The Fabulous Pelicans’ playlist includes hundreds of songs, encompassing emotional tunes such as “Bad Case Of Loving You” (Robert Palmer) and “What’s Love Got To Do With It” (Tina Turner), as well as requisite wedding staples such as “Beer Barrel Polka” (Frankie Yankovich), “Wonderful Tonight” (Eric Clapton), and “Unchained Melody” (Righteous Brothers).
Vocalist Caroline Martin has sung on the soundtracks of movies like Steven King’s Sleepwalkers. Guitarist Greg Douglass played with the Steve Miller Band, cowriting the hit single “Jungle Love.” Drummer Paul Wheatbread toured for five years with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, while second guitarist Bob Garrett writes jingles for Ford and Toyota. Keyboardist Ethan Brown has performed with Chuck Berry, and bassist Joe Hastings recorded with Hank Williams Jr. and Ricky Skaggs.
Guitarist Douglass describes a typical hazard experienced by cover bands. “We were playing a corporate party at the Hotel Del Coronado, a very ritzy event, with the band in tuxes, the whole deal. During our second set, a lovely middle-aged woman motioned to me with her finger. 'Do you know Funky Town?' she asked. 'No, we sure don’t, sorry.' Her face contorted into a kind of face-lift impaired snarl and she barked 'You SUCK!' and walked away.”
“Do you know Funky Town?” has been a band in-joke ever since.