Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

EYBM #1 Unique Songs I’d like to see - BLUEGRASS Style

#1

EYBM=Expand Your Banjo (can substitute ‘Banjo’ for ‘Bluegrass’ for our fiddle or guitar brethren) Mind.

I just had an inspirational thought about songs you wouldn’t typically associate with Bluegrass or Banjo that might sound so cool to hear in a crossover cover…

Please reply to add your ideas here! Be creative and even outlandish for the sake of cultivating creativity.

A very different song I’d like to hear adapted to Bluegrass: Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen.

Check it out… first link didn’t work so I tried to post another. Let me know if it works:

EYBM#15 Hotel California?
#2

I couldn’t open it. The video was blocked.

Although… What came to my mind instantly was The GREAT Eagles classic “Take It Easy”. There’s some great banjo in that (more towards the end if I’m not mistaken). It’s probably not as far out there but I’m 53 so I’m more into classic rock naturally. Not sure if that’s what you were looking for or not, but there’s my .42 cents (inflation)!

Hey, that would be a great banjo lesson if Ben could get the copyrights or whatever to make it legal. Something different.

Thanks for the post, hope you get some more thoughts on this.

J.W.

2 Likes
#3

I like the idea about Ben trying to do that - cool thought… but I would be content to have anyone arrange this song.

The whole topic was dreamed up to open up and break down walls that might otherwise limit or restrict… musically.

#4

My favorite cover in bluegrass…

Makes me laugh every time. These guys have a bunch of great covers.

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#5

blocked here :confounded:

#6

I just got the video link from YouTube. Is there something I have to do to share it?

:confused:

#7

TRUE DAT,

Now Cliff, come up with some songs of your own! Think outside the box!

#8

Some tunes lend themselves to crossing into bluegrass naturally, like this Beatles tune:

While others, not so much.

Although I was not able to get “The Killing Moon” to feel like I would like for a bluegrass cover, I did get the chords down with a mellow, mid-tempo bluegrass feel. 8 bar lead in on Bm and G then the verse starts at bar 9 with Em. See if you can sing along…

The Killing Moon (backing track in bluegrass feel)

Enjoy,

Mike

2 Likes
#9

My son turned me on to these guys. They are a riot. While I figured they were from somewhere up around Wilkesboro, NC, they are actually from Finland.

Check out more of their video’s, they’re hilarious. (Black Dog by Led Zepplin), That guy playing banjo calls himself Herman.

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#10

Nice Harmonies!

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#11

Incredible job! Now, I want to hear the whole song with singing over too! Well, except it might detract from this impressive music and engaging chords. Thank you!

#12

It may be that it’s blocked in certain regions by YouTube.

#13

Probably my fault as I don’t know how to share from YouTube. I tried sharing the link… but yes, while it shows up for me… maybe I didn’t share it properly.

Is there an easy way to tell which are assessable from those with “protection” - region or otherwise?

#14

Here’s another one everyone will know (but still search Killing Moon to hear)… Linus and Lucy - the main Charlie Brown Theme.

The Stand-up bass starts and the Fiddle, Mandolin and Banjo take the mini-Breaks in turn.

I think that would be STRANGELY AMAZING!

#15

Jeff, I just heard that song and caught the banjo myself. Digging online, I found this from Wikipedia:

"Bernie Leadon provides the lead guitar and distinctive banjo parts, as well as harmony vocals. The track’s producer Johns said: “On ‘Take It Easy’ I got Bernie to play double-time banjo; they all thought it was a bonkers idea but it worked.”

Found this decent video teaching it double time…

4 Likes
#16

Nice job

1 Like
#17

I’ve been surprised at how many people never noticed the banjo in that song. That was the first instrument that jumped out at me the first time I heard it.

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#19

Picked up a lot of great tips from Darcy over the years.

#20

Darcy is top notch. He DJ’s a radio hour every Sunday online at CKUA 2pm EST. Loves to share behind the scenes tid-bits about bluegrass related stories and facts.

#21

I have to admit, I’m one of those that never noticed it before!

1 Like