“Smooth Operator” is a song by the English group “Sade”, fronted by oh-so-sexy Sade Adu, a British-Nigerian singer and producer. “Smooth Operator” is about a smooth-talking, fashionable man who makes his living pleasing women (can you say “gigolo”?) who breaks many hearts but whose own heart is “cold”. Many radio stations edited out Sade’s spoken recitation at the beginning, as well as the saxophone solo. If you’re performing this song, you must do the recitation as well as the magical sax solo. It’s on the Pop/Rock song list.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=smooth+operator+video&FORM=VIRE13#view=detail&mid=6DCAE81E755C65C77CC26DCAE81E755C65C77CC2
I Can’t Make You Love Me
I don’t claim to be a singer. I’m a keyboard player, so don’t shoot the piano player if he doesn’t sing all that well. But through the years, I’ve played behind some mighty fine vocalists, both male and female. At present, I’m teamed up with my wife and she does a great job – and I don’t have to pay her! But there’s one song that nobody, and I mean nobody, can sing as well as the original artist. Bonnie Raitt’s version of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” is bluesy, sultry, and heart-rending in it’s raw emotion. Got to be one of the ten best songs ever!
The song was written by Nashville composer Mike Reid. His inspiration came from reading an article about a guy who shot at his girlfriend’s car and, when the judge asked him what he’d learned, he replied, “I learned, your honor, that you can’t make a woman love you if she don’t”. So true…
Bonnie recorded the song in just one take – refusing to do another because she said the song was so sad she couldn’t begin to recapture the emotion. The sequence we use is listed under Pop/Rock. It’s electric piano-based with grand piano interpolations much like Bruce Hornsby in the original. If you’re not doing the song, grab this sequence now. Maybe you can belt it out like Bonnie – but I doubt it.
Bonnie Raitt video below:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=bonnie+raitt+i+can%27t+make+you+love+me&qpvt=bonnie+raitt+i+can%27t+make+you+love+me&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=A7F928FFA7C0A2C538E0A7F928FFA7C0A2C538E0
Auld Lang Syne – NOT!
I find the song to be morose, boring, and lyrically-challenging. Not even the history of the song is very interesting. Robert Burns stole it from an old Scottish man and made a hit out of it. And nobody is really quite certain what “Auld Lang Syne” means – there are a hundred different interpretations. And to add insult to injury – in 2009, the students and staff at the University of Glasgow sang the song in 41 different languages – SIMULTANEOUSLY! I ask you – WHY? What a cacophony THAT must have been!
As you might have guessed, I hate having to play this song on New Years Eve. Thankfully, it’s only once a year and you can hold your nose for that long. Now… what to play after that to save yourself. I always go back to the roots of rock’n’roll – Bill Haley and the Comets. “Rock Around the Clock” is snappy, classic, fun to dance to, and will put Auld Lang Syne happily behind you for another year.
Hear Bill Haley and the Comets below.
It’s on the Pop-Rock list – try it!
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=bill+haley+and+the+comets&FORM=VIRE3#view=detail&mid=44DAB7C1DE2C3CCE9B1F44DAB7C1DE2C3CCE9B1F
Jug Band Music
There once was a band called “Lovin’ Spoonful”, which was really just a vehicle for the music genius of John Sebastion. I’ve mentioned John before on this blog (re. “Daydream Revisited”). I can only describe the band as purveyors of “good-time music” that made you tap your feet and hum along. They only had one #1 hit, “Summer in the City”, which I never particularly liked. But their other stuff was priceless – “Younger Girl”, “Daydream”, and “Do You believe in Magic” to name a few. Sebastian’s songs all had jug band and folk roots, which accounts for the great tune “Jug Band Music”.
You’ll seldom hear it played by anyone and, back then, you never heard it on the radio. What a shame. I searched high and low for a sequence to this song and never found one (not even on the pay sites). So I made my own and am sharing it here. Whenever I do this song, people say “What IS that? I like it”. Help me give this song its due – perform it at your next gig – it’s fun!
Listen to my sequence below – then go get it under “Pop/Rock”.
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/ihp6799a73vwtfp/Jug_Band_Music_-_Listen
She Got Robbed!
The song “I Feel the Earth Move” was a hit for Carole King in 1971 and could have been a hit for Martika (Marta Marrero) in 1989 – but she got robbed of a Top Ten hit on Billboard. I, personally, didn’t care for King’s style on that one – too much piano emphasis (and that from a keyboard player!). Over the years, I did the song half-assed only because I liked that driving beat and bass. When sequences came into common use, I could never find any arrangement other than King’s. But then I ran across Martika’s remake the other day and loved it.
In June of 1989, Martika was rising rapidly on the charts with “I Feel the Earth Move” – but then disaster struck – literally. The San Francisco earthquake killed 62 and injured thousands. DJ’s across the country stopped playing her would-have-been hit because “feeling the earth move” was not a good thing anymore. Sorry, Martika.
Check out her high-energy video on the link below… you can find it on my Pop-Rock list (version 2).
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=martika+feel+the+earth+move&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=E93909C341862A7FAFA5E93909C341862A7FAFA5
Birthday Song (Popsicle Toes)
You’re doing a nice solo gig at Arnaud’s in the French Quarter and thoroughly enjoying yourself. The crowd is receptive and you haven’t had to say “Sorry, I don’t know that one” all night. But then the head waiter swoops by, gives you an evil grin, and says, “Birthday at table four”. He knows you despise the required song, solely because you’ve done it 10,000 times before. “Man or woman?” you ask. “It’s a lady, ” he answers, “so you got lucky this time.”
Why are you so lucky? Because now you don’t have to do “Happy Birthday” for the umpteenth time. You’ve got a little tune in your magic midi bag called “Popsicle Toes”. It was written and performed by Michael Franks (great jazz composer and singer) in the 1970’s. “Popsicle Toes” is basically about a birthday girl with a cheap boyfriend. One verse reads “I know today’s your birthday, and I did not buy no rose, I wrote this song instead and I called it – Popsicle Toes”. Clever lyrics and jazz overtones make this a must-have in your set list. Dedicate it to any birthday girl and you’ll please everybody – especially if she has great-looking toes (better check first). After all, the rest of the world hates “Happy Birthday” too.
I used a clarinet for the lead on track 4 – Hey, it’s New Orleans!
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/h42e2nld0kx247m/Popsicle_Toes_-_Listen
Boogie-Woogie
Download MP3 No matter the genre of music you perform, from 50’s rock to hip-hop (non-music), trotting out a good ol’ boogie-woogie is sure to please. The style of boogie-woogie is really a twelve-bar blues and is sometimes called “eight to the bar”, as it is usually done in 4/4 time with eighth-notes being the driving force behind it all. The origin of the term boogie-woogie seems to come from the African word “booga” – meaning “to beat” or “to dance wildly and tear your clothes off”. That’s exactly what you want your audience to do, isn’t it?
Louis Jordan had a hit with “Choo-Choo Ch’Boogie” in 1946 and topped the charts for 18 weeks. You’re listening to my back-up sequence and you can download it from the Jazz/Swing list.. The lyrics are pretty silly, but it’s the beat that’s important here. After all, what you really want are happy, naked dancers.
Funky Peppers
I don’t particularly care for the Red Hot Chili Peppers – they’re a little too “punk-rocky” for me. But they had this one tune called “Aeroplane” they released in 1995 that is just too funky for words. I especially like the slap bass (track 9) – Michael “Flea” Balzary is one of the best bass players out there. I think I like this song because it’s almost disco – that’s right, disco – the best dance music ever! In fact, “Aeroplane” is a direct ripoff of “Get Down, Tonight” by KC and the Sunshine Band back in the 70’s.
I found this sequence on MidiZone and it took very little tweaking from me to make it stageworthy. If you’re playing dance clubs, this one’s for you.
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/41puxvap1u5pam3/Aeroplane_-_Listen
Spirit in the Sky
There once was a guy named Norman Greenbaum (well, still is, but he’s past 70 – not that there’s anything wrong with that). He is, to me, the King of One-Hit Wonders. He wrote a great song back in 1969 called “Spirit in the Sky”. Although he’s Jewish (nothing wrong with that either) the song definitely had a Christian theme. But what a great underlying rock beat and bass line. Always loved this tune. He also recorded “The Eggplant That Ate Chicago”… but we won’t go there.
We perform this song in a considerably different way, but still with that infectious beat. Click on the SoundCloud player below and you can hear how we do it. Keep in mind, I’m a player – not a singer. But I’ve subjected many people over the years to my limited vocal talents anyway – how obnoxious is THAT?! If you’re a performer and want to try this one onstage, you can download my instrumental backups backups from the Pop/Rock list – it’s a keeper!
Makin’ Whoopee
It’s been said that “less is more” when it comes to mixing down a song. Although you can certainly overdo a backup sequence with too many instruments, that’s not the case with this great standard. I’ve got all 16 channels used in this mix – the usual bass, piano, and drum tracks – but also 2 alto sax, 2 tenor sax, 1 baritone, 3 trumpet tracks, and 4 (count ’em – 4) trombone tracks. This big band version of “Makin Whoopee” is a must-have for your performances. On track 16, I let vibes carry the lead. And the lyrics to this song are clever and fun. Listen to your sequence on the link below then grab it from the download list.
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/0sffbnb5bg8ngfm/Makin_Whoopee_-_Listen
Stageworthy Backing Tracks by Dave Zobrist 