This is all baskwash from the dreaded evil ......................... Karaoke.
Kids today all see their favorite entertainers (?) just singing (or LIPSYNCING!!!) to some "faceless" track of "hidden" band. The emphasis is only on the front person(s). This is a sad time to be a male musician in modern pop. We're a definate minority in the newest material.

Don't fake it ...... play OVER it. Use your ears, and lay a string line on top or play an organ lead till you learn the song. if it's a one time request ...... just play the darn thing and walk away from the instruments with a wireless - the crowd is SO used to that scene .... it's more the norm than the exception.

Bottom line ...... don't fake it. USE the trax to YOUR advantage, and either learn the tune or bag it, but don't get lazy and just forget about WHY we learned to play in the first place. As an entertainer ... you have more responsibility to the outcome of the party than to your accordian peers, so treat an isolated song as such .... it's just 4 munites out of your life. Play it - sing it and move on.

Karaoke is the devil.