Songs you play that are not "popular"

[bargoedboy]

You left the water running Dan Penn.
Ain`t got no home Clarence frogman henry

[Mike Bruce]

Shanty, Jonathan Winters.
Ghost Riders In The Sky.
I'm The Ocean, Neil Young.
Hundred Years, Rolling Stones.
Factory Girl, Rolling Stones.
Stranger, Johnny Winter.
Take This Hammer (Railroad Work Song) trad.

[greggorypeccary]

I played a gig on Saturday night where we played Animals straight through.

It was a blast and the people dug it!

[umasstele]

Originally Posted by tjalla

Bell Bottom Blues - Clapton

ooo good one!!

[McGlamRock]

Couldn't help myself

[chuck_zc]

Hendrix's Fire and All along the Watchtower, Gear Jammer by Thorogood, Zepplin's Immigrant Song, and Stevie Wonders Superstition come to mind for us.

[bigmuff113]

Just Like Heaven-the Cure
Anything Dinosaur jr.
Any originals

[String Tree]

COCAINE - Played Tempo di Reggae

[Martin R]

Peter Gunn with lyrics

[klasaine]

Over the years there's been plenty ...

I Saw the Light - T. Rundgren
Fooled Around and Fell in Love - E. Bishop (which I thought would have been hugely 'popular' ... never a reaction)
South bound - Allmans
Step in my direction - Mary Clayton(?)
Hey Blackberry - B. Crows
Still Alive and Well - E. Winter/R. Derringer
True confessions - tonio K
Vera - Pink Floyd (inst with a horn section)

[slowpinky]

I used to play in a country rock band in the 80's - and my favourite tune on the set list was "The end is not in sight" by The Amazing Rhythm Aces - People seemed to hate it..maybe it was just repetitive......... or maybe coz it was me singing it.

[Bruce J]

Loving Cup - Stones
Good - Better Than Ezra

[AlanC]

Bodhisavta/Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan
Lessons in Love/ Something About You - Level 42
Who Did You TYhink I was/Bigger Than My Body -John Mayer
Lady Writer - Dire Straits
All This Time - Sting

[BedspreadPicnic]

Originally Posted by klasaine

Over the years there's been plenty ...

I Saw the Light - T. Rundgren
Fooled Around and Fell in Love - E. Bishop (which I thought would have been hugely 'popular' ... never a reaction)
South bound - Allmans
Step in my direction - Mary Clayton(?)
Hey Blackberry - B. Crows
Still Alive and Well - E. Winter/R. Derringer
True confessions - tonio K
Vera - Pink Floyd (inst with a horn section)

That's cool.

[soul-o]

Originally Posted by Charlie T

Instrumental version of Low Spark of High Heel Boys in A instead of D.

I'd be standing on the table cheering on that one (and then I'd force my way onstage to sing it).

I've snuck a lot of Harry Nilsson, XTC and Supertramp songs into cocktail hours at peoples' weddings. I have often played a jazzy acoustic version of "Anarchy In The UK" when I assume nobody is listening, but I always get at least one dude hears it and gives me a thumbs up.

[Jakedog]

For my acoustic shows, I regularly play tons of stuff nobody knows. Why? Because it's good, and everybody should get to hear it.

I play stuff by-

The Bottlerockets
Kim Richey
Lone Justice
The Stone Coyotes
Townes Van Zandt
Chris Knight
Kinky Friedman

And tons of other artists that most of the bar crowd is clueless about.

If somebody requests Skynyrd, I play "All I Can Do Is Write About It", not one of the cliches.

If somebody requests The Beatles, I play "I've Just Seen a Face".

If somebody asks for Dylan, I'll throw 'em "Boots Of Spanish Leather".

I do this almost every night. I see no point in playing a million songs everybody's already heard a million times. It does not seem to affect my employability at all. I'm in no way short of gigs, and make decent money.

I only play songs I like. That's all. If I wanted a job where I did tedious crap that meant nothing to me, I'd get one. Now granted, some of the songs I like ARE really popular and cliche, and I do those too. But because I actually like them, not because I feel I have to. So yeah, at acoustic shows I also play Fire and Rain, You Don't Mess Around With Jim, and Take Me Home Country Roads. Because they're awesome songs. But I feel no obligation whatsoever to stick with the usual suspects all night long, or even to make them the majority of the list. What's the point when nobody minds if I play whatever I please?

[tjalla]

Originally Posted by Jakedog

I see no point in playing a million songs everybody's already heard a million times. It does not seem to affect my employability at all. I'm in no way short of gigs, and make decent money.

I only play songs I like. That's all. If I wanted a job where I did tedious crap that meant nothing to me, I'd get one. Now granted, some of the songs I like ARE really popular and cliche, and I do those too. But because I actually like them, not because I feel I have to. So yeah, at acoustic shows I also play Fire and Rain, You Don't Mess Around With Jim, and Take Me Home Country Roads. Because they're awesome songs. But I feel no obligation whatsoever to stick with the usual suspects all night long, or even to make them the majority of the list. What's the point when nobody minds if I play whatever I please?

Kindred spirit you are. I raise my glass. Rock on Jakedog.

[klasaine]

Originally Posted by AlanC

Bodhisavta/Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan
Lessons in Love/ Something About You - Level 42
Who Did You TYhink I was/Bigger Than My Body -John Mayer
Lady Writer - Dire Straits
All This Time - Sting

That's great! I've never heard a band cover Level 42.

@Bedspreadpanic ... here's a soundcloud of Vera
http://soundcloud.com/klasaine/k03-vera


*The Level 42 reminded me that I was in a band that did
Roxy Music's - 'Angel Eyes'
Jealous Guy (Bryan Ferry version)
Set Them Free - Sting
and Maneater ... among other things that I can't recall anymore (because nobody liked them, lol!)

[BedspreadPicnic]

Originally Posted by klasaine

@Bedspreadpanic ... here's a soundcloud of Vera
http://soundcloud.com/klasaine/k03-vera

That's awesome. I'm not sure I would have recognized it.

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by hfguitar13

Songs you play that are not "popular"

Uhhhhhh ...... all of them.

None of the songs I perform could be considered "popular."