'Hair' backing tracks

[priortec]

Hi, We are staging Hair in december and considering the viability of using backing tracks for the songs, probably reinforced with some live instruments, as opposed to full band. Problem is locating anything useable and cost effective. Can anyone help? (6th form college) :D

[SoLiEn]

Make sure you can get the rights to this before you go any further, otherwise you could get yourselves in serious trouble. A call to Josef Weinberger will solve that first problem.

[paulears]

If you want it to sound good as a mixed recorded and live production, then you need to record the tracks yourself so you can have just what you want. Most schools and colleges have the kit for this nowadays, so get the dots, and record it exactly as you need it. I doubt that you'll find Hair tracks off the shelf. Even finding a cast willing to strip off is usually enough to not put this show on the top of the list - and the music is rather dated at best. Not too many catchy songs really. The only thing that made this a box office hit was the lack of clothes - which should be interesting in an educational setting. If you cut the nudity, then there's not really very much left, and Jesus Christ Superstar was a much better early rock musical.

[billy jim]

Is it bad that I hope the OP meant Hairspray?!

[Boltonguy]

Try www.karaoke-version.com they have a couple of custom backing tracks you can take some instruments out of

[Ynot]

Is it bad that I hope the OP meant Hairspray?!

I'd say it would be a pretty likely error on the OP's part.

Hairspray to me would be a FAR better bet for a school show...!

[paulears]

I don't know - but you'd get shot doing the show photos! I can imagine the students actually wanting to do it, but as for the staff? CRB checks might be mandatory for the audience, let alone the staff!

[Andrew C]

If you don't know it, there is one song that goes:

 

So***y, fe*****o, cu********s, pe******y,

father why do these words sound so nasty?

Ma*********n can be fun

join the holy chorus

Kama Sutra everyone!

 

I'd love to see it done in a school!

 

PS, Yes, when I first heard it I did have to look up some of those words. I was about 14.

[rossmck]

I will never view the word "chorus" the same way having seen what you just used it in substitution from ;)

 

A college/university production, yes, but in a high school there's some scenes that they may consider a little inappropriate... and one that'd probably be downright illegal ; )

[paulears]

Well, I guess we're all hoping they really mean 'hairspray'. Being serious for a mo, the thing I always find very difficult when I've been going to schools and colleges is where they take a great show, and sanitise it, and then do it with kids far too young. It's not just this kind of show - things like Cabaret. Fair enough, we have the title number, but the rest of it is dark and doesn't really fit 14-16 year olds. Even some of the popular ones get savagely cut. I got asked to play in the band for one, as they didn't have enough musicians in the school (sad, really). When they told me what it was A Slice of Saturday Night - I wondered? Yep - premature ejac... one of the best numbers, cut! as was quite a lot of the dialogue.

 

Even shows like Chicago can be cringeworthy - a pile of girls sitting backwards and gyrating awkwardly in revealing costumes far, far too old for them is so common.

 

A few youngsters can do sleazy - but frankly - most can't.

 

Hair was a period piece - a kind of musical turning point after the usual cloths and chorus material that preceded it. No problem with recreating it, but so much would need to be cut, would there actually be anything left?

 

So could be worth waiting a while then Googling for Prior Pursglove 6th Form College, Guisborough, Cleveland and prison!

[priortec]

Make sure you can get the rights to this before you go any further, otherwise you could get yourselves in serious trouble. A call to Josef Weinberger will solve that first problem.

 

Thanks for the concern but we have been in this game a good while so we do know about rights. All is done according to the book.

 

There is in fact no nudity in the original script. I am told it was purely an invention for the stage show.

The director has cut some material and songs that might be offensive and we shall definitely not have any nudity. I'm not concerned with the inherent dramatic or artistic values of the show. My job is to design and build the set, light it and make sure the sound is OK. There are 'off-the -shelf' tracks available but the best place for them is back on the shelf as far as I can tell! I think we will go for full live band as the best option.

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Well, I guess we're all hoping they really mean 'hairspray'. Being serious for a mo, the thing I always find very difficult when I've been going to schools and colleges is where they take a great show, and sanitise it, and then do it with kids far too young. It's not just this kind of show - things like Cabaret. Fair enough, we have the title number, but the rest of it is dark and doesn't really fit 14-16 year olds. Even some of the popular ones get savagely cut. I got asked to play in the band for one, as they didn't have enough musicians in the school (sad, really). When they told me what it was A Slice of Saturday Night - I wondered? Yep - premature ejac... one of the best numbers, cut! as was quite a lot of the dialogue.

 

Even shows like Chicago can be cringeworthy - a pile of girls sitting backwards and gyrating awkwardly in revealing costumes far, far too old for them is so common.

 

A few youngsters can do sleazy - but frankly - most can't.

 

Hair was a period piece - a kind of musical turning point after the usual cloths and chorus material that preceded it. No problem with recreating it, but so much would need to be cut, would there actually be anything left?

 

So could be worth waiting a while then Googling for Prior Pursglove 6th Form College, Guisborough, Cleveland and prison!

 

Thanks for your comments. I am amazed at the varied responses to what I thought was a simple query. A lot of assumptions have been made about how we are doing the show. It will be performed by 16-19 year old students. They are patently not professional actors but never will be unless they are given the opportunity to develop their craft. We have to accept it will not be 'West-End' standard but I'll bet they get a lot out of doing it.

 

My job a technician is to design and build the set, light it and make sure everything can be heard. I don't need to defend the choice of show as it was not my responsibility. But. Last year we did 'Rent'. Now that really did not have anything going for it musically and there was also some challenging content. However the cast and band were enthusiastic and committed and pulled off a really good show. Hair may be dated but the songs are on a different plane to the stuff in Rent don't you think? Also I would stick my neck out and say it could be argued that Hair has some relevance to contemporary international conflict issues. But as I say all I need to worry about is how it looks and sounds. I can't be jailed for that can I? :** laughs out loud **:

[Andrew C]

Shame Cleveland is so far away.

 

It is a show I like (not JUST for that scene), and I'd like to see it on stage (again).

[SoLiEn]

Sorry just because you have been in the game for a long time doesnt mean its always done by the book. there are various shows not on general release at the moment, that schools and colleges and amdrams are putting on, withoutthe proper rights. I dont know if hair is on a pre-release, but from what I know at the mo it certainly isnt on general release. I know of a well known famous drama school that puts on a technically illegal production every year, big scale too and got fined a year or few ago and have kept doing it. Not having a go, but as im sure you are aware as you have been doing it for a long time, can never be too careful!!

 

Wish you luck, and isecond whoever said you should record your own tracks, sounds sooo much better than a midi track or one with a vocal remove.

[dbuckley]

There are 'off-the -shelf' tracks available but the best place for them is back on the shelf as far as I can tell! I think we will go for full live band as the best option.

As Paul noted a long way above, you can record your own part-backing tracks, and that is a good way to expand the range of instruments portrayed whilst keeping the band size (and all the stuff that goes with more musicians) under control.

[Ynot]

s Paul noted a long way above, you can record your own part-backing tracks, ..........

Although I seem to recall that some (indeed many) rights holders include the clause that stipulates that LIVE musicians of type A, B and C through to J must be used to perform the music to accompany the performances - pre-recorded backing tracks (whether yours or third party) are in those cases not 'allowed'.