quote:
Originally posted by stroller
I'm gonna base my set around Motown and 60's Soul and Rock from the 60's, 70's & 80's. I'm thinking Jackson 5, Kinks, Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Jackie Wilson, Beatles, Stones, Clash, Cure and that kind of thing?
Can't go to far wrong with that really, especially the motown/soul stuff, might wait til people are really drunk to break out the Clash though, might be seen as having a touch too much agrro for a wedding. Uses the Cure and Stones with descernment too. Even playing modern-ish pop can be a bit of a risk because theres a lot of people over 35 who haven't really bought an album in years.
Other suggestions that won't upset the relatives, most people like and won't drive you insane either (yes its cheesy and stupidly obvious, but thats the point):
Blondie - Heart of Glass (actually you can get away with playing half the "best of")
David Bowie - Golden Years
Bangles - Walk like an Egyptian
Human League - Love Action, Open your heart ("Don't you want me baby" is better known, but perhaps not exactly lyrically appropriate)
Early Madonna - Holiday, Like a Prayer, Material girl etc.
Elvis Presley - take your pick! He's recorded loads of love songs which is handy.
Prince - Raspberry Beret, Little Red Corvette
The Troggs - With girl a like you
Nina Simone - My Baby just cares for me
Orange Juice - Rip it up
Vince Clark synthpop (Depeche Mode - Just can't get enough, Yazoo)
Early 50s rock and roll - Chuck Berry, Bo Diddely, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Bobby Fuller Four, etc. You get the idea, its fun, most people can dance to it, and also each track is very short.
60s Girl pop - Sandie shaw, Ronnettes, Dusty Springfield, etc.
Disco! - Kool and the Gang, Chic, Sister Sledge, Donna Summer etc. - leads nicely on from motown stuff and setting up this kind of groove
may let you get away with some old skool hip hop, e.g. Rappers Delight.
Modern-ish stuff you might try:
Rachel Stevens: Some girls
Kylie - I Believe in you (can't get you out of my head is great but too stark sounding for a wedding)
S-Club 7 - Reach (drop it between motown tracks, it has that kind of feel)
Girls Aloud - "Jump" or "Love Machine"
Destinys Child - Bootylicious
Beyonce - Crazy in Love
Sugababes - round, round (actually sugababes are kinda edgy for a pop band so use discretion, can't imagine the lyric "need you like a hole in the head" being too appropriate)
Outkast - hey ya
Seelenluft - Mes Amis (no-one will know it, but its so gloriously OTT silly and danceable you
might get away with it.
Adult. - Blank eyed, nose bleed (just kidding, you'll never get away with this one, the brides mum will personally throttle you
)