Can a four piece pull off Mustang Sally well?

Haych

Bit of a back story.

'My' band is guitar, bass, drums and vox.  When we all got together to decide a list of songs somebody was really keen to do Mustang Sally - it wasn't me, I don't mind the song but it's overdone in covers bands and if I had a choice I'd rather not do it, but band politics and all that dictated give and take so it's on the list.

While it's simple enough to play the popular versions of the record all have many instruments filling out the sonic space.  The version most people are familiar with is probably The Commitments, on which there are at least two guitars, drums, bass, keys and horns.

We actually haven't tried it yet but are planning to give it a go at the next practise session in a couple of weeks.

Perhaps you anticipate the potential problem I'm about to pose:

I'm a little worried that with only guitar, bass and drums it's going to sound a bit sparse, to say the least.  I could be wrong, of course, it might sound wonderful in a stripped back kind of way.

I've trawled YouTube for alternative versions but haven't found a decent version done by a four piece yet.

Is anyone aware of a version of the song that has been done in a stripped back fashion?  I'm not looking for hard rock or metal versions - we're happy to change the feel or even genre of the song (but not metal or hard rock, lol), as we do do that sometimes.

Looking for ideas and inspiration.

Thanks in advance.

relic245

I don't have any YouTube references for you but yes it can.

I've played it in covers bands and been happy with the result. 

I've turned down several songs because I didn't believe that they could be done with 1 guitar but Mustang Sally is fine.

Just play a funky rhythm pattern through the verse, throw in a few fills, a sparse but rhythmically interesting solo and your good to go.

not_the_dj

We do it with a similar line up.

The singer generally does a "wander around the pub with a radio mic" bit which goes down great. People just want to shout "ride sally ride" and aren't that bothered with the lack of horns.

vasselmeyer

I'm in a three-piece and we have to do it in a few of the places we gig. Generally I'll get pretty busy on it and I go with a slightly crunchy sound and stick a bit of rotary on it for an organ-type effect. To be honest, you really don't need a bunch or horns on it and I make it interesting for me by throwing in a few SRV-style double-stops and a few funky 9ths and 7ths. Think of the style he plays on "Couldn't Stand the Weather". We also turn it into a bit of a sing-song (lads v lasses etc) during the "Ride, Sally, Ride" section and the whole will band will drop out so the audience can howl along.

To be honest, I'm pretty sick of playing it, but if the pubs that pay us request it, we stick it in. We might as well make it as fun as possible for the audience and us if we have to play it.

Haych

Righto.  Sounds like it's possible then.  Thanks.

It's given me a bit of confidence that it's doable.  Nothing like going into a rehearsal with the wrong mindset.

EricTheWeary

Ooh many, many years ago. I used to play bass on it to free up the bassist to sing and the other guitarist played whilst looking slightly ashamed. 

It’s a funky blues and as @not_the_dj says it’s the shouting along bit that counts. If the audience aren’t responsive then just turn it into a ten minute blues jam. Various live versions by Buddy Guy and others on YouTube. 

Roland

Definitely do-able. I’ve played it with several bands, including guitar/bass/drums. In my view it’s not a song which needs a big sound. I play the guitar equivalent of brass stabs. During the chorus I drop right back, and just mark the chord changes, emphasising that it’s an audience sing along. At some point I’ll drop in a solo using a combination of mixolydian and minor scale notes.

stickyfiddle

If someone had me at gunpoint, I'd be looking to go for a combination part that picked up the main themes of both the guitar and horn parts. Should be more interesting for you too, compared with just basic comping.

thomasw88

ugh.  don't do it. the world does not need another cover band doing mustang fecking sally.. 

If you must do it then just do whatever the hell you want, everyone's just waiting for the chorus anyway..

poopot

We do it... begrudgingly... but we do it... our bass player gets all bernard Edwards with the bass line... I treat it as a blues 12bar and just answer the vocals. We play it quite empty...

we get 3 or 4 lovely ladies up out of the audience and stand them in front of the bv mics... makes their night, lots of pics and video gets taken... job done!

Musicwolf

So many bands play it, one of mine included, because it's what the audience wants (if you take to the stage then you're an Entertainer and you should never think that you know better than your audience.  Anyone here want to call themselves a 'musician' then please retreat to your bedroom / obscurity right now).

Our singer / guitarist plays the whole thing using barre chords.  One night he started on the wrong fret so that he was a semitone out (but he sang to the key of his guitar).  I realised what was happening and, as soon as it was apparant that he was there for the duration, followed him.  The bass player didn't know what to do and stayed in the original, now incorrect, key.

It was horrible - but the audience were non the wiser and loved it.  So, in short, you can play Mustang Sally on just two guitars, or one guitar, or an alpine horn or comb and paper.

not_the_dj

Wis for @Musicwolf ;

My experience is if we don't play it chances are they'll ask for it anyway!

thomasw88

Musicwolf said:

So many bands play it, one of mine included, because it's what the audience wants (if you take to the stage then you're an Entertainer and you should never think that you know better than your audience.  Anyone here want to call themselves a 'musician' then please retreat to your bedroom / obscurity right now).

There are 1000's of songs that are very well known/very popular and go down extremely well  that haven't been done to death. 
  It's an easy song to pull out the hat fo sure, and will go down well but that doesn't mean you need to play it.

I avoid it like the plague, along with brown eyed girl, sweet home alabama/freebird, and sweet child of mine/paradise city.

Haych

thomasw88 said:

ugh.  don't do it. the world does not need another cover band doing mustang fecking sally.. 

That’s pretty much how I feel about it tbh but it’s outta my control. 

thomasw88 said:

I avoid it like the plague, along with brown eyed girl, sweet home alabama/freebird, and sweet child of mine/paradise city.

Yep, them too! We used to play Sweet Home Alabama years and years ago in my first band. After playing the same damn three chords for six minutes every gig we soon got tired of it. 

Every band I’ve been in since has had an agreement that it never gets mentioned, let alone played - not surprising everyone else I’ve met feels the same about playing it. 

PolarityMan

Do it in the style of this (no guitars):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0Lpf_jXg68

Funkfingers

Musicwolf said:

if you take to the stage then you're an Entertainer

This pretty much encapsulates something Steve Vai said in the March 20 edition of Guitar World magazine.

During his stint with Frank Zappa, Vai pretty much stood still and battled gamely with the "impossible guitar parts" that FZ had composed for him. By the time that he had joined David Lee Roth's band, it was full-on showbiz. Costumery, make-up, pulling poses, gratuitous guitar changes. 

p90fool

thomasw88 said:

ugh.  don't do it. the world does not need another cover band doing mustang fecking sally.. 

If you must do it then just do whatever the hell you want, everyone's just waiting for the chorus anyway..

This. Tbh it's fairly meaningless to our crowd anyway, they don't remember The Commitments, let alone Wilson Pickett. 

I know my job is to be an entertainer, but there's no reason I have to deliberately turn it into a job I hate. 

We gig every week for fairly good money in a very rural area without travelling more than around 20 miles, without playing the Universal Cover Band Setlist. 

It's not obligatory, bands bring it upon themselves, mainly by being old farts who think that a wedding couple in their early 20s WANTS that shit, when in fact they would probably prefer Jason Mraz or George Ezra songs. 

Personally I've had enough of tottering, 50-something heifers putting their stilettos through my pedalboard and grabbing the mics, screeching RIDE SALLY RIDE to their pissed up mates while we're losing the rest of the crowd. 

Just say no, kids! 

Haych

p90fool said:

thomasw88 said:

ugh.  don't do it. the world does not need another cover band doing mustang fecking sally.. 

If you must do it then just do whatever the hell you want, everyone's just waiting for the chorus anyway..

This. Tbh it's fairly meaningless to our crowd anyway, they don't remember The Commitments, let alone Wilson Pickett. 

I know my job is to be an entertainer, but there's no reason I have to deliberately turn it into a job I hate. 

We gig every week for fairly good money in a very rural area without travelling more than around 20 miles, without playing the Universal Cover Band Setlist. 

It's not obligatory, bands bring it upon themselves, mainly by being old farts who think that a wedding couple in their early 20s WANTS that shit, when in fact they would probably prefer Jason Mraz or George Ezra songs. 

Personally I've had enough of tottering, 50-something heifers putting their stilettos through my pedalboard and grabbing the mics, screeching RIDE SALLY RIDE to their pissed up mates while we're losing the rest of the crowd. 

Just say no, kids! 

There is something to be said for this. 

I follow a fairly well known musician who has their own website and who works with other better known musicians. 

Whenever one particular guy with whom he works goes on tour there is always a debate on his forum about why he refuses to play certain songs from his back catalogue and why his set list is seemingly stagnant. 

While it can be fun for the audience when a well known oldie is rolled out it’s not always fun for the entertainer who has probably played that song to death over their career. 

If it’s no fun for the performer it usually leads to a mediocre performance and eventually the audience feels it and it becomes no fun for them either. 

Ok, playing Mustang Sally in a covers band is hardly the same as being expected to roll out your greatest hits night after night but it still needs to be fun and rewarding - otherwise, why do it?

Yes, we are entertainers, but we are not performing monkeys who are subservient to the crowd. There’s a certain band/audience feedback required for a rewarding show and going through the motions rarely achieves that, in my experience anyway. 

I’m not stoked about Mustang Sally being on our set list but it might be a lot of fun. Time will tell. If it isn’t fun and it gets boring it’ll get dropped fairly soon. We’ve had some songs which have never made it out of the rehearsal room before. Songs which we thought would be really good but just didn’t work for us. 

ESBlonde

I agree with those saying do it anyway. Folks will sing along as long as it's recognisable and they will dance just because.

Just Bass and Drums can carry much of it leaving guitar to dodge between horn parts and rhythem, but there is no reason to keep the arrangement if you don't want to.

Don't forget the other voices you have available, the best part of a 3 piece is the vocal arrangements which can add so much. Even a timely grunt from the drummist can add to the overall arrangement and excuses like I can't sing and play or it's not my key should be swept aside for the good of the performance.

What do you do for other songs that have prominant parts at the moment?

ICBM

You can play Mustang Sally on any number or type of instruments you like.

And it will *always* be shit.


Unless you're Wilson Pickett, but he sadly left the building some time ago.

Haych

ICBM said:

You can play Mustang Sally on any number or type of instruments you like.

And it will *always* be shit.

Tell us how you really feel @ICBM

Can't say I disagree with you, though.