The singer narrates that four of his ex-girlfriends live in four different cities in Texas, which is why he now lives in Tennessee. I always thought they were ex-wives, but if George Strait says they were girlfriends, then so be it. An old tune, and now a country standard. I have to do it every time my father comes to a show. Not one of my personal favorites but, hey, he’s my Dad!
Download it from the Country list. I used jazz organ in place of one of the guitars for better tonal quality. Cancel Track 16 (vibes) if you’re going to sing it.
Why WOULDN”T you perform this song? George Michael – a definite jazz feel – lush arrangement not overdone – George Michael – raw emotion – wonderful lyrics – and did I mention … George Michael. Notwithstanding his personal problems, the man is a genius. If you’ve got the pipes for this one, download the midi off the Jazz-Swing list. I let guitar take the vocal lead, but douse track 4 and you’ve got the lead all to yourself.
This is the best rendition of this song I’ve ever heard. When we perform it, this is the arrangement we use. The first two verses are mellow and sultry, but then the band kicks in and it’s worth the wait. Originally done by James Taylor, Elvis tapped it for every show he did from 1970 to 1977. It’s just plain fun. Go to the “Want Lyrics” link to get the words, or just make up your own.
I think Katy Perry is adorable. I find Madonna repugnant. But Katy hopes that she will “evolve like Madonna”. I hope she doesn’t.
“Legendary Lovers” is from 2013 but you might not be performing it yet because the song has a little too much curry in it. The Eastern Hemisphere influence makes for a hard sell in a nightclub venue. I’ve reworked the mix to make it more (ahem) palatable. Not to worry, the sitar is still there.
Unfortunately, if you close your eyes, you can easily hear Madonna doing this song. Even so, grab the midi from the Pop/Rock list.
Beyoncé – arguably one of the sexiest women on the planet (you won’t get an argument from me) – released this song in 2011, but it screams 1980’s to me (maybe that’s why I like it). Every sequence I could find WAAAAAY overdid the brass, so I toned it down considerably. Download it off the Pop/Rock list and cancel the lead on track 4 if you’re going to perform it.
Everyone in the world knows this song…except me. I’m not a country player, so this one got under the radar. What little I’ve seen of Lady Antebellum I’ve liked – tremendously. I don’t think this particular song is their best, but it’s the most downloaded country song EVER! Who knew?
If you’re a country performer, you’ve already got this gem in your repertoire. But if you’re something other than country, even rock, you might consider this one. The free sequences I came across were pretty weak in the guitar area. So I remixed a little – even changing the lead guitar to a fat synth. It works better for me but you might prefer guitar. You can listen to the sequence by clicking the play button above. If you like, download the midi in the country list.
This squirrely-looking character is, of course, Sam Smith – winner of a Grammy this year for Best New Artist. Hmmmmm… how did THAT ever happen? Seems ol’ Sammy boy here woke up one morning and decided he liked Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” so much he’d just slow it down, write some new inane lyrics, and release it with an arrangement that sounds like somebody pounding on an old piano in their garage. Perhaps Best New Plagiarist should have been the award. ‘Course, who am I to say? When’s the last time I won a Grammy? Uh…. never.
If you simply MUST perform this song, it’s on my Pop-Rock list…. for some reason.
A source known as envanligfjant did this incredible explanation of how it happened:
This one’s a classic B.B. King number. It’s a standard slow blues, but the lyrics are priceless. The man doesn’t want a “soul” hanging around his house when he’s not home and his “baby” is there by herself. Apparently, she can’t be trusted – no visits from her sister, or mother, or even a doctor if she’s feeling a little sick – “you just suffer ’til I get home”. Nice.
Download the midi sequence from the “Blues” list…
My own romantic notion of the music business includes a smoky nightclub at 2 in the morning, dry martinis, bouncers at the door, and a sultry female singer on a small stage with a 5-piece jazz band. In my 30 years in the business, I’ve performed with just 4 female vocalists (we used to call them “chick singers”). All 4 were sweetheart and I always much preferred the ladies to male vocalists. They were all gorgeous and had singing styles like Julie London, Anita O’Day, or Sarah Vaughan – at least, that’s what I did my best to turn them into.
If this is your style, you simply HAVE to do a song called “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To”. It’s a Cole Porter tune from some movie in 1943. Dinah Shore had a hit with it which you wouldn’t like, and Diane Keaton massacred it in a Woody Allen movie. But the three singers I named above had versions that were just plain sexy. You can view the Anita O’Day version below. The sequence on my list includes the mandatory muted trumpet solo which, for some reason, all other sequencers refuse to add. If you’re gonna do it, do it right! It’s in my Jazz & Swing category… https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you’d+be+so+nice+to+come+home+to&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=077193FB13513C8BFF5C077193FB13513C8BFF5C
I used to make fun of this song. I mean, really, ” a hunka-hunka burnin’ love” is just a ridiculous lyric. But then I ran across this video of Elvis doing the song with a really hot band and it took on a whole new context. That stupid line is still in there, but the man carries it off somehow. Turns out, Elvis didn’t like the song either and you can sorta tell that in the video – none of his usual enthusiasm.
But maybe you don’t want the dynamics of screaming guitars and pounding drums behind you while you’re performing the song. Maybe your style or venue requires a more subdued version with piano as the primary instrument. I’ve got a midi just for you on the Pop/Rock list. You’ll still have a driving good song, but without the noise behind you. And you can forgo the hunka-hunka if you want.
I credit the lovely Dorothy Zobrist in Gulf Shores, Alabama (a HUGE fan of Elvis) for knowing that the video below was his Hawaii concert in January of 1973… she notes that he designed the outfit himself. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=burning+love&FORM=VIRE5#view=detail&mid=A8A3F4C665F8A4B793BDA8A3F4C665F8A4B793BD
The singer narrates that four of his ex-girlfriends live in four different cities in Texas, which is why he now lives in Tennessee. I always thought they were ex-wives, but if George Strait says they were girlfriends, then so be it. An old tune, and now a country standard. I have to do it every time my father comes to a show. Not one of my personal favorites but, hey, he’s my Dad!
Stageworthy Backing Tracks by Dave Zobrist 