How often do you get requests, and how do you handle them?

[NickC]

Thanks Tom. I would be stuck on the Pink Floyd request, too. Although, I bet it would sound great!

I guess if someone makes a request for something I don't know, I can always say 'how about That's Amore' and they'll be happy. That one seems to be a popular quote Italian unquote song around here too.

I've done Finiculi, Finicula on PA, so I'll add that one to the list. It seems like everyone knows that one.

 

[olivigus]

@Tom Oh my. If I could learn a few Pink Floyd songs, my dear yet dubious spouse would be won over completely. (He is currently accommodating, but clearly not overly enthused about my accordion obsession). I've barely started getting competent and someone already asked if I could play That's Amore. So I've now learned a simple but satisfying version that's fun to play. @NickC I'll bet using that as your default don't-know-that-song-but-how-about... offering will always go over well.

 

[oldbayan]

Reminds me of a gig in an Italian wedding many years ago, we had a 3-piece band and practiced tons of nice typical Italian tunes and others that we thought people would like. After playing for about 20 minutes there were still no dancers on the floor ? Something was wrong... Then a woman comes to us and asks: "Can you play the chicken dance?" After the 4 first bars about 50 people were on the dance floor... Oh, well...

 

[Tom]

Omg, an Italian wedding without the chicken dance is like, well, spaghetti without meatballs? (Don't tell Ric, he'll think we like pizza with pineapple ?).

 

[Ric46]

OMG, @Tom Italian wedding party is without:
chicken dance (It's not Italian, It's trash o for kids)
That's amore
L'Italiano (Toto Cutugno)
meatballs spaghetti
pizza with pineapple
Alfredo sauce (it doesn't exist)

About chicken dance. It became "famous" in Italy, knows as "il ballo del qua qua", in 1982 singed by Albano e Romina (Power, Tyrone Power's daughter).

There are tons of classics and famous songs (there are some differences from North to South):
Canzoni napoletane (Neapolitan songs) you already know @NickC
Lucio Battisti, Edoardo Bennato, Domenico Modugno, Eros Ramazzotti, Zucchero, Adriano Celentano, Gianni Morandi, Gino Paoli, Claudio Baglioni and more. For youngers guests: 883, Jovanotti, Ligabue, Laura Pausini, Gianna Nannini
If someone want some songs titles (the most famous) let me know...

Of course I'm joking! I know that an "Italian" wedding in the US it's different from an Italian wedding in Italy.

That's all. From Italy with love

 

[NickC]

Italian wedding party is without:

meatballs spaghetti

"Sometimes spaghetti likes to be alone."

Check out the clip that JeffJetton posted above:

 

[Tom]

Thanks @Ric46! I'm not that familiar with the popular Italian genres. I tend to like to listen to the accordion music of the classics like Bagutti and Castellina Pasi, and of course the "evergreens" like Raffaella Carrà ??. Non mi piace la Pausini!

As I've mentioned I like the balli di gruppo style with singers like Giusy Mercury, Rossella Ferrari, and my fave, Tonya Todisco:

 

[Ric46]

@NickC Very funny! As you know we are just "a little" obsessed with food! You can debate all day long about spaghetti alla carbonara, for example. The original recipe requires pig cheek, not bacon. So, can I use bacon? Is it still a carbonara? Can I use the entire egg or only yolk? And please no cream, no cream, no cream. Repeat with me I know it may looks crazy...

 

[Ric46]

@Tom balli di gruppo style in a wedding only when it's "dance time" and everybody is drunk! (Joke). I know very well Bagutti (Franco and his son Gianmarco). They are from Piacenza, my town. I also know Castellina, of course.
About popular songs...This is a "must-have" I think...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD8BryVB9d0

 

[JeffJetton]

Yesterday, along with the request for Italian music was one for Pink Floyd. I respectfully had to decline, not knowing any.

Which leads to a question: What Pink Floyd song would work best on accordion?

(I'm thinking maybe "Comfortably Numb", but with more of a beguine/cha-cha sort of rhythm?)

 

[Tom]

@Tom balli di gruppo style in a wedding only when it's "dance time" and everybody is drunk! (Joke). I know very well Bagutti (Franco and his son Gianmarco). They are from Piacenza, my town. I also know Castellina, of course.
About popular songs...This is a "must-have" I think...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD8BryVB9d0

Grande! Of course, probably the third most well known "Italian" song in the USA...

 

[Tom]

Which leads to a question: What Pink Floyd song would work best on accordion?

(I'm thinking maybe "Comfortably Numb", but with more of a beguine/cha-cha sort of rhythm?)

So, you think you can tell, heaven from hell?

 

[lmschgo]

Which leads to a question: What Pink Floyd song would work best on accordion?

(I'm thinking maybe "Comfortably Numb", but with more of a beguine/cha-cha sort of rhythm?)

 

[Dingo40]

I thought I heard him say
"We don't need no vegetation..."?

 

[Dingo40]

NickC,
Priceless!??

 

[olivigus]

Which leads to a question: What Pink Floyd song would work best on accordion?

(I'm thinking maybe "Comfortably Numb", but with more of a beguine/cha-cha sort of rhythm?)

I'm thinking "Time" and "Wish You Were Here"...

 

[Dingo40]

An exemplary instance of handling a request ?
(Click the YouTube option)

 

[NickC]

There's a lot in that video that I'd like to be able to pull off live.

 

[Big Squeezy Accordions]

You'll have to decide if you're more of an artist or an entertainer. I say this without any moral judgment about which is better. It takes a touch of arrogance to be an artist, because you are offering something that you think the audience should want, as opposed to what they already think they want. A good compromise would be to learn the schmaltz that people always request like O Sole Mio, the Godfather theme, La Vie En Rose, Hava Nagila, and so on, but come up with arrangements that are surprising in some way. Also, some of these accordion cliches are actually good tunes. Some, like the Chicken Dance, are just annoying and bad. I think the most important thing is to fully commit to whatever tune you are playing and don't phone it in. Unless it's the Chicken Dance, that is.

 

[Valski]

You'll have to decide if you're more of an artist or an entertainer. I say this without any moral judgment about which is better. It takes a touch of arrogance to be an artist, because you are offering something that you think the audience should want, as opposed to what they already think they want. A good compromise would be to learn the schmaltz that people always request like O Sole Mio, the Godfather theme, La Vie En Rose, Hava Nagila, and so on, but come up with arrangements that are surprising in some way. Also, some of these accordion cliches are actually good tunes. Some, like the Chicken Dance, are just annoying and bad. I think the most important thing is to fully commit to whatever tune you are playing and don't phone it in. Unless it's the Chicken Dance, that is.

Yes exactly always be your best self when performing your music. As far as schmalz and bad tunes goes, it's a question of personal taste and it's probably fair to say that no one is qualified to claim that a song is bad, it's probably more accurate to say that a song isn't to your taste. Many people are closed minded when it comes to music so when I see an audience reacting with joy to The Chicken Dance I have to smile and agree that there is something that people find attractive in the song even though it may not be my favorite.

We're all individuals, both performers and audience members so let's relax and try to accept our varying tastes. When you're getting paid for a gig, play for your audience, if you're playing for yourself play what you wish.