Soul Tunes

[stewblack]

Which soul(ish) tunes do you play that go down really well with the widest range of audiences?

Band is looking to expand its repertoire but I don't really want to waste time learning good songs only to find they stink up the place when we do them live. Obviously I know all bands excel at different songs and you may play a tune really well and my band may not but I'm just after a broad consensus really to add weight to the band discussion. Thinking mainly soul, tamla, stax, motown type things but totally up for newer stuff too. So which songs do you find most people dance / sing a long to?

[Japhet]

Used to play a medley of Mercy, Mercy Me/Heard it through the Grapevine  - Marvin Gaye years ago and it was a real floor filler at functions.

[stewblack]

15 minutes ago, Japhet said:

Used to play a medley of Mercy, Mercy Me/Heard it through the Grapevine  - Marvin Gaye years ago and it was a real floor filler at functions.

Cool thanks!

[super al]

Al Green's Take Me To The River seemed to go down well which surprised me. The band were playing the Talking Heads version and I was playing the AG bass line. I was depping and I assumed a soul band would play the original but it went well!

They started with Sweet Soul Music which set the tone rather well. Ending with a couple of James Brown tunes, Papa's... And I Feel Good.

Loads of Otis and Stevie in between and plenty of dancing including a conga during Love Train!!!

[Gottastopbuyinggear]

Knock On Wood, In The Midnight Hour, and (I'm scared to even say it) Mustang Sally always go down well.

[TheGreek]

Wicked tunes...if these don't get people dancin' you may want to check their pulses...

 

 

Edited May 15, 2018 by TheGreek

[Hobbayne]

Blues Brothers stuff goes down well. Everybody Needs Somebody,  Sweet Home Chicago etc.

[super al]

11 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Wicked tunes...if these don't get people dancin' you may want to check their pulses...

 

 

Definitely Uptight, great bassline (I got told off for not getting the intro right at rehearsal, extra homework that night )

[stewblack]

Thanks folks some great ideas.

[scalpy]

Dancing in the Street is our current set 2 opener. Does what is says on the tin.

[casapete]

My old band always used to open dance sets with Barry White's 'You're the first my last...'

Always a floor filler - not too fast and for some reason everyone knows it and can manage some sort of dance moves to it too! 

[CameronJ]

Dunno what kind of band setup you’ve got but Soul With A Capital “S” by Tower of Power is one to get people in the mood. It won’t be the same without a horn section though!

[spike]

We do What's Going On - Marvin Gaye and Let's Stay Together - Al Green near the beginning of our first set and they always go down well

[steantval]

The Commitments did some good covers, worth a look.

[yorks5stringer]

634-5789: 

 

Edited May 16, 2018 by yorks5stringer

[TheGreek]

Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson - both did some great tunes which don't get the recognition they deserve.

 

 

[Muppet]

These are ones from our set

 

Respect

Rescue Me

Nowhere to Run

You Just Keep Me Hanging On

Build Me Up Buttercup (never fails) 

Signed Sealed Delivered

River Deep

Tears of a Clown

Sweetest Feeling

Your Love is Lifting Me

 

[chris_b]

On 5/15/2018 at 11:36, stewblack said:

Which soul(ish) tunes do you play that go down really well with the widest range of audiences?

There are a lot of bands doing this. It was written as live music. Music you'd want to dance all night to, which is why it's still popular with audiences today. You need to keep the feel but sound different enough to stand out and get noticed.

Hall and Oates I Can't Go For That.

Otis's Hard To Handle and run it into Hush.

The Stones Miss You.

Aerosmith's Walk This Way with the feel of RUN DMC's version.

Billie Jean, Jive Talking, Dancing In The Street, Word Up.