31st Season of the Ukulele - We're gonna make it RAIN!

uke4ia

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WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT RAIN UP IN THIS JOINT!


We already had a week for sunshine songs. This week, we're gonna break whatever droughts are still going on and fill this place with rain!

I want songs about rain. Little drizzles, torrential downpours, and everything in between. Songs about wanting it to rain because it's too dry. All good.

Eligible Songs:

All songs with "rain", "rains", or "rainy" in the title are okay, even if the lyrics don't mention rain. Songs that are about rain are okay, even if the title doesn't mention rain. Songs focused on other related words such as "storm", "thunder", "lightning", "shower", "rainbow" are only okay if the lyrics make it clear there's rain involved. Rainless songs using these words as a metaphor for something else, like being struck by lightning as a metaphor for falling in love, are not okay. Here's some examples.

Okay:

Love Reign O'er Me - The Who
Umbrella - Rihanna
Here Comes the Flood - Peter Gabriel
Shower the People - James Taylor (but only if you sing the part at the end about "Make it rain")

Not Okay:

Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
Lightning Strikes - Lou Christie
Riders on the Storm - The Doors
Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Iz

In addition, "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and "Pennies from Heaven" are specifically banned for this week. Too obvious. I want you to dig deeper.

Rules:

  • The video must be a new video recorded for this contest.
  • The video must show the song performed in a single take. The ukulele must be the central instrument. No multitracking.
  • The video must say at the beginning or end that it is for the 31st Season of the Ukulele. If you forget to say it when you do your best take of the song, it is okay to insert a short separate video clip that says this.
  • Videos must be posted to this thread.
  • The contest ends at midnight Hawaiian time on Sunday night, September 23.
Judging:

Three winners will be chosen randomly. Each person who submits an eligible entry will get one entry in the drawing. If I can come up with a way to do this and get a random result, I will use Eisley Rabbit to choose the winners. For example, putting all the names on paper and seeing which ones he chews on first. If this doesn't work, my daughter Molly will pick the names out of my Fluke gig bag.

Bonus songs will not improve your chances of winning, but they will earn you the adulation of your peers. If Ukeval or anyone else wants to do a progressive rock song that maybe doesn't include rain, I will happily accept these.

The Fabulous Prizes:

The first place winner will get first choice of the three prizes, the second place winner will get to choose from the remaining two, the third place winner gets what's left.

Prize 1: A "Warning: I have a ukulele and I know how to use it!" T-shirt from Zazzle.com:
warning_i_have_a_ukulele_and_i_know_how_to_use_it_tshirt-p235409567669952805en7rf_525.jpg

Prize 2: A "Ukes, Not Nukes" T-shirt from the Bad Machinery web comic strip by way of Topatoco.com:
Ukes not Nukes.jpg

Prize 3: A Snark ukulele tuner, and the Easy Star All-Stars CD "Dub Side of the Moon", which is a 2003 reggae version of the entire Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" album performed by artists on the Easy Star label.





Instead of a theme post, here's an example song to get you started. Even by my standards, this is an obscure song, so I can assume none of you would have played it. But it's a song I like a lot, by a band called Strange Cave. In 1987, Musician magazine held a contest to find the "Best Unsigned Bands", then later put out a CD of songs by the winners called "Best of the BUBs". As far as I know, that's the only place this song has been available.


I will try to update the playlists promptly. The operative word being "try".

ENTRIES PLAYLIST:

31st Season entries

BONUS SONG PLAYLIST:

31st Season Bonus Songs
 
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YEAH!! I'm the first entry!! Obviously I am distracted by my kids but I was determined to be first!! Now on to the bonus songs

 
Ooooh I think I've got one! That is, if it ever cools down enough for me to turn the fan off and get it recorded. High of 102 today with no relief in sight... I could use some rain!
 
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YEAH!! I'm the first entry!! Obviously I am distracted by my kids but I was determined to be first!! Now on to the bonus songs



Nice one, nongdam! A nice tribute to the recently departed Robin Gibb. And hello again to Nicole.

Now let's give Janeray1940 a downpour! I'm hoping this week will inspire me to finish a song about a rainmaker that I've had sitting around for a while (meaning years).
 
Great job on the video nongdam.. Love your little girl video bombing you! Ha! Beautiful playing..
I think after 31 seasons Ifinally figured out what's going on with these contests.. :)
So much fun! Good luck everyone!
 
Hey everyone! Here's my entry this week. I was able to do this on the first take so that's why it was posted so quickly. As for the 29th season, I will make a video either tonight or tomorrow andf announce the winners. Sorry, next time I will wait until I have nothing going on to judge a week. This week was just so crazy.

 
Hey everyone! Here's my entry this week. I was able to do this on the first take so that's why it was posted so quickly. As for the 29th season, I will make a video either tonight or tomorrow andf announce the winners. Sorry, next time I will wait until I have nothing going on to judge a week. This week was just so crazy.



WooHoo! Two videos in the first two hours! Thanks, 29moons! Some good ol' Creedence. I wish I could sing as high as you can.

The first two songs to be posted both had titles that are questions. Offhand, I can think of two more rain songs with question titles. One of which should be obvious after hearing 29moons' song.
 
Nice one, nongdam! A nice tribute to the recently departed Robin Gibb. And hello again to Nicole.

Now let's give Janeray1940 a downpour! I'm hoping this week will inspire me to finish a song about a rainmaker that I've had sitting around for a while (meaning years).

I was thinking about this song for Guilty Pleasure Week as TCW's was ABBA, their contemporary. However, it didn't seem like a guilty pleasure as I don't know of anyone who doesn't like Bee Gees!!! I really like this week as I thought of a couple of singers / groups that I like that have rain lyrics...Prince anyone?
 
We break to bring you this important message from 29moons - The winners for week 29 have been posted on the week 29 thread. We now continiue with week 31.
 
Seriously!? the BeeGees. That ROCKS. I love that man. I like it that there is a question song and daughters in the first two on the first night. AWESOME!

YEAH!! I'm the first entry!! Obviously I am distracted by my kids but I was determined to be first!! Now on to the bonus songs

 
Hey everyone! Here's my entry this week. I was able to do this on the first take so that's why it was posted so quickly. As for the 29th season, I will make a video either tonight or tomorrow andf announce the winners. Sorry, next time I will wait until I have nothing going on to judge a week. This week was just so crazy.



Man, Uke4ia is right...If I can sing as high as you, the song choice becomes limitless. Great job!
 
Originally Posted by nongdam
YEAH!! I'm the first entry!! Obviously I am distracted by my kids but I was determined to be first!! Now on to the bonus songs

"how deep is your love" is one of my favourites - you sang it & played it so well that i want to learn to play it now, but the chords look TOUGH! Your kids' involvement made the whole video just perfect :)


Originally Posted by 29moons
Hey everyone! Here's my entry this week

it's great how you can reach all those high notes and with confidence! The tune is very catchy.
 
First Choice Song was already posted so here is my second choice
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (Season 31 Rain)

 
First Choice Song was already posted so here is my second choice
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (Season 31 Rain)



The rules for this week say that this song and "Pennies from Heaven" are specifically banned for the week, because they are too obvious for uke players. Sorry, but this can only be a bonus song. A good version, though.
 
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I think it's gonna rain today.


Holy cow, Rob! How is it possible that I've never heard this song before? I looked it up after watching the video. It's by Randy Newman, and this is a partial list of people who've recorded covers of it: Bette Midler, Norah Jones, Peter Gabriel, Joe Cocker, Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield, UB40, Judy Collins, Neil Diamond, Audra McDonald, Katie Melua, Madeleine Peyroux, Helen Reddy, Mama Cass Elliott, Peggy Lee, Irma Thomas, and wee ginga yin.
 
Ah didn't see that --- no matter it's all for the fun of it. Someone already took the song
i originally wanted to do. Will have to see what else i can scour and find as am getting
ready to go down the road again in the morning.
 
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