Heres another great cover wow!

Donny ... that's really interesting, because I was also thinking of Acoustic Guitar for the background ... maybe using an "Unplugged" style with no drum kit, and maybe, just MAYBE, a Lite Latin percussion ...

Some guy in New Jersey once told me, if you can't dance to the song, don't play it - he was right. I adhered strictly to his philosophy and it paid off in spades. Soon I had more jobs than I could handle, the audiences were always happy when I arrived, and I've been able to return every month to these locations and wow the audiences with more new songs. Both of the songs Donny posted would put my audiences to sleep. They may be "covers" but I'm not really sure why. Maybe the definition of covers needs to be explored in greater detail. I'm sure these songs would go over well with the American Idol crowd, but my foot-stompin, dancin', hand-clappin' audiences would quickly begin to yawn when the second verse kicked in.

"Originally, Billboard and other magazines that track the popularity of musical artists and hit tunes measured the sales success of the published tune, not just recordings of it. Later, they tracked the airplay that songs achieved, some cover versions being more successful recording(s) than the original song(s).[1] Cover versions of well-known, well-liked tunes are often recorded by new artists to achieve initial success when their unfamiliar original material would be less likely to be successful. Before the onset of Rock 'n' Roll in the 1950s, songs were published and several records of a song might be brought out by singers of the day, each giving it their individual treatment."

That said, I would be interested in hearing Donny and others do both of these songs using the arranger keyboard ONLY! No midi files, no MP3 backing tracks - just your creativity, your vocals and the keyboard.

Cheers,

Gary

Gary as you know most times I am in a dance venue and play songs appropriately...BUT,......there are times when I am in a cocktail style relax setting and there just to pepper the mood & fill the air with songs like this, how you can say this isn't a beautiful melody and lyric is beyond me but, I respect your opinion as always.
As I've always said THERE IS LIFE BEYOND Arranger KB STYLES....that's why I have maintained an open mind and Mix it up using all the tools at my disposal on stage to accommodate EVERY kind of venue & audience thru the years and will continue to do so for a long while into the future...Like I said if I get time between gigs I will try to record this tune in some way. Take acre.

Gary ... I luv ya man, but IMHO that is one RIDICULOUS statement, and I am happy it wasn't YOU who said it ...
While I agree that it depends on the venue and the audience, I also have to ask if some of us only play for dancing crowds? ... And if we are playing for NH are all of our audiences DANCING??? About a month ago, as part of the program I prepared for a NH gig, I played "Lady of Spain" using one of the accordion voices on the Pa900 and the audience responded to it even better than I thought they would ...
And as Donny said, there ARE times in a cocktail or background music setting - like what was shown in John Legend's video - when a song like this is going to 'capture' an audience ... granted it may not fit your "foot-stompin, dancin', hand-clappin' audiences" but that does not mean it isn't a beautiful song ...
And do any of us here not learn songs just for our OWN enjoyment???... there are any number of songs that I play at home that might not play on a gig ...
I might not be able to perform this song well enough to play on ANY gig, but that doesn't mean I won't try to learn it, even if only for myself ... just sayin' ...

And I believe the term 'cover' applies to someone performing a song that was made 'famous' by someone else ... in other words, every song we play - unless it is our own original material - is a 'cover' ...

Sorry guys, the story behind the lyrics in both songs are just fine, but to ME, the songs were a bit monotonous and boring. That said, I don't do wallpaper music where someone just wants to have some music in the background while they're eating dinner and talking with their dinner guests - I turn those kind of jobs down every week. I do perform some slow ballad type music once in a while, but it's usually songs that can still be danced to. I also do some show tunes, which I love to perform, but again, they are usually songs you can dance to.

Tony, keep in mind that all of my audiences are not old, feeble and crippled - many are my age and younger, some in their late 40s and 50s, and I know the kind of music they respond positively to - and neither of these songs fit into that category. I play at a half-dozen, upscale retirement communities where the folks there love to dance. They love 50s, 60s, 70s rock and roll, they love ballroom dancing, they can tango, cha cha and rumba with the best of them, and I have a few that can quickstep and clog. Sure, I play for those that cannot remember what zip code they lived in, but the one thing they can still remember is music - it never seems to leave their psyche, regardless of how fogged the rest of their mind is.

I don't think I'm alone in this kind of thinking, but who knows, maybe I am, and that's OK too. I know you guys would love to hear me do one of these songs, but when I can't seem to get comfortable with a song, for whatever reason, I just will not do it.

Cheers,

Gary

this now a big wedding song also. just sayin..

Gary ... I did not say your audiences are "old, feeble and crippled" ... what I was saying is that SOMETIMES I play to audiences that are not dancing and this song would fit very nicely... I do not see myself ever playing this song for a NH because I do not think it would fit...

And I wish I lived in your area, because I would apply for those "wallpaper music" gigs you turn down every week ... while I enjoy playing for dance crowds, those gigs give me the opportunity to play the songs I might generally play only for myself, especially some instrumentals, and I have found them to be some of my higher paying gigs ... and don't be fooled - these people may be having dinner and conversing with friends, but you will know they are listening by their tips and comments ...

But, that's why they make vanilla, chocolate and rocky road ...

BTW, Gar, ... you mention "both songs" ... what song other than John Legend's "All of Me" were you referring to?

... hmmm ... I missed that one some how ...thanks Donny ...