Playing in a covers band

[Sibob]

Never, especially with more modern stuff.
But then my band seems to get work on the strength of 'our sound and vibe', as opposed to note-for-note covers.
Of course there are exceptions though, you wouldn't change up the line to Billie Jean for example.

Si

[Hobbayne]

I agree with the AC/DC bass parts though. We do a cover of 'Overdose' from the 'Let There Be Rock' album, and I must admit that 6 minutes of dum a dum a dum a dum can get a bit boring. Although a driving root note chug is all thats required, I like to put a few little tricks of my own to keep me amused.

[bassfunk]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1349352338' post='1825111']
Never, especially with more modern stuff.
But then my band seems to get work on the strength of 'our sound and vibe', as opposed to note-for-note covers.
Of course there are exceptions though, you wouldn't change up the line to Billie Jean for example.

Si
[/quote]

This

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1349352066' post='1825098']
And if you cover anything off AJFA you have total freedom to create your own basslines, as nobody knows what the original ones sounded like
[/quote]



Though actually there are isolated bass tracks for half the album on YouTube now! Some very nice people have even mixed them into the original track ad they sound AWESOME!

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Bigjas' timestamp='1349350975' post='1825065']
I like to try and copy the original as close as my talent will allow. On some songs this is easy, on others I can't match the talent of the original player, so I will get as close as I can. When watching/listening to other cover bands, I like to hear it as I remember it from the original.

Jas
[/quote]
This, apart from when I'm watching another covers band, then I like it when their bass player cuts more corners than I do

[Silvia Bluejay]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1349354176' post='1825158']


Though actually there are isolated bass tracks for half the album on YouTube now! Some very nice people have even mixed them into the original track ad they sound AWESOME!
[/quote]

Bless 'em - took 'em the best part of 30 years, but they got there in the end

[WurzelHedghog]

We have a very relaxed approach and try to make our own version of the song which generally means keping 80-90% of the original and changing or embellishing where we see fit so it's more about the feel of the song that the exact notes played on the original.

What makes it fun is that some of the songs that we cover are in fact covers and not originals, for instance we do "99 red balloons" but base it on the Goldfinger version and not Nena's.

[Raymondo]

When I play in my own band I go for the 95% thing ......All right now has to be the same as the record when I dep (not very often) I learn their set list note for note but adjust if the rest of the band add their own thing!

When I played in a stereophonics tribute band I annoyed the singer by refusing to play like the original ...I'm sorry but even some one with as little talent as me gets bored stiff playing all those root notes!!!!!

BTY I heard the phonics bassist saying in an interview that when he played what he thought was a cool and interesting bassline when they were recording one song Kelly Jones gave him a bollocking and made him play simple root notes.

[toneknob]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1349341492' post='1824837']
Never. That level of authenticity is for tribute bands not cover bands.
[/quote]

When in tribute land, If anyone said to me "your line wasn't quite right", I'd ask which particular version they were referring to, then direct them to my reference bassline, which exists only on a very rare and practically non-existent bootleg somewhere

[The Dark Lord]

It depends on the rest of the band - and if it is a song that is dear to one of them. I did play in a band once where the "band leader" (he who started the band) insisted on deadly accuracy, notes, tone the lot. I left the band sharpish when he started saying he was listening to everything in high bitrate to be able to get it perfect and that we should be the same.

I generally get the idea of a song and work with the other guys to do our version of it.

[JTUK]

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1349366943' post='1825386']
..................... I did play in a band once where the "band leader" (he who started the band) insisted on deadly accuracy, notes, tone the lot. I left the band sharpish when he started saying he was listening to everything in high bitrate to be able to get it perfect and that we should be the same.
.........
[/quote]

Did he pay for this attention to detail..???

Also, the thing about pubs is...how much do you want to bother, or how much, will the collective band bother....?

As it is, pubs are too much work for the money if you try and do things reasonable well.. where do you draw the line..?

For functions... you price for the time you have to spend there over and above your playing time anyway... it could all get a bit silly.

[spinynorman]

Our singer wants to do Somebody to Love. For "the original" I suppose I should go back to Grace Slick and The Great Society.

[bertbass]

Love the Ramones version.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdRFeprn_xc[/media]

Edited October 4, 2012 by bertbass

[bertbass]

Talking of the Ramones, I love this too.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTjCvF4rQhI&feature=related[/media]

Edited October 4, 2012 by bertbass

[BigRedX]

Unless the rest of the band play their parts exactly like the record (especially the drummer) there's little point. You always have to adjust stuff for different instrumentation from the original anyway. Anything obvious I'll play like the original everything else will depend on what the rest of the band does.

[lowdowner]

Isn't this argument a little like the point in tourists taking snaps of the eifell tower? You can buy a much better copy (and more accurate) for less, so why do it yourself?

If I wanted to hear Eagles do Hotel California I'd buy the album (well, not again, but you know what I mean), so why would I want to hear a covers band make an (almost) exact replica? I'd rather hear their take.

I mean, i'd like to listen to these guys doing 'walk like an egyptian'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc_m3XkYBE0

than an almost exact copy - wouldn't you?

[Doddy]

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1349366943' post='1825386']
It depends on the rest of the band - and if it is a song that is dear to one of them. I did play in a band once where the "band leader" (he who started the band) insisted on deadly accuracy, notes, tone the lot
[/quote]
If the band leader wants you to play that specifically then he should write out charts.That way it will be played
exactly as he wants.

For me it depends on how much time I've got to learn the music.If it's short notice and you need to learn a lot
of songs then I'll get the general vibe and any important lines...If I've got more time,it will usually be pretty close
to original(if not spot on). If it's a regular gig,things invariably develop over time.

[CS2]

I'll try to get close to the original and sound. It won't be a carbon copy. Unless you are doing reworked covers like Nouvelle Vague, I think that the song has to sound at least like the original.

[Mog]

I rarely go off and learn a song exactly as recorded. Theres little point with a lot of the usual pub rock classics. Sit in the pocket and power through them. Ya'll know the ones, AC/DC, U2, Van Halen etc.
On the other hand if you were to play a badly improvised version of Bad for example then it would sound muck.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1349371380' post='1825444']
Talking of the Ramones, I love this too.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTjCvF4rQhI&feature=related[/media]
[/quote]
Don't want to be too pedantic, but we cover this one and it's actual off Joey Ramones solo album, and no I don't play it note for note, unusually for me I stick some extra ones in

[thepurpleblob]

I aspire to learning the lines exactly. However, due to lack of skill, time and motivation it doesn't always come out like that. I tend to get them close enough and then revisit at my leisure to gradually refine.

On occasion I fiddle with the parts a bit for reasons such as, there wasn't a bass, I couldn't hear it properly, it doesn't work very well with our line up etc.. If in doubt I often listen to other cover bands crack at songs on YouTube to steal ideas, having no imagination myself!

[Merton]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1349341492' post='1824837']
Never. That level of authenticity is for tribute bands not cover bands.

You'll never sound like the original so just sound like you.

My brain isn't big enough to remember all the notes in the right places so the band gets my take on the number. Sometimes its close other times it's not. It doesn't matter because we've all got a spark of originality and are just a bunch of guys playing a number, in our own way.
[/quote]

This. Some of my lines are totally different from the original as we play it with a different feel, some are pretty close (or sacred!)

[spinynorman]

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1349370893' post='1825437']
Love the Ramones version.

[/quote]

I rather like that. Thanks.

[WalMan]

Depends, but normally it's an approximation. Eg, for Roundabout there are bits that need to be as per, and others where I can be a bit looser & work with the drummer.

For the 35 songs (thankfully seem to be fairly straightforward) I need to learn for a couple of deps in the next month it will most probably be based on chord charts. At least they seem to be a lot of two in the bar.

And then there are, or were, songs we used to work out roughly at r/h from memory (sometimes flaky) and then do at the next gig as the "known" song for the encore in a set of originals. Variously songs by Slade, The Pistols, Lizzy, Tom Pettey & IIRC Boz Scaggs The best effort there was "I Want You To Want Me" that was worked out sitting in the van between sets, and played as the encore that night. Happy days

[molan]

Does anyone other than another bass player in the audience ever notice if some is nailing the exact original part or not?

I used to aim for being close to the original but, having listened to lots of fabulous live versions of songs, have realised that many great players move around their original lines anyway.

I genuinely think that about 99% of the audiences I've played to in covers band gigs wouldn't have a clue if I played the original lines or not - come to think of it that goes for 99% of the guitarists and drummers as well

In fact I often play totally different parts at rehearsals and ask bands which version they prefer, most days I just get a totally blank look. . .