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Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 1:53 pm
by captainhaddock
Thanks for that !

Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 5:50 pm
by des mcneill
noelford wrote:Yep! Astounding it certainly is – a musical tour-de force and I really liked it. But, do you know what? - in the end, I still prefer the the simple melodic version as played by the Shads.


For my taste "astounding",- but not in a good way. The Shads played this beautiful tune with tone,feeling, and expression. Had I heard the other version all those years ago I would have done my best to forget it rather than remember it.

Des.

Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 6:09 pm
by noelford
It really depends on whether you like modern jazz. If you do then you will almost certainly like that version and if you don't, you will hate it! Having said all that, although I do enjoy the odd helping of jazz, I still very much prefer the Shads' treatment of that melody.

Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:55 am
by Bruce Cramley
Hi Des,

Some years ago, Ade, a well known member of the Shadows community, who sadly is no longer with us, had posted the original piano sheet music of "Sweet Dreams" by Bill McGuffie.

I was curious to hear what the original composition sounded like, but I’m not a piano player so I entered the piano score note-by-note into a music notation program and produced a MIDI file. This is just a simple MIDI file without any expression or dynamics, but at least you can hear the original song and arrangement.

The Shadows' arrangement is melodically and rhythmically faithfull to the original, but departs from the original through the use of "simple" or normal chords instead of the written "jazz" chords (eg. maj7ths, 13ths, 7b5b9, etc). It is also interesting to note that the original contains a repeat, which is marked on the sheet music as optional".

Hope this helps,
bruce

http://www.4shared.com/audio/OtRKQtMV/S ... piano.html

Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:37 pm
by des mcneill
Hi Bruce,
I appreciate your post and am impressed the Shads stuck to the original so faithfully. Such a beautiful melody doesn't deserve to be turned into a demonstration of someone's technical ability.

Des.

Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:04 am
by JimN
UlrichS wrote:Sweet Dreams in the Shadows' version written by Bill McGuffie has a copyright date of 1962 referring to the sheet music.

Quite some time ago there was a sheet music for auction on eBay with the name Sweet September which was written by Bill McGuffie and some others which I could not identify. On the sheet music there was a list of recording artists given: The Shadows, Pete Jolly (?) Trio, Bill Evans & his Orchestra and the Bill McGuffie Quartett.

As the Shadows are listed it will be the same composition, but as there are more people listed as writers of the tune could it be that Sweet September is used for a vocal version?

Ulrich


I know I'm answering a post from some years ago, but i thought Ulrich might not have had an answer to his enquiries.

The tune Sweet September is indeed exactly the same piece of music as Sweet Dreams by The Shadows.

The Pete Jolly version was released in 1964 as an LP track.

You can hear the piece at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHtuzFPx0cw

It's a pretty impressive rendition.

The recording by Bill Evans (there's a name to conjure with) had been released in 1963 on an LP and perhaps surprisingly, was a pretty straight ahead interpretation, given that Bill was the pianist on classic cool school tracks like Miles Davis's So What ("Kind Of Blue" album).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd_jQ9WQD_c

There are two recordings on YouTube credited to Bill McGuffie, but they are both by Bill Evans.

But... there's a very nice version by Joe Pass, played on an electric 12-string:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMPhFu6M9AY

I really like that one.

Lastly, but not least, there's an astounding Four Freshmen-styled version by Australia's The Strangers, including John Farrar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9HGvOOwQUo

It really is just a great tune.

Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 6:23 am
by Moderne
Thanks Jim! The Bill Evans version of Sweet September which you posted a link to, is accompanied by Claus Ogerman's orchestra...another Shadows connection, 'cos it was he who wrote Stingray!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V0HzQmb6QU

Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 7:02 am
by Tigerdaisy
Yes, one of the Shadows best melodies for sure and one of the perhaps half a dozen Shadows melodies I bothered to learn myself, plus the similar number 'Blue Star'. I liked the last version in previous post, although it would have been better done and possibly a big hit by the Beach Boys.
I never realised it was supposed to be 'hard' to play- oddly it is one of the numbers I like to play most! To me it typifies the Shadows type of thing.

Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 7:05 am
by Iain Purdon
Since this thread has emerged once more, I offer Sweet Dreams as a challenge to all club bands. It does take a bit of learning but it will be very satisfying for the players to perform. It may even delight the audience!

Re: Sweet Dreams

PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 8:52 am
by artyman
It's a tune that I play at the South Coast Shadows Club from time to time. Seems strange hearing a jazz style piano versions