No, Michael Buble. I will *not* do your songs
So stop looking at me with those puppy dog eyes. And why are your arms outstretched like that? Are you saying I’m fat?
Now… where was I? Ah yes, there was a point to that introduction. And it all centres around this question, which has been milling around in my little head the past few days:
To what extent do I bring my music to Malaysian audiences, and to what extent am I dictated by their musical tastes?
Obviously, there’s a crossover - and one look at this early set list here shows you what it is. I brought my pad of 130+ songs over here, and our starting point has been the tunes in it that they know and like. That’s also been pretty much the case ever since as we’ve added more and more songs (10 more in the past few days of rehearsals, for instance). But I’m also becoming aware, through both the band and the audience, of just what songs are Malaysian favourites - and wondering whether I should sing them.
The way I’m learning which songs are well-known and loved in Malaysia is through a) the tunes the band play during their instrumental sets; and b) the songs the audience request via the ‘Song Dedication’ cards.
Basically, they have this great little system in the bar whereby people can fill in one of these little cards and hand it to a waiter, who then hands it to you. Or rather: me.
I am quickly learning, through these requests, that Malaysians like:
‘Autumn Leaves’
‘I Love You For Sentimental Reasons’
‘Besame Mucho’
‘Something by Norah Jones’
Any of the above can, alternatively, be replaced by ‘Sway’, ‘Home’ or anything else which has ever been sung by Michael Buble.
Did I mention that Michael Buble is very, very popular over here?
Oh yes, I did.
In fact, I’ve realised through these requests, and by talking to the band about the songs we’re doing, that Malaysians tend to know these standards just as most of us know them - ie through famous recordings. And for the younger generation that means Michael Buble, Norah Jones, Diana Krall or Rod Stewart. But surprisingly - as far as the musicians go, at least - it seems that that’s exactly how they see them: recordings by these artists, songs which are somehow ‘owned’ by them. So even when you’re talking to jazz musicians they’re still thinking of these songs in terms of Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra, say - even if plenty of other people have recorded them. As a result, I’m finding myself talking a lot to the trio and the audience about who wrote these songs, and trying to put them in context somehow.
This liking for specific recordings and not wanting to delve much deeper could go hand-in-hand with another phenomenon I’ve noticed: namely, that Malaysians like a nice sound. You find compilation CDs in the shops here called things like ‘The Beautiful Female Voice’, ‘Women Voices’ and ‘Arias’ (which surprisingly features Sting). I wonder if this is anything to do with English not being the first language of many people over here: they don’t really know what someone’s saying, so what matters is that it sounds nice when they’re saying it. Whatever the reason, I do know that the recording you’re most likely to hear being played on entering any music store in Malaysia is ‘Starry Starry Night’ by A Random Woman. And that there is a real statistic.
But back to my quandry: or rather, not so much a quandry as a quandry-I’ve-already-worked-through. But it was a quandry once.
Which is/was: do I take on board all the music I’m finding out that they love, and perform that (in brief, play to the crowd)? Or do I stick to my musical tastes and bring that music to them?
In brief (again): I’ve decided on the latter.
In not so brief: as far as I can see, that’s sort of the point of me being here. If they want to hear all the old Malaysian favourites, they could have hired any old Malaysian singer. And taking this approach also helps me to get something out of this gig which I really wanted to do - which is using the fact that I’m singing six nights a week to add lots of standards I’ve had my eye on to my repertoire.
Obviously, I’m not actively going to spite my audience. And of course there are plenty of songs that they love here which I like too, and have started to sing as a result (’Route 66, ‘Sunny’, ‘Unforgettable’). I may even attempt ‘You Are The Sunshine Of My Life’ and ‘Just The Way You Are’… provided I take a deep metaphorical breath before doing so. But I do draw the line at ‘Copacabana’, ‘Brazil’, and ‘Home By Michael Buble’. Did I mention that he’s very popular over here?
February 8th, 2008 at 8.32pm
Who is this Micky Bubble anyhow?
February 8th, 2008 at 8.37pm
Morning… or evening. Do 50/50. And DO sing Brazil. It’s a great song. Particularly if you take the jaunt out if it and as you sing imagine Michael Palin finding peace through a lobotomy. or, if you prefer, Michael Buble having a lobotomy at the bottom of a big cooling tower. x (sorry if this makes no sense to anyone)
February 8th, 2008 at 8.40pm
don’t worry, it makes sense to me ;-).
speak to me at the end of two months, by which point I will no doubt have succumbed to singing ‘Brazil’, and ‘Anything By Michael Buble’. succumbed as a result of pressure that will feel as Christopher Plummer once described working with Julie Andrews in ‘The Sound Of Music’, ie: being beaten over the head with a Valentine’s card.
February 8th, 2008 at 8.48pm
You’ve hit on another one of my pet topics.
It’s good to be aware of different people’s versions of songs and tunes but that shouldn’t mean that you have to do them verbatim.
I’ve been in a cabaret type band for a bit where the singer wants to songs by Micky Bubble (like it) and Jimmie Column amongst others but as their versions. This goes against the grain for me just a tad. Even playing Jimmie’s piano solo a bit. I’m not stomping on the keyboard for anybody though
I also hate it when a tune like ‘All the things you Are’ comes up in other bands and people expect to hear the intro as done by Charlie Parker at least 50 years ago. If not careful it just becomes a pastiche.
I have to say though that the recent popularity of Micky, Jimmy and that bloke who used to be in Take That hasn’t done any harm to getting the good old standards known to a younger audience.
February 8th, 2008 at 8.52pm
John - very true, that last point (and the ones preceding it!). I thought it was amazing when a group of young Penangites requested ‘For Sentimental Reasons’. At first, I thought, ‘How brilliant that they know that song… Young British people would never know it.’ Then it dawned on me that they probably know it because Rod Stewart recorded it. it’s not a bad thing at all - in fact, it’s wonderful that people are recording these songs and being successful with those recordings - but it’s a shame if people a) give that artist all the credit for it, like it’s their song; and b) don’t dig out more great recordings of the people who did these tunes originally. A musician here was telling me that he thought Michael Buble was better than Frank Sinatra, and didn’t see why he wasn’t. ‘The main difference between Michael Buble and Frank Sinatra,’ I explained, ‘is that Frank Sinatra did it first.’ We all owe a debt to the singers and instrumentalists who came before us…
February 8th, 2008 at 8.54pm
PS what’s also interesting about the request for ‘Home’ by Michael Buble is that, pretty song though it is, it isn’t the slightest bit jazzy. but it’s bracketed with the rest of his stuff. ditto Norah Jones, who really isn’t that jazzy at all these days (and wasn’t too much on her first album, anyway). thank goodness she did ‘The Nearness Of You’, is all I can say..
February 9th, 2008 at 12.04am
I like Mickey bubble……… I make no apologies……..sorry
February 9th, 2008 at 1.06am
i must admit that i am not completely across all of Michael B’s fine work, but i still think that we should all do a whip round to encourage you to sing at least one of his songs ! - the whip round could of course cover the cost of the alcohol required to cover your embarrassment!!!!!!!!!!!
February 9th, 2008 at 2.22am
Vic - no need to apologise. I’m just taking the Mickey. Bubble. I swear to god I’ve heard his name mentioned every day since I got here, that’s all (and been asked to do ‘Sway’ every other night)… and I do think it’s important that people know the difference between him and Frank Sinatra. And me and Ella Fitzgerald.
Matt - of course I would sing of one of his songs for money; I’m a musical whore. I just haven’t worked out what my price is yet.
February 9th, 2008 at 2.50am
Is Michael Buble popular in Penang?
February 9th, 2008 at 2.50am
Ok so not cocacabana but i set you the challenge of one song made famous by barry m by the end of your stint. I’ve always had a soft spot for Mandy. Lovely girl. And i think the fact that i’ve taken the trouble to type cocacabana into my mobile twice while walking thru a busy clapham junction means you really must take up the challenge.
February 9th, 2008 at 3.00am
actually, re-reading my comment, I’m going to go out on a limb here and stop pussy-footing around and say: I don’t rate MB that much. there, I’ve said it. this isn’t just about him not being Frank. Harry Connick Jr is compared to Sinatra too, but I *do* rate him. there’s no denying that MB has a very strong, polished voice and handles his songs extremely well - but I just find him too slick and anaemic and lacking in personality. well, his voice, at least.. I don’t know about the person. for all I know, Mickey Bubble is the most interesting guy at any party.
Nick - how can I not, now that you’ve gone to all that effort? and given that I openly expressed my admiration for Barry here?
Sarah - no, he’s not. but Mickey Bubble is MASSIVE.
February 9th, 2008 at 3.05am
now this has turned into an honesty session can i nominate Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline ? i think there is no way this could be turned into a jazz number, but if Nick can admit to liking BM, i feel duty bound to admit that i like ND ! (although i am pretty sure that ND would not sadly be the most interesting guy at the party - i reckon he is more the type that brings a bottle of Blue Nun, hides it behind the plant pot, guards it all night, and then takes it home when the hostess is not looking. But i digress!)
February 9th, 2008 at 3.08am
but Matt - aren’t *you* that guy?
February 9th, 2008 at 3.56am
absolutely not ! i would never go for Blue Nun if Mateus Rose was available !
spookily enough i actually went to some awful corporate do last year (please dont ask me what it was !) where the free drinks were limited to a rather strange luminous green cocktail and….Blue Nun…as you might of guessed it really wasnt a classy affair….and i had a glass of BN, and it truly was foul ! hope your 5 star classy joint doesnt have any of that on the wine menu !!!!
February 9th, 2008 at 5.16am
I think you should throw your audience a bone once in a while. Give the customers what they want.
A drum n bass DJ might think he’s shit hot but if the audience just wants to dance to ‘Wake me Up Before You Go-Go’, then what do you do?
February 9th, 2008 at 5.17am
Or do you see yourself as a Jazz Missionary out to convert the heathens?
February 9th, 2008 at 8.06am
..and never forget the divine Black Tower wine! Is Mickey Bubble related to a chap called something like Champagne Mike - or is it Bubbly? - who has a fan or two here in Canada (where we have just had our fifth major snow fall of the year and are currently under about a foot of snow). But I think you’re right, stick to your basic repertoire, adding classics to it as you go - and if you can find classics that the ‘artistes’ the locals like have recorded, well then you end up satisfying everyone and enhancing the local palate.
February 9th, 2008 at 11.57am
Jack - is the answer “Play a drum and bass version of Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”?
I don’t see myself as a missionary out to convert the heathens. but possibly as some sort of ambassador out to bring some songs to a new audience :-).
I think the answer is, as I’m finding, to do the tunes they love which I like or don’t really mind - but I won’t sing something I really don’t like; or something that I think I will sound terrible singing.
they seem to be liking the stuff I’m doing so far, anyway. to use your DJ analogy again, it’s not that they’ve walked into a drum and bass club wanting to hear ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ - it’s more like they’ve walked into an 80s night, and the DJ just hasn’t happened to play that track. but he’s put on lots of other Wham!.
so yes, Andrew - I’m doing pretty much what you’re saying. (and thinking of you in snowy Canada!)
February 9th, 2008 at 12.03pm
oh and Matt - no shame in liking Neil Diamond, either. he’s written some top songs.
February 9th, 2008 at 10.07pm
Nice to see some of my favourite artists (Barry, Neil et al) getting name checked! Stick with these guys Andrea and you can’t go wrong. Now to check out this bubble fella…
February 10th, 2008 at 3.11am
Now if only I could cover Roger, Charlotte…