Ok we are doing mustang Sally

[Adrenochrome]

If you like this song and can do it justice, then play it. However don't play only because you think you should and are scared to try something that just might entertain the punters as well as being enjoyable for the band.

[mike257]

Got to weigh in behind the esteemed Doctor here. I'd always played in originals bands and merrily joined in with the Mustang Sally bashing on here.

That was until I joined a function band that have it in the set and realised it is a guaranteed winner every time we play it. People sing, dance and have fun to that song without fail at every event we play - why wouldn't we play it?

I write and play original material that expresses (hopefully) the things I want to do musically but when I turn out for a function gig I'm there for one purpose - to entertain those people as best I can for the two hours I'm playing in front of them. Not to challenge them or educate them.

I've never seen anybody walk off the floor or out of the room because we've played that tune, and even if one disgruntled muso did it doesn't change anything about the room full of people loving it.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='mike257' timestamp='1352993417' post='1870282']it is a guaranteed winner every time we play it. People sing, dance and have fun to that song without fail at every event we play - why wouldn't we play it?[/quote]

I can't give you a reason why you wouldn't play it, only the reasons why I wouldn't play it.

I'm quite content to be called a snob if it's the worst criticism that can be levelled at me. I also don't watch X Factor and don't buy lottery tickets - throw me out of England.

[Muzz]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1352992092' post='1870267']
I don't think you should ever settle for less than that.
[/quote]

Ba-zing! Reply of the day...

[TimR]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1352991144' post='1870248']
...

My point is that there are people who think 'I'm a proper musician and it's beneath me to play it'. Well - that's bollocks , that is.
[/quote]

Exactly.

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1352994167' post='1870290']
I can't give you a reason why you wouldn't play it, only the reasons why I wouldn't play it.

I'm quite content to be called a snob if it's the worst criticism that can be levelled at me. I also don't watch X Factor and don't buy lottery tickets - throw me out of England.
[/quote]

Matey - snobbery doesn't occur when you're being different to somebody else - vive la difference , as they say in Switzerland - snobbery occurs when you think you're being better than somebody else.

[TimR]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1352996685' post='1870325']


Matey - snobbery doesn't occur when you're being different to somebody else - vive la difference , as they say in Switzerland - snobbery occurs when you think you're being better than somebody else.
[/quote]

That's not quite right as we're all better than each other at a lots of different things. It's when you don't give people respect because they are not as good as you. Strive to be the best and celebrate when you are the best but remember you weren't always, and won't always be, the best.

[thumperbob 2002]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1352999694' post='1870368']


That's not quite right as we're all better than each other at a lots of different things. It's when you don't give people respect because they are not as good as you. Strive to be the best and celebrate when you are the best but remember you weren't always, and won't always be, the best.
[/quote]

Wasn't this thread about mustang Sally.

[TimR]

[quote name='thumperbob 2002' timestamp='1353000656' post='1870386']


Wasn't this thread about mustang Sally.
[/quote]

No. Mustang Sally is the example, the undercurrent is that people who play it are lazy and lesser players and not worthy of being called musicians. Somehow playing it lessens you as a person or musician.

Much the the same way as Moondance does for a Jazz bassist.

[musophilr]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1352890943' post='1868811']
I'd quit tbh.
[/quote]

I wouldn't quit the band. Just the stage. I'd go for a beer while the rest of them played it.

[StephenFerguson]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1353001758' post='1870403']
No. Mustang Sally is the example, the undercurrent is that people who play it are lazy and lesser players and not worthy of being called musicians. Somehow playing it lessens you as a person or musician.

Much the the same way as Moondance does for a Jazz bassist.
[/quote]

Lazy? Lesser musicians ? Naw mate, the undercurrent is that the song is lamentable sh*te.

[StephenFerguson]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1352975106' post='1869925']
I can see how it would get tiresome for all of you who have played it time and time again. But speaking as a beginner who has never played it, I wouldn't mind having a crack at it. Especially if it got the place rocking out.

But, speaking of musical cliches, what I would [b]really[/b] like to have a crack at is 'Freebird'.
Speaking as a desperate 50 something single woman, listening to the clock of doom ticking off the inevitable descent into senile dementia, 'Freebird' is [b]definitely [/b]on my bucket list.
[/quote]

x

[Silvia Bluejay]

Back to Mustang Sally - Help is at hand courtesy of iGuitar on FB:

[url="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=450333478362149&set=a.395673980494766.91587.100001565010436&type=1&theater"]http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=450333478362149&set=a.395673980494766.91587.100001565010436&type=1&theater[/url]

[paul_5]

can I just say that we're NOT doing Mustang Sally. Or Moondance. That doesn't necessarily make us better than anyone else.




[size=1]although we are[/size].

[JTUK]

yep...you either kill it or KILL it.

[fumps]

It's a funny ol place....Mustang Sally gets a funny reaction everytime.

Snobbery or not, love it or hate it. It just Is a song.

Now can we get on with our game of twister please I have leg ache

[anthomp]

You have the choice of staying in your bedroom doing your best "Portraits of Tracy"
and "victors"
or you go out and become entertainers.
if it's the latter ,do just that.
TBH i don't think many bands would call that number or any other
for that matter unless it was suitable for the venue or audience.
There's nothing wrong with giving people what they like to listen/dance to.

Edited November 16, 2012 by anthomp

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='anthomp' timestamp='1353091420' post='1871633']
You have the choice of staying in your bedroom doing your best "Portraits of Tracy"
and "victors"
or you go out and become entertainers.[/quote]

There's a fair bit of range in being an entertainer though. How many bands can you think of who had a chart hit with Mustang Sally? Why didn't all the other bands in the history of popular music record it and release it as a single? After all, everybody ****ing loves it so much don't they, playing anything else is just churlish surely.

[flyfisher]

Isn't this all getting a bit silly now? It's just a song, and a pretty decent one at that judging by it's popularity with the listening public.

[bertbass]

Thought you might like to know,


"[b]Mustang Sally[/b]" is a [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%26B"]R&B[/url] song written and first recorded by [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mack_Rice"]Mack Rice[/url] in [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_in_music"]1965[/url].[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Sally_(song)#cite_note-0"][1][/url][/sup] It gained greater popularity when [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Pickett"]Wilson Pickett[/url] [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_version"]covered[/url] it the following year on a single, a version also released on his 1967 album, [i][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Wicked_Pickett&action=edit&redlink=1"]The Wicked Pickett[/url][/i].[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Sally_(song)#cite_note-1"][2][/url][/sup] On "The Rascals Anthology" booklet, Felix Cavaliere claims that the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Rascals"]Young Rascals[/url] actually recorded "Mustang Sally" and "[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_1000_Dances"]Land of 1000 Dances[/url]" before Pickett. He says that Atlantic Records "copped those two songs from them and gave them to Pickett" to record. Pickett did both songs a little faster but the seeds came from the Rascals' versions.
According to music historian Tom Shannon the song started as a joke when singer [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Della_Reese"]Della Reese[/url] wanted a new [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang"]Ford Mustang[/url]. Rice called the early version "Mustang Mama", but changed the title after [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin"]Aretha Franklin[/url]suggested "Mustang Sally".[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Sally_(song)#cite_note-2"][3][/url][/sup]
Rice's version made it to #15 on the U.S. [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_and_blues"]R&B[/url] charts in 1965. Pickett's version climbed to #6 on the R&B charts and #23 on the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_music"]Pop[/url] charts in 1966, #4 in [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada"]Canada[/url] on the ([url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_(magazine)"]RPM[/url]) charts, and #28[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Sally_(song)#cite_note-uk1-3"][4][/url][/sup] in the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Official_Charts_Company"]UK Singles Chart[/url] on its original release and #62, when it was re-released in 1987.
In 2004, [i][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone"]Rolling Stone[/url][/i] ranked [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Pickett"]Wilson Pickett[/url]'s recording of the song at #434 on a list of the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500_Greatest_Songs_of_All_Time"]500 Greatest Songs of All Time[/url].[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Sally_(song)#cite_note-4"][5][/url][/sup] The song dropped seven spots to #441, when the magazine published its 2010 update of the list.[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Sally_(song)#cite_note-5"][6][/url][/sup]
[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coasters"]The Coasters[/url] released a version of the song, that can be found on their 1987 greatest hits album, [i]20 Greatest Hits[/i].[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Sally_(song)#cite_note-6"][7][/url][/sup]
[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Young_Rascals"]The Young Rascals[/url] covered the song in 1966, changing the year of the "brand new Mustang" from 1965 to 1966.
The song featured prominently in the 1991 film [i][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Commitments_(film)"]The Commitments[/url][/i] and appears on the film's soundtrack album, as sung by [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Strong"]Andrew Strong[/url].[sup][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Sally_(song)#cite_note-7"][8][/url][/sup] It was released as a single from the album and reached #63 in the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Official_Charts_Company"]UK Singles Chart[/url].
The chorus of the song includes the lyrics "Ride Sally, Ride" -- a phrase, which became fodder for newspaper headlines in 1983, when astronaut [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Ride"]Sally Ride[/url] became the first American woman in space.

Edited November 17, 2012 by bertbass

[Adrenochrome]

[quote name='anthomp' timestamp='1353091420' post='1871633']
You have the choice of staying in your bedroom doing your best "Portraits of Tracy"
and "victors"
or you go out and become entertainers.
if it's the latter ,do just that.
[/quote]

I disagree with this. If you're careful, you can play songs that you love and still fill venues, whether it be by playing original tunes, slightly less obvious covers, or the more obvious covers if you're playing those songs for the love of the music (ie [i]not [/i]just because you think that you should to appeal to the masses).

[mcnach]

[quote name='StephenFerguson' timestamp='1352900817' post='1869056']
Sorry, I am a prick/snob/music facist, and the song just sounds like the furious dying ticks of the desperate 49 year old single womans bilogical clock as she drops her handbag at the front of the stage and dance/grinds out a silent plee that someone in the pub/function will consider her worthy of sneaking out on at 7am. Sorry.
[/quote]

Definitely, some bands' versions sounds just like that.
[b]However[/b], done well, it's not a bad tune at all and gets people dancing. So what else do you want?

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1353149414' post='1872052']
[b]However[/b], done well, it's not a bad tune at all and gets people dancing. So what else do you want?
[/quote]

definitely this

ive never yet seen an audience (collectively)groan when MS strikes up they usually tend towards appreciation rather than derision

... unless of course the audience is full of discerning muso's

[Bilbo]

There is nothing scientific about it. When I am playing this (or any of the other tune on my 'banned' list), my self talk is telling me that this is not what I took up the bass for, that its is predictable, repetitive, tedious and cringeworthy and that I hate it and everything it stands for. If my self talk was doing that about a book I was reading, I would stop reading it. If it was telling me that about a film I was watching, some food I was eating or a conversation I was having, I would turn it off, put my knife and fork down and engineer my removal from that situation. Mustang Sally is no different. The only reason I would continue doing it is for money and that is what I have a day job for. It is the musical equivalent of a comedian saying 'when is a door not a door? When it is ajar'.

PS I am a frightful snob.

[steve-bbb]

so did anybody actually play MS last night (audience request or otherwise) for charidee?