Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Hey, Harley. Good drumming skills. Shouldn't have any trouble finding musicians. I liked "I Was Thinking" better than the other two, more upbeat. Good luck and welcome to Bandmix.

Welcome to Bandmix Harley.
Got some nice tunes up on yor profile, thanks for the music.
Oh and by the way, you aint gotta holler at us, we aint totally deaf,........ yet.

I enjoyed the tunes also. Welcome to bandmix.

Its another day in Paradise !!!

Hi Harley!

I've been in blues bands nearly thirty years. I've been hearing the term blues rock or rock blues the last few years and I have no idea what that means. I prefer the terms rock'in blues or bluesy rock. What we play is rock'in blues IMO. Welcome to the forum.

I actually got the term from various blues kats I have played with simply meaning blues based rock... Early aerosmith, zeppelin, zz top... blues based rock. But we have used the term rockin' blues as well.
All means the same. I'm looking to do more r&b, funk based blues.
Thanks for the shout fisherman bob!

Harley Walker wrote:I actually got the term from various blues kats I have played with simply meaning blues based rock... Early aerosmith, zeppelin, zz top... blues based rock. But we have used the term rockin' blues as well.
All means the same. I'm looking to do more r&b, funk based blues.
Thanks for the shout fisherman bob!

Uh, it's a stretch for me to consider much of Aerosmith and Zeppelin blues based. ZZ Top is much more blues based if not outright blues. I know Zeppelin covered Willie Dixon early on a few tunes, but I don't really consider them blues based. I got an e-mail from a very young lead singer who wanted to try out for our blues band. He was so excited to be able to do Zeppelin, The Beatles, Deep Purple, Hendrix, etc. I asked him if he had ever heard of Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Freddy King, etc. He said yeah I heard of them. I said that's my definition of blues artists. I asked the young lead singer if he played any instruments. He said no. I asked him what he would do on the 80% of the songs I sing lead on...

Not a stretch at all Bob. Zeppelin's first 2 alblums had several covered blues tunes...
Aerosmith as well. Walkin' the Dog is an old covered blues tune, as is Train Kept A Rollin'... Have to say,, you're the first musician I have ever run into that doesn't realize Zeppelin started as a blues-rock band.
But that's cool... I just happen to be a HUGH John Bonham fan and know a great deal about that band, and many others. Also am very into the blues and guys like Muddy Waters. Yes, there is a BIG difference between traditional blues and the 60's-70's rock bands who covered blues. No debate on that topic. The topic was "Blues based Rock bands".
Zeppelin and Aerosmith started their careers with the blues. Fact...

Most people (and musicians) consider Zep and Aerosmith to be blues based rock and roll, just as is ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, SRV, Robin Trower, Ten Years After, Canned Heat and scores of others. Call it what you want. I notice some blues players are elitists and snobs. Get over yourself; you're still just a white boy covering (stealing?) old black music.

jimmydanger wrote:Most people (and musicians) consider Zep and Aerosmith to be blues based rock and roll, just as is ZZ Top, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, SRV, Robin Trower, Ten Years After, Canned Heat and scores of others. Call it what you want. I notice some blues players are elitists and snobs. Get over yourself; you're still just a white boy covering (stealing?) old black music.

I'll admit that a lot of rockers, especially 60's and 70's British rockers, STARTED as blues artists. So I guess in that sense they can be called blues-based. To me the majority of Aerosmith and Zepppelin ISN'T blues. Some of these other artists you name (Winter, SRV, Canned Heat) IMO play more blues than rock. The majority of their material IS blues based. My definition of what genre somebody plays is what the MAJORITY of their material sounds like. That's all. It's not an elitist thing or a snobbery thing for me. It's just the way I define an artist. I also agree with you 100% that there are plenty of blues musicians who are elitists and snobs. I've played with some. Some of them don't want to perform original music whatsoever. They just want to stay "true" to the genre. Also they perform everything note-for-note. God forbid you want to interpret a song whatever way you want to. As far as being a white boy stealing or covering old black music, how about stealing or covering ANY music? If you play in a 100% cover band aren't you stealing or covering everything you play? I guess everybody who covers anybody else's music needs to "get over themselves."

I am a bit surprised the original post turned in this direction. The topic started with the term "Blues based Rock". Had I known, I would have re-grouped my words! LOL... When did the topic turn..? LOL...
Simply pointing out that Zep and Aerosmith and many others started as blues based rock bands and did in fact "cover" old blues tunes. Never said they were "Blues Bands". I also mentioned that I am currently involved with a blues-R&B-rock-country band and seeking something more traditional blues-R&B. Sorry it turned into this "thang"...

If you ask me,, it ALL started as BLUES....

If you play an E chord, and did not discover it. Did you steal it?
By my daffynition, you aint stealing unless your taking credit and or payment, without giving the due props to the originators.
Hummm, wonder who was the first guy to play an E chord ?
He should have gotten a pattent.

beg, borrow or steal. LOL

And?

It doesn't bother my conscience that we play some covers written by old black guys, or old white guys, or even an old Eskimo. I just hope the venues we perform in have paid their ASCAP dues. This way the poor old black guys might receive their meager royalties, or does any of the dues ASCAP charges actually reach any of the original artists? Here's a novel idea. Maybe some of the old covers we "steal" actually benefit some of the poor old black guys. ON many occasion people have asked me who did one of the songs I just perfomed. I tell them it was Freddie King or Junior Wells or Clapton;s version of something. I'll bet I've sold way more CD's than I've "stolen." I'm sure that many of you veteran musicians have been asked at your gigs who did such and such a song, especially if it was a more obscure tune. Also just before you play a song you tell the audience which song you're performing. Even though you may be legally "stealing" a song, you actually are also promoting it. I don't know how many CD's I've bought after listening to live or recorded covers. Yep, I have a clear conscience.