Lauren Bacall Me, Maybe?
March 24, 2015 7:02 AM Subscribe
My question is two-fold: I am looking for songs from the late 90's to now that would be good candidates for reinterprating in vintage Jazz styles from the 20's to the 40's.
I am also looking for a name for this group--a portamentaou that combines the name of an entertainer from the 20's, 30's, or 40's with something from the modern era. An example would be "Lauren Bacall Me, Maybe".
Taking a page from the Postmodern Jukebox playbook, I am putting together a small group to play vintage jazz-style covers of songs from th e70's, 80's, 90's and 2000's for local events. Going through the Top 40 charts I have a pretty good idea of what songs are good candidates up until the mid 90's. After that I just see titles and have no idea what the song sounds like. So I'm looking for help in sifting through a decade and a half's worth of popular music to see what would be good for this treatment.
As far as a name goes, I thought it would be clever to combine the name of a period entertainer (or song, or movie) with a similar element (entertainer, song, movie, etc) from the modern era. An example would be "Lauren Bacall Me, Maybe". However, while a name like "Tina Turner Overdrive" fits the structure (Tina Turner + Bachman Turner Overdrive) it does NOT have the "period" element (both parts being from the rock era) I'm after, making it a no-go.
Thanks! I'm looking forward to your suggestions!
Taking a page from the Postmodern Jukebox playbook, I am putting together a small group to play vintage jazz-style covers of songs from th e70's, 80's, 90's and 2000's for local events. Going through the Top 40 charts I have a pretty good idea of what songs are good candidates up until the mid 90's. After that I just see titles and have no idea what the song sounds like. So I'm looking for help in sifting through a decade and a half's worth of popular music to see what would be good for this treatment.
As far as a name goes, I thought it would be clever to combine the name of a period entertainer (or song, or movie) with a similar element (entertainer, song, movie, etc) from the modern era. An example would be "Lauren Bacall Me, Maybe". However, while a name like "Tina Turner Overdrive" fits the structure (Tina Turner + Bachman Turner Overdrive) it does NOT have the "period" element (both parts being from the rock era) I'm after, making it a no-go.
Thanks! I'm looking forward to your suggestions!
Response by poster: Good idea. I should also look at Gwen's solo stuff, but I don't know what any of it sounds like off the top of my head.
posted by sourwookie at 7:19 AM on March 24, 2015
posted by sourwookie at 7:19 AM on March 24, 2015
There was that music day hack a while back that auto-syncopated tracks... I think it had surprising success with Metallica's Enter Sandman.
Speaking of Lauren Bacall, how about something by Lana Del Rey... is 2012 too late?
You should probably listen to Nirvana's Unplugged album, too.
posted by Leon at 7:42 AM on March 24, 2015
Speaking of Lauren Bacall, how about something by Lana Del Rey... is 2012 too late?
You should probably listen to Nirvana's Unplugged album, too.
posted by Leon at 7:42 AM on March 24, 2015
A lot of stuff from Depeche Mode's catalog would probably adapt pretty easily to torch-song reinterpretations. I'm thinking of, say, "Dream On" or "World in My Eyes." Shriekback's "Gunning for the Buddha" would also be great. REM's "Fuck Me Kitten" is practically there already. None of which are late 90s, I'm afraid, it's all around then though (early 90s/early aughts).
posted by adamrice at 7:46 AM on March 24, 2015
posted by adamrice at 7:46 AM on March 24, 2015
I would love to hear jazz arrangements of some of the darker, heavier stuff from the grunge period - "Sex Type Thing" and "Plush" by STP, "Loud Love" by Soundgarden, "All Sideways" by Scarce, "X-French Tee Shirt" by Shudder to Think. +100 bonus points if you do "Detachable Penis" by King Missile.
Which suggests the name Nat King Missile, maybe?
posted by jbickers at 7:47 AM on March 24, 2015
Which suggests the name Nat King Missile, maybe?
posted by jbickers at 7:47 AM on March 24, 2015
Oooh, your grunge medley could be... Swingles.
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:47 AM on March 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:47 AM on March 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think some White Stripes stuff would be cool in a jazz remix - Fell in Love with a Girl, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, etc. Other ideas: MIA (Paper Planes), Amy Winehouse (anything), Sia (Elastic Heart), Bikini Kill (Rebel Girl), TLC (Waterfalls), Nelly (Hot in Herre; maybe a mashup with Heat Wave?), Lady Gaga (Bad Romance, maybe), Taylor Swift (Shake it Off), Nas (It Ain't Hard to Tell; see the jazzy remix on the 20th anniversary Illmatic re-release).
For names, on the Gwen Stefani theme, maybe Hollaback Girl from Ipanema. Other thoughts: Mood Indigo Girls, Rock Your Body and Soul, Grace Kelly Clarkson, It's Gonna Be [Bae?] Mae West, Mariah Carey Grant, Elizabeth Taylor Swift.
posted by melissasaurus at 7:48 AM on March 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
For names, on the Gwen Stefani theme, maybe Hollaback Girl from Ipanema. Other thoughts: Mood Indigo Girls, Rock Your Body and Soul, Grace Kelly Clarkson, It's Gonna Be [Bae?] Mae West, Mariah Carey Grant, Elizabeth Taylor Swift.
posted by melissasaurus at 7:48 AM on March 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Bette Davis, Jr
Smells Like Gershwin
Billie Holiday Road
================
If you do "I kissed a girl" do the Jill Souble version ;)
posted by tilde at 7:50 AM on March 24, 2015
Smells Like Gershwin
Billie Holiday Road
================
If you do "I kissed a girl" do the Jill Souble version ;)
posted by tilde at 7:50 AM on March 24, 2015
Response by poster: Holy riffsnacks, melissasaurus, you rocked the name thing!
posted by sourwookie at 8:13 AM on March 24, 2015
posted by sourwookie at 8:13 AM on March 24, 2015
This is probably too close to an actual person's name but: Julian Casablanca?
As for songs: Radiohead has some jazz influences already. I could see a version of "Airbag" with horns, or "Everything in its Right Place" with jazzier piano.
A lot of hip-hop classics could work, too, I think. "Can I Kick It?" (early 90s though), or even "Shimmy Shimmy Ya."
posted by breakin' the law at 8:23 AM on March 24, 2015
As for songs: Radiohead has some jazz influences already. I could see a version of "Airbag" with horns, or "Everything in its Right Place" with jazzier piano.
A lot of hip-hop classics could work, too, I think. "Can I Kick It?" (early 90s though), or even "Shimmy Shimmy Ya."
posted by breakin' the law at 8:23 AM on March 24, 2015
For a '20s entertainer Lon Chaney -- eg Lon Dick Chaney -- was a big name (the Man with 1000 Faces!), but may be more suitable for somebody else?
posted by mr. digits at 8:24 AM on March 24, 2015
posted by mr. digits at 8:24 AM on March 24, 2015
I Don't Think You're Ready For This Jelly Roll Morton
posted by jabes at 8:25 AM on March 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by jabes at 8:25 AM on March 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I Don't Think You're Ready For This Jelly Roll Morton
Wow! That blindsided me in a great way.
posted by sourwookie at 8:28 AM on March 24, 2015
Wow! That blindsided me in a great way.
posted by sourwookie at 8:28 AM on March 24, 2015
Flat Foot Fugees
Death Cab for Calloway
(Not 90s)
Bohemian Rhapsody in Blue
posted by fings at 9:10 AM on March 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
Death Cab for Calloway
(Not 90s)
Bohemian Rhapsody in Blue
posted by fings at 9:10 AM on March 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
Scott & Janis Joplin
The White Candy Stripers
Right Said Fred Astaire
Rogers & MC Hammerstein
posted by yankeefog at 9:13 AM on March 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
The White Candy Stripers
Right Said Fred Astaire
Rogers & MC Hammerstein
posted by yankeefog at 9:13 AM on March 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Have you heard of Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine? They're pretty skilled at turning just about any song into a lounge number, no matter how not-loungy the source material is. Checking them out might give you a better idea of how far you can stretch the idea, but that kind of depends on your goal. Richard Cheese are good at what they do, but its as much for a laugh as for the tunes. They turn "Down With the Sickness" into something that requires a kick line live.
posted by LionIndex at 9:22 AM on March 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by LionIndex at 9:22 AM on March 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Howz about Lana Turner Overdrive?
or
Louis CK Armstrong
Brother Can You Spare A Dimebag Darryl
Florence Henderson and the Machine
Harry James and the Shondells
Veronica Lake and Palmer
Bjork Karloff
The Tyrone Power Trio
Purple Claude Rains
Follow the Fleet Foxes
Pearl Bailey Jam
and of course
Shirley Temple Pilots
posted by Herodios at 12:09 PM on March 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
or
Louis CK Armstrong
Brother Can You Spare A Dimebag Darryl
Florence Henderson and the Machine
Harry James and the Shondells
Veronica Lake and Palmer
Bjork Karloff
The Tyrone Power Trio
Purple Claude Rains
Follow the Fleet Foxes
Pearl Bailey Jam
and of course
Shirley Temple Pilots
posted by Herodios at 12:09 PM on March 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Bing Crosby, Stills & Nash (alternatively, Bing Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Thug)
Rogers and Rammstein (yankeefrog's is better, though)
posted by mhum at 12:08 PM on March 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Rogers and Rammstein (yankeefrog's is better, though)
posted by mhum at 12:08 PM on March 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
What a fun project.
posted by jillithd at 7:16 AM on March 24, 2015 [1 favorite]