a question about performing cover songs

[BListic]

hey guys i have a question for you since i havent performed covers before, heck, i havent really performed at all.

But i have a chance to play in a annual concert they have at the college where i am an Alumni (UCLA). its basically like a talent show, but its for people who go to the school, and in my case alumni. Its really professional, huge pro stage, celebrities are there (last year tom from myspace came) people from mtv, sports icons, its really cool stuff like that.

I tentatively wanted to perform a "cover" with my friend who is a graduating senior this year and have him play backup guitar. I chose a cover simply because im having a good friend who is practically a professional drummer play the drums, and since weve never played anything before, i thought a cover would just be the best, we have no time to form a band or make a song (especially cuz i suck!) lol.

Anyhow here is the ACTUAL question i wanted to ask. My friend made it sound like performing a cover to "spec" or very close to the recorded version if not perfect would be some type of disgrace, like we would be posers. I didnt really understand this. I never got the impression that performing a cover song like the recorded version was in any way disgraceful, like we are no talent hacks who are "posing" or something. I just thought it was professional to nail a song and re-iterate it perfectly.

He was like, we gotta throw all these different solos in, so we dont copy the original. IMO this is pretty ridiculous, especially coming from a guy who isnt really that great on the guitar. I would definitely still consider him barely in the intermediate door, and he has ZERO electric guitar experience.

So yea.

Maybe im an idiot. If so, please inform me of my mistakened reasonings.

Regards!

-B-

[bclaire]

It all depends on what you want to do!

Some cover bands really go the distance and try to perfectly cover a song as accurately as possible- others take a song and interpret it their own way (more like what an original band does when they do a cover). Either way is perfectly acceptable...

[BListic]

thanx billy. i know its kind of as long as it sounds good type of thing. i personally dont think i have the talent yet to take a song and perform it differently and make it just as awesome, i just havent been playing long enough to do that.

So i appreciate your input bc i take your opinion very seriously.

-B-

[Bandeapart]

I think if you're an original band that occassionally does covers, then you should put your own spin on it. BUT, if you are strictly a cover band that does nothing but covers, people wanna hear them done the way they know them.

[Sir Boof]

flip a coin [:p] just kidden, but try both ways(perfectly same and a spin off) and then see which you personaly find more enjoyable and then do that

[Sir Boof]

btw when i say try both ways i mean rehearse both ways, not go up on stage and preform two peices, although that would be kinda wedding singer.....and that would kick some serious ass

[BListic]

lolz! ^^^

boof that was funny.

No, we are not a BAND, after last year it looked fun as hell and its legit because my friend still goes there and i just graduated.

My friend can only play the acoustic so i was asking him if he wanted to tdo hotel california and do the acoustic in the song.

I am perfectly capable of nailing all the electric guitar parts so yea.

Im still trying to find out if we can even do this thing. They make you audition and stuff..


-B-

[rabies]

personally, i'm all for people putting their own twist on things, unless of course they can perform the song better than the original band, but even then its nice to hear something fresh

[riffmonster]

I think it is good to be able to play the song "note for note" - then you can think about putting your own feel to it. Often songs are played live slightly differently from the record by the original artist anyway. Also you may need to do an "arrangement" for the line up that is playing - for example the original may have several guitar parts over dubbed, so you have to figure out which bits to play.

The main thing is to have fun, if you're not enjoying it, it's unlikely the audience will.

[rrrajo]

There is "Covering" songs and "Copying" songs. Van Halen covered You're No Good(Ronstadt) and You really got me(Kinks) and we saw where they went. Other bands Copy a song note for note.

In high school , I had a friend who copied songs note for note where as I would play mostly improv with Hendrix and Cream songs. We both wished we had some of the other.

[dylan]

i would just make some very subtle changes, say in the solo's keep it basicly the same but just change some of the little bits in the middle!! and any way your voice is gonna sound like you no matter what8)

[space-boy]

My two cents:

Personally I like to notice the differences, I mean, if I'd want to listen to the record, I'd play the record...
Either if you revisit the whole song (as for instance for those reagge covers from radiohead) or you just subtly give your personnal touch to the song in the way you sing or play, it's always refreshing... It's like making people listen to the song from your ears, if you know what I mean... That's, at least, the way I feel when I play a cover.

So, unless you're a cover band, I wouldn't try nailing the song, unless maybe if that's a talent contest and the song requires high performance skills, ala Michael Angelo Battio...

[Queequeg]

In my opinion, the best way to do this is to stay true to the original with regards to actually notes played, but add your own slant with sound, arrangements and accents.

My band is doing a cover 7" soon, in homage to an old band and that was our approach.

Don't try and mimick, pay homage!

[Asphalt Jungle]

We typically put our own spin on all of the tunes that we do. We even go so far as rearranging parts here and there just to keep things interesting. It depends on the tune I suppose. My guess is that a tune like Hotel California should be done fairly true to the original.

[Jabberwocky]

Don't intend to put a cynical twist on this, but I have been in situations where a musician wants to interpret a cover song 'in their own way' because they are either too lazy to put in the work to nail the song note for note, or the song is simply too tough for their skill level.

Learning the song note for note also does a lot to increase appreciation for the original artist, as many songs sound easy but are way difficult to mimic.

My slant on this???.....learn the song so you can nail it pefectly, THEN slip some original ideas in.

Peace