Anyone playing this tune on NYE? Are you using a style, smf, MP3. Perhaps the tune is a thing of the past? Thoughts?

It's a MUST do at Midnight NYE...

I do it both live with med swing style ...or custom mp3 backing track...

you got mail..

I consider it a "must play " at midnight too. But you know times are changing.,,

Do you play it as an instrumental or do you sing it, Donny?

Some things NEVER Change....

most times I sing it 1st time around then instrumental 2nd while everyone is hugging and kissing to the end....

Then go right into "Celebration"!!

Yep, been doing this song for more than 50 years, and IT IS NYE! Paul, I have a special style file that I use, and I immediately follow it with Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade using the same style. Young and old all dance to it - it too is a tradition.

If you wish, I'll be more than happy to email you the style file.

All the best,

Gary

Yes Gary, please do!

Donny, I like your idea of going into Celebration right after.

Seems like for the last number of years I play it and no one pays attention. They all run to the TVs ( theres ALWAYS TVs somewhere ! ) to watch the NYC Ball drop. I did NYE in a private party room of a club for about 8 years. At 11:45 I had to take a break so they could roll out the giant projection TV. I really didn't care, the night was over at that point.

Usually on stage they roll down a big 25x25 ft projection screen right in front of me for the ball Drop in Times Square NYC as I have to setup 5 feet back and at 11:45 take a break while everyone watches the ball drop and screaming and yelling starts & I start playing Auld Lang Syne from behind the curtain,.......then at around 12:10 or so they life the screen up and most people are gone home or are on the phone calling family & friends so I'll fire up "Celebration" to fill the air for the leftover crowd,and then end the night singing & playing the classic
"What are you doing new years Eve" at 12:30 its over..$$$$

Our expierences sound familiar Donny. Love / hate that night. We went off track so to answer the original question if I'm playing live I play and sing it in a slow tempo. If I'm DJ ing I use the Maria Carey uptempo countdown. Have to cut out the first 50 seconds or so of the corny slow stuff and get to the countdown.

NYEs has changed over the years form lets party till 2 or 3 AM to lets get this over with (Ball Drop ) so we can go home.

Donny if you have a MP3 of this I would love to have it

thanks

Ron

That's what's neat about playing the retirement communities. Most of the NYE jobs are mid or late afternoon, you do the countdown as one of the assistant ADs lowers a big balloon attached to a string to the ceiling, everyone sings Auld Langsyne, and no TVs to contend with. When I did the late night jobs, 9 till 1 p.m., someone would always turn on the damned TV, but the pay was fantastic and as DNJ says, by 12:30 it's over and you're packing up to go home and count the cash. At one time I did a triple every NYE - just an afternoon single this year. OH YEAH!

Gary

If I played in the afternoon, I'd miss my nap.

For Yamaha players that wish to have the style I use for Auld Langsyne, here it is.

Enjoy,

Gary

Thanks for the download Gary.

I'll definitely check it out for thursday night.

Allen

My pleasure, sir,

Gary

I just did a quick record on the S-950 of what I have been doing every NYE for the past 50 years using the Yamaha style I posted above. Obviously, only the past 30 years has been using an arranger keyboard to do this medley. Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone,

Gary

http://chordzone.com/music/c/auld-lang-syne/

http://www.e-chords.com/chords/thelma-houston/moonlight-serenade

Donny, you play it your way and I'll play it mine. I'm not politically correct with the chords, but my audiences don't seem to care one bit. Now, post your renditions - I gave you the style.

Gary

Gary? ... I posted the charts for those who read them nothing more,....if your happy with your performance & your audiences enjoy whats wrong with that? As for the style I already have it in my collection from years ago, although I use a different one I created which works well for these songs when I play it vs using a backing track.

I'm with you, Donny ... IS it even LEGAL in the US to play NYE and NOT play 'AULD LANG SYNE' ?!? ...

'back in the day', with the band we would play it ala Guy Lombardo - our sax player would even add that 'tremelo' - and then change it to a 'Two Step' and from there go into "When the Saints Go Marching In", "When You're Smilin", etc.
As time passed we changed it up and went from 'Auld Lang Syne' to "Celebration" and a bunch of other 'disco' tunes ... As Bill said, NYE usually went until 2, 3 and sometimes 4 in the morning ...

Now, like some of you, it's a mid-day gig ... this year I am doing a double with the female vocalist in the same building, but on different floors ... It's all backing tracks - OK, karaoke - so we will set up one speaker in one room and another speaker in the other room ... we are going to set up the laptop, monitor, and mixer on one of those wheeled 'carts' they use so we can just unplug, get to the next floor and plug in ... should be interesting ...

Pictures, Tony.

Gary

Tony good luck sounds like a fun gig Happy new year...!

I'll sing a verse, play a verse and sing a verse, then go into something upbeat, Saints, or Midnight Hour. Hoping to run them off after that, but there will be a number who want to stay really late. After about 12:30 I'll put on MP3s and eat my dinner!
Don Patterson and his wife are coming up from Lufkin, TX to spend the evening, so will have some familiar faces at least. Usually on New Year's Eve the regulars stay home and the amateurs are out in force!