Traditional country dance tunes

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Help!

I joined a band a couple of months ago because they only played Hank Sr., Johnny Cash, and (lots of ) Dwight Yoakam--about as close as I have come to a band that stays traditional but still plays electric. Good unit and I’ve been very happy (except that I am the only harmonizing singer which cramps my already crappy steel playing). Over this time there has been a modicum of more current stuff added: George Strait (fine); Dierks Bentley (yeah, okay, I suppose); Josh Turner (hmmm…) and one or two others.

We played our first club gig last week and the dancing was on again off again. Whoosh! Now they are feeling anxious and want to add “current tunes” that people will recognize and dance to, tunes by the likes of Toby Keith, Brooks and Dunn, Steve Holy--anything that’s on the jukebox. Let me just say this is not music I care for (at all) and leave it at that. Can anyone recommend to me some sure-fire traditional country tunes that 1) everyone in the audience is sure to recognize and b) are good dance numbers? I know that’s very hard to define without knowing the audience (which we don’t even know ourselves yet). The tunes don’t have to be literally old (I love the Dwight Yoakam stuff, for example), just traditionally oriented. I want to stick with this band, but not if it means playing current top 40 country.

Thanks.

Dan

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Dan Beller-McKenna
Big Red
Durham, NH

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

Way to go Dan,Good to know some one besides an old fossil like me thinks this so -called country MUSICK of today SUCKS!!!! Stick to your guns.Whats so bad there are thousands of people out there that really BELIEVES that Kenny,Big and Rich,Cowboy Troy.Mont.Gentry,are country artist,and Bo-donk-a donk,or batter,batter,is country music.

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

Maybe start with George Strait's 50 number ones. Everyone has heard them. Sure nuff danceable and it is the real deal. There is a coupla ready made sets right there.

All of Ray Price stuff with steel, and coutry band. (not the strings and brass)

Johnny Bush
Justin Trevino
Bobby Flores
Heather Myles

Maybe they like swing and boogie. Listen to Asleep at the Wheel. That wil get them moving.

Ron
Hope this helps

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Thanks guys,

No fiddles in this band and most of the guys have nevr listened to western swing (for that I am happily sated in my other band), so ASATW is probably not gonna go far. George Strait is probably a good way to go though. We are mostly doing slower tunes by him now, so maybe just pick up some of the faster ones.

Part of the problem is that crowds at country-music clubs in New Hampshire are largely unaware of anything off the very beaten path--basically only know what they hear on the top-40 country radio stations up this way and what creeps into classic rock radio. (On the other hand, I'm new to this scene, so I stand ready to be corrected if somone knows better than I.)

Dan

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Dan Beller-McKenna
Big Red
Durham, NH

Pat Irvin · From: Kansas City, Missouri, USA

If you want to keep them dancin why not try a Medley? Take one of the tunes that they are dancing to and just expand it out with some other similar songs. Or do a Medley of one artist songs. For instance start out with Streets of Bakersfield and roll right into-Sam's Place, Excuse Me I think I've Got a Heartache, Above and Beyond, Hello Trouble,My Heart Skips A Beat, Foolin Round, Act Naturally - then end by going straight into Crying Time then Together Again. It always works for me.

Also an Elvis Medley - That's Alright Mama, My Baby Left Me, Mystery Train, That's Alright Mama seems to get the crowd going.

You can do the same with Ray Price or The Derailers or anybody.

But the key is once you get them going just move right into another song and they won't set down until they are exhausted.

Just a thought.

Ben Slaughter · From: Madera, California

Dan, what kind of dancing are they doing? Two-step, 10-step, swing, line dancing, or just "freestyle"?

I think people only dancing to songs they know is a bit of a misnomer. They dance to the beat and tempo, the words and melody don't matter. I know there are dancers that will only dance to certain songs (especially line dancer types), but that's largely their problem. Sometimes you migh have to help them out by saying things like, "Here's a little two-step number for you."

Personally, I don't think very much of today's top-40 is well suited for dancing. Most of it is just a rock beat at moderate tempo. Hard to two-step to "Swing Batter Batter" or "Save a Horse"

Ron Page · From: Penn Yan, NY USA

If they won't dance to Merle Haggard's "Big City" or "Misery and Gin" I think your toast.

Check out some early 90's CD's by George Strait, Alan Jackson, Mark Chesnutt, Doug Stone, Brooks & Dunn, Clint Black, Patty Loveless, Pam Tillis... and you should find plenty of trational style dancable tunes.

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HagFan

PS: Since you mentioned Johnny Cash, the best and most danceable version of Folsom is on Merle Haggard's "Live at Billy Bob's TX - Old Country Singer". Steel and fiddle are great on that one.

[This message was edited by Ron Page on 23 August 2006 at 09:21 AM.]

Gary Atkinson · From: Arkansas, USA

If your crowd is a mixed age group you have your work cut out for you.We usually start with an old Carl Perkins tune like blue suede shoes then Help me make it through the night.The latter is for ourselves.If they dance to one of these it sets the scene for the night.You can't go wrong with a lot of Merle,fast or slow.

Chip Fossa · From: Monson, MA, USA (deceased)

I've found that people [after a few drinkies,
or many drinkies] will dance to just about anything. Whether the song is danceable or not.

After all, most folks just want that human contact - no surprise here.

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