To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=161856
17 messages

Up Tempo Song Suggestions

08 Apr 17 - 06:39 AM (#3849421)
Subject: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: GUEST,JIAGOS

The trio I play in perform folk influenced songs. We find that we tend to play slower songs and very little up tempo. We are looking for suggestions for lively, but not trite, songs...can anyone help?
We call ourselves Jupiter is a Garden of Storms but for convenience we are Jiagos

Chris B


08 Apr 17 - 07:43 AM (#3849430)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: GUEST,Gozz without his cookie

I think we may find it easier to make suggestions if we knew more about the band and what it's current material was.

From another angle, I once attended a very interesting workshop with Chris Wood and Andy Cutting (quite a few years ago). They suggested that each member needs to bring material they enjoy to the group so that all members get to see what the others aim to achieve from the collaberation. Just an idea which may help prevent any undercurrents within the band.


08 Apr 17 - 09:09 AM (#3849438)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: Steve Gardham

Rocky Road to Dublin


09 Apr 17 - 04:17 AM (#3849615)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: GUEST,DeanofRochester

Agree with Gozz above - what are you already playing, and what do you like?
There's loads of uptempo tunes of course, and many uptempo songs which most would class as at least folk-influenced, if not folk, so what are you looking to play , and to what audiences?


10 Apr 17 - 02:11 AM (#3849769)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: Gurney

One of my favourite performances used to be hearing Dave Bennett of Coventry performing Ma Rainey's 'Black Eye Blues' about four times as fast as that lady, or Sausage Grinder's version twice as fast.
All three are on YouTube, but not Dave's version of BEB.

The late Dave under 'Dave Bennett - Ragtime Medley' where he plays 'Anji' at racing speed and then wanders where whimsy takes him.


10 Apr 17 - 02:59 AM (#3849770)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: Mr Red

A shanty
Plenty to choose from. Because they are work songs the tempo is dictated by the work. They can be any work song, pit shanties, chain gang songs, butter-making shanties.

It all depends on your interpretation of up-tempo, a pump/windlass shanty can be pretty fast, especially if you ain'ta heaving an hauling!
compilation from Moby Dick -&- another from Moby Dick (which gets faster).

And FWIW I regard "Working in a Coal Mine" (Lee Dorsey's version) as being of a shanty form. Work song certainly.


10 Apr 17 - 09:09 AM (#3849829)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: FreddyHeadey

Lovely yt clips mr Red, thanks


~~~~~~~~~~~
Anything uptempo I think of seems to have some element of humour in it...
Arthur OBradley
https://youtu.be/Qi71lWaqC1Q  

Johnny Mceldoo
https://youtu.be/e5Lm_KlJsQY  

Proper cup of coffee
https://youtu.be/e5Lm_KlJsQY  

Transport of delight
https://youtu.be/mVHbF0jAzMw  

Galaxy song
https://youtu.be/buqtdpuZxvk 

&
Man in the moon , but faster than this
https://youtu.be/i-LZuoFIMgU  



.


10 Apr 17 - 09:54 AM (#3849840)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: FreddyHeadey

Sorry two of those links were wrong
Johnny Mceldoo
https://youtu.be/XjrwPAVylX4  

Galaxy song
https://youtu.be/jsgExTttJ2Y  


11 Apr 17 - 05:25 AM (#3849975)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: GUEST,Guest Jiagos

Thanks for the above suggestions and I should have talked a bit more about the music we play.

Our repertoire includes traditional style songs like Marco Polo, Water Is Wide, She Moved Through The Fair as well some Ian & Sylvia songs, Dylan. Some of our songs were penned by members of the trio. We have also tried a few old pop songs such as Day Dream Believer.

Our instrumentation is 1 female vocal, 2 male vocal, 2 six string guitars, 1 12 string guitar, various percussion and mandolin. (and a concertina which we tried for the first time a week ago and it worked well even though I had only worked out how to play 4 chords).

Collectively we have about 35 songs that we are reasonably happy with, individually the list is much larger and draws on a folk, country and jazz influences.

The idea of sea shanties is appealing, we already have a few sea songs but they are not shanties.

It is easy to fall into the trap of playing songs from the same source and in the same style. We were just hoping Mudcat members could help us avoid a getting in a rut.

Phil, another member of Jiagos


11 Apr 17 - 12:22 PM (#3850029)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: Long Firm Freddie

Ups and Downs (Steeleye Span) and Maid and the Palmer (Span and Brass Monkey) might fit the bill.

LFF


11 Apr 17 - 12:48 PM (#3850032)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: punkfolkrocker

As crap as my memory is becoming these days..
I seem to recall The Pogues were noted for fast raucous renditions of trad songs...


11 Apr 17 - 01:52 PM (#3850041)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: Snuffy

Wild Rover and/or Whiskey in the Jar?

[Ducks and runs for cover :-)]


11 Apr 17 - 04:53 PM (#3850066)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: GUEST,Ebor Fiddler

Don't forget "The Irish Rover" (Joins Snuffy under cover.)


11 Apr 17 - 05:24 PM (#3850068)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: Joe Offer

(When We Go) Rolling Home by John Tams is a good one.


11 Apr 17 - 07:28 PM (#3850084)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: Tattie Bogle

Also depends to some extent where you are! Songs that might be very well known in one area (or even continent!) might be totally unknown elsewhere!


11 Apr 17 - 08:20 PM (#3850092)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: leeneia

Try this. At the upper right corner of this page is a box. To the right of DT Lyrics click Browse. Start with A (click) and look at the many song titles. Are there any you know? Any you like? There are hundreds to choose from.

DT stands for Digital Tradition, a lyrics collection which sometimes provides tunes as well.


13 Apr 17 - 11:04 AM (#3850352)
Subject: RE: Up Tempo Song Suggestions
From: GUEST,ST

Also, you might want to check an old theme called Uptempo Folk Songs right here. That's where I've learnt about "Shady Grove", currently the uppiestly tempoed item on my list.