Building the Set

This page is for backing tracks for my favourite songs which have a chance of being played live by a four piece combo. I’m starting with my all time favourite – Joe Cocker’s version of With a Little Help from My Friends. 6/8 time at 80bpm. The next offering is a basic piano version of Crazy Little Thing Called Love copied from “Queen Greatest Hits”. Obviously Bohemian Rhapsody, while being the best pop song ever, isn’t for a semi-pro 4 piece but Crazy Little Thing Called Love is for any Queen fan. It’s in D – 4/4 time at 136bpm. Moon Song is from half a life time or so ago – more in the case of composer/singer Gill. The White Witch of Stanbury’s finest. The Turtles were a favourite 60s band – Happy Together is the one that’s always played – but She’d Rather Be With Me is the one for me. Flo and Eddie got a lot more sophisticated with Zappa – Sharleena has to be one of the best pop songs ever – but as The Turtles their music is a lot more approachable. I’m using MuseScore3 to generate the PDF scores. For this one click here . MuseScore3 has its own synthesiser to play back the score which sounds pretty naff so… And now for a little jazz – Take 5 – was (and is) an early favourite of mine and Eb minor is a great way to learn the black keys, metronome set to 136. Much of the great music in the 60’s was nicked, often unacknowledged, from little known black musicians as is the case with Let’s Work Together by Wilbert Huntington Harrison. Canned Heat’s version is excellent and Bryan Ferry’s is listenable. The attached backing track is now in G at 120bpm. Time to slip in one of my own. The Joker is work in progress for a revised version. This is where I am so far:- Where would modern electric guitarists be without Hank Marvin? The Shadows produced an amazing flow of ditties – many by Jerry Lordan as is the case with Atlantis – this does of course mean that The Smiling People will have to become a quintet. I’ve had a stab at reproducing the tune although an electrified classical guitar is no substitute for a Fender with a wammy bar. We’re nearing the end of the first set. David Bowie epitomised the times (1969 Moon landing) with Space Oddity. Not an easy one to replicate but here’s a starter for 10. …and the set plays out with Silver Machine – here’s a windless backing track:-