The great thing about singing with a swing band is that when the band really get going on the big swing numbers its electric and invigorating.When the rhythm section is really swinging and the horn section harmonies kick in, it’s a brilliant feeling to be up there on stage with such a dynamic group playing great arrangements.
Oh what it must have been like to live in the era of big swing bands!
Just watched again (for the 10th time!) ‘Standing in the Shadows of Motown,’ a DVD that recognizes the achievements of the Funk Brothers. Formed in 1959 by Berry Gordy, the Funk Brothers were essential to the Motown Sound of the 1960′s – they were the session musicians who actually played and recorded the tracks for most of the Motown Artists and the songs we all know so well. They defined the sound for Soul Bands and Motown Bands and some of the greatest musicians ever played in this band.(the line up changed throughout the years)
The band played on more Number One hits than the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Elvis combined.
The Funk Brothers were considered the unsung heroes of the Motown label, playing on hundreds of hits such as the Supremes’ ‘Stop in the Name of Love’ and Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard it through the Grapevine.’
The band defined the Motown sound of the 1960′s, which fused gospel, soul and pop, included Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Four Tops.
Sadly, a number of the “Funk Brothers” have passed away; but the surviving members appeared on a Thursday night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in 2002, as part of the premiere for the launch of ‘Standing in the Shadows of Motown.
The group played backgrounds on the Motown songs:
‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’, ‘My Guy’, ‘For Once In My Life’, ‘Wonderful One’, ‘I Was Made To Love Her’, ‘The Way You Do The Things You Do’, ‘Dancing In The Street’, ‘Your Precious Love’, ‘I Can’t Help Myself’, ‘My Cherie Amour’, ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’, ‘My Girl’, ‘Shop Around’, ‘Going To A Go-Go’, ‘Get Ready’, ‘Heatwave’, ‘How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You’, ‘Baby Love’, ‘Cloud Nine’, ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Bernadette’, ‘Mercy, Mercy Me’, ‘Signed, Sealed Delivered, I’m Yours’, ‘Where Did Our Love Go’, ‘What’s Going On’, ‘Ooh, Baby Baby’…..the list is endless.
If you like Soul bands, Motown Bands or any king of Soul Music, then this is a must watch DVD.
Last night we played at the wedding of a wonderful couple, Steve and Laura at Airport House in Croydon. Full Swing / Soul Band line-up, with 5 horns.
Firstly I must say that they were the nicest couple any wedding band could hope to be booked by – they really took care of us, and their family and ushers were so friendly,constantly stopping by to ask if everything was ok for the band.
What made it really special was that they are amateur ballroom dancers (although the word amateur in this case is wrong, they danced like professionals).They did a brilliant routine to their first dance” A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” by Bobby Darin, which is in my opinion one of the tightest (in musical terms) and best arranged versions of that tune in big swing band style.
It was such synergy – the band played the exact same arrangements for that song, they performed “Strictly” in perfect time with flair, style and elegance, it was a magical moment.
But there’s more..throughout the evening guests were doing foxtrots, quicksteps, rhumbas…(and of course bopping and party-dancing) and during the break there was a 30 minute demonstration or all major ballroom styles in full costume by the couples from the Wimbledon school of Ballroom Dancing.( run by the lovely Olga) Unbelievably entertaining!
So between the Swing, Soul, Ballroom and with Stirling doing a bit of impromptu “compering” (yes Brucey, you’ve got competition) a good time was had by all.
Thanks Steve and Laura. We hope to play for you to dance again someday soon.
2 in the morning – we just got back from a mini tour of east Anglia, first Norwich City Football club on Friday night, then Saturday entertaining at a private party in Newmarket. All the usual Swing Band and Soul Band repertoires, but it was nice to pay to such a wide selection in one weekend. People paid to attend the corporate event on Friday, so a very varied public crowd, whereas saturday we were the “Diamond Wedding function Band” at a private event.
After a browse in the Newmarket Bric-a-Brac stores, we’re now amassing a collection of hats for the band members..a French flatcap for me, a fez for Jonnny our Tenor sax player, a Trilby for Hamish our drummer and so on, so whether its corporate entertainment or a private wedding, we’ll now also be offering a hat show parade to liven up the party band set.
Pictures will follow…and it has been suggested we print T-shirts.Hmm, need to talk to management about that…
We had a short trip to Paris last weekend, the highlight was Thursday night.
We were in the Café Brunel in the 17th district, when they started carting in guitars, keyboards, speakers etc….anyway to cut a long wedding bands story short, I (Stirling) ended up singing and jamming with the brilliant quartet run by Philippe Bensoussan, who also manages function bands in Paris with his agency Annapurna.
Great musicians, no big egos, just really nice people and they really know how to have fun. The bar was soon filled with Frenchies all singing and dancing….I must say I was impressed, they really know how to make a party band feel good!
A few too many excellent glasses of vin rouge, but a fantastic night was had by all. Thanks to Philippe and la bande, et le patron du Café Brunel. What a brilliant find, highly recommended any night, but especially thursdays!
Budget right for a wedding band and wedding entertainment
With wedding party bands it is definitely a case of you get what you pay for.
A lot of couples start by booking the wedding dress/suits, venue, catering, flowers etc. and then use the remaining budget for the band, which means the decision is sometimes made on price. Yet since providing good or bad quality entertainment for you and your guests can make or break the evening, its important to put as much emphasis on the band’s budget as you would on any other part of the event, otherwise you may be disappointed on the day.
Although more expensive is not necessarily better, this is the one day you need to be certain that the entertainment is the best for you and your guests and that the band can help make it a night to remember. Some key points to consider:
Great entertainment can make or break an event, and be one of the things that people talk about for years to come. I hope this helps in your selection process, and mostly that this helps you to enjoy finding and booking the perfect wedding band for your event.
We’ll be playing live for a room full of dancers on 19th April 2010 and 21st June 2010 at The 100 Club, 100 Oxford Street, London – Stompin’ with the London Swing Dance Society .
Come and join us, if you’re there at 7.45 you get a free swing dance lesson..then you get to dance to the swing band(hey that’s us!)
Hooley4Haiti Event
The StirlingAustin Swing and Soul Band is playing a charity gig called Hooley4Haiti, on 16th March 2010 at Hard Rock Cafe, 150 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1QZ.
Hooley4Haiti is raising funds for the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal (2010) with all proceeds from the event going to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) – http://www.dec.org.uk/
The Stirling Austin Swing and Soul Band will play a wide repertoire of musical classics, from Swing & Rat pack to Soul & Motown. With Jennie Morton on guest vocals, the bands 8 piece line-up will deliver a cocktail mix of superbly arranged tunes from the golden eras of Swing and Soul. Whether you want to jive, bop, groove, tap your feet to the beat, or just enjoy from a distance, you can be sure of an outstanding evenings entertainment.
As well as the band’s performance there will be serious prize raffles and more!
Tickets £45.00 available from Charlotte Hunt at sharliehunt@hotmail.co.uk
The atmosphere of the dance hall, with its soft lighting, partner dancing, and enticing music, provided a wonderful and elegant backdrop for romance.
The 20s, 30s and 40s, were undoubtedly the golden decades of music with so many melodies and innovative rhythms, combined with unforgettable lyrics that became phenomenal triumphs in their own right. Wonderful rhythms and melodies filled the air and these romantic love songs were often the catalyst for couples falling in love.
Whether you like memories of the dance hall’s golden age, or want to hear romantic love songs evoked by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, or Bobby Darin, you’ll find these timeless swing classic’s that epitomise the twenties, thirties and forties generation the perfect formula for a romantic wedding. Its happy music…
But not just swing…
Swing music has great appeal and can always carry the evening’s entertainment, however this may not always be enough to please everyone. If the live music is the evening’s main entertainment, then choosing a swing band with a wider repertoire, such as Soul & Pop, is key to keeping the musical energy flowing, to keep people on the dance floor and in order to cater for wider tastes.
The perfect swing band
