Double Bass Need Advice - Pop Cover - Bluegrass Style!

neddyrow

neddyrow

www.simmerinstew.com
Supporting Member
Apr 21, 2011
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Cortland, NY
#1
We are preparing for our summer show schedule which includes releasing our new album. We want to ditch our old covers and play only our originals plus a few select covers.

The band is split on the choice of covers. 40% of the band wants to do old standards and old fiddle tunes (which we already do) for covers. 40% of the band wants to do a more recognizable song - AKA pop song. The other 20% will play whatever sounds good.

I personally am in the pop cover camp. Most of the people come to see us not because they love bluegrass but because they are our friends, family....and yes, some genuine bluegrass fans. I just want to appeal to the common watcher in the audience. The other 40% are the semi-pretentious type when it comes to the music we play. We butt heads from time to time because I want our music to be accessible for all. The coolness of playing an old bluegrass standard will be lost on the average fan as they don't know the genre that well. They usually think its one of our songs.

So my strategy is to pick an awesome choice that will convince the undecided 20% plus the purists. This is where I need your help. Please suggest anything you think will make a good bluegrass cover. New, old, it doesn't matter.

here's an idea of what i'm thinking...
 
#4
I just looked at an old set list. Maybe not as pop as your thinking but we used to do King of the Road as well. No matter where we played it, everyone new it and sang along. We'd have the mando play the piano part that kicks in with the modulation. It's also a lot more fun on bass than most bluegrass tunes.
 
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#7
Check out some old albums from Larry Stephenson - he's been doing this for years. Listen To The Rhythm of the Falling Rain comes to mind. And Doyle Lawson did a great cover of Lonely Street a couple of years ago. Of course there is always the Seldom Scene's After Midnight.
 
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#11
You could check out the Cleverlys on YouTube for some ideas. BG covers of pop songs is kinda their thing.

Personally i'm in the "semi-pretentious" camp, but I do understand the value of playing tunes the average person will recognize. As a self-aware snob, i just think the whole pop/rap/metal BG cover thing is over done.
 
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#12
Mike Martin said:
You could check out the Cleverlys on YouTube for some ideas. BG covers of pop songs is kinda their thing.

Personally i'm in the "semi-pretentious" camp, but I do understand the value of playing tunes the average person will recognize. As a self-aware snob, i just think the whole pop/rap/metal BG cover thing is over done.
Click to expand...

i hear ya. i wish more people were into bluegrass as much as we are. i wish more people would appreciate that we totally nail old classics like, true life blues or live and let live but, most music fans of ours aren't that into the genre.

i really just want to have a little something for the average joe that comes to see us. one pop song to connect the non-bluegrass crowd out there. that's with the hope that this is the the spark that starts their love for bluegrass.

though i have loved the band Love Canon since i saw them at greyfox a few years back, i would never want to have that be our schtick. i do agree it is over played.

...of course this is out the window at real bluegrass festivals where they do appreciate our cover of rawhide!
 
#14
When someone sings I mind the covers less than in a jazz format. What you have to keep in mind is that each generation has their own pop - it is meant to define and divide. For example people into punk and indie rock my age (44) tend to find Nirvana a corny sell out band, younger people tend to love them.
When you bring it in to generationally neutral situations like jazz and bluegrass it can cause more division than you might think!
It is about "drawing a line in the sand, dude, across this line you do not.."
As with any sort of "outreach" you need to worry about alienating the audience you already have over a theoretical audience, a bird in the hand and all that.
 
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#15
Most pop tunes have simple I IV V, or I V vi IV progressions, not unlike bluegrass tunes. It sounds to me like pop songs in bluegrass style is a logical way to go.

I might also consider that you plan on pushing your originals. In my experience that goes over better if the non-original material is particularly crowd pleasing.

In either case good luck, it's nice to hear bands out there playing original tunes.
 
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#18
two fingers said:
Fat Bottom Girls. It has been begging for a bluegrass band to do it for years!
Click to expand...

we play that song, and change the lyrics to "Fat Bottom Girls you make the bluegrass world go round".
I "borrowed" that idea from Amos Lee, who I first heard play it live on stage.
We've also tried in practice, but never really tried in a gig:
Another One Bites the Dust
Takin Care of Business, and
Long Train Runnin/Listen to the Music medley
Sunshine of your Love

for more recent stuff, also consider:

Let Her Go - Passenger (Del McCoury band covers this one!)
Honey I'm Good - Andy Grammer
pretty much most pop country can be done bluegrass style
 
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