Blue Suede Shoes

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

blue-suede-shoes   It was written by Carl Perkins in 1955 and ushered in a music era known as “rockabilly”.  Perkins was playing a dance somewhere when, during a break between songs, he heard some guy sternly warn his dance partner, “Uh-uh, don’t step on the suedes”.  Carl looked down and noted the jerk had on blue suede shoes (now with a scuff mark) and thought, “this great-looking gal and all he’s worried about are his shoes.”  Hey, Carl…. they’re blue suedes, man!  Such was the inspiration for this song.

Recording cover versions of songs was standard practice during the 50’s, and RCA wanted it’s new recording artist, one Elvis Presley, to cut another version of “blue suede”.  This song and “Heartbreak Hotel” rose on the charts at roughly the same time.  There was some “discussion”  between Carl Perkins and Presely over who was going to release it first and score the hit, but Elvis eventually gave in to pressure from RCA.

You can click on the play button above and hear my rendition.  Obviously I’m no Elvis, but the tune lends itself well to mediocre singers.  In other words, anybody can do this one.  Karaoke, anyone?  I tried to keep it as “rockabilly” as I could, using two different guitar voices on my Yamaha.  It usually goes over pretty well on a job so, if you don’t have a band, try this sequence.  The midi sequence and the MP3 version are on the Pop/Rock list.  Go, Cat, Go!

I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

8adf1eb4106c4c451b8a4a024f3466f2 Download Here   I featured this song in a blog called “Might Be Elvis”, which details its origins.  Actually, Elvis wasn’t the first to record this one.  It was written in 1784 by some Frenchman.  You can refer to that blog to get more information – kinda interesting really.

Anyway, this is the way we do it.  I think it’s one of the most beautiful ballads ever written and always thought Elvis could have done more with it if he’d tried a little harder.  You might think this arrangement is a bit ethereal, but it’s the way I like to do it…. so there.

Best was Better

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

th3P9JR3N6    The Beatles invited Pete Best (superb drummer) to join the band on August 12, 1960.  Pete played with John, Paul and George for two years, but then it was determined he was “too flashy” and “too good-looking” for the group.  So Richard Starkey (Ringo) was brought in and the rest is history.

Ringo, though lovable, was not even close to being the drummer Pete Best was.  But he had a steady, non-flamboyant style that fit in well.  You rarely heard him take a solo and, when he did, it was so uninspired as to be non-existent.  I remember one 16 bar drum solo toward the end of the Abbey Road album (yawn) and another solo in the song I’m featuring here – “Birthday”.  Ringo just keeps a solid rock beat going for 8 bars – nothing fancy and…well…boring.

“Birthday” was written and recorded in one night in the studio – and it shows.  John Lennon called it “a piece of garbage”, but I kinda like it because it’s a throwback to just straight-up rock’n’roll.  And it beats the hell out of singing that goofy little “Happy Birthday” to some hapless soul on a gig…

Pirate Looks at 40

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

thD2H5WJAY    Jimmy Buffett considers this song to be one of “The Big 8” that he always performs in concert.  If you think real hard, I’m sure you can come up with the other seven… especially if you’re a parrothead.

This site is primarily focused on providing working musicians with backups they can use on sophisticated equipment – for free.  However, I’ve had several requests from people who aren’t professional singers who’d like to get a copy without an instrument playing the lead.  They want the backup tracks to a song to use for fun, as a kind of home karaoke without the words on a monitor.  Apparently, they know the song so well they don’t need the lyrics or can look up the words somewhere else.  Sounds like a good idea to me.

So, from now on, if you’d like a copy of any song WITHOUT a lead line, go to the lists at the right, find the song, and download the MP3 version.  Stick it in your MP3 player and sing away.

This Buffett tune is a good place to start.  I’ll be going back and updating prior songs but it might take awhile.  Patience is a virtue, you know…

Cold Outside

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

76f2e882483af73dc2f3c825204ab40e    This song is the epitome of country rock.  I love to crank out an obscure tune that most people have never heard of – but it still works for your audience because of a great beat, nice bass line, and it’s easy to sing.  ‘Course, anybody who’s a fan of “Big House” will be very familiar with it and probably sing along, but how many people can that be?  Trust me, not many.

I’m not a country boy by any means, but I do love the line “What’s that blue tick hound doin’ in my chair – better throw that dog a bone and get ‘im outta there”.  Those kind of lyrics allow a male singer to get real low and… well… downright sexy with his voice  (at least as sexy as I’LL ever get).  I guess it would work for a “chick” singer too, but it makes more sense for a guy to be standing outside the door – begging to get in the house – and she’s inside all warm and cozy.

Put this one in your last set – when your audience is kinda dazed and stumbling around trying be cool.  It’s on the country list…

Captain and the Kid

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

hqdefault    We do ALOT of Jimmy Buffett tunes, but have never done The Captain and the Kid. It is just too sad.  Jimmy wrote it in memory of  his grandfather who died  in 1970 – the same year Jimmy replaced me in the lounge at the “Admiral Semmes Hotel” in downtown Mobile when my contract ran out and I was off to join the Air Force.  I know it was Jimmy ’cause on my last night I looked at the photo in the lobby and thought, “Who is this hairy guy coming in (Jimmy had a lot of hair back then) and why did they misspell his name?” (two T’s at the end –  that’s not how you spell a line of food).  Anyway, in this song, the line that goes “He died about a month ago while winter filled the air – and though I cried I was so proud to love a man so rare” would be a little overwhelming to sing, at least for me.  Besides, I think this song is very personal and no one else should perform it except the man who wrote such a heartfelt tribute.  But another musician might feel differently, so I’m adding it to my list if you want the sequence.

Captain James Delaney Buffett piloted a four-masted schooner named “Chiquimula”  – one of the most beautiful old windjammers you can imagine (Chiquimula is a city in Guatemala and means “the pearl of the east”).  Jimmy’s father learned to walk on the decks of that ship, which eventually ended up as a landmark at the east end of the Causeway that crosses Mobile Bay.  Then, in 1953, vandals burned it down to the waterline, but I believe the remains can still be seen today at low tide.

Jimmy Buffett wrote “I never used to miss the chance to climb up on his knee – and listen to the many tales of life upon the sea”.  Rest in peace, Captain – your grandson wrote a heck of a song in your honor…. a celebration of your life upon the sea.

Some Beach

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

beach-chair    I can’t believe I just now discovered this song. I mean, it came out in 2004 for crying out loud. It’s either because I don’t listen to country music or I’m just a worn-out stuck-in-the-60’s washed-up musician. I think it’s the latter.  Sad…

Anyway,  I think Blake Shelton released this clever song as a tribute to Jimmy Buffett (my hero).  If you’re a country performer you are, no doubt, already doing this song.  But if you like to mix up your repertoire with something a little unusual, this one might be just right. After a little tweaking, the sequence is decent and gives just the right mixture of rock, country, and beach music.  The lead vocal is a synth on track 8 – mute it and sing your beach off.

Sorry about Miranda, Blake.  Maybe you’ll feel better if you spend a little time on… some beach…….. somewhere.

 

Shelton’s video:

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=some+beach+video&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=B0EEA0F021CB35151D0DB0EEA0F021CB35151D0D

Best of My Love (2)

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

The_love_of_my_life    I’ve been doing this song in one form or another since 1975.  “The Eagles” had a #1 hit with it in March of that year, so I insisted on performing that exact arrangement with a variety of musicians and singers for the next 25 years.  It was a great ballad contrast in the disco years, an interesting aside when I played with a jazz band in the 80’s (that’s a torrid story for another time), a popular slow dance for the country club and cruise ship patrons of the 90’s, and it finally served us well when I teamed up with Karen after the turn of the century.  Apparently, this song has lasting power – as well it should.

But the Eagles didn’t record it first.  Oh, sure…. it was written by Glenn Fry and Don Henley (with considerable help from J.D. Souther).  However, it was first released in 1974 by one John Lees… ever heard of “Barclay James Harvest”?  I didn’t think so (google it).  When I first heard this arrangement I realized I had been doing it wrong all these years.  John Lees’ version is even more mellow with ethereal guitars, electric piano, and just brushes on the drums.  This is the sequence we use now – after a lot of work in the studio trying to replicate his style and polish up the tracks.

You’ll notice the title of this post has a #2 attached.  #1 is the Eagles version, so if you want to do that go to the Pop/Rock list and download that one.  If you’re feeling adventuresome,  download the #2 version and do it like we do.  I used a sax for the lead (trk. 4), so take that out if you’re a solo performer.  Tracks 5 and 7 are the harmony vocals so, depending on the number of backup singers that you have, mute those tracks accordingly.  Sounds complicated, but it’s worth the effort.  This arrangement is top-notch.

Back to the 60’s … again.

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

38391755    Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying was a huge hit for “Gerry and the Pacemakers” in 1964.  The band wrote the song, but it was first recorded by Louise Cordet, a British singer who toured with Gerry Marsden and the boys…. and performed with The Beatles as well.  Her version pretty much sucked, so the band recorded it themselves – which was a very good idea.  It was their biggest hit by far.

I had almost forgotten about this song until a friend of mine, Summer Purvis, reminded me it was one of the best songs from the early 60’s.  She has it on her iPod and that’s good enough for me.  Thanks, Summer, for helping me add another great song to my list.  This arrangement may not be exactly like the original, but I think I’m close.  Hopefully, there’s a singer out there (preferably with an British accent) who’ll take this back-up track and introduce the 60’s to a whole new generation.

Did you know the original name of the group was “Gerry Marsden and the Mars Bars”?  Glad they changed it…

A More Innocent Time

Posted by Dave Zobrist on

il_570xN_271941005    The early sixties were glorious times.  There were sock hops, Elvis, cherry cokes, Fizzies, bike-riding without spandex or a stupid helmet, American Peoples encyclopedias, root beer floats, candy cigarettes, Herman’s Hermits,  Ed Sullivan, American Bandstand,  Drive-ins,  Wolfman Jack,  and Chef Boyardee pizzas (awful).  What I wouldn’t give for our society to go back to those innocent days.

At a very early age, I was introduced to pop music through my little white AM radio beside my bed.  I listened to disc jocky Art Roberts every night on WLS  radio out of Chicago.  I would keep it very low (so my parents couldn’t hear) and listen to Art’s “top three songs” every night at 9 o’clock (I was supposed to be asleep).  Seems like two out of the three were always Beatle songs, but in ’63 and ’64  a British group called The Dave Clark Five were giving the “fab four” a run for their money.  The song I am featuring here is a warm ballad entitled “Because”.  This was a far cry from the raucous hits Dave Clark and the boys had put out before – e.g. Glad All Over and Bits and Pieces.  This was a whole new dimension for this band – melodic with great vocal harmonies and superb chord changes.  “Because” quickly climbed to #3 on the U.S. charts and many thought they would surpass The Beatles in popularity.  Not even close.  Dave Clark was a good-looking chap (for a drummer) but Paul McCartney had cornered the market on “cuteness”.  And, after 1964, Lennon and McCartney took song-writing to whole new heights.

So, if you’re doing a “sixties set”, this song should be included.  It’ll bring back alot of memories to a whole lot of people.  I can still hear it coming out of my cheap little radio and thinking it sounded just wonderful!