Suggestions: songs from the 80s that work acoustically

[Brook_fan]

So I had a mad idea for my year 7 choir- a bunch of songs from the 80s that would work acoustically.  I’m thinking along the lines of Aha, Howard Jones, Ultravox, Duran Duran, Thompson Twins.  But, any more suggestions?

Robbie

[scalpy]

Girls just wanna have fun

[smarti]

Vienna - heard Midge do this acoustically to good effect.

[DaveFry]

See the Live From Daryl’s House episode with Dave Stewart . They do a piano and acoustic guitar version of “ Here Comes The Rain Again “.

 

[DaveFry]

- also the Flying Pickets .

[paul_c2]

Acoustic, or for choir? They are very different things - well it depends how you define acoustic. Its to do with the attack. In general, if a piece of music is predominantly guitar-based with a lot of the rhythm coming from the guitar strumming or riffs, then its not going to translate well to other 'instruments' which don't have a similar attack such as voice/choir. But it might be okay on piano/acoustic guitar.

[ezbass]

Don’t Stop Believing, they did it in Glee which gave Journey a hit all over again.

Others that might work:

Died In Your Arms Tonight; Gold; Alone; Rosanna; Africa; We Built This City; Every Little Thing (She Does Is Magic); Video Killed The Radio Star.

[DaveFry]

House Martins - Caravan Of Love

 

[BigRedX]

Pretty much anything will work given the right arrangement and suitable musicians.

If you are short on inspiration have a listen to the Nouvelle Vague and Susanna and the Magical Orchestra albums.

BTW the 80s covers an awful lot of musical styles. It's not all post-punk synth pop. There were a load of dull guitar bands later on off the back of The Smiths and of course Acid House at the end of the decade.

Edited December 19, 2018 by BigRedX

[Slappindabass]

Save a prayer

 

Duran Duran

[lowdown]

'Africa' works well for Acoustic Guitar & Choir.

It also works well as modern Acappella (a cappella). You can also get some of the voices making percussion sounds.

[EssentialTension]

A song, a lyric and a melody, can be arranged for any instrumentation. You can even take liberties with the lyrics and the melody if you're cheeky.

[Paul S]

Nik Kershaw arranged a lot of his stuff for acoustic, I think there was an acoustic album back in the day but he toured last year with an acoustic one man show.  Works fantastically well.

[MartinB]

So much 80s songwriting was ruined by naff-sounding production that you're almost certainly doing it a favour by rearranging it!

[Shambo]

Echo and the Bunnymen - Killing Moon

Scrub that, I thought you were asking for an 80's song for acoustic guitar.

I could imagine Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence being sung by a choir.

Edited December 19, 2018 by Shambo

[Brook_fan]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys.  Just to clarify, my ‘choir’ are 14 very keen 11 year olds, not intending to create harmonies, just to be a bit of fun and get them enjoying singing,  I would accompany them on acoustic guitar, but could possibly bring in some piano, bass and drums to support.

Robbie

[TheGreek]

Proof of the pudding...

 

[mingsta]

Erasure A Little Respect. Always goes down a treat whenever we play it and would still sound good with a strummy acoustic guitar type thing going on. 

[Mickeyboro]

12 minutes ago, mingsta said:

Erasure A Little Respect. Always goes down a treat whenever we play it and would still sound good with a strummy acoustic guitar type thing going on. 

I respectfully have to differ on this one! When my band did it I discovered it had no tune😩

[skankdelvar]

If you're going to do this at a parents evening you should finish with 'I Will Always Love You'. Skip the 'bittersweet memories' verse then right at the end get the winsome, smiling 11 year-olds to stretch out their little arms to the audience and tilt their heads to one side.

Outcome: doting parents in floods, roof-raising applause. Ker-ching!

[mingsta]

2 hours ago, Mickeyboro said:

I respectfully have to differ on this one! When my band did it I discovered it had no tune😩

In that respect its no different to half the stuff that the punters love anyway!!!! 

[Mickeyboro]

9 hours ago, mingsta said:

In that respect its no different to half the stuff that the punters love anyway!!!! 

How true...😬

[bassbiscuits]

19 hours ago, mingsta said:

Erasure A Little Respect. Always goes down a treat whenever we play it and would still sound good with a strummy acoustic guitar type thing going on. 

Good song and works well in terms of acoustic guitar and a singer. I don't think there's much in there for a choir to do tho.

[Lfalex v1.1]

On 19/12/2018 at 10:29, Paul S said:

Nik Kershaw arranged a lot of his stuff for acoustic, I think there was an acoustic album back in the day but he toured last year with an acoustic one man show.  Works fantastically well.

It certainly does work well.

"Wouldn't it be good" is way better when stripped of its pop trappings and 80's production values.

And "Dancing Girls" is simply sublime compared to its pop counterpart.

 

[Norris]

23 hours ago, skankdelvar said:

If you're going to do this at a parents evening you should finish with 'I Will Always Love You'. Skip the 'bittersweet memories' verse then right at the end get the winsome, smiling 11 year-olds to stretch out their little arms to the audience and tilt their heads to one side.

Outcome: doting parents in floods, roof-raising applause. Ker-ching!

Alternatively you could aim for notoriety by reproducing one of Madonna's ditties of the era. Like a Virgin? Papa don't Preach? You could get even more juicy by delving into the 90s