Bulletin Board: Personal top five ukulele songs

Original Post By: East Mountain Date: 3/17/2009 11:08:22 PM Ever read the book or see the movie "High Fidelity"? The main character owns a vintage record store and makes a lot of top five lists. So, in that spirit, let's see your top five ukulele songs that you play. I'm not talking about great players whose songs you admire. I mean the top five songs you enjoy playing. Mine are: 1. Tonight, You Belong to Me (Patience and Prudence) 2. Save Your Heart for Me (Gary Lewis) 3. Something (George Harrison) 4. As Time Goes By (Dooley Wilson) 5. Gorilla (James Taylor) Posted By: Dutch Date: 3/18/2009 5:56:51 AM This is really hard. I would rather go 5 swing, 5 openers, 5 closers, 5 ballads, etc. But 5 straight up? It's tough. Here goes: 1. (opener) I Love Being Here With You (Peggy Lee) 2. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street (Austin-Mills-McHugh) 3. I Ain�t Got Nothin� But the Blues (Duke) 4. All the Things You Are (Kern & Hammerstein) 5. My Funny Valentine (Rogers & Hart) Posted By: NinaC Date: 3/18/2009 9:04:35 AM Great idea for a thread! Like Dutch, my favorites vary by genre and mood but these are the current five I've been playing a lot: 1. I'll See You in My Dreams 2. Night Owl 3. If I Had You 4. You Belong to Me 5. On a Slowboat to China Posted By: Jim Vyhnak Date: 3/18/2009 9:10:30 AM OK, here goes, in no particular order: 1) Fly Me To The Moon (chord melody version from Santa Cruz songbook) 2) Tokeymor Fields (Klaatu) 3) Deacon Blues (Steely Dan) 4) Darktown Strutters Ball (Ralph Shaw chord melody version) 5) Tiptoe Through The Tulips (original1929 song sheet) Posted By: chanelcat Date: 3/18/2009 9:17:52 AM 1, Surfer Girl. Beach Boys 2, Dont Worry Baby. Beach Boys 3, I'll See You In My Dreams. Joe Brown Version 4, California Saga. Beach Boys 5, Something. George Harrison Could have picked all Beach Boys but maybe that would be a little predictable for me. Dave Posted By: singndance Date: 3/18/2009 10:03:53 AM Currently being played a lot: 1. I Only Want To Be With You 2. Dream a Little Dream of Me 3. I Think We're Alone Now 4. I Fall to Pieces 5. Hotter than Mojave (Iris DeMent) Posted By: Goaticus Date: 3/18/2009 12:26:49 PM 1. The Window Cleaner 2. Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips 3. Circuit-Ridin' Preacher 4. Masochism Tango (okay, one weird abberant song in the bunch-so sue me!) 5. Praise God I've Been Saved! (My own song) Posted By: BeachBumTom Date: 3/18/2009 12:59:43 PM Wow, this made me stop what I was doing and actually think....had to look into my "FunBook." These are all "strummers" except my new picking version of "Edelweiss." No particular order: 1. Tea For Two 2. E Ku'u Morning Dew 3. Edelweiss 4. Over the Rainbow (Classic Judy Garland version) 5. When You Wish Upon a Star Posted By: BeachBumTom Date: 3/18/2009 1:03:52 PM Yikes! Holy Cow! I left out my Uncle Bobby Tomei arrangement of the fantastic "UKULELE LADY!!!!!" BBT Posted By: yookster Date: 3/18/2009 4:54:36 PM   (Updated: 3/18/2009 5:16:08 PM) 1. I Wanna Be Around 2. Schooldays (I particularly like the 4 chord sequence for the words "You [IIm7]wrote on my [!!!7]slate I [Vm7]love you, [VI7]Joe") 3. Cherry (that funny last line) 4. I Apologize (Billy Ekstine hit) 5. I'm in the Mood for Love (for improvising, or for what my wife calls "Why don't you play a real song?") Posted By: Mattman Date: 3/18/2009 5:24:15 PM Great idea, East Mountain! I love seeing what other players like to play... My personal top five: 1. Once In A While 2. P.S. I Love You 3. Twelve Thirty 4. Blue Moon 5. Try A Little Tenderness I could go on, but stopped at 5! Cheers, -Mattman Posted By: Diane1020 Date: 3/18/2009 5:51:05 PM Paper Moon Ain't Misbehavin' When I'm Sixty Four Rhythm of the Rain Jingle Bell Rock (Couldn't stop playing this after Christmas-it's too much fun) Posted By: steve-o-reno Date: 3/18/2009 6:02:10 PM Regularly played and always fun: 1)Puttin on the Ritz (Irving Berlin) 2)Cocktails for Two (Johnston/Coslow) 3)Bijou (Pops Bayless) 4)Pencil Thin Mustache (Jimmy Buffet) 5)One More Kiss, Dear(Vangelis-movie Bladerunner) Posted By: BeachBumTom Date: 3/18/2009 6:04:55 PM Steve-o-reno.......ain't "Pencil Tin Mustache" fun to do?! Good choice. BBT Posted By: singndance Date: 3/18/2009 6:13:28 PM You know, Goaticus, I like that Masochism Tango too to play and sing, but there's so little call for it in any kind of company at all. Bluemoon, we'll play Paper Moon in NY. Love it. Posted By: steve-o-reno Date: 3/18/2009 7:31:07 PM Hey BBT, PTM is absolutely a hoot to play. I played it at my first ever open mike and it went over so well that it's become a keeper. Although I'm still not sure what a "dirty bob" refers to. Posted By: carolb Date: 3/18/2009 8:31:09 PM What great ideas this thread is giving me! 1. "When I'm 64" (Beatles, memorize this while I've still got a few years before I need it) 2. "Only You" (Ringo Star version) 3. "Singing the Blues" (LOVES it, our Precious, yes we do!) 4. "Tea For Two" (cuz I need to work on those kind of chords and it doesn't hurt when they're arranged into a song), and 5. "What'll I Do?" (Irving Berlin, so I can shriek after EVERY time I play it, "THEY JUST DON'T WRITE SONGS LIKE THAT ANYMORE...") Posted By: Grandpa Jim Date: 3/18/2009 9:07:39 PM Lots of my favorite tunes are listed above. But the ones I'm currently practicing most are: 1. Blue Skies 2. My Blue Heaven 3. Pennies From Heaven 4. Carolina in the Morning 5. I'll See You in My Dreams Jim Posted By: RedHotBlue Date: 3/18/2009 9:58:54 PM   (Updated: 3/18/2009 10:01:32 PM) Let's see...I've been on a big Lyle Ritz kick lately. I've been playing chord melody style mostly with tenor(s) in different tunings. Here goes: 1) Avalon (Al Jolson) 2) Bye Bye Blackbird (Ray Henderson) 3) Harbor Lights (Kennedy/Williams) 4) Lulu's Back In Town (Dubin/Warren) 5) Ritz Cracker (Lyle Ritz) Posted By: William L Date: 3/18/2009 10:10:06 PM steve-o-reno Its "dirty bop" Posted By: East Mountain Date: 3/18/2009 10:34:30 PM Thanks for all the ideas. I saw some great songs that I love but have never tried to play on uke before. Keep 'em coming. Posted By: Kirbster Date: 3/18/2009 11:00:48 PM Recent faves: These Foolish Things (Nat King Cole version) I'll Be Seeing You All My Loving (Beatles) Smile (the Charlie Chaplin one) Moon Over Parma Hey Steve-o-reno! Where did you get the music for Bijou??? That's one of my favorite Bayless/Spankers tunes. Posted By: JDUke Date: 3/19/2009 12:03:23 AM I don't sing, so most of these tunes are breaks I use when I'm jamming with the regular group. 1. Deep Elem Blues 2. Alabama Jubilee 3. Sweet Sunny South 4. Worried Man Blues and when my fingers are working 5. Soldiers Joy Jeff Posted By: ricdoug Date: 3/19/2009 2:16:10 AM Like BBT Tom, anything Uncle Bobby Tomei palys are on the top of my favorites. Braddah's got skillz... Of the ones I play, not necessarily in order: 1. Truck Driving Man 2. Sophisticated Hula 3. Kansas City (Blues) 4. Hanalei Moon 5. Rang of Far (Ring of Fire) There are many others to include "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms". Ric Posted By: Goaticus Date: 3/19/2009 10:58:20 AM singndance-I know what you mean, though I learned it for one reason-a little secret here: my ex-wife, (who I get on okay with), and her current husband are into, well, lets say, the more outer-fringes in the intimate world, and this includes a bit of ropes and handcuffs. So, one year at Christmas, she invited my wife and I for dinner with them and their 'lifestyle' friends, so I learned the song and sang it for them-it was quite the 'hit'! Posted By: singndance Date: 3/19/2009 12:29:29 PM Only goes to show, you have the sing the songs appropriate to your audience. Posted By: John Kavanagh Date: 3/20/2009 9:36:32 AM   (Updated: 3/20/2009 10:27:40 AM) You said "songs" so that cuts out the instrumentals I do, but makes it a little easier. Let's see... Paper Moon Simon Smith and his Amazing Dancing Bear I'm the Urban Spaceman When You Wish Upon a Star You Can't Judge A Book By Looking at the Cover Posted By: singndance Date: 3/20/2009 10:26:00 AM O.K. so now if we each would make 10 copies of the listed songs, we could have a great jam at the next festival. See me in Dallas and New York. Posted By: grouch Date: 3/20/2009 10:59:46 AM like they say---no particular order-- Just a Song at Twilight Grandfather's Clock Riding Down the Canyon (one of my Mom's faves) My Isle of Golden Dreams Just A'wearying for You Posted By: Ukulele Crooner Date: 3/20/2009 5:35:06 PM Oh, there are some good ones here that I like to do particularly Slowboat to China and Isle of Golden Dreams but if I could only pick 5 they would be: 1-Beyond the Reef 2-Rose Marie 3-Sweet Constancy 4-Roomfull of Roses 5-Tumble Down Shack in Athlone Posted By: ukulele-melee Date: 3/20/2009 6:39:57 PM 1-Moonlight On The Colorado 2-The Nearness of You 3-Moonlight Becomes You 4-It's Been A Long, Long Time 5-I'll See You In My Dreams Posted By: k2black Date: 3/20/2009 7:42:22 PM This really is a great thread. I'm getting some great ideas for new songs to work on. Thanks! 1- Imagination 2- I've got the world on a string 3- What a night for spoonin' (I heard Janet Kline play it on Rock That Uke) 4- Rubber Duckie (My kids love it too) 5- I love you (for sentimental reasons) Posted By: steve-o-reno Date: 3/20/2009 8:23:17 PM "Its "dirty bop" Well, that makes a lot more sense. Thanks to everyone who wrote and helped me finally get my lyrics straight. Now I'll just make up something to explain what a "dirty bob" means! ;-) Posted By: grouch Date: 3/21/2009 10:51:01 PM UK---many thanks for reminding me of Tumble-down Shack!..used to play an old 78 of my Great-grand-ma's..the Peerless Quartet..and my buddies and I used to wood-shed down at the local bar (the bar-tender sang bass)..never tried it on uke, but now I've a NEW song to learn.. Posted By: lumpy Date: 3/21/2009 11:11:13 PM These are the ones I play first, then go on to others. Rocky Top Tennessee Ring of fire (Johnny Cash) As tears go by ( Rolling Stones) With a little help from my friends (Beatles) When I'm Sixty-Four (Beatles) I also have a bunch of other Beatles song I like to play. Posted By: MoUke Date: 3/23/2009 10:59:23 PM   (Updated: 3/23/2009 11:03:24 PM) I know this is kinda out there, but John Hiatt's "Gone" scratches my itch, along with "Love is a Rose", "Froggie went a Courtin'", 5ft2, Pineapple-Mango, Sultans of Swing (though I can't play it worth a darn - just enjoy grinding through the chord progression). Posted By: jeff mercer Date: 3/24/2009 12:51:20 AM Intruiging thread, this ! Anyone else noticed there is not a single traditional Hawaiian tune amongst the replies, the place where our little friend originated..? (Except for BeachBum Tom..E Ku'u Morning Dew is such a beautiful tune..inspired me to get out my slack-key version by Keola Beamer, but it doesn't transpose to soprano very well, which is all I play..What do you play it on, Tom ? Tenor I could imagine working out..). Simply an observation, but "Tin Pan Alley" stuff seems to dominate.. Posted By: Dutch Date: 3/24/2009 6:05:20 AM Our little friend really originated in Portugal. That's why I play and sing 'Mama eu Querro' to my wife, Paulina Theresa Medeiros, and use the uke to accompany. The portability of our little friend has always been a great selling point. John Prine's 'Let's Talk Dirty in Hiwaiian' sounds just as good as 'Aloha Oe' given the same player. First the Portuguese, then the Hawaiians, now us, tomorrow the world--everyone is learning the wonder of the finest accompaniment instrument ever produced BECAUSE it can do almost anything musically. Keep on Strummin' Dutch Posted By: NinaC Date: 3/24/2009 9:09:33 AM   (Updated: 3/24/2009 9:11:29 AM) I love Hawaiian music (both traditional and hapa haole) but the question was, what five are your top favorites right now. The reason I think I'm focusing more on Tin Pan Alley is that I'm working hard on transitional and substitution chords and playing up the fretboard, and much of TPA gives me a real challenge to do that. I loved a hapa haole suggestion someone made for me a few months ago, "Keep Your Eyes on the Hands." It was in my top five about six months ago. It sounds great on a six stringed uke. Posted By: timmytall Date: 3/24/2009 9:34:36 AM Stardust Gods Only Nose (thank the lord for Brian Wilson) I Remember You Night and Day I Want You to Want Me Great lists, lots of great ideas, thanks Posted By: Bruce E Date: 3/24/2009 9:49:32 AM NPO 1. Crying (My version, but closer to Don McClean than Orbison) 2. Mister Sandman (My version, not The Chordettes) 3. I'll See You In My Dreams (My version) 4. Under the Boardwalk (You get the idea.) 5. Take Me Out to the Ball Game Rats! That's five already. Where's the top 25 thread? Posted By: Portland Uke Date: 3/30/2009 2:57:06 PM Singing a traditional Hawaiian song requires that you can adequately pronounce the Hawaiian language. Perhaps this is why there are few mentions. Posted By: ichadwick Date: 3/31/2009 8:56:51 AM Of late, I've been playing these the most: Georgia on my Mind Swinging on a Star Satin Doll Sunny Side of the Street Ain't She Sweet Posted By: Ukulele Crooner Date: 3/31/2009 10:07:26 AM OK, here are my top 5 of songs mentioned above: 1. What'll I do 2. Pennies from Heaven 3. Sophisicated Hula 4. Isle of Golden Dreams 5. Slowboat to China there were a few good ones that did not make the cut.

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