All posts by Tom Gentry

Hang On Sloopy

Originally called “My Girl Sloopy,” this tune reached No.26 on the charts for the Vibrations in 1964. The McCoys had a No.1 hit with it the next year. By one account, the inspiration for the song was Dorothy Sloop, a jazz singer from Steubenville, Ohio—also the birthplace of Dean Martin—and a student at Ohio University. The Ohio State University marching band, which bills itself as The Best Damn Band in the Land, first played the song in October of 1965 and has made it a staple ever since. Try this most fun song with your group. Your audiences would probably enjoy singing along with you!

Something

There are not many prettier or more heartfelt songs than this Beatles’ love ballad. While most of the group’s tunes were written by the duo of Lennon and McCartney, this song was penned by lead guitarist George Harrison. This arrangement is probably good for contest but could possibly incur a small penalty. Hey, it would be worth it to perform such a lovely song!

Aquarius

The biggest hit from the musical Hair, this powerful song offers us hope still today. By the way, my college girlfriend and I saw the Broadway production back in 1969. When the cast invited any interested audience members to dance the finale with them on stage, up we went. So, yes, I have danced on the Broadway stage. You may touch the hem of my bell-bottoms the next time you see me. . . .

Instrument of Peace

Patterned after the inspirational version sung by the Canadian Tenors, this song is purely beautiful. One might think of it as being similar to “Let There Be Peace on Earth” but with more specifics included. Such lyrics as “Where there is darkness, let me bring light” and “Where there Is hatred, let me bring love” show that one person can make a difference in this sometimes perilous world. Right now this chart is exclusive to the Scotianaires, but it will shake loose in a couple of years, so do keep a lookout for it—peacefully, of course. . . .

You Walk with Me

This beautiful tempo ballad comes from the Broadway musical version of The Full Monty. At first hearing, I assumed it was a religious piece. While “You Walk with Me” certainly can be sung that way, in the musical it is sung by two people who love each other. Do yourself a favor and look this song up, whether through a preview from me or simply online.

I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire

When well-known barbershopper Darryl Flinn first heard my current quartet, Lock 4, he remarked on what a fine voice our lead, Keith, had and declared him to be the lost Ink Spot. So naturally I went back and arranged Keith’s favorite Ink Spot song. The piece lives more vividly with guitar accompaniment, and there is even a traditional, uh, spot for a bass recitation.
By the way, our quartet’s name has a double meaning. The Ohio & Erie Canal came through Akron back in the day, and of course we barbershoppers love to lock and ring those chords!

Stairway to Heaven

What? You don’t have a Led Zeppelin song in your repertoire? Well, isn’t it high time you got one? The answer is, maybe. For one thing, this arrangement requires an extra soloist or two, making it better suited to a chorus than quartet. Also, many of the tricky instrumental effects are reproduced vocally, making this piece very . . . not easy. But if your group can pull it off, your audiences are bound to go bonkers!

New Old Songs Medley

This one is rather tough to describe. For one thing, it does not exist yet—at least not in a completed form. The gag is pairing the lyrics from songs by the Beatles, Rolling Stones and so on with the melodies of much older songs. Some examples of the latter are “Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland,” “After the Ball” and “I Got Rhythm.” The hope is to pleasantly scramble your audiences’ brain waves (maybe you own also). If you are interested in this weird concept, do give me a holler.

All Night Long

The wonderful Chilton Price wrote this spicy song. Though no more than R rated, the song makes its meaning clear. Ms. Price’s biggest hit was “You Belong to Me.” She composed the latter song alone, though a couple of the band members who introduced the piece wangled their way into a share of the compensation. This practice has not been at all rare. Hey, do you think Elvis really wrote “Love Me Tender”?

We Rise Again

This song of resilience and hope was composed by Leon Dubinsky, a songwriter from Sydney, Nova Scotia, for a 1984 stage musical titled The Rise and Follies of Cape Breton. The Rankin Family’s 1993 rendition popularized the song across Canada. The message of this song is certainly fitting for the time we live in. So lift your audience’s hearts, and your own, with this soaring song.

Steam Heat

From the 1954 Broadway musical The Pajama Game, this tune is hot. No, it’s hotter than hot! The Cleveland Heights High School Women Barbershoppers debuted this sultry song with great success at the Midwinter Convention, but is just fine for the grownups as well. The piece is probably not suitable for SAI contests, but it is great for shows. And don’t forget to wear your black derbies. . . .

I Say a Little Prayer

When I first got involved with the Cleveland Heights High School Barbershoppers, I asked the young women what song they would most like to have arranged. Thinking of the Julia Roberts film “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” they choose this one. This sweet tune is now available to other youth groups, and there is also a version for the grown-ups which is pitched down a little.

Hit the Road, Jack

This emphatic tune is arranged for four-part women’s voices with male solo. The fellow needs to be either a bass or a low baritone—low in more than one sense of the word? The arrangement is also available in German. That title translates as “Come, Drink Up, Jack.” Fun, eh?

Mein Bruder macht im Tonfilm die Geräusche

Partly in English and partly in German, this song is, well . . . what it is, is . . . different—and great fun! The English title is “My Brother Makes the Sound Effects for Movies.” The sounds included are a mix of vocal, electronic and mechanical effects. And the piece is contestable too. It could be redone for your group to be all in one language or the other.

My Brother Makes the Sound Effects for Movies

Partly in English and partly in German, this song is, well . . . what it is, is . . . different—and great fun! The sounds included are a mix of vocal, electronic and mechanical effects. And it is contestable too. It could be redone for your group to be all in one language or the other. The German title is “Mein Bruder macht im Tonfilm die Geräusche.”

Twenties Set

This one is pretty flexible, of course, for so many of our barbershop claassics were written in this roaring decade. So you could either sing these two uptunes or pick one of them and just add a ballad:

  • How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm
  • Twenties Dance Medley

Seniors Set

Who among us isn’t older than he or she used to be? But, hey, let’s have some fun with the passage of time:

  • Button Up Your Overcoat
  • If I Had My Life to Live Over

for shows try Senior Moments [You can’t sing “brain farts” in contest.]

Prohibition Set

Break out your zoot suits or Roaring ’20s grubbies and get ready to explore the mysteries of, and creative solutions for, that dreadful time known as Prohibition:

  • How Are You Goin’ to Wet Your Whistle (When the Whole Darn World Goes Dry)
  • Where Do They Go When They Row-Row-Row (Three Miles Away from the Shore)

and maybe even the gangster song We’re Number One

Sea Set

More for a chorus than a quartet, this medley deals with sailors who have had their shore leave canceled. It is pretty funny and clever if I do say so myself:

  • Sea Medley

[Lots of songs would work; for example, A Son of the Sea or How Deep Is the Ocean.]

Do You Hear the People Sing?

This rousing song is from the musical “Les Miserables.” Your audiences’ hearts and guts will be surely be moved by your powerful performance. Although the song itself would fly in contest, this arrangement is intended for shows only.

Something Inside So Strong

Arranged to help the Dutch Association of Barbershop Singers (DABS) celebrate its 20th anniversary, this song is as strong as it gets. It has been used for protest and inspiration by a wide variety of oppressed groups, though anyone can relate to its powerful, uplifting message. A mixed version is now available.

Pokarekare Ana

This gem of a Maori love song was originally arranged for The Ritz, who won quartet gold in 1991. They sang it with great success on a trip to New Zealand. The Musical Island Boys, our champ in 2014, picked up on it too, as have many other groups in that country. The lyrics are about half in English, but no worries, for Polynesian words are easy to sound out.

Old Folks

The Four Renegades and Suntones used to sing Buzz Haeger’s version of this tune about a beloved old fellow. The song always reminds me of my grandfather William Thomas “Dandy” Gentry (1896-1987). Some people who have only an eighth-grade education are pretty darn smart. . . .

Lost in the Stars

This is a contestable version of a most powerful song. Judges in the Performance category have assured me that this song does not really function a religious number, but rather as a lament about feeling quite alone. The arrangement is no longer exclusive to the Brothers in Harmony, who sang it most dramatically in International competition.

If I Can Dream

If you are not familiar with this song, do yourself a favor and find a clip of Elvis Presley singing it. This plaintive plea drives and drives and drives, as 2014 international champ Musical Island Boys showed us so well. In 2017 this song became a LABBS “polecat” number, sung by all of these British ladies.

I’ll Never Say “Never Again” Again

A lively swing number, this contestable tune was a hit for SAI medalist ReMix for the women and BHS medalist SRO for the men. We can’t really be sure about love, can we? Please specify whether you would like to preview the original ReMix version or Mo Field’s revision with intro by Jay Giallombardo—or both!