What makes a certain song a "standard"

[tennis_nick]

I think we all know one standard, so I'll use it as an example.

Stormy Monday is played by almost every blues bar band in the world, but what makes it stand out? Does it really have something that makes it stand out from all the other possible 12 bar blues tunes?

What do you think?

[tamborineman]

The shallow-ness of the average listener

[winston]

A true "standard" I believe is a song where time has obscured it's roots so much so that no one really knows who penned it.

The modern day "standard" is more commonly applied to songs that a pro, semi pro, amateur, or garage band musician has played at one time (Chuck Berry material comes to mind) and that the average person on the street might easily recognize.

Of course your opinion(s) may differ to mine and that's okay, let's hear them.

[rickenmetal]

Oh, it's blues. In Jazz it would be a song the musicians know, not necessarily the public.

[charlyg]

I have about 50 versions of Stormy Monday and they are all unique IMHO. I think a standard in the blues sense, is one you would hear at a blues jam. You need to know the "standards" to get up there.

[admin]

Charly: Do you have a favourite "Stormy Monday" you can share with us?

[ozover50]

Not speaking for Charly at all here, Peter, but my favourite is the Allman Brothers version. This one stays true to the original version with the G7, Am7, Bm7, Bbm7, Am7, Cm7 progression rather than others like Eric Clapton, Gary Moore and even Freddie King, who do a straight 12 bar blues.

Here's the Allman Brothers version..... nice inclusion of the organ:



An interesting version by Humble Pie:



And for comparative purposes, here's Clapton:

[Scastles]

[quote="winston"]A true "standard" I believe is a song where time has obscured it's roots so much so that no one really knows who penned it.

Got to agree with Brian. A number of months back my friend and I got in an argument over 'Rollin' and Tumblin' ". He was miffed over the fact Dylan had taken credit for the song on his album, Modern Times, failing to credit Muddy Waters at all. Our argument progressed because I said Muddy wasn't really the first to do it, Hambone Willie Newbern did, basically, the same song Roll and Tumble Blues in 1929. Robert Johnson did a version in '36, and then John Lee Hooker, before Muddy's take on the song in 1950. Talk about the 'roots of a song being obscured'.

[charlyg]

For me, the Allmans are number three, but here is an interesting tidbit from Denny Croix, my bass teacher, and a fellow who grew up in T-Bone's neighborhood out here in CA. Almost everyone who does Stormy Monday now, uses the Allman turnaround vs all the other ones used over the years.

Here are my faves
Jethro Tull, can't find a vid but have it on mp3
Bobby Blue Bland and BB King
Allman Bros
T-Bone himself!

[admin]

This performance by T-Bone is brilliant. Thanks Charly. Another wonderful example of where less is more. To our definition of standard, I would add that the composition has the capability to stop people in their tracks in its simplest form. For the most part, you could hear a pin drop throughout this performance with the audience savouring each and every word.