Smuggling bass lines into worship songs (or any other songs for that matter)

[Richard R]

Some of the church bassists on this site will know the song "Lord I lift your name on high" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COQ6cni_TG8 ) .
We sing it a bit quicker than that YouTube version (which isn't great, sorry) , and frequently with the bass line to "Summer Nights" from "Grease" running through. I'm sure I've heard Johnny B Goode in the past, and  I suddenly realised a while back that one of our worship leaders has been starting a particular song with the intro to "Substitute" by The Who for years and I'm the first person to notice.  

Anyone else involved in smuggling pop bass lines into their worship? Or indeed from any one genre to another?  (Bill Bailey reckons orchestral bassoonists always just play "How Deep is your Love" by The Bee Gees regardless of what the concert is.)

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Richard R
Typos

[No lust in Jazz]

If I'm of a mind to, I often slip some disco ocatves (Lipps Inc. 'funky town') into a song just to subtract any credibility from what I'm doing - does this count?

[HengistPod]

Although I don't have access to a warship, I've often been known to smuggle an AC/DC-influenced bassline into parts of any song that I don't know that well.

 

[Davo-London]

I can't say I do this by choice.  But after 40 years of playing, I'm bound to slip in some Jaco or Sting without realising.  Anyway, as long as you're not overplaying it's all good.

Peace

Davo

[Owen]

There are a couple of songs we do at Church which lend themselves to Angel -Shaggy and Forget You - Cee lo Green. Just don't ask which ones because I can never remeber. 

[Richard R]

5 minutes ago, owen said:

There are a couple of songs we do at Church which lend themselves to Angel -Shaggy and Forget You - Cee lo Green. Just don't ask which ones because I can never remeber. 

I'll ask Dave :-)

2 hours ago, No lust in Jazz said:

If I'm of a mind to, I often slip some disco ocatves (Lipps Inc. 'funky town') into a song just to subtract any credibility from what I'm doing - does this count?

 Yep. Especially if you can get it into "He who would valiant be"

[operative451]

As a totally non-religiony person it totally throws me when i see some complex pedalboard setup on instagram tagged with #worshipchurch or something...! When did churches go metal?!

[YouMa]

Don't do octave runs....You will be burnt.

[Richard R]

1 hour ago, operative451 said:

As a totally non-religiony person it totally throws me when i see some complex pedalboard setup on instagram tagged with #worshipchurch or something...! When did churches go metal?!

I first read this as "When did churches go mental?" - which is a completely different question! 🙂

Apart from the (to me) bizzare fact that there is Christian Metal - why not use the best available technology of the time to make the best possible sound? A cathedral organ sounds old fashioned to us, but they are the most complicated musical instruments ever made and were the cutting edge tech of the day. 

 

[Vinny]

As I've yet to be in a band that doesn't insist on playing that Free number (I never want to hear it again let alone play it!) I've been having a little game with myself to play anything but during the excruciating solo. Last weekend's effort had the recipe of;

4 slices of Badge, 4 tablespoons of All Day and All of the Night, 2 ounces of Paint it Black, 5 crushed Day Trippers, a The Chain (to get back to the E) and a generous helping of Smoke on the Water for the last chorus. 

No-one has ever noticed. In fact, last year, after chucking in some Muse and Sabbath or anything else that would fit, I was congratulated by a punter for "...doin' it just like him...".

 

[Richard R]

Well done for owning up, that was very brave. Do you feel alright now?

[TheGreek]

Forgive me Father for I have sinned..??

[operative451]

15 hours ago, Richard R said:

I first read this as "When did churches go mental?" - which is a completely different question! 🙂

Apart from the (to me) bizzare fact that there is Christian Metal - why not use the best available technology of the time to make the best possible sound? A cathedral organ sounds old fashioned to us, but they are the most complicated musical instruments ever made and were the cutting edge tech of the day. 

 

We could get into a thread derail here that would get us told off on the 'no religion' rule, so i won't...

Christian metal makes no sense to me either, however..! TBH any kind of music where the lyrical content is restricted to one subject confuses me a bit! Yes i am looking at you Pete 'how do you write a pop song without the word 'love' in it?' Waterman..!

[BassTractor]

As an organ player, I stopped smuggling popular tunes into my improvisations during services at one specific point: a little child loudly sang along with the popular kids tune that was my contraband that day.

[Baxlin]

To answer post #1, yes, often!  Mainly because when we introduce a new song, we don’t usually have dots, only have words and chords, and possibly a YouTube vid.

So that means it can be open season, so long as it doesn’t detract from the words.

Malcolm

[scalpy]

This is a fantastic game and one I regularly participate in. I've got Fairytale of New York and Jingle Bells into carol arrangements at Cathedrals, the Imperial March into the Sewer scene in Les Mis and one show had a nightly battle with the guitarist to get Led Zep quotes into Grease. I was doing well, managed Dazed and Confused, Ramble On and Kashmir in various places if I recall, until he destroyed me by launching into Black Dog instead of the regular solo for Grease Lightning. I valiantly acknowledged defeat.

[steve-bbb]

18 hours ago, YouMa said:

Don't do octave runs....You will be burnt.

in that case i will do them AND slap them

[tauzero]

I find many Bob Marley songs are improved by a spot of Marillion.

[Vinny]

1 hour ago, tauzero said:

I find many Bob Marley songs are improved by a spot of Marillion.

A bit OT, but you just reminded me of this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDWZnv-xPpQ&t=0s

 

[Richard R]

2 hours ago, scalpy said:

..  he destroyed me by launching into Black Dog instead of the regular solo for Grease Lightning. I valiantly acknowledged defeat.

Now that  I would like to have heard!

3 hours ago, Baxlin said:

To answer post #1, yes, often!  Mainly because when we introduce a new song, we don’t usually have dots, only have words and chords, and possibly a YouTube vid.

Likewise. Fortunately we also have a CCLI Song Select subscription so can download lead sheets too. If  I've never played the song before (even if I've sung it loads) I look at that to figure out what beat the chord change is supposed to be on :-)

[operative451]

My school choir (damn my descant was awesome..!) once spontaneously dropped the bassline to 'Hit the road jack' into 'God rest ye merry Gentlemen', going 'Joy, joy joy joy' after 'tidings of comfort and joy' bit. It became the official version..

 

Ok, here's a dare - drop in something by Marilyn Manson (rules: none of the covers or stuff off of Mechanical Animals that's blatantly ripping off Bowie) and i will donate a tenner to the charity of your choice. Video evidence needed, obvs...

 

[Richard R]

Hmmm.  First that requires me to listen to some Marilyn Manson, then work out how to play it, then where it might fit.  Oh and play it at a service that's video'd not just recorded. Challenge accepted, but your £10 will be worth about 10p by the time you have to pay up on my account - so don't hold your breath!  
I suspect @scalpy can do it in his sleep though.

[scalpy]

25 minutes ago, operative451 said:

Ok, here's a dare - drop in something by Marilyn Manson (rules: none of the covers or stuff off of Mechanical Animals that's blatantly ripping off Bowie) and i will donate a tenner to the charity of your choice. Video evidence needed, obvs...

 

Challenge accepted, although can’t say I’m overly familiar with the aforementioned material!

[Owen]

I have dropped Come as you are into every gig I possibly can for the last 20 years. 

[SuperSeagull]

I Want You Back by Jackson 5 as intro and link to I Give Thanks. We also use some Coldplay keys parts on Water You Turned Into Wine.