20 Bands/Songs My Dad Got Me Into
Brief backstory...
Before I was The Pop-Punk Dad, I was the hair metal kid. When we are all toddlers our parents teach us fundamental life lessons that we will carry on one day. One of my first life lessons from my dad wasn't how to throw a baseball, or tie my shoes (that came much later.) It was that "Your voice is an instrument. Practice it." I didn't know what the fuck that meant. I was like 5.
“YOUR VOICE IS AN INSTRUMENT, PRACTICE IT.” - My Dad
As I've said before, my brothers and I grew up in a house surrounded by music. We were tearing down lighting racks and setting up 18 channel PA systems with a crossover before anyone else our age sang Jingle Bells in front of the school in kindergarten.
Before us, for years my dad had bands with friends. Since he had the PA system, the lighting stuff and coaxed my mom into it, our house was the place to practice. Even at the ages of 3, 5 and 6 I remember my brothers and I to falling asleep on each other watching my dad's bands practice in our basement and singing along to the songs.
Then just a few years later while other kids were listening to that shitty fucking Millions of Peaches song and Ice Ice Baby, we picked up our own instruments and started playing The Beatles and Van Halen at ages 8, 7 and 5.
I could never sit down and write down ALL of the songs I've ever learned and all of the bands that my dad has gotten me into over the years, but this is just some of the set list, and some of the songs that we practiced and played. These songs pretty much gave me my chops.
Jump - Van Halen
Before I played bass guitar, I only played keyboards. One of the first patches any keyboard player finds is the synth patch. One of the first song they try to learn is this one. We played this song in bars when I was only 12 years old.
Europe - The Final Countdown
My dad collected a lot of vinyls and VHS tapes that were from bands. My dad owned "Europe- The Final Countdown Tour 1987". He wore the son of a bitch out. It warped, it rippled, thank fuck for YouTube is all I'm saying. Later when I got a KORG N5 I found a patch for the keyboard sound to this song.
This was the first song that I was allowed to have a microphone. I sucked at singing. Nothing much has changed. Just kidding. I've gotten a lot better. But it was also the first song that we implemented four part harmony. Mind you we were 6, 8 and 10 years old. Oh also my dad, he was like 45 or something.
We've Got To Get Out of This Place - The Animals
I know what you're thinking. "Finally a punk a band." This isn't punk? Seriously listen to the fucking words. They didn't have the fast beat then you dick. Okay. You take any of their songs. And turn it fast. Ta-fucking-Da. The Animals were a punk band before their time. I'm putting my flag on that shit. Be Misunderstood. House of the Rising Sun (Oh you shits know that one.)
Anyways. This was the first song I learned how to play on a bass preset when my grandparents bought me a SECOND keyboard. My dad went out, bought me a bass amp, and my second keyboard became the bass guitar preset. (Before I could learn how to play.)
Runaway - Del Shannon
I'm taking it back to 1961 with this song. I know some of them kind of old. This was the first song I ever had a solo on. My dad took me through it note for note the way he did on an old reel to reel that he had. He had zero patience with me in every other field except this.
1000 Miles From Nowhere - Dwight Yoakam
This isn't a typo. This is correct. We actually had quite a few country/folk songs in our set list. And Dwight is pretty bad ass. He's old school, he can act, he writes his own songs, he plays his own songs, and we actually owned this cassette tape.
Baby Blue - Badfinger
At the age of 10 and learning this song by ear with an accompanying 3 part harmony the amount of chord changes in this song I remember being a mind fuck. It transposes twice, does this weird thing in the bridge/solo thing. But I remember being proud of myself once I got it down and was able to play it. Now that I listen back at it, I do a similar transpose in the bridge of a song that I wrote with the 5th of a chord. And yes, this is the song from Breaking Bad.
Winger - Miles Away
Now we didn't actually play this song but I used to carry this hand held cassette player that took D batteries around and wore this song the fuck out. Everyone knew the words to this song even if they didn't want to. I think I was like 4 because I don't remember this.
She's Not There - The Zombies
Another band that I'm kind of convinced is a punk band. For some reason in recent years this song has been the forefront to a lot of campaign ads, commercials and leading female action movie trailers. Don't ask me why, could be me, but I feel like I hear it everywhere.
Anyways, this song was one of the first songs we had on our set lists. Probably sinces the chord progression is so damn easy.
Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum
Back to my KORG N5. There was a patch called White Shade. I punched it in, and 3 hours later without internet my dad figured out the song and we were playing it. The next day in school (internet.) After 2 hours, 25 minutes and 14 seconds EXACTLY (I remember, I was there) of dialing up to the internet, I printed off the lyrics, and low and behold. Song.
Boston - Piece of Mind
Another song that we never actually covered. But when my dad talked to people about "My boys" he always said we played "Journey, Foreigner, Boston, and Kansas". We never played a Boston song, ever. But when I think back to a song I would've wanted to play, it would've been this one, who wouldn't?
Chasing Shadows - Kansas
Speaking of "The Big 4" (JFBK). When most people think about the band Kansas, they think about one song. "Carry on my Wayward Son." Not going to lie, I do as well. That or "Dust in the Wind". A really awesome song that we found on a VHS tape that went missing years back was a song called "Chasing Shadows." We were kind of sheltered. Didn't have a computer until I was in 8th grade, didn't go to record shops and what not. So looking for this ONE SONG, we assumed it to be dead. Until years later when it bugge