Seasons of the Ukulele

A weekly song challenge for ukulele players - all welcome. Find out more here

Season 749 - K.I.S.S ( Keep it simple Seasonistas)

OneManAndHisPGUke

Season 749 - K.I.S.S ( Keep it simple Seasonistas)

Hi Seasonistas old and new and welcome to Season 749.

This week I would like you to keep it simple by playing songs on your cheapest, nastiest uke ( or just your cheapest, they don’t have to be “nasty” as such) as I like the idea of playing lovely music on the most basic instrument possible. I get that for some people, their cheapest uke may still be a very good one, but if you can steal, beg, borrow or in some other way, get hold of a “beater”, go for it; don’t worry if it can barely stay in tune, consider it part of the challenge. Perfectly imperfect is the way to go.

Subject wise, give me songs, covers or originals, with the words keep, keeping, keeper, simple, uncomplicated, basic, kiss, kissing, cheap, nasty (or as near to those as dammit) in the title, lyrics, or name of artist/s.

If by any chance you have come across this site as a Newbie, you can post any song you like so long as you play it on a uke, though of course you are also welcome to follow this weeks theme.

You can multitrack, that’s great, but all your tracks have to be made on your cheapest uke/ukes. If you want to add a beat, you’ll need to beat out the rhythm on a uke. Necessity is the mother of invention as the saying goes. Collabs are also welcome.

So, don’t touch that dial,stay away from the reverb, other effects buttons, unless you can find a room in the house with natural reverb, or under a bridge, in a cave etc…. I want to see those cheap nasty ukes, even if it’s just a screen shot at the end to show the uke you performed with.

There is no song limit. There seems to have been a thing recently where you can post a previous song if it fits the theme. I like that idea so it will be the same here, so long as you have posted a new song for this season first. Your blast from the past only has to follow the subject of the Season, it doesn’t have to have been made on a cheap nasty uke.

Also, I feel like it’s been an age since we had a prize, so there will be a prize. What it will be I have no idea, but obviously, I will be keeping it simple Seasonistas.

There, I think that’s enough for you to get your teeth into.

Usual Ts and Cs apply. If you don’t know what they are, or what to do, here’s a link, because I’m too lazy to type them out myself and it explains it all better that I ever could.

https://seasonistaforum.flarum.cloud/d/16-what-are-the-seasons-of-the-ukulele-and-other-faqs-with-answers

Don’t forget you can still dress for success with Paul on Season 748.

Above all, HAVE FUN!

Playlist Thingy:

Seasonistas Keeping It Simple

LimousinLil

That's a clever idea, John! My cheapest and nastiest uke is made out of an oil can - it even has rust - but, at the moment, I haven't got the faintest idea where it is. Let the search begin …. and, when I've found it, I'll go and look for a cave!

johnpoole

Thanks for the nice twist this week Mr North.. The uke I’m playing may be the cheapest one I own. But it’s not a cheapo. It’s a unique little devil that I won as a prize from generous Ylle in a random prize draw one season. It is a simple uke though. A Motu sopranino. Routed out of a single piece of seven ply highly compressed wood. It’s only about 20mm thick with a distinctive banjo tone. I’m playing an old original song in GCEG tuning. “ Meet John Doe”. It has “ kiss” in the lyrics. I show the uke at the end.

joo

LOVE the theme, John!

I have been gardening lately. it is with a sudden realisation that our backyard needs some love. We bought a couple hoe/rake things last week, and my life has changed since then. LOL. I NEEDED A HOE SO BAD. I needed one in order to weed. And boy I have been weeding like my life depended on it.

Today is the winter solstice here. I woke up and saw your theme and immediately wrote this little song and recorded it. I felt like there was no time to waste on the shortest day of the year! I recorded a version indoor, and one in the garden. I did that because of the way i wrote the lyrics.

The uke I am playing is not a playable uke. Can't be tuned. Well, it sort of can be played if you talk to it. It is a uke ornament. I talked about it in the video. I consider it my nastiest uke so far. It is a mean little thing. I love it. I wanted to paint over the original art but I kind of like it too.

I use all the words you suggested, except for uncomplicated which in my song is a verb not adjective.

OneManAndHisPGUke keep, keeping, keeper, simple, uncomplicated, basic, kiss, kissing, cheap, nasty

"I Use Cheap Tools for my Schematics" 21June 2026 Tasmania

(me out in the cold winter morning): I've put on my gardening clothes, I'm ready to weed and sow.

(me in my warm, cozy room): Is that what you do on a winter solstice? To make the shortest day long?

(me out in the cold winter morning): I just want to keep it simple- To uncomplicate all these twitch(grass).

(me in my warm, cozy room): But that winter morning is kinda nasty, Don't you rather stay in bed and kiss your sweetie?

(me out in the cold winter morning): There's no doubt he's a keeper, But I'm a gardener. My needs are basic, I'm no cynic - I use cheap tools for my schematics.

I am keeping this one in my garden, That one will be kissing the green bin.

LimousinLil

Hello, John … and thanks for hosting! I found my oil can uke … on the floor underneath a clothes rack. I had less luck with the cave, though, so I decided to record in the kitchen, which can be quite cave-like as it's on the dark side. Not quite sure why I chose this song - it sort of seemed to go with the uke and DOES contain the word "nasty". (I would point out that I have absolutely nothing against "refuse operatives" … they do the most brilliant and essential job!)

joo

(EDIT: Ooops! I got so excited with my DIY uke I forgot to play something that fits the subject! I just changed my song title so it fits. LOL. )

After gardening, I made a little DIY uke with a chicken Cup-a-Soup cardboard box, a ruler, some rubber bands, a bulldog foldback clip and a pencil. In the process of making this video, I accidentally kicked an expensive uke that was leaning against my table, and it hit the floor loudly. You can hear it in the video. I will not show you that uke because it DOES NOT qualify for this Season! This cardboard Cup-a-Soup uke costs ($2.80 for the cup-a-soup +$ 1 for 2 rulers + free pencil from clinic + 3 rubber bands are too cheap to even count + $0.80 for clip) $4.60. It is NOT MY CHEAPEST uke though, John, but I am calling it my nastiest so far.

I use some of my paintings as the background.

Thanks for hosting, John!

Bystander

Thanks for hosting John, I've only got 4 ukes, how about that for self control after 10 years ! What I don't know is where the last 10 years have gone but I do know that the first uke I bought is my cheapest and the one I play 95% of the time.

My entry is one of the coolest 4 chord songs I know so here's me on my Ohana BK20 trying to do justice to I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty. I never do anything to my uke tracks but I am partial to some slight reverb on my vocals, I've resisted that temptation here in the spirit of things.

Bystander

And a blast from the past, It Don't Come Easy by George and Ringo.

I'm away now to pack for my holiday next week so this is likely to be the final participation on the season you'll see from me, unfortunately that will include me watching and commenting on others, sorry folks.

CeeJay

Dear Sir,

I write to make the usual enquiry from The Irritating Kid at the back. (In other words the awkward sod)

The anacronysm KISS has been somewhat tempered and mollified in the last word by substituting the word "Seasonista" for the original adjective , which is a by word for my very existence and what I does best.
This is a shame as I latched onto this particular last word with a bright idea, and then my spirits did a perpendicular plummet as I read the list of required words excluded the popular original and pithy, if somewhat peremptory and insulting (slightly) word in question.

"It" is also right out , Pennywise will be along to have a word about this an ' all.

Your Sincerely

Awkard Kid ATB and Bar (mines a gin )

OneManAndHisPGUke

CeeJay, I know the word you mean, and by all means, go for it, so long as it’s done on your cheapest uke. Call it a bit of Thornton license 👍

OneManAndHisPGUke

And it looks like we’re off to a flying start. I’m out n about at the moment but I’ll take a proper look when I get home 👍

CeeJay

OneManAndHisPGUke

Sweet as a nut guv …….👌

CeeJay

Season 749 K.I.S.S

I used the original last word and the "it" combined .

Cos' I is and always has been.

Thanks to Wilko Johnson and Dr Feelgood.

The chair going back and forth on the solo ? If you know you know.

OneManAndHisPGUke

Good morning Seasonistas from a warm and sticky West Yorkshire,,and thank you to everyone who has given the Season a song so far. Mr Southern kicked us off with a beaut of an original played on his Motu sopranino, sounds plinky and awesome. Great lyric too.

Then Joo entered the fray with a cheap and nasty little uke with another original, lyrics to make you smile that included all the subject words (I think).

Val followed on with a well known ditty about those unsung heroes the dustman ( or bin man, or refuse collector whichever phrase you use) played on an old oil can.

Joo then showed us her luthier skills on a home made uke which was certainly nasty in a good way and played another cool original.

Graham brought a classic bit of Tom Petty followed by his blast from the past courtesy of George and Ringo. I appreciated these as Graham is a busy bee this week.

And the last of yesterday’s entries, CeeJay rocked out some great Dr Feelgood on a cheapo that had had major neck surgery. I reckon Wilko would have approved whole heartedly.

Thanks everyone so far and keep uke-ing on those cheap and or nasty jumping fleas. Will catch up later folks.

jon

thanks for this week John and the great theme mate!
sometimes you just shouldn't bother recording outside…
there was a song, or part of one, in there somewhere but i don't remember what it was now
also, if you don't like f-bombs you probably shouldn't watch this either

Renaissance-Man

I'm playing my polycarbonate (plastic) Enya uke. I got it for free, but I think they were selling for around $35 when I received it. I wouldn't call it nasty, or anything remotely nasty, but that's just me. The first song that came to mind containing "kiss" was Cripple Creek, so I sang that verse for you. That's Èlmo and Enya in the picture. Enya is the hairless one.

Renaissance-Man

Deep down in clause 117 for this Season, it says I can post a previously recorded song. Well, I recorded this one 4 long days ago, played on my paid-for polycarbonate Donner ukulele. I payed less than $50 USD, and it's worth every penny. Also, that's just me, no stinkin' reverb or anything else. And, I was only wearing my birthday suit at the time ( that may be a little white lie, or not). Anyway, it's a true story about a guy who went on Safari when the Beatles were in India. Of course, John wrote it. He was the no BS Beatle.

AlanDP

I talk about the ukulele -- which is my cheapest but not my nastiest -- after the song. Dolly Connally, pictured on the cover, was a vaudeville and musical performer who was married to composer/pianist Percy Wenrich, who wrote the music for this song.

joo

AlanDP

We have 2 thrift shop/tip shop ukes from CB Sky too. I love how they sound. I shall record something with them this week.

Here is my 3rd post on my cheapest uke ever. I show the price tag at the end. Actually, the cheapest uke we have in our house is a 2-dollar Op shop(thrift shop) find, not this one in my video. It was that 2-dollar uke that started our crazy thrift shop uke obsession. It was from a shop called Ten Lives which is a cat rescue/shelter organisation. I love to go in there just to look at the kitties for adoption. I remember almost stepping on this uke with 2-3 strings dangling from it among this pile of jumpers(sweaters). It only had 3 tuners i think. Jon took it to the counter and said We found this on the floor, is it for sale? And the lady behind the counter looked at the uke and said You can have it for $2. I painted over that uke and Jon has recorded so many songs with it. It was all he ever played for a long time. I have not played much with it so i don't consider it my uke, although Jon did emphasise what's his is mine and what's mine is my own. LOL.

OK. Back to my video - I play a Michael Leunig poem set to music. It has the word Simple in it.

jon

an original song for the season -
a story from the OT where i put myself in Cain's shoes and his torment
in the wake of the murder. at that time i wrote a number of Biblically themed songs that became the substance of a home-made record i put together.
this uke is my cheapest baritone uke, a laminate mahogany one built in China, the company is Baton Rouge. it's been through the wars a bit and joo rescued it and made it special by making a beautiful painting on the top of me and my dad. like joo said above, we've been on a bit of a mad uke salvaging trip in the last 18 months and giving them new life - by which i mean joojoo paints on em and makes em look awesome 🙂
lyrics in the you tube. thanks John!
"for I am my brother's keeper…"