Pop songs with good bass and drums!

[Waddycall]

I have a bit of a try out with a newish band in a months time. I know the guitar player and the singer (the three of us are in another band)but not the drummer. The guitar player knows the drummer and thinks the drummer and I will play together well. He’s asked for song suggestions that we could learn that would be a good test for bass and drum co-operation. We’re looking more at pop than rock and it’s not really an area I’ve got a lot of experience in! We have one so far which is probably typical of the kind of thing we’re taking about and that’s Rio by Duran Duran. Can anyone suggest any others?

by the way I’m rubbish at slap!

cheers

Edited February 1, 2022 by Waddycall

[Nail Soup]

If you want to go back that far, I reckon a lot of stuff by Blondie fits the bill.

[Waddycall]

1 minute ago, Nail Soup said:

If you want to go back that far, I reckon a lot of stuff by Blondie fits the bill.

Awesome - hadn’t thought of blondie, great drummer 👍

[Paul S]

'Maneater' by Hall and Oates - great song to lock drums and bass.

[Lozz196]

My Sharona by The Knack, but check out the awesome version by Phil X & The Drills to hear how good it really is on bass & drums.

[Lo-E]

Elvis Costello - Pump It Up

[Lord Sausage]

Wake me up before you go go by Wham

[paul_5]

1 hour ago, Lord Sausage said:

Wake me up before you go go by Wham

And Club Tropicana too.

[Musicman666]

Just about anything by the police.

[Steve Browning]

Sgt. Rock by XTC.

[Paul S]

A band I was in for a few years used to do a lot of this kind of thing.  Couple more  

Psycho Killer, Talking Heads

Is She Really Going Out With Him, Joe Jackson 

American Girl, Tom Petty

[thebrig]

15 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

My Sharona by The Knack, but check out the awesome version by Phil X & The Drills to hear how good it really is on bass & drums.

+1 for My Sharona, especially Phil X & The Drills version, they seem to cover a song and improve it in many cases.

[T-Bay]

Bit left field but Frankie goes to Hollywood stuff might fit

[Waddycall]

23 hours ago, Lord Sausage said:

Wake me up before you go go by Wham

No chance I’m going to be able to play that’ in a few weeks!

[Waddycall]

15 hours ago, Musicman666 said:

Just about anything by the police.

Good shout. I’m sure we must all know message in bottle😂

[Waddycall]

9 hours ago, Paul S said:

A band I was in for a few years used to do a lot of this kind of thing.  Couple more  

Psycho Killer, Talking Heads

Is She Really Going Out With Him, Joe Jackson 

American Girl, Tom Petty

Psycho killer coulda be good - and I know that already 👍

[Nail Soup]

1 minute ago, Waddycall said:

Psycho killer coulda be good - and I know that already 👍

I think Psycokiller is good for bass, but not a showcase for a drummer…. If that’s what you’re after.

 

[Grimalkin]

Talk Talk - It's My Life.

[Grimalkin]

David Bowie - Let's Dance.

[Graham]

On 01/02/2022 at 20:17, paul_5 said:

And Club Tropicana too.

I'm Your Man as well, they had some brilliant performances 

[Paul S]

13 hours ago, Nail Soup said:

I think Psycokiller is good for bass, but not a showcase for a drummer…. If that’s what you’re after.

 

 

I read it as drums/bass locking together rather than a chops showcase.  Could be wrong.

 

How about Radar Love, if a bit a Dad rock is acceptable?

[Nail Soup]

30 minutes ago, Paul S said:

 

I read it as drums/bass locking together rather than a chops showcase.  Could be wrong.

 

 

I re-read the op and you could be right 😃

[Marc S]

Some great suggestions here, but on reading this thread for the first time just now, my first thought was also Blondie.

[Barking Spiders]

I'm guessing you'd want to keep things on the upbeat side and mostly recognisable to most punters though that depends on the average age of the audience.

If mostly in their 50s and 60s then it's 70s and 80s - That's The Way I Like it (KC and the Sunshine Band), Boogie Nights (Heatwave), Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry), Hot Love (T Rex), She Bangs The Drums (Stone Roses), Rip It Up (Orange Juice), Pull Up To The Bumper (Grace Jones). Sure these lean towards the disco/funk side of things but the bass is quite prominent. The opening to Boogie Nights has a tasty bass riff and a really nice line throughout.