Please Suggest Some Songs for My Band to Cover

Z-Man

Z-Man

Professional
My band is experimenting with having a female singer come in and do a set at each gig. She's a great singer, and I think it will add some nice variety. The problem is her song selection. It's terrible. Can you guys recommend some good songs for us to cover with her singing? We try to pick covers carefully. It's a delicate balance between popular appeal and credibility. To give you an idea of our taste, here are some songs we cover. We also do originals.


Just Like Heaven - The Cure via Dinosaur Jr.
Norwegian Wood - The Beatles
Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols
Moonshiner - Uncle Tupelo
Big Boss Man - Jimmy Reed via The Grateful Dead
Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash
Beat on the Brat - The Ramones
Last Dance With Mary Jane - Tom Petty
Killing Moon - Echo and the Bunnymen
That's Allright Mama - Elvis
She Don't Use Jelly (Vaseline) - The Flaming Lips
Crossroads - Clapton
Pale Blue Eyes - Velvet Underground
Honeysuckle Blue - Drivin' n' Cryin'
Breathe - Pink Floyd

Right now we're thinking of having her sing:
I Will Survive - Cake version
Piece of My Heart - Janice Joplin
Where the Streets Have No Name - U2
Mustang Sally - A shameful song everyone has to play
Mother, Mother - Tracy Bonham
We Got the Beat - The Go-Gos

She brought in a bunch of other stuff that I refuse to play.
Help!
 
I like the Cash, Uncle Tupelo, Drivin N Cryin and Echo and the Bunnymen. I'm a big fan of the alt-country genre, so if you guys can pull it off, how about some Whiskeytown? "Losering", "Factory Girl", "Pawnshop Ain't No Place for a Wedding Ring"...all good stuff and "Drank Like a River" has a nice female vocal you could use. By the way, did you grow up or attend college in the South? You don't hear about Drivin N Cryin much these days but I'm a big fan. They would still come to Charleston, SC a few times a year as late as 2005 when I left the state. Good luck.
 
Anything by Helen Love.
Or...
If you can do a duet, the do "Little baby nothing" by the manic street preachers.
Psychedelic furs - into you like a train.
 
Try having her sing some Morrissey songs (I know that sounds odd, but some of them lend themselves to female voices really well).

What songs do you refuse to play? That info might actually help us more.
 
Kevin T said:
I like the Cash, Uncle Tupelo, Drivin N Cryin and Echo and the Bunnymen. I'm a big fan of the alt-country genre, so if you guys can pull it off, how about some Whiskeytown? "Losering", "Factory Girl", "Pawnshop Ain't No Place for a Wedding Ring"...all good stuff and "Drank Like a River" has a nice female vocal you could use. By the way, did you grow up or attend college in the South? You don't hear about Drivin N Cryin much these days but I'm a big fan. They would still come to Charleston, SC a few times a year as late as 2005 when I left the state. Good luck.
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Yeah, I'm from Georgia. When we play Straight to Hell as an encore, everyone stands up and sings like it's the national anthem. I need to get some Whiskeytown. I'm not crazy about the Ryan Adams solo stuff, but I like the older songs I've heard. I'm more of a Jeff Tweedy / Jay Farrar fan. I can pull off a lot of that Uncle Tupelo / Wilco / Son Volt stuff.

Unfortunately, the female singer's taste doesn't run very deep in the "critic's choice" segment, which is what I'm familiar with and more interested in playing. She gave me a blank look when I asked her if she had "The Velvet Underground and Nico", and she's never heard of the Pixies. I don't mind playing some crowd pleasers, but we do like to challenge the audience a bit.
 
"Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones is a gorgeous song that a female singer can add a nice touch to. And you could have her listen to the Sundays' version for vocal inspiration (though I positively detest their overall interpretation).

If she can sing low enough or if you can transpose, Elvis Costello could work (e.g., Allison, other radio-friendly stuff, or even a few token lovely tunes off Mighty Like a Rose--I have homemade sheet music for "Sweet Pear" if you're interested).

It's not critic's choice, but most women can croon along to Oasis. To retain most rock credibility, I would go with something off Definitely Maybe like "Live Forever," but "What's the Story Morning Glory" and "Champagne Supernova" are both silly fun.

You could always alt-country up some super-commercial, less-than-credibility-preserving tunes for an ironic twist. Material Girl by Madonna would make me giggle. Head over Heels by Tears for Fears, or--oh sweet geezuz, some GnR.

Okay, I gotta stop. Now I want to start a cover band.

[Personal sidenote:
I was the token female bassist in a college band, and the boys' club made me sing a friggin' Garbage cover. I only did it once, and still have nightmares.]
 
Fee said:
Try having her sing some Morrissey songs (I know that sounds odd, but some of them lend themselves to female voices really well).

What songs do you refuse to play? That info might actually help us more.
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I'd like to do Big Mouth Strikes Again or Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want, but I'll bet she's never listened to any of that stuff. She wants to do a Journey song called Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' (gag) and a really sappy Johnny Lang song (I could write a better song in 10min). There is a neat song she wants to do by a band called The Cliks. She's a lesbian, and she can sing the blues, but I think she listens to a lot of female singer alt-pop (if you know what I mean), which is something I've never gotten into. I was hoping she would sing some Led Zep. We can pull that stuff off, but she said she doesn't want to sing that male-singer stuff because it doesn't let her show off her voice (ugh). We've got a gig in 2 weeks. This isn't the time to be learning new songs. I don't know why she can't sing one of the 60+ songs we already know. She wants to do a Madonna song and that Laura Branigan song "Gloria". I've got to put my foot down somewhere. I don't care if we can play weddings for $2,000, I'd rather play originals for $500 to a smaller crowd.
 
No one should EVER sing GLORIA, any where, for any reason.

Make her a CD of the songs that you want her to sing so that she can hear them. Once she hears them and likes them, she'll want to sing them.

Yes, I really just said CD.
 
Z-Man said:
I'd like to do Big Mouth Strikes Again or Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want, but I'll bet she's never listened to any of that stuff. She wants to do a Journey song called Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' (gag) and a really sappy Johnny Lang song (I could write a better song in 10min). There is a neat song she wants to do by a band called The Cliks. She's a lesbian, and she can sing the blues, but I think she listens to a lot of female singer alt-pop (if you know what I mean), which is something I've never gotten into. I was hoping she would sing some Led Zep. We can pull that stuff off, but she said she doesn't want to sing that male-singer stuff because it doesn't let her show off her voice (ugh). We've got a gig in 2 weeks. This isn't the time to be learning new songs. I don't know why she can't sing one of the 60+ songs we already know. She wants to do a Madonna song and that Laura Branigan song "Gloria". I've got to put my foot down somewhere. I don't care if we can play weddings for $2,000, I'd rather play originals for $500 to a smaller crowd.
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Doesn't show off her voice?!? I think Led Zep is pretty difficult to sing.

I bet if you played Bigmouth Strikes Again for her a few times, she'd be hooked. It might even be familiar to her once she hears it.
 
you could try maybe:

Feeling Good - Nina Simone/or muse version
Glory box - Portishead
Criminal - Fiona Apple
Who Will Save Your Soul - Jewel
Spring Time - Imani Coppola
Good Fortune - PJ Harvey
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Silver surfer vaporizer
 
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Wild Horses might work--we'll give it a shot. I can't do The Eagles. They're just too corny. Ever see the Big Lebowski? It's bumming me out, because she can sing anything, and I think this would really take us to the next level, but it's going to be tough to agree on the songs. Maybe some classic country and soul will do the trick?
 
aimr75 said:
you could try maybe:

Feeling Good - Nina Simone/or muse version
Glory box - Portishead
Criminal - Fiona Apple
Who Will Save Your Soul - Jewel
Spring Time - Imano Coppola
Good Fortune - PJ Harvey
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Fiona Apple and Jewel are great recommendations. That's more up my alley than Madonna. I'll take a pass at them.
 
^^ the two i mentioned are pretty good songs.. if you havent heard the pj harvey or imani coppola songs, have a listen to those, they are pretty good too
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Yamaha fzr600
 
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Z-man, you have "nice sensibilities" music-wise. She's a great singer? Ok, even though this song is "dated," if the band can get that sparse "reverb guitar/snare" sound and pull off the dark, haunting "Bolero" type beginning, I think you WILL grab the audience's attention.....and from there, it's up to her:

"White Rabbit" -- Jefferson Airplane (Grace Slick)

By the time she's singing (or attempting to sing) "feed your head!" you'll know whether or not you've got the real deal.

Another great "old school/female pipes" song:
"Baby It's You" -- A Band Called Smith (Susan McCormick; the Dusty Springfield classic once covered by The Beatles as well).

As the Pixies were previously mentioned, for the power popsters out there, you could try "Cannonball" -- The Breeders.

Some other suggestions:
"Monkey Suit" & "Dream Lover" -- Plasmatics (from the album "New Hope for the Wretched" --- actually, I'd suggest you get the album itself and go from there; Ashley Simpson fans need not apply; this album is flat-out obnoxious! hahahaha)

"Please Don't Touch" -- Motorhead (with Headgirl) good male/female song

"Alternative" viewpoint: this might be some FUN to raise an eyebrow or two from your audience (considering the lyrics sung as written); a medley:
"You Really Got Me/All Day & All of the Night" -- The Kinks (a raucous, upbeat version)

Or, for a change of pace/tempo while still keeping the "is she?" question in place-lol:
"You're Gonna Lose That Girl" -- The Beatles

Other female songs:
"I Withdraw" & "I Withdraw II" -- Tommy Haas :-)

Good luck z-man.
 
She might be into Sara Bareilles (who has a lot better stuff than "Love Song"). Check out "Many The Miles" if your singer is into the blues.
 
Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth) and Kim Deal (Pixies/Breeders) are actually right up there with Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Edie Brickell as my favorite female singers (I only have a few). Thanks everyone for the excellent suggestions. I think we can find something that will work. It's so difficult to agree on music, I can see why although many people can play an instrument, there really aren't that many bands out there, and the bands that do exist are constantly fighting and breaking up.

Our band has good chemistry. We might be crazy for bringing in another person (and ego). We started out playing originals and extremely obscure covers. Then when we started booking gigs and getting paid to play, we got a taste of pleasing the crowd. It's a tough line to walk, but it's sort of similar to what an established, successful band does. You play some songs that you want to hear, and then you play some songs your audience wants to hear.
 
Went to a Faber Drive (relatively new Canadian band) concert a few days ago and they did a killer version of I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew.
 
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