Modern popular songs that sound good on concertina?

[mthatcher61]

I have been trying to work up an arrangement for "A Long December" by Counting Crows. I have also tried working on arrangements for a couple Steve Earle tunes; "The Mercenary Song" , and "Tom's Ames Prayer". The Pogues "A Pair of Brown Eyes" and "Fairy Tale of New York" seem to work too. Keep in mind these are all works in progress and maybe someday I'll have the sack to post some but I like my concertina and I like these tunes. Didn't John Lennon say,'I'm an artist. You give me a tuba, I'll get you something out of it'. I certainly dont claim to be an artist but I would like to be one I believe it's just a matter of reinterpreting a song on the concertina. The attitude used when presenting it determines whether it is art or farce. Yesterday I took a stab at "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller. Just trying to learn it by ear. I think its in Ab and it is a bear to get down on the concertina but think I got the first couple of bars and it looks like it might even be do-able but its going to take a long time and a lot of patience.

[Kautilya]

I disagree; I don't mind

 

 

Not sure what you disagree with.

I'm not saying people should be silenced if they are taste challenged, I'm just saying I'll nave no incentive to hang around.

Warning: songs at this link may fright or delight but certainly easy listening for copying. Dirge will naturally be comfortable with number 2 on the list

 

http://www.eadcentral.com/go/1/1/0/http://home.pacbell.net/ckhuang/HomeofMidis.htm

 

Perhaps "Fernando" will keep M3838 boiling along at 38 degrees C

[m3838]

I disagree; I don't mind

 

 

Not sure what you disagree with.

I'm not saying people should be silenced if they are taste challenged, I'm just saying I'll nave no incentive to hang around.

Warning: songs at this link may fright or delight but certainly easy listening for copying. Dirge will naturally be comfortable with number 2 on the list

 

http://www.eadcentra...HomeofMidis.htm

 

Perhaps "Fernando" will keep M3838 boiling along at 38 degrees C

 

Why would "Fernando" keep me boiling? These midi things are simply not fiinished. The final polish, with sound modulations, should be added. But Abba is one of my favorites. They were superb melodists. A Midi, done by diletant, is like frozen sausage, obviously recognizable, but not there yet. Tell you what, if you haven't listened to so called "Russian Chanson", you don't know whether you have gag reflex.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvWP3ztMgfc

[bellowbelle]

I'm not sure my arrangements are so great, but some I've worked out for one reason or another include:

 

'Have I Told You Lately That I Love You' - by Van Morrison, covered also by Rod Stewart

 

'Don't Know Why' - Nora Jones - written by Jesse Harris

 

'Walking After You' - Dave Grohl - Foo Fighters

(on accordion, worked out 'Learn To Fly' by Foo Fighters)

 

kind of oldies, but --

'Take A Giant Step Outside Your Mind' - Taj Mahal -written by Gerry Goffin & Carole King

(also, 'Fishin' Blues' - Taj Mahal)

 

'The Wind' - Cat Stevens/Yusuf

 

--- Not sure why I'm trying to list these, and yes, it is 2:30 in the morning, heheh. I mean, 'modern popular' could mean a lot. But, the ones I list, what I noticed is that the arrangements seemed to just fall into place for the most part. They were 'easy,' ...sorta.

 

Some of what I worked out was influenced by my daughter's preferences at one time or another. She was a big fan of the Foo Fighters, years ago.

 

I like 'modern popular' and all the emotions that go with them but I figure by the time I get it all down right, I'll be about 90 years old. So there I'll be, 90 years old and barely hanging on to my concertina, crooning out a Nora Jones song... 'But I'll be a bag of bones, driving down the road alone...' and then I'll probably lose my driver's license, too!

Edited May 31, 2010 by bellowbelle

[Ransom]

Tell you what, if you haven't listened to so called "Russian Chanson", you don't know whether you have gag reflex.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvWP3ztMgfc

 

Ha! Don't worry, I didn't like it. The dancing could have been worse, though.

[Randy Stein]

Yesterday I took a stab at "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller. Just trying to learn it by ear. I think its in Ab and it is a bear to get down on the concertina but think I got the first couple of bars and it looks like it might even be do-able but its going to take a long time and a lot of patience.

 

I've played Miles Davis "So What" and 'Freddie the Freeloader" for some straight ahead jazz stuff. I am working on a Stevie Wonder tune "All In Love is Fair" as well as "Places" by the Beatles. Sometimes the stuff works and sometimes, while fun to play, just doesn't translate well.

My friend Rodger French's group does the most amazing hard driving arrangement of "Born To Run" for piano accordion I have heard to date.

rss

[Kautilya]

 

Why would "Fernando" keep me boiling? These midi things are simply not fiinished. The final polish, with sound modulations, should be added. But Abba is one of my favorites. They were superb melodists. A Midi, done by diletant, is like frozen sausage, obviously recognizable, but not there yet. Tell you what, if you haven't listened to so called "Russian Chanson", you don't know whether you have gag reflex.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvWP3ztMgfc

Boiling with anger!

 

But you are so right about Abba and I think the Russian dancers need strangling with those ties :D

I like Bellowbelles list too and here's another Cat Stevens which seems easy in G and also 'emotionally moving' to hark back to another thread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hakpGEpl3c

(PS I hope this post is not hidden somewhere in the cnet ether - I wrote it earlier and then think I forgot to post it!)

Edited June 1, 2010 by Kautilya

[Kautilya]

The sun shineth so 'tis time for Jolly........ Boating weather -

may not be really modern but it is certainly politically correct and absolutely contemporaenously contemporary :rolleyes: so I got it out of the Cabinet for you: some may say it is OTT but the important thing it is OOC.. so play on..

 

The e-ton boot song:

 

 

[Kautilya]

This any good?

The Simplified Fake Book: 100 Songs in the Key of "C"

by Hal Leonard Publishi

 

http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780634026553

 

anyone seen it in the UK?

seems there are loads of 'fake' books for country music, classical, church etc in "C"

tks

[LDT]

This any good?

 

anyone seen it in the UK?

seems there are loads of 'fake' books for country music, classical, church etc in "C"

tks

 

I have a beatles one of those books....

[Alan Day]

I have had a bit of fun in the past with "Sloop John B "Beach Boys

Makes a great session tune.

Al

[michael sam wild]

What's the plan for Warwick Festival session Al?

[Alan Day]

What's the plan for Warwick Festival session Al?

For Warwick we shall be doing our 20s -50s numbers We have a young Jazz singer coming along with her husband. Jim Ward will be there singing his old songs (Music Hall) and I expect doing a few monologues, possibly joined later by Iris Bishop. Sue Gates will try and get there with Colin She does songs like " Buddy can you spare a Dime" and Spiritual songs. Mike being an X Jazz Guitarist has loads of tunes to play if needs be. There will be no rules, but preferably not Folk music as this will be well catered for elsewhere. We shall just play it by ear on the day, but we do expect some of the booked artists to pop in and do a couple of numbers as guest spots.

That's roughly it Michael.

Al

[Kautilya]

Great finds

Another

This one killingly funny! Soviet humour is back!

[wally]

Don't no wether it counts but I've been learning 'Last of the Summer Wine' theme on my EC and I think it has great potential.

Maybe someone a little more adept than me could give it an airing?

 

Dave

[michael sam wild]

What's it called? , My late Brother in Law used to play it beautifully on piano when he was just a lad . It's one reason I want to play a duet.

Edited June 21, 2010 by michael sam wild

[Robert Booth]

Three by Carlos Santana : "Flor D' Luna", "Europa", "Samba Pa Ti."

You'll find that they are all really the same tune just rearranged and put to different tempos, but all have a liquid smoothness that translate well to concertina.

 

Also I've found that the vocal lines of many Portugese Fado songs come nicely out of the machine.

 

Try Jaobim's classic Brasil, for the fun of it; it comes out quite well, I think.

Have fun,

Rob

[Tallual Frantic]

Army Dreamers]

Running up that hill

I think its going to rain today

(modernish I guess)

Lionheart 

 - lots of Kate bush actually - I think there is a squeeze box on dream of sheep