Song Ideas Needed, Band Changing Tack.

Bellycaster

Seeing as it is nigh on impossible to find an available Keyboardist for my other band, we have agreed we need to change tack. Most of our songs depended on Keys, so now we need a set list of songs that don't rely on Keys.

We consist of Bass Guitar, Drums, Guitar and Female Vocals.

We're all going to look for stuff but any ideas here welcome. We aim towards Funk or Soul or anything that grooves, from any decade.

Thanks.

Moss

If it doesn't need to be famous, you could try some of the Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats stuff

Bellycaster

Moss said:

If it doesn't need to be famous, you could try some of the Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats stuff

Now that's a name for a Band. I listened to S.O.B, proper good time drinking song. Not sure a beard would suit our female singer though :-)

hotpickups

Have you heard of Vintage Trouble? They are more the R&B/Soul thing and do it very well. 4 piece too

Fez

We've been doing "Take me to the River" by Al Green without Keyboards you could try that.

EricTheWeary

Amy Winehouse, The Selecter, Lily Allen. Amy wrote on guitar so it should all translate somehow. Must be hundreds.

stratman3142

Many years back I did these songs in a band with a very powerful girl lead singer. I think these might be made to work in your format. But they're all pretty old songs now. Also, they mostly tend to the rock/pop style.

Anastacia - Not That Kind
Bitch - Meredith Brooks
Like A Pill - Pink
Trouble - Pink
Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz
You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette
Fighter - Christina Aguilera (miss out the intro)
Vegas Two Times - Stereophonics
Hush - Kula Shaker
Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Steve McQueen - Sheryl Crow
Harder To Breathe - Maroon 5
Unbelievable - EMF
Weak - Skunk Anansie

RocknRollDave

In the absence of keys, I'd be tempted to add a second guitar for added texture. Tends to get a bit more ROCK with just one (ironically) in my experience - down to guitarist thickening up their sound to fill the gaps. Just my experience, you may find differently

Bellycaster

Thanks for the tips lads. Some good ideas there @stratman3142

Keep em coming :-)

Danny1969

I'm in a band with no keys player but I'm triggering a bit of keys using one of those Roland SPD samplers. Basically I record the part in and then just hit the thing with my foot like turning on a pedal. Some stuff we are doing is 

Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon

Hold on we're going home - Drake

This is how we do it - Montell Jordon

Express Yourself - Labrinth

Can't Stop - RHCP

You've got the Love - Florence & TM

Crazy - Gnars Barkley

Up all night - Daft Punk

Valerie - Winehouse

Mysterious Girl - P Andre

Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke

Girls - The 1975

Sing -  Ed Sheeran

Don't -  Ed Sheeran

Superstitious - Stevie Wonder 

Those songs have been pretty popular so far, most of them are fine with just guitar but the sampler is the icing on the cake 

Bellycaster

Thanks for info on the sampler @Danny1969 Do you have a Synth that you use at home to record the parts or do you use a MIDI Keyboard through PC, sorry, I'm not very tech :-)

Some good song ideas too.

Danny1969

I use either a midi keyboard triggering a soft synth to make the sound or a roland Juno D. It's mainly background pads, strings and brass. Nothing time based as that would mean playing to a pre determined BPM

Bellycaster

Danny1969 said:

I use either a midi keyboard triggering a soft synth to make the sound or a roland Juno D. It's mainly background pads, strings and brass. Nothing time based as that would mean playing to a pre determined BPM

Right, thanks Danny, I'll talk to the others about that.

slacker

Groove is in the heart-Deelite

Silly Games-someone who sang high (I'm a sadist).

Flashdance-(not that one, google Rincon remix from Pete Tong movie).

Last night a DJ saved my life by someone

Totally Addicted to Bass by someone else

Torn by Natalie wotshername not groovy but that slide solo

Shiny Disco Balls Sex on Monday Remix

One way or another Blondie

slacker

PS One Nation Under a Groove

ESBlonde

There are some pedals that require no fancy PUs or modification to get keyboard sounds from a regular guitar (and the guitar tone too if you want)

Eletro harmonix
MEL9
KEY9
B9
C9
There are online demos so have a listen and see what you think.

Whilst they reguire setting right and playing style interporetation, they do offer some nice options to the guitarists armory - at a price. I'm tempted but haven't yet had to myself  because currently we have a great keys player.

Otherwise material wise:

Soul Man
Play that Funky Music
Crazy Chick
It Takes two
Take me to the River
Sweet home Chicago
Nowhere to run
Dancing in the street
Venus
Love Train
Long Train Running
Boogie Oogie Oogie (just use an echo on the verse guitar)
Get ready (overdrive to play the sax part in octaves)
Disco inferno
River deep mountain high
Le freak (rework the mid section as rythmn only drum solo)
Valarie
Lets stay together (nice guitar part)
Working my way back to you babe
Terence Trent D'Arby - Dance Little sister. - High energy funk if your singer can get under it.
Love really hurts without you
Mustang Sally - look somebody had to say it and it's a floor filler.
Man I feel like a woman
This Love
Love shack
Bad Girls - Donna summer
Blame it on the boogie
Lady
Treasure
You to me are everything