head, I think.

Edited May 29, 2017 by BassTractor

[skej21]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1496055211' post='3308387']


You'd get on with our singer.

If we mention a song, he always says; "If we are going to do a song by X, I'd rather do ..."

I can't quite understand this approach. We are choosing a song because of what it sounds like and how popular it is, not because of the artist.

Although we are at point now where, because his favourite artist is David Bowie, we play 4 songs that David Bowie wrote. So I might be slightly hypocritical as when he asks "What about another Bowie song", I switch off before considering it. I think maybe the audience may also think along the lines of who sang the originals and think we are playing too many Bowie songs.

I'm not sure. I suspect there's a balance and the two positions may be related but are not the same.
[/quote]

Im all for giving punters what they want but at the same time, with Stevie I don't think that HAS to be Superstition. For example, if you played ' The Bucket' by Kings of Leon, most WMC crowds would go 'what the hell is this?!' so 'Sex on fire' is the only obvious choice. If you dropped Superstition and put I Wish in its place (in my experience) people still flock to the dance floor. So if you have the choice of replacing a song every other band in coversland plays with something just as recognisable and fun for the punters, I'd rather do it to keep it interesting for us and the punters!

Edited May 29, 2017 by skej21

[chris_b]

I've played I Wish in my last 3 bands. Good number that always seems to go down well.

IME Superstition gets chosen in guitar led bands, because they can pay the riff. IMO Superstition always works better when the keys take the lead and the guitar vamps on chords. Not many guitarists want to give up the spotlight though.

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1496053191' post='3308368']
Played properly there's nothing wrong with any of the songs mentioned so far.

But that's the problem. They are very rarely played properly.
[/quote]

This is why I dread Sex On Fire. Very few musicians seem to get where the '1' is in the intro to the song, which means that there is always a car crash when you reach the chorus.

[molan]

I'll own up to being slight disingenuous when asking about Superstition and White Boy.

My reason for asking was that I recently saw one of the best soul / funk / groove players in the country get on stage to play with the house band in a small pub for two numbers and these were the two he played.

He had a huge smile on his face throughout and the audience loved them - really crowd pleasers 😁

[Raymondo]

Bloomin 'eck Shell ....that went a bit sideways! I understood the humour AND I guessed it was Kev straight away.

[spectoremg]

And we have us another set list thread 😔💤

[TimR]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1496068058' post='3308495']
I've played I Wish in my last 3 bands. Good number that always seems to go down well.

IME Superstition gets chosen in guitar led bands, because they can pay the riff. IMO Superstition always works better when the keys take the lead and the guitar vamps on chords. Not many guitarists want to give up the spotlight though.
[/quote]

I play the keyboard line and the guitarist vamps.

Sounds pretty good in a power trio.

[TimR]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1496063664' post='3308469']
Before this thread disappears into a whirl of alleged musical snobbery and confirmational bias (whatever TF that is), just thought it'd be worth mentioning that one of the most oft-quoted criteria mentioned in the 'Requirements for Joining a Band' thread so far is "music that I like/will enjoy playing". Is that 'snobbery' or just personal taste?
[/quote]

Conformational bias is where you fit the evidence to what you're expecting to see and discount evidence that doesn't confirm your beliefs.

E.g. If you went to see a band that played two hours of varied music but also played those four tunes mentioned you would come away with the impression that it was yet another covers band with no imagination.

There's a difference between; not playing Mustang Sally because you don't like it, and not playing Mustang Sally because you think your band is too good to play it.

[TimR]

Mustang Sally is a cracking song, it's great to play, audiences love it. Even when played badly.

The down side is we've probably all been playing and hearing it played for 30+ years and are bored with it.

I think that's a more honest point of view.

[LukeFRC]

Here's a true story for you:
I finished work at midday last Wednesday and drove home to get ready for a holiday (where I am currently) on the way home 6music played this odd song- the text on the screen told me it was that mustang sally song that keeps being meantioned on basschat and talkbass.
So I finally heard it!


Now I'm in my early thirties but figure that
A) the average age on basschat is way older
younger folk either don't play bass no more or hang out other places than here , cos otherwise I would keep hearing about lots of odd new music people are playing rather than random rock numbers that passed me by

But 2017 I know what song mustang sally is

[Muzz]

Played a wedding in the New Forest Friday night, the Best Man wanted to get up with us (he was a harmonica player who 'just happened'to have his harp with him) for a couple of numbers...we agreed, and one of the numbers he called was MS. He turned out to be a very very good singer and player...a great version resulted. All good

Oh, and I did four gigs over the weekend, and played SHA...four times...and enjoyed every single one...

[karlfer]

I've been asked to learn Sex On Fire for a new band I'm working with

[TrevorR]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1496081216' post='3308650']
Mustang Sally is a cracking song, it's great to play, audiences love it. Even when played badly.

The down side is we've probably all been playing and hearing it played for 30+ years and are bored with it.

I think that's a more honest point of view.
[/quote]

This, I've never ever played Mustang Sally to an empty dance floor. And spent many renditions with the bridesmaids smooching up next to me singing what we will charitably call "backing vocals" into my microphone. I love playing it. And Brown Eyed Girl and Sweet Home Alabama... But then I've always got as much of a buzz from seeing a crowd have a great time as from the complexity of the music I've played!

[T-Bay]

As with all things, so much comes down to taste. I have to admit that I hate mustang sally with a passion, partly due to how common it is but mostly just because I hate it for a reason even I don't understand. It is the only song I can think of that I would leave a band rather than play. But I am sure other people would hate some of my favourites and I am sure that Mustang sally would appeal to more people than suspect device, potato junkie, tilted, pretty vacant or any other of my personal favourites. Doesn't make anyone right or wrong, just different.

[neilp]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1495795022' post='3306646']
Yes, alright. It was me. A girl got up to do some singing, had a nice soulful kind of voice and had called out Chain Of Fools. To me it was a natural progression to move on to Mustang. In my defence, it was the ONLY time the whole night that any of the few punters present got up to dance. I've always said that on the rare occasions i play it I always enjoy doing it and last night was no exeption. Rather that than another rendition of Stormy Monday etc. The day I'm ashamed of trying to get a bit of atmos going and entertain folks is probaby the day I hang up the bass for good.
[/quote]

Well said that man.

[Telebass]

Great thread!
Although I have no truck with this idea of not playing this or that song. Playing exactly what the punters want has kept us going for many years!

[Hutton]

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1496087827' post='3308713']
This, I've never ever played Mustang Sally to an empty dance floor. And spent many renditions with the bridesmaids smooching up next to me singing what we will charitably call "backing vocals" into my microphone. I love playing it. And Brown Eyed Girl and Sweet Home Alabama... But then I've always got as much of a buzz from seeing a crowd have a great time as from the complexity of the music I've played!
[/quote]

I love this post. "Seeing a crowd have a great time" = The bottom line.

[casapete]

This ^^^

Every time I hear the original I'm always surprised by how slow and groovy it is compared to the later versions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwB40qTfuvI

[CamdenRob]

Seems to be a bit of snootiness the other way creeping in here...

For some people playing Mustang Sally to dancing drunks is the be all and end all... others couldn't give a toss if there's Five people in the audience listing to their avant-garde experimental codpiece jazz...

Takes all sorts bass playing

Edited May 30, 2017 by CamdenRob

[Twigman]

Am I the only person here who has never played MS?

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1496143114' post='3309040']
Am I the only person here who has never played MS?
[/quote]

I haven't either..