This post deals with an imaginary Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band unplugged concert. An unplugged concert consists of no electronic instruments so I envision piano, acoustic guitars, acoustic bass, drums, organ (non-electric) and possibly other non-electronic keyboard instruments used for this concert. This concert would use a non-electric organ that produces a sound as close as possible to that of an electric organ (if one exists). I will now describe how some Bob Seger songs could be done in an unplugged format for this concert.
Hollywood Nights
The intro would be extended played on the piano sticking to the melody with some improvisation from Craig Frost (Silver Bullet Band keyboardist) who’d be joined soon by the other instruments.
Sometimes
This version would start off with the piano, be joined a few seconds later by the organ and few seconds after that by the other instruments. The piano would be more prominent in this version and there’d be an organ solo instead of the guitar solo.
Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man
This version would have the strong organ presence as before, but it’d be a bit slower and have the addition of a piano. After the first chorus there’d be a saxophone solo by Alto Reed (Silver Bullet Band saxophonist). After the second chorus there’d be a rocking piano solo followed by the chorus one more time and the singing part at the end of the “Live Bullet” version. This would probably be the longest version of ‘Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man’.
Old Time Rock & Roll
This would be a piano solo version where Bob plays piano (as I’d like to see Bob play more rock music on the piano) featuring piano solos in place of the guitar & sax solos and Bob would ask the audience to clap in the section of the song where it’s just the drums and singing in the original version.
Her Strut
The original version had only electric guitars and I would have liked it if it had keyboards as well so I imagine this version starting off on acoustic guitars followed by Craig Frost’s piano a few seconds later that becomes the main instrument. This version would be a bit slower than the original and feature organ as well. I would love hearing a piano-driven unplugged version of ‘Her Strut’. Bob would play his guitar solo on acoustic guitar which would be followed by a piano solo. In the section just before the singing part at the end it would be piano only with subtle improvisation from Craig and then the other instruments would join in.
Sunspot Baby
This version would have the addition of an organ. The guitar solo in the middle of the song would be re-done as a piano solo and the solo at the end would be re-done as an organ solo.
Till It Shines
In this version the piano would recreate the special electric guitar notes from the studio version with the guitar solo two minutes into the song re-done as a piano solo and the end section would be going back and forth between the piano and the acoustic guitar.
Feel Like a Number
This version would start off with guitars and organ like the original and would have an organ solo instead of the guitar solo.
Miami & The Fire Inside
These songs should be included as due to them featuring acoustic guitar, it would be played with the same set of instruments (aside from the synthesizers on ‘Miami’), but allowing the usual room for changes in a live version. Bob would play piano on ‘Miami’ as he played piano on the studio version of that song.
Even Now
The main difference in the arrangement would be the replacement of the electric guitar with the acoustic guitar.
The Famous Final Scene
This version would be a bit slower with the main difference being no electric guitars and strings.
I hope you enjoyed this post. I didn’t include the number of songs that would be featured in a normal concert as it would go on too long. I might write another post at some stage giving more songs that could be performed at a Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band Unplugged show. I would enjoy hearing readers give their thoughts on the unplugged songs I chose as well as ideas on how other Bob Seger songs could be performed unplugged.
