SOTM October 2023 - You Never Can Tell

[nigeld]

Time for some Rock and Roll.

This month's song is "You Never Can Tell", written by Chuck Berry in the early 1960's while he was in prison. It was released in 1964.
It became popular again when it was used in the film "Pulp Fiction" in the 90's.

Notes and backing tracks are here. There is a backing track that plays through twice and one that plays through 4 times.

You Never Can Tell

Shared with Dropbox

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Here is Chuck Berry's version:

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9l0YBKcGnY


And here is Bruce Springsteen having fun jamming it (and trying to find a key that suits his voice). There's a good tenor sax solo at 5:20.

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-Ds-FXGGQg


Enjoy!

 

[rhysonsax]

Great tune with at least three different titles. "You Never Can Tell" or "Teenage Wedding" or "C'est La Vie".

It's got a great piano part by Johnnie Johnson - I think I have a transcription of that somewhere.

Our covers band played it by special request for one party gig and it was fun to learn it.

That's an impressive backing track - it should inspire some rockin' fine recordings.

Rhys

 

[John Laughter]

"You Never Can Tell", written by Chuck Berry

 

[John Laughter]

Enjoy!

 

[John Laughter]

 

[thomsax]

@nigeld Thank you for chosen this song.

"You Never Can Tell" is a frequently played song on blues & rock jams. I hope we get many recordings. Here is clip from a New England jam with James Montgomery.

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View: https://youtu.be/Hhs0UXcAATI?si=D-7ztN3uDn89wfLY

 

[PiccoloPirate]

The other name for Rock and Roll is,
Chuck Berry.
Met Chuck when I was a teenager in NYC.
Drove him to a job.
"Budget band so get your Tenor",
said Chuck.
Never leave home without a horn or harp.
More on that later.
When I sent these two versions to musical friends, their first comment was:
Are they single?

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv6fdib3GBI

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpWlvZ91kto

 

[thomsax]

Never leave home without a horn or harp.

"Moto sax", a must for all honkers. Another Florida resident, Clarence Clemons, always had a tenor in the trunk when he was out driving.

 

[nigeld]

We have come to the end of the month, and nobody has submitted a recording, which is a shame.
However, the thread will remain open, and recordings are very welcome after the end of the month.

 

[thomsax]

No recordings! Maybe it's just that Rock & Roll Saxophone is not a popular genre? It's not easy to keep a rocksax project going. We are between 70-60 years and no younger players are in sight.

The reason I didn't upload a recording is bad recording quality. Today the average quality of home recordings are high. To upload a recording like a jam recording is not what we expect on this site/place.

 

[IGoddard]

I love the sax in Rock & Roll. I couldn't quite get this piece sounding good so was quietly hoping to see others inputs for inspiration and reflection on my own mistakes.

 

[John Laughter]

Alto score if anyone needs it. Copy and paste the link;

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.e-pillarbox.com/hornparts/You%20Never%20Can%20Tell%20Sax.pdf

 

[nigeld]

Alto score if anyone needs it. Copy and paste the link;

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.e-pillarbox.com/hornparts/You%20Never%20Can%20Tell%20Sax.pdf

The link doesn't work for me. (In UK).

 

[John Laughter]

nigeld. Click on this photo. Hope it works!

 

[thomsax]

I love the sax in Rock & Roll. I couldn't quite get this piece sounding good so was quietly hoping to see others inputs for inspiration and reflection on my own mistakes.

A Rock & Roll song from the Rock & Roll poet (Chuck Berry)! A nice story. If you want to play it, what should you do? If you love Rock & Roll Saxophone this song is one that you must know. Often played at Rock & Roll or Blues jams. A song for the hobby rock & roll band but also for cover bands that use play at weddings .... or in front of of an audience.

• Play the lyrics/melody and/or solo(s) over the backing tracks. Short or long version.
• Play the sax fillings as it was recorded.
• Play your own (ad lib) sax fillings.

I played my version as it was recorded (form) back in 1963. Verse - verse - verse - verse - sax solo - verse - sax solo - end. I downloaded a backing track (custom). I removed the piano, saxes and backing vocals. I kept the lead vocals because Rock & Roll songs are driven by vocals. Not always but ..... 99,9%. I played the horn parts close to as it was recorded on Chuck Berry's original recording. Tenor(s) and baritone on CB recording. I removed the piano just to make room for myself . But the piano is important. So it's just drums , bass, guitar and lead vocal on my backing track. I also tried to first record the bari with backing track and then play the my tenor along with bari recording. Hard. So I just played tenor. On "Stand By Me" this concept came out pretty well. Of course the bari is more or less playing the same over the whole song.

I think we should use the new technique and have fun. It can never replace the fun of playing in or with a real band. But what should I do as a woodshed honker? Lay down my horns? Rock & Roll Sax have a different language compared to other styles/genres. When jazz saxophonists are talking about who to play complicated chords, dots ... , rocksax players are more thinking about how to play the expression "coffee brown Cadillac".

 

[dexdex]

Guilty ! The title just didn’t click in my mind, and I didn’t take the time to check the thread. Sorry, Man.

 

[rhysonsax]

It took me a lot longer than I had hoped but here is a recording I just made using a Karaoke Version backing track and the vocals and horns muted. Tenor sax on the vocal line and the horn backing figures are me playing baritone and tenor, panned over to the right.

You Never Can Tell (Chuck Berry style) - Rhys Tenor V1.mp3 | Powered by Box

Rhys

 

[nigeld]

It took me a lot longer than I had hoped but here is a recording I just made using a Karaoke Version backing track and the vocals and horns muted. Tenor sax on the vocal line and the horn backing figures are me playing baritone and tenor, panned over to the right.

You Never Can Tell (Chuck Berry style) - Rhys Tenor V1.mp3 | Powered by Box

Rhys

That was great fun. I loved the horn backings.

 

[thomsax]

Guilty ! The title just didn’t click in my mind, and I didn’t take the time to check the thread. Sorry, Man.

you can always post your recording even if SOTM October 2023 has passed. I didn't like the recording result on the recordings I did. I'm not playing as good as I was playing for 5-10 years ago. I'm working on it. But I have no excuse for the recording technique. Maybe I have to sign up for home recording lessons.