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From classical to pop, join the discussion on our Music forum.

Music

Alternative / non-mainstream wedding songs- help needed!

40 replies

lowrib · 22/01/2010 10:22

I need to put together a playlist of alternative songs for a wedding. I'm looking for stuff all based around the theme of weddings / love, but the couple are really into music, and like all sorts of alternative stuff but HATE mainstream music.

So the kind of stuff they like is

Ska, rock, rock n roll, rockabilly, hardcore, jungle, reggae, blues, psychedelic, gypsy, punk etc
e.g. Jimi Hendrix / Seasick Steve / the Specials / Ella Fitzgerald / Nina Simone / Pink Floyd / the beatles / the Ramones / the Progidy / Gogol Bordello and more obscure stuff
Really inappropriate comedy stuff would be great too (e.g. I married a monster from outer space)

They would hate anything mainstream / chart pop like Whitney Houston / Phil Collins / Celine Dion etc

I've got quite a few, but need lots more, and I'm running out of ideas!

So, oh wise mumsnetters, what would you choose?

TIA

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lowrib · 22/01/2010 10:43

Here are some I've got so far

Ella Fitzgerald - Fever

johnny cash - ring of fire

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lowrib · 22/01/2010 10:45

The Beatles - When I'm 64

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weegiemum · 22/01/2010 10:45

We were at a wedding this year where the bride and groom came back up the aisle to "When I'm 64", and another a year before that when the music of choice was "500 Miles" by the Proclaimers. Good lyrics!

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lowrib · 22/01/2010 10:48

John Lee Hooker - I'm in the Mood

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cyteen · 22/01/2010 10:48

Susan Cadogan - Congratulations. Really sweet reggae tune

The Specials - Stupid Marriage

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cyteen · 22/01/2010 10:51

Chuck Berry - You Can Never Tell

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cyteen · 22/01/2010 10:53

By the way, I am totally going to nick this idea for my own wedding in September

Will go through my CDs this evening and find some more.

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wukter · 22/01/2010 10:55

I am like that bride, and in fact my fiance is worse.
This is a few we have:
10 story love song - stone roses - a definite
Ship song - nick cave
My baby just cares for me - Nina Simone
Whole Wide World - can't remember, a lovelorn punky thing

INAPPROPRIATE SECTION
Too drunk to fuck - Nouvelle Vague version (poss last song of night as nudge wink - Probably not at all)
Too much too young - the specials

Sorry I can't provide links as connection is terrible and laptop will crash. I'm sure they will be all on YouTube though.

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cyteen · 22/01/2010 10:56

Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To Fuck?

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wukter · 22/01/2010 11:13

Yes, Cyteen, but I like the Nouvelle vague version.
Have you heard it? It's brilliant, I think it's her sweet voice give such, er, resonance to the lyrics.
Depends how informal a wedding it is though .

OP - my DP wants an acoustic version of "You shook me all night long" for the first dance.
What about my aged aunts?? They all have bad hearts.

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cyteen · 22/01/2010 11:19

Radiohead - All I Need

The Meters - Darling, Darling, Darling. One of my favourite love songs ever, simple, direct and FUNKY.

Reverend Horton Heat - You Can't Get Away From Me

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CMOTdibbler · 22/01/2010 11:23

Friends of mine walked back down the aisle to the orchestral version of Metallicas Nothing Else Matters

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cyteen · 22/01/2010 11:32

We're considering this for a first dance: Mazzy Star - Fade Into You

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lowrib · 22/01/2010 11:33

What brilliant suggestions, thanks everyone
I'm off to have a listen.

Too drunk to fuck - hee hee - a great version too!

It's quite a traditional wedding in some ways, but it's non-religious and most of the older generation are ageing hippies pretty open minded.

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wukter · 22/01/2010 11:35

Oh, Mazzy Star...that'd be gorgeous.

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TarkaLiotta · 22/01/2010 11:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sunshinemummy · 22/01/2010 12:12

Not sure if this is their bag at all but if I'd walked down an aisle when I got married I'd like to have done it to Arrival by Abba.

Others:

Beyond Love - The The
Say it Again - Sweet Linda Devine (if you haven't heard this please get hold of a copy as it's amazing)
I bet you look good on the dance floor - The Baby Charles version not the Arctic Monkeys one

If The Proclaimers interest you Sunshine on Leith is a wonderful song. Lyrics below:

My heart was broken, my heart was broken
Sorrow Sorrow Sorrow Sorrow
My heart was broken, my heart was broken

You saw it, You claimed it
You touched it, You saved it

My tears are drying, my tears are drying
Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou
My tears are drying, my tears are drying

Your beauty and kindness
Made tears clear my blindness
While I'm worth my room on this earth
I will be with you
While the Chief, puts Sunshine On Leith
I'll thank him for his work
And your birth and my birth.

My heart was broken, my heart was broken
Sorrow Sorrow Sorrow Sorrow
My heart was broken, my heart was broken

While I'm worth my room on this earth
I will be with you
While the Chief, puts Sunshine On Leith
I'll thank him for his work
And your birth and my birth.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

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cyteen · 22/01/2010 12:18

lol Tarka. Someone on another forum I use walked out to the A Team theme tune

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lurkingdad · 22/01/2010 21:58

not very alternative but Depeche Mode's "Somebody" was our first dance and when I played it to DW and she read the lyrics I made her cry. I particularly like bits like like

Though my views may be wrong
They may even be perverted
She'll hear me out
And won't easily be converted
To my way of thinking
In fact she'll often disagree
But at the end of it all
She will understand me

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hoppybird · 23/01/2010 00:50

We put together our own playlist for the reception and included quite a number of non-mainstream things to our taste (although we did slightly pander to our older guests as well, with typical things like Madness 'It must be Love'.

We signed the register to 'Songs of Love' Divine Comedy and our exit song was Be Mine - REM

We attended a wedding where the exit music was Madness 'Wings of a Dove' (A Celebratory Song) - that was excellent and very smile-inducing.

How about:

Something Changed - Pulp

'Close to Me' The Cure - many Cure songs would be good.

In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel

I'll be Your Mirror - Velvet UnderGround and Nico

Wined and Dined - Syd Barrett

'Somewhere that's Green' from Little Shop of Horrors

'White Wedding' Billy Idol (but is that too obvious)?

Hope my suggestions aren't too mainstream.

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SolidGoldBrass · 23/01/2010 01:38

This is one of my favourite love songs.
Or how about some WHite Stripes? Fell IN Love WIth A Girl, maybe?

Ooh, if they are my sort of age (over 40) they might love this too.

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SolidGoldBrass · 23/01/2010 01:39

Ooh, and before I forget, Whole Wide WOrld is
by Wreckless Eric.

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hoppybird · 23/01/2010 09:14

www.Love Tattoo - Imelda May

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cyteen · 23/01/2010 14:05

Dinosaur Jr's cover of Just Like Heaven

Some vintage Bowie - The Prettiest Star

Melvins - The Mechanical Bride

Pigeonhed - Her

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lowrib · 24/01/2010 19:27

Great stuff, thanks everyone lots of good tunes here.

Sunshinemummy we know that song very well! DP supports Hibs, so more used to hearing it like this

It's a very strange song to sing when you've just won something though IMO!

There's also the Proclaimers 'lets get married' of course.

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