Songs for an Alzheimer's group!

Simple Simon says.. is it appropriate these days?
Probably not.

DH attends Alzheimer's Society day care once a week and was as bored as the others with their 40's and wartime singalongs. He has taken along some of the CD's from his time playing with a 'dinner dance & wedding band'. No song sheets required, the members sing a long to the CDs which feature the 'standards' from the 60's & 70's. Things like, Raindrops keep falling on my head, Born with a smile on my face, Proud Mary, Mandy,

When he later took along CD's from his time with a Scottish Country Dance/Ceilidh Band, these proved to be an even bigger success as the folk could not only singalong to the tunes (Mhairi's Wedding, I belong to Glasgow, Loch Lomond, etc. but even got up and started to dance.

Venus in blue jeans
Release me
Spanish Eyes
Monday Monday
Dream a little dream of me.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

We are trying to get away from CDs G23 as people were getting left behind.

anno, exactly! The reason I got involved with the Alzheimer's society is that 2 people who were at university with dh were diagnosed before they were 70 and are only 73/74 now. Obviously, we have older members too but they remember songs from the 60s.

I sing in a singing fir fun group at a local library. For us:

Anything from Oliver, South Pacific, Oklahoma etc goes down very well

Also Cliff, dusty Springfield, Lulu, Joni Mitchell songs seem to work well

And:all around my hat, Do Ray Me, consider yourself, always cheer us all up

what about some beatles songs

The 60s were definitely Elvis
Can't help faling in love
Return to Sender

And the Beatles
Yellow Submarine
I want to hold your hand
She loves you
Please Mr Postman
We can work it out
When I'm 64

and Cliff
Bachelor Boy

That's me singing today!

My mother is 97 and doesn’t have Alzheimer’s but she eschews all the social functions in her sheltered housing because she loathes the songs of the thirties and forties. Give her Queen, ABBA , the BeeGees and Barry Manilow. Unless the people in this group are over 85 war time songs will mean little to them.

High ho! Silver lining, everywhere you go now baby.. I see your sun is shining..

I used to have a cd of well loved family hymns that I played for my mum. We would sing along to them. I took it in the car with us too when we went out for drives. Yes we did get some fummy looks when stopped at traffic lights, windows open and singing Jesus loves me this I know.
Thanks kittylester for reminding me of these happy memories of my mum.

funny - sorry I wasn't wearing glasses when typing.

I Can See Clearly now, the rain has gone..
Rivers of Babylon,
Supercalifragelisticexpialidocious..
Swing Low Sweet Chariot,
This Little Light of Mine, I'm gonna let it shine...

I was discussing this very thing with my DGD who works in a care home and is very involved with these activities.
I hoped that they weren't stuck in the WW1 and WW2 rut as my generation simply don't associate with these songs. She reassured me, saying that the Rat Pack is just about right for most . Sinatra and Dean Martin are very popular along with musicals like Oklahoma and South Pacific etc.

My dad used to sing me music hall songs, and I'm now passing them onto to my DGD. Daisy Daisy, My old man said follow the van etc. Leonard Sachs and The Good Old Days gave these songs a revival when some of us were in our teens and 20s.

A group I know of often sing "songs from the shows". Such as "The Sound of Music" and "South Pacific". These songs seem to be popular and people know the words, because so many of these songs were played on the radio. Worth a try?

Early Beatles

West Side Story has some great songs. Tonight Tonight; I just met a girl named Maria etc.

You'll Never Walk Alone (Carousel and also Gerry and the Pacemakers)

I knew all the words of the songs from South Pacific when I was a teenager!

A windmill in old Amsterdam - by Ronnie Hilton.
Walk tall by val Doonican
Paddy McGinties goat by val Doonican
Donald where’s your troosers !

"Show me the way to go home" always gets me!

Motown the Musical hasn't taken off for no reason... and any other old codgers out there still fans of the Beach Boys??

Plenty of good suggestions, I must admit I'm a great fan of WWI songs, memories of my Granddad who knew all the rude words & to lots of hymns too, I'm only 63 & have a very active brain for now at least . Late 50s/60s & early 70s is my era of music. Lots to choose from.

Any Beatles or Elvis songs would probably be good for people in their 70s.

What about My boy Lollipop, my Dad loved that one, and Millie of course.

and any other old codgers out there still fans of the Beach Boys??
Yes, I have a CD I play in the car!
'Wouldn't it be nice' to play it all day?