Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I didn't know what section to put this in but here goes........

Being a member of the forum 'geriatric set' I have an appreciation of some of the 'oldies' or 'standards' that we hear from time to time and I have some favourites that I like to play.

For example, Patsy Cline's "Crazy" has some beaut chords and lovely progressions in it that I like to get into. Another is Ruth Lowe's "I'll Never Smile Again", originally made famous by Tommy Dorsey and his band with Frank Sinatra up front. I have a version by an Australian band called "Daddy Cool" who resurrected it in the early 70s and it's heaps of fun to play - even the lead bit.

One that Brian Medway introduced me to a while ago is Gershwin's "Summertime". Very simple to play but a knockout playing solo with a good vocalist.

In the "not so old" oldies category I recently rediscovered a favourite of mine that I think I last heard in the 'Music Of Ohio' exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in '06. The Joe Jeffrey Group's "My Pledge Of Love" features a fantastic rhythm part and being basically a rhythm player I love to try and emulate that lovely 'warm' sound - which I can pretty much do with any of my 350v63s using the neck pickup.

So what about you? Any 'oldies' that you're into?

For the sake of the exercise let's keep the traditional Rickenbacker bands (Beatles, Byrds, Searchers) out of this.... they get plenty of exposure here. And perhaps they shouldn't be considered 'oldies' anway....

Cheers!

H

Two old radio themes, "The Whistler", and "This Is Your FBI", are on my practice set for many months now, as are some simplified Bach motifs adapted for my picking style. Still looking for an arrangement of "Dangerous Nan McGrew".

A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke) is great track to update and rearrange, particularly if you have a good singer that can inject feeling into the song. It leaves room for a really soulful and dyamic lead too. It's on my list to record along with Summertime ......

I've been messing around with Jimmy Reed's "You Got Me Runnin'" I also like to play "San Antonio Rose" from Bob Wills & Texas Playboys. And it seems like at Farmers' Market I usually play "Faded Love" also by Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys. But that's fiddle stuff.

JimK

A couple of other songs by Sam Cooke are great too.......Tennessee Waltz and Bring It On Home To Me. Oh and lets not forget Good Times. That is a great number too. OK one more. Little Red Rooster. I love the walking bass line in his original version.

That's all great material Aitch. Btw if you want mp3's of these songs let me know.

For a real oldie - "Take the A Train" - great changes to hone up your walking bass or guitar improv skills...(in my case from awful to embarassingly mediocre).

The Horses Brawl which was published by Thoinot Arbeaua a century before Bach wore nappies.... Is that old enough?

Eden.

I LOVE to play 'Moon River' on my Chet Atkins or Ric 1997. I've arranged it for one electric guitar, complete with solo and all of Mancini's nuances -but in the key of C.

My band does 'Devil and the Deep Blue Sea' (a song or two after 'Better Be Home Soon', Howard).

Been working on an arrangement of 'Beginning to See the Light'. I love those WWII-era songs! It's sad to say, but when the big bands fell to economy and were usurped by smaller rock bands, the overall degree of musicianship was lowered immensely.

weemac wrote:The Horses Brawl which was published by Thoinot Arbeaua a century before Bach wore nappies.... Is that old enough?

Eden.

Smart*ss!!!!!

We’ve done some Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rodgers material. Kind of gitchy. With Rodgers we forego the yodeling. It’s hard enough for us to sing in tune, much less yodel. Rodger’s tunes are more difficult than I ever realized.

Way too many to list. Off the top of my head:
Misty
Moon River
As Time Goes By
All the Things You Are
Girl from Ipanema

oh and from the rock world, Stand By Me

Digging way back in pop music here; I like to play the old swing standard Harlem Nocturne.

Another favorite of mine is Johnny Burnette's Baby Blue Eyes, which I learned courtesy of the Stray Cats' rendition of the classic number.

Bus Stop, by the Hollies.

I thought all the stuff we listen to was oldies...

Man, I'd give a million to hear a rock band arrangement of Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing". BG was the original shredder, and Gene Krupa fathered the modern drum solo, as far as I'm concerned.

We've got Harry James on trumpet, too, as a special treat in this video.

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