Karaoke Forums

I will be DJing a wedding and the request is to have "Instrumental Music" during dinner.  Does anyone have any suggestions, other than Kenny G?  Or is K.G. the way to go?

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---wallyd

without knowing your audience, it's a little tougher, but most benny goodman is great dinner music as is plenty of other big band music.  it's a little different than your ordinary kenny g, motown or other "soft" music.  some good soft jazz is always good too, of course.  if you're looking for something that's NOT kenny G, try the Glendon Smith Quintet.
If you're looking for something along the lines of soft vocals try Tony Paglia.  He's got a few nice love tunes that are easy ambience plays.  hope this helps!

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All work and no play make Homer something something

Also you may want to look at classical music (bach, bethoven, ect...).  Listen to it b4 you play it, to make sure it is slow/soft enough.

Yeah, tell them to hold the reception in an elevator, or dental office.  They can save  money on hiring an entertainer, and you can stay sane without having to listen to "Lite music, At the workplace, or at home, bringing you the beautiful Muzak of the 60's-70's and today with Lite 1** FM, your Beautiful music station for all ocassions"  You just heard the Paul Murriat orchestra performing L'amour est blew <--(pun intended).



Boston Pop's does some nice renditions, or "The worlds most beautiful melodies" Readers digest series... "For Sentimental reasons", "Candlelight Piano"  (I enjoy pilfering arrangements from these tapes,  it's just that kind of guy I am). The big bands live tapes... Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Bennie Goodman.. Linda Ronstadt covers of James Taylor.   Muskrat love for chamber orchestra :, Disney Girls by that same damn chamber orchestra.  Legendary composers, "A treasury of masterpieces". I'd stay away from the Funkadelics greatest hits, and Edgar Winter's Frankenstein however... Someone might have anxiety attacks.  If they have a good sense of humor, they won't cringe noticeably when you play Acid Jazz, Trance and Ambience... Light vocals, Tie a Yellow Ribbon.  Really what they are asking you for is office music, but abit more interesting hopefully.. Listen to and adult easy listening station... Orchestral arrangements of pop songs, some light vocal renditions, but the theme is EASY listening.... They probably wouldn't mind show tune music if it's not wild... "You'll never walk alone carousel".  "Sunrise Sunset", instrumental hit's of the 60's be Peter Neru, George Jones arrangements...Loads of Beatles and Carpenters songs have been done orchestrally and sound nice... JUst that type stuff.... Any mellow song done in musak format is likely what they are looking for.... backround music.... Some Bacharach arrangements, Paul Anka stuff...but nothing that will stand out just background stuff....In the old days, they'd hire a pianist  Try these; often they don't all need to be instrumentals,  they are asking for light easy listening style...Seriously, I'd mix the light ballad songs I've listed below, with instrumental versions of like songs. Sounds as tho they are saying we want easy listening non-intrusive background dinner music... that's all... So that would eliminate Iron Butterfly, KC and the sunshine band cranked too loud, and instead include the following songs at low volume

Cause we ended as lovers;  Jeff Beck
Empty pages: Traffic
Low Spark of High healed boys:  Traffic
Glad:  Traffic
To the Morning:  Fogelberg
Wear your love like Heaven: Donovan
You could've been with me:  Sheena Easton
Son of a sailor; Jimmy Buffet
Come Monday:  Jimmy Buffet
Margaritaville:   Jimmy Buffet
You can close your eyes:  JT
Hey Mr that's me up on the Jukebox:  JT
Going to ca in my mind:  JT
Never my love- Association
Wedding Bell blues 5th dimension
Cherish Association
Share the Land;  Guess who
Long Long LOng Beatles.
Stuff off've search for the lost chord moody blues album
Theme from an imaginary Western.. My buddy Leslie  (Mountain)
You made me so very happy BS&T
Can't find my way home...any version
Love is forever with you:  Billy Ocean
Sometime in winter: pre DCT BS&T
Sweet baby:  what's her face ????
Isn't it time;  The babies
Love TKO: pendergrass
Drift away: Dobie Grey
Something in the way she moves: JT
New Born friend:  Seal
Kiss from a rose:  Seal
Summer side of life: Gordon Lightfoot
If you could read my mind :  LIghtfoot
Bless the beast and the children: Carpenters
I'll write a song for you: Earth wind and fire
You've got a friend: JT
It's going to take some time this time:  Carpenters
You gotta be: Des'ree
All this LOve: Debarge
Somewhere in the night :Manilow or Helen reddy..both nice renditions
Mandy:  Manilow
I'd even sneak RHCP "My friends" into this mix...
Itchy Koo park: small faces
Dog and butterfly:  Heart
WOLD:  Chapin
2nd that emotion;  SMokey Rubenstein
Oh baby baby-----Same dude
SUper star; Carpenters
Betch by golly wow: Stylistics
Make me feel brand new-Stylistics
Tears of a clown... Smokey
Maria: West side story
You'll never walk alone:  Carousel
If:  Bread
Horse with no name:  America
Loggins and MEssina
Seals and crofts...
Ella Fitzgerald "love songs" album
Raindrops keep falling on my head
Say a little prayer: Bacharach
Look of love
I'll never fall in love again
Music of the night;  Phantom of the opera
Misty

there are a few ideas that I've done

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Does it cross your mind that if you don't know what music to play for dinner you probally shouldn't be playing weddings.

A true Wedding Professional would ask their client what artist the would like in their dinner music selection. Not a chat board.

Just a little help. Yani, John Tesh, Enya

No comment, I wouldn't know how to answer this. My family dinners would consist of bluegrass instrumentals,  LOL , which would not be accepted by most.

The above comment just struck me as ........ a bit too blunt & uncalled for. Sorry, but that's my opinion..... cause it seems to me, this board is EXACTLY for things like what you asked: Opinions from other people in your profession.  :wave:

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

My suggestion is either Windham Hill artists or classical. If you go classical, you want to keep to light classical like Vivaldi's four seasons. For Windham Hill artists, stay with someone like George Winston type, jazz fusion like Tangerine Dreams would probably not as good for dinner music.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

Wally, nothing wrong with the go-to dinner music guy Kenny G.

My dinner music usually consists of jazzy standards vocalists (Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, etc.) instrumental jazz (Dave Brubeck, Dave Koz, George Benson) and light contemporary vocals (Sade, Mariah Carey, Carly Simon).

Stephen had a lot of great suggestions.

Keep in mind the purpose of the music is to underscore and facilitate conversation ... so you don't want anything too "rock" or "in your face".

Let us know how it goes!

I agree, Char.  forums are to gain information and exchange ideas.  
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Taken from Dictionary.com -
fo·rum    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (fôrm, fr-)
n. pl. fo·rums, also fo·ra (fôr, fr)

The public square or marketplace of an ancient Roman city that was the assembly place for judicial activity and public business.
[highlight=deepskyblue]A public meeting place for open discussion.
A medium of open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper or a radio or television program.
A public meeting or presentation involving a discussion usually among experts and often including audience participation. [/highlight]
A court of law; a tribunal.

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All work and no play make Homer something something

TY Steve...... It just really grates on my nerves when people do that.

Like a boss that has a bad morning at home, and decides his employees are gonna pay for the mood he's in....... gosh, if someone wants to be rude for rudeness sake, more power to 'em, but then I guess we're free to state our thoughts back.

This was a legitimate thread, and a good question, I thought.

Oh, and....Hiya Steve.  :wave:

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

One thing I have learned from giving and recieving information on boards such as these is that you have to be a little thick skinned.  We can't see each other or hear one another to pick up on the things that aren't said.  I don't really think any harm was intended.  Again what we type and how we mean it are often different.

I believe that what was intended was "constructive critisisim."  Always make sure you understand exactly what the customer wants.  Instrumental to me may mean "Horse"  "Wipeout."  50's & 60's music isn't just early rock and roll.

Kelly

"Okay, return to your corners!"

Haha........ not "in a corner" over here. Heck, I don't even know Wally..... or liquidye..... just stating an opinion.

But I know what ya mean, things can be taken out of context easy too. BUT..... I've seen good people leave here- and the showcase- because of rudeness.

No harm meant by me. I just ..... have a mouth..... and it likes to speak out. (albeit through the keyboard sometimes)  I hate to see people looking for honest answers.... be made to look stupid for asking. (had that happen to me a couple times here too)  

Now I best stay out of this thread, and shush up, and let him get the answers he was looking for.  :D

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Find out if the B&G have a preference - light jazz, Rat Pack, classic ballads, etc.  I recommend John Tesh's "Movie Themes" disc often - it's very good and always goes over well.

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Sounds Great! Entertainment
Bartlett, Illinois

I agree with some kenny G, John Tesh, Nat King Cole, Carpenters etc.

I will PM you tonight with the selections I use for weddings and anniversaries. I have no problem sharing this. We all gotta learn sometime right?  :handshake:

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

I would look for some CDs by Lester Lanin . Lester had one of the great society dance bands and his music was catchy without being too overbearing.  He was very popular through the 40s, 50s, and 60s and played at many presidential inaugural balls.  I'm pretty sure you could find a couple of CDs with his music; I have a couple myself but don't remember the titles offhand.  Michael

this link does not answer your question completely but is helpful for what to play in general at weddings.

http://www.freedjamerica.com/Top_Weddin ... Songs.html

I will send other info via PM tonight

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

Holy Schnikees!  Got a little chilly in here didn't it?  brrrr...  Thanx for being in the corner there Lil Mizz and no voc.  Now, then <<spit in the bucket>>  (and in my best Stallone impersonation...)  "Just cut me Mick!"

... truthfully no harm done.

Usually the B&G do give me ideas of what they want...  And when they don't I usually resort to K.G., Fourplay, or even Dave Matthews for some dinner music...

However, as stated by a few of you very friendly folks above, I thought I would increase my knowledge with the opinions of others that are in my profession.  Never hurts to broaden my musical horizons.  I'd much rather color in my coloring book with a jumbo 64 pack of crayons than the 8 pack of basic colors.

This should give me plenty of new ideas... Thanx for everyone's input, appreciate it!

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---wallyd

Haha.... sorry, I tend to jump in at times where I don't belong.

Hope all goes well at the wedding for ya.... you're getting alot of good advice here from *people who are in the know*.  I'm sure it will all be fine, and they'll be happy with what you do.  :wave:

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

one wedding I did I forgot to bring dinner music for some reason so I used
My Karaoke tracks for the dinner music.

After all they are "Instrumental" it worked out great and nobody knew the difference.
The answer is sometimes closer than you think.

Just my 2 Cents

Flipper, that list you posted has about $10,000 worth of music in it, at least.

If it's the grooms second marriage, I'd try the I-95 song.

Good suggestion Mr. O.

I always asked the couple their musical preference for the different segments of the party.   And I usually get them to provide the stuff they really want to here.    Most of the time it's stuff they already own.     I have bought some things I didn't have for a special event.    For $100 an hour, it's the least I could do.