I noticed on our website that there was a rumour that Deacon Blue played at a big football wedding. Good story – but untrue. I was, as it happens, hanging with a footballer….but that’s another story.
I know where this story came from though. There was some discussion about this happening at one point so perhaps the legs and tails were added. Frankly, I don’t think we’d be much good at it anyway. For a start we don’t do any quick step and I can’t imagine what songs we’d have to do to provide a wedding waltz.
I did once get persuaded to play for a pal’s wedding. This was 1988 and we were taking the weekend off a recording session in LA so we could attend their nuptials up in Berkeley Ca. The night before my friend Wendy, the bride to be, suggested they had no music to come up the aisle to and, as there was an old joanna there, could I tinkle the ivories long enough for her dad to give her away. Sure, I said….not really giving it much thought….I’ll fo a bit of Tom Wait’s Tom Traubert (Wendy was an Ozzy) – that was meant to be played on a bad piano. So I’m sitting in the front row and about to make my way up to the stage and aim my fingers at a few familiar chords when Lorraine nudges me to give me an update. “Just to let you know,” she whispers conspiratorially, “that Bono, The Edge and Maria McKee have just arrived and are seated in the audience.” Whatever version of the Tom Waits I’d planned to play become a free jazz odyssey featuring chords that Tom has never put in even his darkest of songs.
There’s a theme running here I know and it’s this: The certain knowledge that the bigger the Lounge Blogger’s window of opportunity the more likely it is that he trips up on the carpet of hubris and goes crashing through it. Join me tonight in the lounge and feel free to share your own worst moments. We’re going to be playing one of the artists I mention (to show there are no hard feelings) and a lot of wonderful other things beside.
My worst moments? And at that ones that can be publicly read? I’ll need to think about that one further.
As to wedding performances, I always imagined that under the right circumstances, either or both of “Your Swaying Arms” and “Cover from the Sky” could perfectly fit the occasion. They’d certainly be on my list!
I DO play in a wedding band and one night a geezer asked to do a turn of “Your Swaying Arms.” We backed him up – but just as he was kicking into verse 1, I spotted Rick & Lorraine coming into the hall – (they were, unknown to him, guests at same wedding.) I jumped down and dragged Lorraine up to sing back-up. I will never forget the guy’s face as he turned to the side of the stage when he heard Lorraine come in with the top harmony. He nearly soiled himself.
oh i don’t know there’s a few deacon blue songs that would make a good wedding tune.
a few good ricky ross ones as well.
as a photographer i am amased at the weddings i’ve been to where the choice of music has been strange to say the least.
as for embarising moments there has been a plenty. but nun the radio world could hear.
last thing you want is a shocked listener.
perhaps one day i’ll tell all