Category Archives: Midi Backing Tracks

Witchy Woman

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

121129__witchy-woman_p  Download with Lead    One more Halloween song before the big night… if you don’t mind.  Of course,  everyone knows “Witchy Woman”was a big hit for The Eagles written by Don Henley for their debut album (it was the only song on the album featuring Henley on lead vocals).  But did you know that there was a real life “witchy woman”?

Zelda Fitzgerald is the prime suspect.  Henley had read a biography of her life and consequently used her as the model for the song.  She was the wife of famed author F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby) and was known to be wild, bewitching, and mystifying – much like my first wife (kidding).  Zelda is portrayed as the character Daisy Buchanan in Gatsby.  Now you’ll have to go back and read the book again.

At your Halloween music job, I guarantee you’ll have at least three women dressed as a witch.  Drag ’em out on the dance floor (physically if you have to) and feature them with this song.  It’s on the Halloween list.  Thanks, Zelda, for being such a witch!

 

Cold, Cold Heart

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

th2XV6WXQV  Download with Lead    I’ve always loved the chord changes and lyrics to this song, but I never much cared for the Hank Williams “cowboy” version.  I know… it’s a classic.  But sometimes the original isn’t always the best.

Hank used to say that this tune “bought me and the boys quite a few beans and biscuits”, and I’m sure it did.  Recorded in 1950, it sailed to the top of the country charts even though it was released as the B-side to another, lesser, song (Dear John).  The impetus behind it was his wife, Audrey.  Seems while Mr. Williams was on the road she sort of slept around – a lot.  ‘Course, so did he – so what’s a person to do?  Anyway, she got pregnant by another man (imagine that in 1950) and tried to perform an at-home abortion – which went very wrong.  In the hospital recuperating, Hank went to see her and she threw him out, maintaining this was all his fault (uh…okay).  He went home and told the housekeeper that Audrey had a cold, cold heart and a light bulb went off.

I finally heard an arrangement of the song I really like.  Norah Jones put a jazz touch to it in 2002 and that’s the way we do it today.  I tried to get as close to Jones’ instrumentation as I could and Karen does a splendid job with the vocals.  So can you… it’s on the jazz list without the lead line (midi or MP3).  Work it up and give it a shot on your next hotel lobby gig.

Halloween Theme

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thKVZYKWVY  Download MP3    On the night of All Hallows’ Eve, you need a little something spooky to run through your PA system just before you take the stage…. just to set the mood. The theme from the movie “Halloween” is perfect.

The original film (1978) was written and directed by John Carpenter and was about a maniac (Michael Meyers) who lurches around killing teenage babysitters for fun.  Carpenter also wrote the theme song, choosing to use a simple piano melody as the primary theme and building from there.  The melody uses dissonant notes and is in 5/4 rhythm that somehow creates the proper atmosphere for the film.  It’s relatively simple and has no symphonic qualities to it at all – as opposed to most movie scores.

Give yourself three minutes to get situated onstage as the theme plays and starts to fade, then up with the lights and launch into your opener.  The rest of the night is up to you.

Thriller (for Halloween)

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

th1EPZT3A4  Download    We’re going to change up this year. Instead of using “Ghostbusters” for the opener, we’ll try this one. It’s got that driving Michael Jackson beat that should get your audience on their feet right away.  You can use the last 32 kinda empty bars at the end to introduce the band (or yourself as the singer) and then go directly into “Ghostbusters”, or whatever.

The video for “Thriller” is quite remarkable.  Who knew Jackson could act as well as put out incredible music?  Yeah, he had some issues, but he was a genius.  Click on the link below to see the video…

As an aside, I’m using a shehnai as the lead instrument.  It’s a musical instrument very similar to an oboe, common in places like India and Pakistan.  It has that somewhat eerie tone that is perfect for a song like this – but, of course, you’ll be singing it so who cares.  Get it off the Halloween list on the home page.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=thriller&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=8E0893D58A0E4E68F3AC8E0893D58A0E4E68F3AC

Purple People Eater

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thG2U7K7S4  Download with Lead    This song was recorded by Sheb Wooley (under duress) in 1958 and soared to the top of the charts. It’s about the silliest piece ever, even for what is termed a “novelty song”. It’s about a Purple People Eater who descends to earth to join a rock’n’roll band.  He has one eye, one horn, and flies.  But he won’t eat Sheb cause “he’s too tough”.  Told you it was silly! Actually, the creature wasn’t purple – he only ate purple people – but this confusion made the song even more popular. They were hurtin’ for entertainment in the late 50’s.
Anyway, it makes for a good Halloween song. Go to the home page and download it from the Halloween list without the lead and sing it yourself.

Ghostbusters

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thDYZSXIH8  Download    For all you keyboard arrangers out there, this is the time of the year to dig deep into your instrument and find the sound effects page.  It’s Halloween, after all, and you’ve no doubt got some scary sounds in there.  Be creative and use ’em in your Halloween party repertoire.

We’re not doing a job on Halloween this year – we’re doing one on Friday, the night before.  But it’s still a “spooky” gig and we’ll be doing a lot of Halloween-type music.  “Ghostbusters” is our opener and you might consider using it that way too.  Great beat, pounding bass, and well-placed scary sound effects kinda sets the mood.  I can’t duplicate the back-up vocals (obviously) or the “speaking parts” in the song so this sequence is missing gems like “Who ya gonna call, Ghostbusters” and “I ain’t afraid of no ghosts” – but you can fill in the blanks.

Through the month of October, I’ll be featuring songs with a Halloween theme.  Your crowd wants to hear spooky music that night so… BOO!

This Kiss

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

cute-babies-kiss-pictures-images-wallpapers-photos-02  Download with Lead    I don’t like this song.  But I’ve received several requests for a backup sequence from my “country” friends out there, so here it is.  It was painful listening to it over and over until I got the guitars just right, but it’s finished – as good as I can do it.  It’s hard making a keyboard sound like a guitar without it sounding like a keyboard trying to sound like a guitar.  Confused?  Me too.

I have absolutely no problem with Faith Hill.  She’s a pretty lady with a great voice and a true talent…. and I understand she has a little money.  It’s just this song – ugh.  Maybe I heard it too much.  Other people love it, so I’m just weird, I guess.  Anyway, download off the country list if you just insist on performing it (it’s almost 20 years old, you know).  I used a flute on the lead line – an obnoxious way of protesting a less than stellar tune.

Baby Love

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thHI8HM03K  Download    Ever wonder why all Motown records sound remarkably alike?  Several reasons, actually.  The drum track uses a snare on every beat instead of just on 2 and 4.  So, you end up with a snare hit 4 times a measure instead of the customary 2 times (I find this mildly irritating and overdone – much like a ribeye that’s been on the grill too long).  And quite often they would use two drummers on the same track (talk about overdone).  Two guys, Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, oversaw the production of every recording – so you’ve got the same musical tastes over and over again.  Add to this the always present “call and response” singing style that female groups were so adept at doing (men don’t pull that off very well).  Oh, and into the mix goes the fact that the same band, “The Funk Brothers”, was the backup band on every recording.  No wonder Motown is so easily recognizable…

“Motown” is a portmanteau of motor and town and some great music came out of Detroit from 1959 to 1971.  “Baby Love” is certainly one of them.  It was recorded by The Supremes in 1964 and is ranked #324 on the Rolling Stone list of “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.  Instead of using a snare four times in a measure, it uses a “clap” track, but you can ignore that after a while.  It’s a terrific song nonetheless and should be in your repertoire..  We’re working up a Motown set for an upcoming party and this one will certainly be in it.  Check the Pop/Rock list to download the backup midi track.

Watch The Supremes do it on the link below:

Cecilia

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

th  Download MP3    Who knew there was a Saint Cecilia?  And who knew she was the patron saint of music?  “Cecilia” is the third cut on the iconic Bridge Over Troubled Waters album by Simon and Garfunkel. It was their fifth and final album together.  Garfunkel pursued a short-lived acting career while Paul Simon went on to write and produce some of the most interesting music ever… and this song is a good example of Simon’s “quirkiness”.

Paul wrote this song with Saint Cecilia in mind… at least that’s what he claims.  How the somewhat raunchy lyrics match up with the activities of a saint we’ll never know.  But it’s still a fun song to do on a job.  The beat is unusual – almost a fast reggae but not quite.  It results from a late-night party when the duo and a couple friends started beating on a piano bench.  They recorded the beat with an old Sony tape recorder with reverb turned to max.  In the studio, Paul played it back and thought the recorded rhythm had an infectious quality to it.  He wrote a guitar line and then the lyrics.  I couldn’t duplicate the beat exactly like the original, but this sequence is close.  Your audience will get the idea… the midi sequence is on the Pop/Rock list.

 

Things you Learn at Cracker Barrel

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

cracker-barrel-albuquerque-inside  Download    I had breakfast with my Dad this morning.  Through mouthfuls of biscuits & gravy from the “Old Timer’s” breakfast, he said, “Ya know what song I like?  Bet you never heard of it”.  Always up for a challenge, I replied, “Try me”. (clever, huh?)  He came up with something called “For All We Know”.  I thought it was the one The Carpenters did, but he insisted they must have stole it.  After he hummed a few bars (sort of) I realized that it did ring a faint bell.  I wanted to point out just how old that song must be, but he was buying – so I dropped the subject.

Well, it stuck in my head and I thought it might make a good old song for a nostalgic set on stage.  I did a little research online but found practically nothing on that particular piece.  I might point out there was plenty of information on The Carpenters song.  Then I found some sheet music and a recording of somebody named Barbara Law singing “For all we know, we may never meet again”.  That was it!  I jumped on my handy sequence maker (Yamaha keyboard) and cranked out a version I believe a singer could use. Thanks, Dad.