zamboni
Footballguy
Absolutely classic stuff here - great call.
Can't hear it though and not think of this scene from Big.
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MY List of Top 100 Instrumental Songs/Artists - and at #1 Frankenstein (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Tom Skerritt
- Start date
Can't hear it though and not think of this scene from Big.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#62. Hocus Pocus - Focus
"Hocus Pocus" is a song by the Dutch rock band Focus, written by keyboardist, flautist and vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman. It was recorded and released in 1971 as the opening track of their second studio album, Moving Waves.
An edited version was released as a single (with "Janis" as the B-side) on the Imperial Records, Polydor and Blue Horizon labels in Europe in 1971, but it did not chart in the UK until 1973. A faster re-recording, "Hocus Pocus 2", was released as a single (with "House of the King" as the B-side) in Europe in 1972. "Hocus Pocus" c/w "Hocus Pocus II" [sic] was released as a single on the Sire Records label in the United States and Canada in 1973.
It reached No. 20 in the UK, No. 18 in Canada, and No. 9 in the US during the spring and summer of 1973. It re-entered the UK charts at No. 57 on 6 June 2010 after being featured heavily on The Chris Moyles Show and in a Nike TV advert shown during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The song has been covered by the Vandals, and was recorded on their debut LP, When in Rome Do as The Vandals in 1984.
"Hocus Pocus" takes the form of a rondo, consisting of alternation between a powerful rock chord riff with short drum solos and then varied solo "verses" (in the original all performed by Thijs van Leer) which include yodeling, eefing, organ playing, accordion, scat singing, flute riffs, and whistling. The single version is significantly edited from the album version.
"Hocus Pocus" is a song by the Dutch rock band Focus, written by keyboardist, flautist and vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman. It was recorded and released in 1971 as the opening track of their second studio album, Moving Waves.
An edited version was released as a single (with "Janis" as the B-side) on the Imperial Records, Polydor and Blue Horizon labels in Europe in 1971, but it did not chart in the UK until 1973. A faster re-recording, "Hocus Pocus 2", was released as a single (with "House of the King" as the B-side) in Europe in 1972. "Hocus Pocus" c/w "Hocus Pocus II" [sic] was released as a single on the Sire Records label in the United States and Canada in 1973.
It reached No. 20 in the UK, No. 18 in Canada, and No. 9 in the US during the spring and summer of 1973. It re-entered the UK charts at No. 57 on 6 June 2010 after being featured heavily on The Chris Moyles Show and in a Nike TV advert shown during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The song has been covered by the Vandals, and was recorded on their debut LP, When in Rome Do as The Vandals in 1984.
"Hocus Pocus" takes the form of a rondo, consisting of alternation between a powerful rock chord riff with short drum solos and then varied solo "verses" (in the original all performed by Thijs van Leer) which include yodeling, eefing, organ playing, accordion, scat singing, flute riffs, and whistling. The single version is significantly edited from the album version.
zamboni
Footballguy
Nice crossover pick from Tim's thread. I posted a performance (abridged) there they did on Midnight Special in 1973. van Leer was in his element.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ouPGGLI6Q
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Love the choice though maybe it should have been higher. Glenn Miller was a megastar. 16 number 1 hits, 69 top ten hits- that’s almost double the number of top ten hits than the Beatles or Elvis. When WW2 broke out, he gave up his massive paydays and easy life to join the military and play exclusively for the troops. 6 months after DDay, Miller flew from London to Paris to begin preparations for a concert in liberated France. His plane disappeared never to be found. He was awarded a bronze star, dead at age 40, buried somewhere deep in the English Channel.
Rove!
Footballguy
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Real nice guitar work by Jan Akkerman on that Focus tune.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#61. Toccata & Fugue in D Minor (BMV 565) - J.S. Bach
The Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, is a piece of organ music written, according to its oldest extant sources, by Johann Sebastian Bach. The piece opens with a toccata section, followed by a fugue that ends in a coda. It is one of the most famous works in the organ repertoire.
BWV 565 was used as film music well before the sound film era, becoming a cliché to illustrate horror and villainy. Its first uses in sound film included the 1931 film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the 1934 film The Black Cat.
After 1936, another approach to using BWV 565 in film was under consideration. Oskar Fischinger suggested to Stokowski that abstract animations could be combined with his orchestral version of BWV 565, but the Disney studios were slow to accept the idea. By the time Disney's Fantasia was released in 1940, the animations accompanying BWV 565 had been made semi-abstract, although Fischinger's original idea that the performance of the music start with showing Stokowski directing his orchestra was preserved. Narrator Deems Taylor introduced the piece as belonging in the category of absolute music. In the 1942 cinema release of the film by RKO, the Toccata and Fugue was cut entirely, only to return in a 1946 re-release. Fantasia contributed significantly to the fame of the Toccata and Fugue.
The 1950 film Sunset Boulevard used BWV 565 as a joking reference to the horror genre. The piece has appeared in many more films, including 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea(1954), in which it is played by Captain Nemo on the organ of the Nautilus. BWV 565 also appeared in Fellini's 1960 La Dolce Vita. The 1962 film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera used BWV 565 in the suspense and horror sense. It is used "without irony and in an apocalyptic spirit updated from its earlier Gothic implications" at the beginning and end of the 1975 dystopian science fiction film Rollerball. Shortened to two minutes in length, BWV 565 was used as the introductory theme for the French animation Once Upon a Time... Man, in 26 episodes between 1978 and 1981.
The Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, is a piece of organ music written, according to its oldest extant sources, by Johann Sebastian Bach. The piece opens with a toccata section, followed by a fugue that ends in a coda. It is one of the most famous works in the organ repertoire.
BWV 565 was used as film music well before the sound film era, becoming a cliché to illustrate horror and villainy. Its first uses in sound film included the 1931 film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the 1934 film The Black Cat.
After 1936, another approach to using BWV 565 in film was under consideration. Oskar Fischinger suggested to Stokowski that abstract animations could be combined with his orchestral version of BWV 565, but the Disney studios were slow to accept the idea. By the time Disney's Fantasia was released in 1940, the animations accompanying BWV 565 had been made semi-abstract, although Fischinger's original idea that the performance of the music start with showing Stokowski directing his orchestra was preserved. Narrator Deems Taylor introduced the piece as belonging in the category of absolute music. In the 1942 cinema release of the film by RKO, the Toccata and Fugue was cut entirely, only to return in a 1946 re-release. Fantasia contributed significantly to the fame of the Toccata and Fugue.
The 1950 film Sunset Boulevard used BWV 565 as a joking reference to the horror genre. The piece has appeared in many more films, including 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea(1954), in which it is played by Captain Nemo on the organ of the Nautilus. BWV 565 also appeared in Fellini's 1960 La Dolce Vita. The 1962 film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera used BWV 565 in the suspense and horror sense. It is used "without irony and in an apocalyptic spirit updated from its earlier Gothic implications" at the beginning and end of the 1975 dystopian science fiction film Rollerball. Shortened to two minutes in length, BWV 565 was used as the introductory theme for the French animation Once Upon a Time... Man, in 26 episodes between 1978 and 1981.
Last edited by a moderator:
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#60. Groove Holmes - Beastie Boys
In the Grand Hall of Musical Curiosities, The In Sound From Way Out would be a prime exhibit; it's a great Beastie Boys album completely devoid of vocals. Of course, the Beasties had made no secret of either their instrumental prowess or their proclivity for funky jams on their previous releases. Both 1992’s Check Your Head and 1994’s Ill Communication boasted a few funk instrumentals, where Ad-Rock, Mike D and MCA came off like some alternate-universe collision between the Meters and Miles Davis’s early-‘70s jazz-funk crew. But in 1996, they put all those instrumental tunes together in one place and proudly presented themselves to the world as a band of worthy musos.
Of course, the fourth Beastie, keyboardist Money Mark (who has aided the trio at crucial points throughout their career) is probably more important here than on any other Beasties album. The ‘70s Blaxploitation soundtrack vibe so vital to these tracks would not be complete without his vibrato-laden organ lines and dirty, down-low clavinet riffs, which are frequently featured right at the forefront of the arrangements. “Groove Holmes,” named for the great soul-jazz organist, makes the intention clear straight out of the gate, with its juicy organ riffs, chattering rhythm guitar, and deep funk groove.
In the Grand Hall of Musical Curiosities, The In Sound From Way Out would be a prime exhibit; it's a great Beastie Boys album completely devoid of vocals. Of course, the Beasties had made no secret of either their instrumental prowess or their proclivity for funky jams on their previous releases. Both 1992’s Check Your Head and 1994’s Ill Communication boasted a few funk instrumentals, where Ad-Rock, Mike D and MCA came off like some alternate-universe collision between the Meters and Miles Davis’s early-‘70s jazz-funk crew. But in 1996, they put all those instrumental tunes together in one place and proudly presented themselves to the world as a band of worthy musos.
Of course, the fourth Beastie, keyboardist Money Mark (who has aided the trio at crucial points throughout their career) is probably more important here than on any other Beasties album. The ‘70s Blaxploitation soundtrack vibe so vital to these tracks would not be complete without his vibrato-laden organ lines and dirty, down-low clavinet riffs, which are frequently featured right at the forefront of the arrangements. “Groove Holmes,” named for the great soul-jazz organist, makes the intention clear straight out of the gate, with its juicy organ riffs, chattering rhythm guitar, and deep funk groove.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#59. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) - Yes
All five of the Yes band members contributed one track of their own design to this album. "The Fish" was created by Chris Squire using only the bass guitar. Steve Howe did "Mood For A Day" as a solo guitar piece. "Cans And Brahms" was not only arranged by Rick Wakeman, he played all the parts as well. Jon Anderson sang all the vocal parts in "We Have Heaven" himself. Bill Bruford created "Five Per Cent For Nothing," which was played by the entire group with percussion instruments. >>
The title comes from Chris Squire's nickname: he was dubbed "the fish" because of his tendency to take long baths. He also happens to be a Pisces.
The subtitle for this song is "Schindleria Praematurus," which is an obscure, neotenic marine fish from the Pacific ocean. "Neotenic" means the adult fish exhibits no adult characteristics, only juvenile characteristics. The story is that Chris Squire had the melody and wanted to sing the name of a fish that had eight syllables, and dispatched a roadie (Maybe Michael Tait) to find one. The best he could find had nine, which is why the last syllable kind of trails off.
This is an instrumental. The only lyrics (if you can call them that) are the repeated subtitle of the song - "Schindleria Praematurus, Schindleria Praematurus, Schindleria Praematurus." >>
On the album, this segues directly from "Long Distance Runaround." Radio stations usually play the songs together.
All five of the Yes band members contributed one track of their own design to this album. "The Fish" was created by Chris Squire using only the bass guitar. Steve Howe did "Mood For A Day" as a solo guitar piece. "Cans And Brahms" was not only arranged by Rick Wakeman, he played all the parts as well. Jon Anderson sang all the vocal parts in "We Have Heaven" himself. Bill Bruford created "Five Per Cent For Nothing," which was played by the entire group with percussion instruments. >>
The title comes from Chris Squire's nickname: he was dubbed "the fish" because of his tendency to take long baths. He also happens to be a Pisces.
The subtitle for this song is "Schindleria Praematurus," which is an obscure, neotenic marine fish from the Pacific ocean. "Neotenic" means the adult fish exhibits no adult characteristics, only juvenile characteristics. The story is that Chris Squire had the melody and wanted to sing the name of a fish that had eight syllables, and dispatched a roadie (Maybe Michael Tait) to find one. The best he could find had nine, which is why the last syllable kind of trails off.
This is an instrumental. The only lyrics (if you can call them that) are the repeated subtitle of the song - "Schindleria Praematurus, Schindleria Praematurus, Schindleria Praematurus." >>
On the album, this segues directly from "Long Distance Runaround." Radio stations usually play the songs together.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#58. Jungle Fever - The Chakachas
"Jungle Fever" is a 1971 track performed by Belgian producers The Chakachas, written by head producer Roland Kluger (as Bill Ador) and first issued in Belgium by Swineyard, an independent. The song reached #8 in the 1972 United States Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #29 in the United Kingdom. "Jungle Fever" was banned by the BBC, who took exception to the song's heavy breathing and moaning. The song was a greater success in America, selling over one million copies and being awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in March 1972. Billboard ranked it as the #51 song for 1972.
"Jungle Fever" was featured in the 1997 film Boogie Nights as well as the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, on the fictional radio station Master Sounds 98.3. As a result of featuring in Boogie Nights, the song was included on the film's soundtrack album, Boogie Nights: Music from the Original Motion Picture. "Jungle Fever" was also included in the 2000 comedy film Next Friday and the September 2005 release Just Like Heaven.
A snippet of the moan was double-tracked and used in the 1972 novelty break-in record, "Convention '72" by The Delegates. In addition, "Jungle Fever" has been often sampled in hip-hop, including by Miami rap group 2 Live Crew in their track "Put Her in the Buck", which was featured on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.
"Jungle Fever" is a 1971 track performed by Belgian producers The Chakachas, written by head producer Roland Kluger (as Bill Ador) and first issued in Belgium by Swineyard, an independent. The song reached #8 in the 1972 United States Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #29 in the United Kingdom. "Jungle Fever" was banned by the BBC, who took exception to the song's heavy breathing and moaning. The song was a greater success in America, selling over one million copies and being awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in March 1972. Billboard ranked it as the #51 song for 1972.
"Jungle Fever" was featured in the 1997 film Boogie Nights as well as the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, on the fictional radio station Master Sounds 98.3. As a result of featuring in Boogie Nights, the song was included on the film's soundtrack album, Boogie Nights: Music from the Original Motion Picture. "Jungle Fever" was also included in the 2000 comedy film Next Friday and the September 2005 release Just Like Heaven.
A snippet of the moan was double-tracked and used in the 1972 novelty break-in record, "Convention '72" by The Delegates. In addition, "Jungle Fever" has been often sampled in hip-hop, including by Miami rap group 2 Live Crew in their track "Put Her in the Buck", which was featured on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.
![[scooter]](/data/avatars/m/22/22287.jpg?1659477690){kind=avatar}
[scooter]
Footballguy
First minute is great, then it kind of gradually morphs into generic scale exercises.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#57. Take 5 - composed by Paul Desmond, recorded by the Dave Brubek Quartet
"Take Five" is a jazz standard composed by Paul Desmond and originally recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet for their 1959 album Time Out. Made at Columbia Records' 30th Street Studio in New York City on July 1, 1959, fully two years later it became an unlikely hit[a] and the biggest-selling jazz single ever. Revived since in numerous movie and television soundtracks, the piece still receives significant radio airplay.
Written in the key of E♭ minor, "Take Five" is known for its distinctive two-chord piano vamp; catchy blues-scale saxophone melody; inventive, jolting drum solo; and unusual quintuple (5/4) time, from which it derives its name.
Brubeck drew inspiration for this style of music in the spring of 1958 during a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of Eurasia. After learning from native symphony musicians about the form, he was inspired to create an album that deviated from the usual 4/4 time of jazz and experimented with the exotic styles he had experienced abroad.
Although released as a single on September 21, 1959, "Take Five" fulfilled its chart potential only when reissued in May 1961, that year reaching No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 (October 9), No. 5 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart (October 23) and No. 6 on the UK Record Retailer chart (November 16). The single is a different recording than the LP version and omits most of the drum solo.
"Take Five" is a jazz standard composed by Paul Desmond and originally recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet for their 1959 album Time Out. Made at Columbia Records' 30th Street Studio in New York City on July 1, 1959, fully two years later it became an unlikely hit[a] and the biggest-selling jazz single ever. Revived since in numerous movie and television soundtracks, the piece still receives significant radio airplay.
Written in the key of E♭ minor, "Take Five" is known for its distinctive two-chord piano vamp; catchy blues-scale saxophone melody; inventive, jolting drum solo; and unusual quintuple (5/4) time, from which it derives its name.
Brubeck drew inspiration for this style of music in the spring of 1958 during a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of Eurasia. After learning from native symphony musicians about the form, he was inspired to create an album that deviated from the usual 4/4 time of jazz and experimented with the exotic styles he had experienced abroad.
Although released as a single on September 21, 1959, "Take Five" fulfilled its chart potential only when reissued in May 1961, that year reaching No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 (October 9), No. 5 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart (October 23) and No. 6 on the UK Record Retailer chart (November 16). The single is a different recording than the LP version and omits most of the drum solo.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#56. Summer Madness - Kool & The Gang
Light of Worlds is the fifth studio album, and seventh album of new material by the American R&B group Kool & the Gang. Released in 1974, it was later remastered by Polygram and was a second success for the band, reaching number 16 in the R&B Charts and number 63 in the Pop Charts. It was a landmark in the funk/jazz fusion genre of the 1970s.
Light of Worlds is regarded as Kool & the Gang's most spiritual and sophisticated work, produced in the wake of the success of their previous album, Wild and Peaceful. While it was their seventh album of original material, the band considered Light of the Worlds their ninth LP (counting two compilations), and therefore consciously chose nine songs for the album to represent the nine planets in the solar system. The album contains rock-inspired funk set to jazz-informed playing with afrobeat influences and a tinge of analogue synthesizing.
"Summer Madness" is considered to be the album's highlight, incorporating smooth melodies and a synthesizer. It was later released as a single, with a follow-up titled "Winter Sadness" in Kool & the Gang's Spirit of the Boogie a year later. A remake of "Summer Madness" was released on their 1993 album Unite titled "WKOOL/Summer".
Released as the B-side to the hit "Higher Plane," this Kool instrumental tapped into the spiritual vibe of the album and provided inspiration for hundreds of future R&B and hip-hop songs that would sample it.
A few notable uses of the song: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince in "Summertime" (1991), Ice Cube in "You Know How We Do It" (1993), Adina Howard in "Freak Like Me" (1995), Aaliyah in "A Girl Like You" (1996), Mary J. Blige in "Message in Our Music" (2003), Tinashe in "Wrong" (2015).
Two years after its release, this was used during a quiet scene in Rocky, where Sylvester Stallone feeds his fish - but it was enough to get Kool & the Gang jumping out of their seats in the theater. "Nobody had told us," Gang staff member Cleveland Brown remembered to Billboard. "We were watching this movie about a white boxer. When it came to the scene where Stallone dropped the needle on the record, and 'Summer Madness' started playing, I can tell you we got pretty loud in the theater."
Light of Worlds is the fifth studio album, and seventh album of new material by the American R&B group Kool & the Gang. Released in 1974, it was later remastered by Polygram and was a second success for the band, reaching number 16 in the R&B Charts and number 63 in the Pop Charts. It was a landmark in the funk/jazz fusion genre of the 1970s.
Light of Worlds is regarded as Kool & the Gang's most spiritual and sophisticated work, produced in the wake of the success of their previous album, Wild and Peaceful. While it was their seventh album of original material, the band considered Light of the Worlds their ninth LP (counting two compilations), and therefore consciously chose nine songs for the album to represent the nine planets in the solar system. The album contains rock-inspired funk set to jazz-informed playing with afrobeat influences and a tinge of analogue synthesizing.
"Summer Madness" is considered to be the album's highlight, incorporating smooth melodies and a synthesizer. It was later released as a single, with a follow-up titled "Winter Sadness" in Kool & the Gang's Spirit of the Boogie a year later. A remake of "Summer Madness" was released on their 1993 album Unite titled "WKOOL/Summer".
Released as the B-side to the hit "Higher Plane," this Kool instrumental tapped into the spiritual vibe of the album and provided inspiration for hundreds of future R&B and hip-hop songs that would sample it.
A few notable uses of the song: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince in "Summertime" (1991), Ice Cube in "You Know How We Do It" (1993), Adina Howard in "Freak Like Me" (1995), Aaliyah in "A Girl Like You" (1996), Mary J. Blige in "Message in Our Music" (2003), Tinashe in "Wrong" (2015).
Two years after its release, this was used during a quiet scene in Rocky, where Sylvester Stallone feeds his fish - but it was enough to get Kool & the Gang jumping out of their seats in the theater. "Nobody had told us," Gang staff member Cleveland Brown remembered to Billboard. "We were watching this movie about a white boxer. When it came to the scene where Stallone dropped the needle on the record, and 'Summer Madness' started playing, I can tell you we got pretty loud in the theater."
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
Liked my favs - now I need to listen to the others.
Rolling nicely here.
Rolling nicely here.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#55. Baby Elephant Walk - Henry Mancini
"Baby Elephant Walk" is a song written in 1961 by Henry Mancini for the 1962 film, Hatari! In 1962, the song earned Mancini a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement. The tune was written for an impromptu scene in Hatari! in which 'Dallas' (Elsa Martinelli) led three baby elephants to a waterhole to bathe. The catchy simplicity has made it one of Mancini's most popular works, appearing on many compilation albums. Although not used for the film, Hal David composed lyrics to Mancini's tune, which appear in the printed sheet music and later were recorded by Pat Boone, released by Dot Records in 1965. Mancini's version was not released as a single.
Brass instruments (including repeated blasts from the tuba) and woodwind elements are combined to convey a large and plodding elephant toddler that is filled with the exuberance of youth. Mancini uses a calliope introduction to suggest the sound of a circus. A cheeky melody is then played over this on a clarinet, and the song concludes with the calliope playing the old four-note phrase known as "Good Evening, Friends".
The overall style is as that of boogie-woogie, as Mancini explained:
I looked at the scene several times [and] I thought, 'Yeah, they're walking eight to the bar', and that brought something to mind, an old Will Bradley boogie-woogie number called 'Down the Road a Piece' ... Those little elephants were definitely walking boogie-woogie, eight to the bar. I wrote 'Baby Elephant Walk' as a result.
The cheerful tone, like that of Mancini's "The Pink Panther Theme", presents a stark contrast to more melancholy Mancini standards such as "Moon River". Due to its "goofy" sound, it is often used in a humorous context. As the allmusic.com album review states, "if Hatari! is memorable for anything, it's for the incredibly goofy 'Baby Elephant Walk,' which has gone on to be musical shorthand for kookiness of any stripe. Get this tune in your head and it sticks."
"Baby Elephant Walk" is a song written in 1961 by Henry Mancini for the 1962 film, Hatari! In 1962, the song earned Mancini a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement. The tune was written for an impromptu scene in Hatari! in which 'Dallas' (Elsa Martinelli) led three baby elephants to a waterhole to bathe. The catchy simplicity has made it one of Mancini's most popular works, appearing on many compilation albums. Although not used for the film, Hal David composed lyrics to Mancini's tune, which appear in the printed sheet music and later were recorded by Pat Boone, released by Dot Records in 1965. Mancini's version was not released as a single.
Brass instruments (including repeated blasts from the tuba) and woodwind elements are combined to convey a large and plodding elephant toddler that is filled with the exuberance of youth. Mancini uses a calliope introduction to suggest the sound of a circus. A cheeky melody is then played over this on a clarinet, and the song concludes with the calliope playing the old four-note phrase known as "Good Evening, Friends".
The overall style is as that of boogie-woogie, as Mancini explained:
I looked at the scene several times [and] I thought, 'Yeah, they're walking eight to the bar', and that brought something to mind, an old Will Bradley boogie-woogie number called 'Down the Road a Piece' ... Those little elephants were definitely walking boogie-woogie, eight to the bar. I wrote 'Baby Elephant Walk' as a result.
The cheerful tone, like that of Mancini's "The Pink Panther Theme", presents a stark contrast to more melancholy Mancini standards such as "Moon River". Due to its "goofy" sound, it is often used in a humorous context. As the allmusic.com album review states, "if Hatari! is memorable for anything, it's for the incredibly goofy 'Baby Elephant Walk,' which has gone on to be musical shorthand for kookiness of any stripe. Get this tune in your head and it sticks."
[scooter]
Footballguy
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Local night time dj of the 80s used to use this as his sign off song every night. Took me years to figure out who it was or even it's name.Tom Skerritt said:
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#54. Glad - Traffic
John Barleycorn Must Die is the fourth studio album by English rock band Traffic, released in 1970 on Island Records in the United Kingdom, and United Artists in the United States, catalogue UAS 5504. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200, making it their highest charting album in the US,[1] and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA. In addition, the single "Empty Pages" spent eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 74.[2] The album was marginally less successful in the UK, reaching number 11 on the UK Albums Chart.[3]
“Glad” is a song composed by Steve Winwood and performed by Traffic. It is the opening track on the band’s fourth album, John Barleycorn Must Die, which was released in 1970. It is an instrumental running 6 minutes, 59 seconds and is heavily influenced by jazz, especially in its instrumentation and improvisational nature.
John Barleycorn Must Die is the fourth studio album by English rock band Traffic, released in 1970 on Island Records in the United Kingdom, and United Artists in the United States, catalogue UAS 5504. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200, making it their highest charting album in the US,[1] and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA. In addition, the single "Empty Pages" spent eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 74.[2] The album was marginally less successful in the UK, reaching number 11 on the UK Albums Chart.[3]
“Glad” is a song composed by Steve Winwood and performed by Traffic. It is the opening track on the band’s fourth album, John Barleycorn Must Die, which was released in 1970. It is an instrumental running 6 minutes, 59 seconds and is heavily influenced by jazz, especially in its instrumentation and improvisational nature.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#53. Morning Mood - Edvard Grieg
"Morning Mood" (Norwegian title: Morgenstemning i ørkenen – Morning mood in the desert) is part of Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt, Op. 23, written in 1875 as incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play of the same name, and was also included as the first of four movements in Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46.
Music[edit]
Written in E major, the melody uses the pentatonic scale and alternates between flute and oboe. Unusually, the climax occurs early in the piece at the first forte which signifies the sun breaking through. The time signature is 6/8 and the tempo instruction is Allegretto pastorale. It is orchestrated for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani, and string section. A performance takes about four minutes.
The piece depicts the rising of the sun during act 4, scene 4, of Ibsen's play, which finds Peer Gynt stranded in the Moroccan desert after his companions took his yacht and abandoned him there while he slept. The scene begins with the following description: "Dawn. Acacias and palm trees. Peer [Gynt] is sitting in his tree using a wrenched-off branch to defend himself against a group of monkeys."
As the Peer Gynt suites take their pieces out of the original context of the play, "Morning Mood" is not widely known in its original setting, and images of Grieg's Scandinavian origins more frequently spring to the minds of its listeners than those of the desert it was written to depict.
"Morning Mood" (Norwegian title: Morgenstemning i ørkenen – Morning mood in the desert) is part of Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt, Op. 23, written in 1875 as incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play of the same name, and was also included as the first of four movements in Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46.
Music[edit]
Written in E major, the melody uses the pentatonic scale and alternates between flute and oboe. Unusually, the climax occurs early in the piece at the first forte which signifies the sun breaking through. The time signature is 6/8 and the tempo instruction is Allegretto pastorale. It is orchestrated for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani, and string section. A performance takes about four minutes.
The piece depicts the rising of the sun during act 4, scene 4, of Ibsen's play, which finds Peer Gynt stranded in the Moroccan desert after his companions took his yacht and abandoned him there while he slept. The scene begins with the following description: "Dawn. Acacias and palm trees. Peer [Gynt] is sitting in his tree using a wrenched-off branch to defend himself against a group of monkeys."
As the Peer Gynt suites take their pieces out of the original context of the play, "Morning Mood" is not widely known in its original setting, and images of Grieg's Scandinavian origins more frequently spring to the minds of its listeners than those of the desert it was written to depict.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#52. Pipeline - The Chantays
"Pipeline" is an instrumental surf rock song by The Chantays (credited as "Chantay's"), which was recorded in July 1962.
The tune, originally called "Liberty's Whip", was renamed after the band members saw a surfing movie showing scenes of the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. The tune, fitting in with the popular surfing craze of the time, swiftly rose up the Billboard Pop charts, reaching #4, and becoming a classic hit of its time. The tune is notable for using Alberti bass arpeggios.
Although they had myriad surf tunes, "Pipeline" was The Chantays' only hit single, and is considered one of the landmarks of the surf genre. The track's distinctive sound was largely due to the mix being "upside down" when compared to standard rock and roll of the era; the bass guitar, electric piano and rhythm guitar were at the forefront, while the lead guitar and drums were less prominent. Although the 45-rpm was released only in monaural, the track was recorded in wide stereo, with the rhythm guitar hard left, the bass and drums hard right, and the electric piano and lead guitar centered. Modern reissues, beginning with the 1980 MCA Records 7" single, are stereophonic.
In November 1997, The Chantays recorded a new acoustic version of the tune, entitled "Pipeline Unplugged", which was released on their album Waiting for the Tide.
The single was originally released in December 1962 on the label Downey, and was picked up for nationwide distribution by Dot Records as Dot 15-16440 in January 1963. Both releases spelled the band name as Chantay's.
The song was used as background music for BBC Match of the Day "Goal of the Month" competition. It was also used for many years during the 1980s and 1990s as the entrance music for the Edmonton Oilers ice hockey team at home games in Northlands Coliseum, "pipeline" being a pun on the oil industry.
"Pipeline" is an instrumental surf rock song by The Chantays (credited as "Chantay's"), which was recorded in July 1962.
The tune, originally called "Liberty's Whip", was renamed after the band members saw a surfing movie showing scenes of the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. The tune, fitting in with the popular surfing craze of the time, swiftly rose up the Billboard Pop charts, reaching #4, and becoming a classic hit of its time. The tune is notable for using Alberti bass arpeggios.
Although they had myriad surf tunes, "Pipeline" was The Chantays' only hit single, and is considered one of the landmarks of the surf genre. The track's distinctive sound was largely due to the mix being "upside down" when compared to standard rock and roll of the era; the bass guitar, electric piano and rhythm guitar were at the forefront, while the lead guitar and drums were less prominent. Although the 45-rpm was released only in monaural, the track was recorded in wide stereo, with the rhythm guitar hard left, the bass and drums hard right, and the electric piano and lead guitar centered. Modern reissues, beginning with the 1980 MCA Records 7" single, are stereophonic.
In November 1997, The Chantays recorded a new acoustic version of the tune, entitled "Pipeline Unplugged", which was released on their album Waiting for the Tide.
The single was originally released in December 1962 on the label Downey, and was picked up for nationwide distribution by Dot Records as Dot 15-16440 in January 1963. Both releases spelled the band name as Chantay's.
The song was used as background music for BBC Match of the Day "Goal of the Month" competition. It was also used for many years during the 1980s and 1990s as the entrance music for the Edmonton Oilers ice hockey team at home games in Northlands Coliseum, "pipeline" being a pun on the oil industry.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Sorry, I read that as Morning Wood.
zamboni
Footballguy
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
zamboni
Footballguy
In Oslo, of course, it's Norwegian Morning Wood.I thought of the same thing as I was posting this song.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#51. Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones
"Soul Bossa Nova" is a popular instrumental, composed and first performed by the musician, impresario and record producer Quincy Jones. It appeared on his 1962 Big Band Bossa Nova album on Mercury Records.
Jones said that it took him twenty minutes to compose the piece, which features prominently a cuíca (responsible for the distinctive "laughing" in the first bars). Roland Kirk was the flute soloist, Lalo Schifrin was the pianist, Chris White was the bassist, Rudy Collinswas the drummer, and Jerome Richardson was the alto flutist. The album liner notes do not specify the brass players.
The piece appears in the soundtrack to Sidney Lumet's 1964 dramatic film The Pawnbroker, which was scored by Jones.
Woody Allen's 1969 comedy Take the Money and Run features a similar-sounding instrumental composed by Marvin Hamlisch.
In 1969, the French composer Nino Ferrer used the orchestration of the theme for the chorus of his song Les cornichons, based on the title "Big Nick" by James Booker.
It was used by BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Alan 'Fluff' Freeman as a theme for his afternoon programme that was broadcast in the UK during the 1970s.
The theme was used in a long-running Canadian television game show, Definition.
Canadian hip hop group Dream Warriors sampled the title heavily for their popular track "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style", in their debut album And Now the Legacy Begins in 1991.
Like Dream Warriors, Canadian Mike Myers grew up watching Definition, and as a homage to his childhood used the title as the theme for the Austin Powers film series, starting with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery in 1997.
It was used as a theme for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
It appeared in the videogames Samba de Amigo (1999), Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party (2008), and Just Dance 2 (2010).
The song also appears in the Samurai Jack season 1 episode "Jack vs. Mad Jack", where it is played from a jukebox in a bar that Jack visits at the start of the episode.
The title was used from 2001 to 2005 as the title theme in a German "ethno-comedy" TV show Was guckst du? ("What 'ya watching?"), which was based on the British TV show Goodness Gracious Me.
It was sampled by Ludacris for his Austin Powers-themed 2005 single, "Number One Spot", on his 2004 album The Red Light District.
The title was featured in the 2009 pilot episode of Glee.
In 2010, Canadian jazz singer Emilie-Claire Barlow merged this piece with Sonny Bono's "The Beat Goes On" for the title track of her album of pop covers, The Beat Goes On.
In 2014, Jones executive produced Canadian jazz singer Nikki Yanofsky's album Little Secret, which featured a song entitled "Something New". The song interpolated melodic references to "Soul Bossa Nova". The music video featured the jacket of the album on which the song was first published, a turntable playing the Mercury Records disc and a photograph of Quincy Jones.
"Soul Bossa Nova" is a popular instrumental, composed and first performed by the musician, impresario and record producer Quincy Jones. It appeared on his 1962 Big Band Bossa Nova album on Mercury Records.
Jones said that it took him twenty minutes to compose the piece, which features prominently a cuíca (responsible for the distinctive "laughing" in the first bars). Roland Kirk was the flute soloist, Lalo Schifrin was the pianist, Chris White was the bassist, Rudy Collinswas the drummer, and Jerome Richardson was the alto flutist. The album liner notes do not specify the brass players.
The piece appears in the soundtrack to Sidney Lumet's 1964 dramatic film The Pawnbroker, which was scored by Jones.
Woody Allen's 1969 comedy Take the Money and Run features a similar-sounding instrumental composed by Marvin Hamlisch.
In 1969, the French composer Nino Ferrer used the orchestration of the theme for the chorus of his song Les cornichons, based on the title "Big Nick" by James Booker.
It was used by BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Alan 'Fluff' Freeman as a theme for his afternoon programme that was broadcast in the UK during the 1970s.
The theme was used in a long-running Canadian television game show, Definition.
Canadian hip hop group Dream Warriors sampled the title heavily for their popular track "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style", in their debut album And Now the Legacy Begins in 1991.
Like Dream Warriors, Canadian Mike Myers grew up watching Definition, and as a homage to his childhood used the title as the theme for the Austin Powers film series, starting with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery in 1997.
It was used as a theme for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
It appeared in the videogames Samba de Amigo (1999), Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party (2008), and Just Dance 2 (2010).
The song also appears in the Samurai Jack season 1 episode "Jack vs. Mad Jack", where it is played from a jukebox in a bar that Jack visits at the start of the episode.
The title was used from 2001 to 2005 as the title theme in a German "ethno-comedy" TV show Was guckst du? ("What 'ya watching?"), which was based on the British TV show Goodness Gracious Me.
It was sampled by Ludacris for his Austin Powers-themed 2005 single, "Number One Spot", on his 2004 album The Red Light District.
The title was featured in the 2009 pilot episode of Glee.
In 2010, Canadian jazz singer Emilie-Claire Barlow merged this piece with Sonny Bono's "The Beat Goes On" for the title track of her album of pop covers, The Beat Goes On.
In 2014, Jones executive produced Canadian jazz singer Nikki Yanofsky's album Little Secret, which featured a song entitled "Something New". The song interpolated melodic references to "Soul Bossa Nova". The music video featured the jacket of the album on which the song was first published, a turntable playing the Mercury Records disc and a photograph of Quincy Jones.
Mr. Mojo
Footballguy
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#50. Also Sprach Zarathustra - Richard Strauss
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra) is a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel of the same name. The composer conducted its first performance on 27 November 1896 in Frankfurt. A typical performance lasts half an hour.
The initial fanfare – titled "Sunrise" in the composer's program notes – became well-known after its use in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The piece is divided into nine sections played with only three definite pauses. Strauss named the sections after selected chapters of Friedrich Nietzsche's novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra:
Einleitung, oder Sonnenaufgang (Introduction, or Sunrise)
Von den Hinterweltlern (Of Those in the Background World)
Von der großen Sehnsucht (Of the Great Longing)
Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften (Of Joys and Passions)
Das Grablied (The Song of the Grave)
Von der Wissenschaft (Of Science and Learning)
Der Genesende (The Convalescent)
Das Tanzlied (The Dance Song)
Nachtwandlerlied (Song of the Night Wanderer)
These selected chapters from Nietzsche's novel highlight major moments of the character Zarathustra's philosophical journey in the novel. The general storylines and ideas in these chapters were the inspiration used to build the tone poem's structure.
Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (Thus Spoke Zarathustra or Thus Spake Zarathustra) is a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel of the same name. The composer conducted its first performance on 27 November 1896 in Frankfurt. A typical performance lasts half an hour.
The initial fanfare – titled "Sunrise" in the composer's program notes – became well-known after its use in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The piece is divided into nine sections played with only three definite pauses. Strauss named the sections after selected chapters of Friedrich Nietzsche's novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra:
Einleitung, oder Sonnenaufgang (Introduction, or Sunrise)
Von den Hinterweltlern (Of Those in the Background World)
Von der großen Sehnsucht (Of the Great Longing)
Von den Freuden und Leidenschaften (Of Joys and Passions)
Das Grablied (The Song of the Grave)
Von der Wissenschaft (Of Science and Learning)
Der Genesende (The Convalescent)
Das Tanzlied (The Dance Song)
Nachtwandlerlied (Song of the Night Wanderer)
These selected chapters from Nietzsche's novel highlight major moments of the character Zarathustra's philosophical journey in the novel. The general storylines and ideas in these chapters were the inspiration used to build the tone poem's structure.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#49. Love's Theme - Barry White
"Love's Theme" is an instrumental piece written by Barry White and recorded by Barry White's the Love Unlimited Orchestra and released in 1973 as a single. It is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, which it did in early 1974. Billboard ranked it as the #3 song for 1974. The piece was included on two albums: 1973's Under the Influence of... Love Unlimited (by the vocal group Love Unlimited) and 1974's Rhapsody in White by the Love Unlimited Orchestra.
The recording, with a large string orchestra, wah-wah guitar, and big rhythm, is considered to be an influence on the disco sound, which would explode in popularity the following year. The song was also popular on the Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S., where it spent two weeks at #1. It was also used by ABC Sports for many years as the opening theme music for its golf coverage. New York television station WPIX used it as the closing music for its then-Action News franchise during the mid-1970s. In Canada, the single saw similar success, reaching #1 on the RPM 100 National Singles Chart on March 2, 1974.
In addition, "Love's Theme" was also recorded in a vocal version by Love Unlimited (on their 1974 album In Heat). Andy Williams released a vocal version in May of 1974 that reached #16 on the adult contemporary chart in the United States. Enoch Light recorded an electro-disco instrumental version on his 1977 album, Disco Disque. The song is also part of Meco's instrumental medley "Hooked On Instrumentals Part I" (from the 1985 album Hooked On Instrumentals). In May 1993, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released the single "Dream of Me (Based on Love's Theme)" (from their album Liberator, released the same year) which used a sample of this Barry White composition. This single reached #24 on the UK Singles Chart, and Barry White was given a writing credit.
"Love's Theme" is an instrumental piece written by Barry White and recorded by Barry White's the Love Unlimited Orchestra and released in 1973 as a single. It is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, which it did in early 1974. Billboard ranked it as the #3 song for 1974. The piece was included on two albums: 1973's Under the Influence of... Love Unlimited (by the vocal group Love Unlimited) and 1974's Rhapsody in White by the Love Unlimited Orchestra.
The recording, with a large string orchestra, wah-wah guitar, and big rhythm, is considered to be an influence on the disco sound, which would explode in popularity the following year. The song was also popular on the Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S., where it spent two weeks at #1. It was also used by ABC Sports for many years as the opening theme music for its golf coverage. New York television station WPIX used it as the closing music for its then-Action News franchise during the mid-1970s. In Canada, the single saw similar success, reaching #1 on the RPM 100 National Singles Chart on March 2, 1974.
In addition, "Love's Theme" was also recorded in a vocal version by Love Unlimited (on their 1974 album In Heat). Andy Williams released a vocal version in May of 1974 that reached #16 on the adult contemporary chart in the United States. Enoch Light recorded an electro-disco instrumental version on his 1977 album, Disco Disque. The song is also part of Meco's instrumental medley "Hooked On Instrumentals Part I" (from the 1985 album Hooked On Instrumentals). In May 1993, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released the single "Dream of Me (Based on Love's Theme)" (from their album Liberator, released the same year) which used a sample of this Barry White composition. This single reached #24 on the UK Singles Chart, and Barry White was given a writing credit.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#48. Soulful Strut - Young-Holt Unlimited
"Am I the Same Girl?" is a popular song written by Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders. First recorded in 1968 by Barbara Acklin, "Am I the Same Girl?" charted most successfully in the US as a 1992 release by Swing Out Sister. However the song had its greatest impact as a 1968-69 instrumental hit single by Young-Holt Unlimited under the title "Soulful Strut".
Although Barbara Acklin — who was married to Eugene Record (lead singer and principal songwriter of The Chi-Lites), recorded the song first, producer Carl Davis removed her voice from the track, replaced it with a piano solo by Floyd Morris, and released the resultant track in November 1968 as "Soulful Strut" credited to Young-Holt Unlimited; it became a #3 hit in the United States and went to #1 in Canada. It became a gold record. Neither Eldee Young nor Red Holt is believed to have played on the track, which was the work of session musicians identified only as the Brunswick Studio Band. Acklin's version was released in February 1969 and reached #33, R&B crossing over to #79 Pop.
"Am I the Same Girl?" is a popular song written by Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders. First recorded in 1968 by Barbara Acklin, "Am I the Same Girl?" charted most successfully in the US as a 1992 release by Swing Out Sister. However the song had its greatest impact as a 1968-69 instrumental hit single by Young-Holt Unlimited under the title "Soulful Strut".
Although Barbara Acklin — who was married to Eugene Record (lead singer and principal songwriter of The Chi-Lites), recorded the song first, producer Carl Davis removed her voice from the track, replaced it with a piano solo by Floyd Morris, and released the resultant track in November 1968 as "Soulful Strut" credited to Young-Holt Unlimited; it became a #3 hit in the United States and went to #1 in Canada. It became a gold record. Neither Eldee Young nor Red Holt is believed to have played on the track, which was the work of session musicians identified only as the Brunswick Studio Band. Acklin's version was released in February 1969 and reached #33, R&B crossing over to #79 Pop.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#47. Rhapsody In Blue - George Gershwin
Rhapsody in Blue is a 1924 musical composition by the American composer George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects.
The composition was commissioned by the bandleader Paul Whiteman. It was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé several times, including the original 1924 scoring, the 1926 "theater orchestra" setting, and the 1942 symphony orchestra scoring, though completed earlier. The piece received its premiere in the concert, An Experiment in Modern Music, which was held on February 12, 1924, in Aeolian Hall, New York City, by Whiteman and his band with Gershwin playing the piano.
The editors of the Cambridge Music Handbooks opined that "The Rhapsody in Blue (1924) established Gershwin's reputation as a serious composer and has since become one of the most popular of all American concert works."
Rhapsody in Blue has been interpreted as a musical portrait of New York City; it is used in this context in a segment from the film Fantasia 2000, in which the piece is used as the lyrical framing for a stylized animation set drawn in the style of famed illustrator Al Hirschfeld. It was also used in the opening sequence of Woody Allen's 1979 film Manhattan.
Brian Wilson, leader of The Beach Boys, has said on multiple occasions that Rhapsody in Blue is one of his favorite pieces. He first heard it when he was two years old, and recalls that he "loved" it. It was also a heavy influence on his Smile album. He also came to think of "Good Vibrations" as "a smaller, psychedelic version of Rhapsody in Blue".
Rhapsody in Blue was played simultaneously by eighty-four pianists at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The piece was performed by Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang at the 50th Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008.
Rhapsody in Blue is a 1924 musical composition by the American composer George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects.
The composition was commissioned by the bandleader Paul Whiteman. It was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé several times, including the original 1924 scoring, the 1926 "theater orchestra" setting, and the 1942 symphony orchestra scoring, though completed earlier. The piece received its premiere in the concert, An Experiment in Modern Music, which was held on February 12, 1924, in Aeolian Hall, New York City, by Whiteman and his band with Gershwin playing the piano.
The editors of the Cambridge Music Handbooks opined that "The Rhapsody in Blue (1924) established Gershwin's reputation as a serious composer and has since become one of the most popular of all American concert works."
Rhapsody in Blue has been interpreted as a musical portrait of New York City; it is used in this context in a segment from the film Fantasia 2000, in which the piece is used as the lyrical framing for a stylized animation set drawn in the style of famed illustrator Al Hirschfeld. It was also used in the opening sequence of Woody Allen's 1979 film Manhattan.
Brian Wilson, leader of The Beach Boys, has said on multiple occasions that Rhapsody in Blue is one of his favorite pieces. He first heard it when he was two years old, and recalls that he "loved" it. It was also a heavy influence on his Smile album. He also came to think of "Good Vibrations" as "a smaller, psychedelic version of Rhapsody in Blue".
Rhapsody in Blue was played simultaneously by eighty-four pianists at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The piece was performed by Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang at the 50th Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#46. Classical Gas - Mason Williams
"Classical Gas" is an instrumental musical piece composed and originally performed by Mason Williams with instrumental backing by members of the Wrecking Crew. Originally released in 1968 on the album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record, it has been re-recorded and re-released numerous times since by Williams. One later version served as the title track of a 1987 album by Williams and the band Mannheim Steamroller.
Originally named "Classical Gasoline", the song was envisioned to be "fuel" for the classical guitar repertoire. The title was later shortened by a music copyist.
Williams was the head writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour at the time of the piece's release and premiered the composition on the show. Williams performed it several times over several episodes.
After the piece had reached the Top Ten, Williams asked an experimental filmmaker named Dan McLaughlin to adjust a student video montage that he had created of classical art works using Beethoven's 5th Symphony and edit it in time to "Classical Gas", using the visual effect now known as kinestasis. The work, 3000 Years of Art, premiered in 1968 on an episode of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The song peaked at number 2 for two weeks in August that year. On the US Easy Listening chart, it went to number one for three weeks.
It is sometimes erroneously thought that "Classical Gas" was performed, or even composed, by Eric Clapton. This may be due to the fact that Clapton was musical director of, and played much of the guitar music for, the feature film The Story of Us in which Williams' own solo-guitar re-recording of it, from his 1970 album Handmade, appeared. Clapton has actually never recorded the song.
Williams re-recorded "Classical Gas" as a solo guitar piece on his 1970 album Handmade. This version was re-released by Sony in 2003, after being featured in the film Cheaper by the Dozen, which starred Williams's Smothers Brothers protégé, actor/comedian/musician Steve Martin.
"Classical Gas" is an instrumental musical piece composed and originally performed by Mason Williams with instrumental backing by members of the Wrecking Crew. Originally released in 1968 on the album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record, it has been re-recorded and re-released numerous times since by Williams. One later version served as the title track of a 1987 album by Williams and the band Mannheim Steamroller.
Originally named "Classical Gasoline", the song was envisioned to be "fuel" for the classical guitar repertoire. The title was later shortened by a music copyist.
Williams was the head writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour at the time of the piece's release and premiered the composition on the show. Williams performed it several times over several episodes.
After the piece had reached the Top Ten, Williams asked an experimental filmmaker named Dan McLaughlin to adjust a student video montage that he had created of classical art works using Beethoven's 5th Symphony and edit it in time to "Classical Gas", using the visual effect now known as kinestasis. The work, 3000 Years of Art, premiered in 1968 on an episode of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The song peaked at number 2 for two weeks in August that year. On the US Easy Listening chart, it went to number one for three weeks.
It is sometimes erroneously thought that "Classical Gas" was performed, or even composed, by Eric Clapton. This may be due to the fact that Clapton was musical director of, and played much of the guitar music for, the feature film The Story of Us in which Williams' own solo-guitar re-recording of it, from his 1970 album Handmade, appeared. Clapton has actually never recorded the song.
Williams re-recorded "Classical Gas" as a solo guitar piece on his 1970 album Handmade. This version was re-released by Sony in 2003, after being featured in the film Cheaper by the Dozen, which starred Williams's Smothers Brothers protégé, actor/comedian/musician Steve Martin.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Last edited by a moderator:
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#45. Walk Don't Run - The Ventures
"Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and originally recorded by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1954.[1]
It was later adapted and re-recorded by Chet Atkins in 1956, and was a track on the LP Hi-Fi In Focus. This arrangement was the inspiration for the version by The Ventures in 1960 (though the Ventures' arrangement is recognizably different from Atkins' finger-picked style) which achieved world-wide recognition, being regarded by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.
After hearing a Chet Atkins recording of "Walk Don't Run", the Tacoma-based instrumental rock band The Ventures released their version of the tune as a single in spring 1960 on Dolton Records. This version made the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #2 and was kept out of the #1 spot by It's Now or Never by Elvis Presley. The instrumental reached #3 on the Cash Box magazine chart for five weeks in August and September 1960. The Dolton release of this record had two backing sides, the first release (Dolton 25) had "Home", and after initial sales were so great (to gain royalties), the B side was replaced with a Bogle-Wilson original composition, "The McCoy" (Dolton 25-X). Personnel on this record were Bob Bogle-lead guitar, Don Wilson-rhythm guitar, Nokie Edwards-bass, and Skip Moore-drums. It was recorded and engineered by Joe Boles, who had a basement studio in his home in Seattle, Washington, who also engineered their first two albums.
This single, their first national release, vaulted the Ventures' career. The song was recorded before the band officially had a drummer. The Ventures' website lists the drummer on Walk, Don't Run as Skip Moore. Skip was given the choice of $25 or 25% of the money the record would make for playing on the session. He took the $25". Bob Bogle played the lead guitar part on this first Ventures recording of the song. The band later rerecorded the song in 1964 , and became the first band to score two top ten hits with two versions of the same tune.
"Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and originally recorded by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1954.[1]
It was later adapted and re-recorded by Chet Atkins in 1956, and was a track on the LP Hi-Fi In Focus. This arrangement was the inspiration for the version by The Ventures in 1960 (though the Ventures' arrangement is recognizably different from Atkins' finger-picked style) which achieved world-wide recognition, being regarded by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.
After hearing a Chet Atkins recording of "Walk Don't Run", the Tacoma-based instrumental rock band The Ventures released their version of the tune as a single in spring 1960 on Dolton Records. This version made the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #2 and was kept out of the #1 spot by It's Now or Never by Elvis Presley. The instrumental reached #3 on the Cash Box magazine chart for five weeks in August and September 1960. The Dolton release of this record had two backing sides, the first release (Dolton 25) had "Home", and after initial sales were so great (to gain royalties), the B side was replaced with a Bogle-Wilson original composition, "The McCoy" (Dolton 25-X). Personnel on this record were Bob Bogle-lead guitar, Don Wilson-rhythm guitar, Nokie Edwards-bass, and Skip Moore-drums. It was recorded and engineered by Joe Boles, who had a basement studio in his home in Seattle, Washington, who also engineered their first two albums.
This single, their first national release, vaulted the Ventures' career. The song was recorded before the band officially had a drummer. The Ventures' website lists the drummer on Walk, Don't Run as Skip Moore. Skip was given the choice of $25 or 25% of the money the record would make for playing on the session. He took the $25". Bob Bogle played the lead guitar part on this first Ventures recording of the song. The band later rerecorded the song in 1964 , and became the first band to score two top ten hits with two versions of the same tune.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#44. Toreador Song (from Carmen) - George Bizet
Carmen (French pronunciation: [kaʁmɛn]; Spanish: [ˈkaɾmen]) is an opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, where its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalized its first audiences.
Bizet died suddenly after the 33rd performance, unaware that the work would achieve international acclaim within the following ten years. Carmen has since become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the classical canon; the "Habanera" from act 1 and the "Toreador Song" from act 2 are among the best known of all operatic arias.
The Toreador Song is the popular name for the aria "Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre" ("Your toast, I can return it to you"), from the opera Carmen, composed by Georges Bizet to a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. It is sung by the bullfighter (French: toréador) Escamillo as he enters in act 2 and describes various situations in the bullring, the cheering of the crowds and the fame that comes with victory. The refrain, "Toréador, en garde", forms the middle part of the prelude to act 1 of Carmen.
Carmen (French pronunciation: [kaʁmɛn]; Spanish: [ˈkaɾmen]) is an opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, where its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalized its first audiences.
Bizet died suddenly after the 33rd performance, unaware that the work would achieve international acclaim within the following ten years. Carmen has since become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the classical canon; the "Habanera" from act 1 and the "Toreador Song" from act 2 are among the best known of all operatic arias.
The Toreador Song is the popular name for the aria "Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre" ("Your toast, I can return it to you"), from the opera Carmen, composed by Georges Bizet to a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. It is sung by the bullfighter (French: toréador) Escamillo as he enters in act 2 and describes various situations in the bullring, the cheering of the crowds and the fame that comes with victory. The refrain, "Toréador, en garde", forms the middle part of the prelude to act 1 of Carmen.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
Haven't told my favorite showbiz story around here in a while and this gives me a reason to, so......
I had the great pleasure to perform my only standup routine ever for Mr Williams. I had written some successful comedy plays and had a scripted comedy show on radio in the 70s, but showbiz pressure got to me and i quit to join a hippie commune in NM. My agent didn't like that and continued to shop me around NY. When the cast, staff & producers of Saturday Night Live all quit after the 1979-80 season, NBC decided to continue the show and in one of the stoopitest hirings ever, promoted the highest-ranking remaining member of the show, Associate Producer Jean Doumanian, to run it. Ms Doumanian's only talent was for schmoozing talent, making her excellent in her role of booking each week's host & band, but knew comedy about as well as i know Estonian folk dancing. As you can probably see in Youtube clips of stories about it from Denny Dillon or Gilbert Gottfried, the audition process was extensive, exhaustive & excruciating. The 'extensive' part gave my agent, Serge, an opening so....
I get a call amid my Rocky Mountain bliss from Serge. I still had my hand in on some bands run by my company BSharp Mgmt, so he said i had to fly out for that and he booked me a flight. You see, he had gotten me an interview as a writer for the new SNL, but there were two problems: 1) because Chevy Chase had been the breakout star of the 1st SNL but had originally been hired as a writer, Ms Doumanian decided to make all writer candidates audition like performers 2) while i'd been a verrrry showy kid, i went up on my lines badly in a school production and developed such a bad case of stagefright that, to this day, i break out in a sweat when they call my number at a deli. Serge felt that the only way i might not explode over having to perform my first-ever comedy routine @ the offices of the National Broadcasting Company was to spring it on me on short notice, so he picks me up at the airport Wednesday evening, drops me at an hotel and tells me i've got to do eight minutes on the infamous 17th floor of 30 Rock tomorrow @ 2pm.
OOOOOOOOOOkay. Serge had been right - i had written my best stuff for my Zero Hour show in last-minute rushes backinaday and if he'd told me about it two weeks before my brain, heart & genechtegazoink would have all exploded before i could get on a plane. So i drank & smoked & snorted until i had 8 minutes, drank myself to a couple hours sleep and was too phased to be phased when Serge called for me @ midday.
Herded into a room in front of 8-10 people after a couple of hours' nervous waiting, the only ones of whom i recognized was Ms Doumanian and the best political comedy writer of all time, Jim Downey (who had quit w everybody that spring but couldnt resist sitting in illicitly on these auditions), but which also included Mason Williams (a very weird choice, as a totally Cali guy, for SNL head writer and which lasted three eps, i think, but ALL of Ms D's choices were equally weird - if one of those weird choices hadnt been Eddie Murphy, who she hardly used before being fired halfway thru the season, i'd probably be having to explain you what post-Belushi SNL was). I had decided to use the fact i was an underdog (having quit showbiz a couple years before) and i was from radio and that Lorne NEVER hired from radio (not counting that most the OGs had done National Lampoon in all its formats, including radio) and had written a bit that to hire me would be THE END OF COMEDY! and then paint a picture of what a world without comedy would be like. Since SNL had always liked impressions this gave me the chance to use two of the very few i did to have Groucho Marx as a homeless guy telling people about shooting an elephant in his pajamas and Jerry Lewis wandering around saying "Lady" very mundanely. I got a coupla laughs but, most importantly, got thru it without pissing myself so there ya go.
For years, maybe to this day, my agent had his callsheet from the weeks subsequent to my audition framed on his wall as proof of how stupid showbiz can be. I hung out a week or so, visiting friends, we heard nothing, i wanted to go home to New Mexico, so Serge called Doumanian. After a couple of tries, a secretary told him that her boss said i had never been considered because i had said i didn't want the job. Serge hammered the phones til he got to make my case personally and finally went to the offices to ask Ms D WHY DA #### would i have done the audition that would have "ended comedy" if i didn't want the job?! Apparently, i had made my comedy gamble to a person with no sense of humor nor irony and that is that. Her reign @ SNL lasted maybe a dozen eps before **** Ebersol, Mike O'Donohue & Eddie Murphy came in to save the franchise. Her schmoozing ability got her on as a producer for Woody Allen (preCISEly when he stopped being funny) and, last i knew, was going around doing comedy seminars, claiming to be the person who made Eddie Murphy and saved Woody Allen.
A decade or so later, i became friendly w a comedian named Mike Price, who'd been a writer on Laugh-in, the food & bev editor for Playboy & a joke puncher in Hollywood for years but was old and only had a Sunday night radio show in Sacramento and playing poker (where i met him) to keep him going. He took me down to LA w him a coupla times and i met a few of his pals, Laugh-iners Gary Olsen & Gene Farmer and one Mason Williams among them. Of course, i had to ask him about my audition. "Good bit" he said but had no idea the reason i hadn't gotten a callback (tho i'd already confirmed the gruesome details w Jim Downey at NY parties of friends we had in common) and laughed like a jackal when i told him the deets, not a bit surprised by the twisted serendipity of it (he'd had a tough time recovering his own career from that short, angry tenure @ SNL as well). And that's my Mason Williams story.
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[scooter]
Footballguy
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
Mr. Mojo
Footballguy
Penguin
Footballguy
If you could give me a site that won't hit me with Copyright Infringement Bull hockey I might be able to change your mind. I'm totally done with Youtube, Soundcloud and Mixcloud, they all block my own work that was officially licensed and sanctioned by the original label and publishers, but it's all good.Tom Skerritt said:
krista4
Footballguy
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#43. Mountain Jam - The Allman Brothers Band
"Mountain Jam" is an improvised instrumental jam by The Allman Brothers Band. The song's first known recording is on May 4, 1969 at Macon Central Park. "Mountain Jam" was originally released on the 1972 Eat a Peach album, as recorded at the Fillmore Eastconcert hall, in March 1971 during the same sessions that produced their prior live double album At Fillmore East. That is the rendition that is best known.
There was much interplay in the development of this song between The Allman Brothers Band and another influential jam band, the Grateful Dead. According to the book Bill Graham Presents, one night at the Fillmore East when The Allman Brothers were there with the Grateful Dead and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Bill Graham came into an area where Duane Allman, Peter Green, and Jerry Garcia were jamming together on Donovan's 1967 hit single "There Is a Mountain"; Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun" is also quoted musically in the piece, roughly 22 minutes in. Also heard is a section of the hymn "Will the Circle Be Unbroken".
Preceding The Allman Brothers Band's official release of the song, the Grateful Dead had briefly referenced "There Is a Mountain," both live and in studio. They can be heard quoting a few bars of "There is a Mountain" in their song "Alligator" on their 1968 album Anthem of the Sun. An example of the Dead jamming live on the "There is a Mountain" riff can be heard at the 4:53 mark on the version of "Alligator" they performed at their August 21, 1968, show at the Fillmore West. Conversely, after the Allman Brothers Band release, The Grateful Dead performed a 22:57 version of Mountain Jam on July 28, 1973, at the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen. They also played a 55-second version of "Mountain Jam" to transition between "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad" and "Not Fade Away" on November 6, 1970, at Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York.
33:41 in length in its March 1971 Eat a Peach performance, the song is instrumental and features solos from all of the band members. Duane Allman starts with a guitar solo, after which Gregg Allman solos on Hammond organ, followed by a guitar solo by Dickey Betts. Midway through the song there is a drum duet by Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, later joined by a bass guitar solo by Berry Oakley. Then Duane comes back in for the slide guitar climax, and produces some of his best-known slide guitar, 23 minutes in.
"Mountain Jam" is an improvised instrumental jam by The Allman Brothers Band. The song's first known recording is on May 4, 1969 at Macon Central Park. "Mountain Jam" was originally released on the 1972 Eat a Peach album, as recorded at the Fillmore Eastconcert hall, in March 1971 during the same sessions that produced their prior live double album At Fillmore East. That is the rendition that is best known.
There was much interplay in the development of this song between The Allman Brothers Band and another influential jam band, the Grateful Dead. According to the book Bill Graham Presents, one night at the Fillmore East when The Allman Brothers were there with the Grateful Dead and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Bill Graham came into an area where Duane Allman, Peter Green, and Jerry Garcia were jamming together on Donovan's 1967 hit single "There Is a Mountain"; Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun" is also quoted musically in the piece, roughly 22 minutes in. Also heard is a section of the hymn "Will the Circle Be Unbroken".
Preceding The Allman Brothers Band's official release of the song, the Grateful Dead had briefly referenced "There Is a Mountain," both live and in studio. They can be heard quoting a few bars of "There is a Mountain" in their song "Alligator" on their 1968 album Anthem of the Sun. An example of the Dead jamming live on the "There is a Mountain" riff can be heard at the 4:53 mark on the version of "Alligator" they performed at their August 21, 1968, show at the Fillmore West. Conversely, after the Allman Brothers Band release, The Grateful Dead performed a 22:57 version of Mountain Jam on July 28, 1973, at the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen. They also played a 55-second version of "Mountain Jam" to transition between "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad" and "Not Fade Away" on November 6, 1970, at Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York.
33:41 in length in its March 1971 Eat a Peach performance, the song is instrumental and features solos from all of the band members. Duane Allman starts with a guitar solo, after which Gregg Allman solos on Hammond organ, followed by a guitar solo by Dickey Betts. Midway through the song there is a drum duet by Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, later joined by a bass guitar solo by Berry Oakley. Then Duane comes back in for the slide guitar climax, and produces some of his best-known slide guitar, 23 minutes in.
zamboni
Footballguy
Duane died a mere 7 months after this performance. :( Hard to believe that as accomplished as he was at the time, he was only 24 when he died.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
#42. Grazing In The Grass - Hugh Masekela
"Grazing in the Grass" is an instrumental composed by Philemon Hou and first recorded by the South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela. Released in the United States as a single in 1968, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, ranking it as the 18th biggest hit of the year. The song also reached #15 Adult Contemporary. Masekela included the song in his albums Grazing in the Grass: The Best of Hugh Masekela (2001), Still Grazing (2004), and Live at the Market Theatre (2006).
Masekela’s recording of the song was inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018.
A vocal version of the song by The Friends of Distinction, with lyrics by band member Harry Elston, was a US chart hit in 1969. The song has been recorded by many other musicians.
"Grazing in the Grass" was inspired by an earlier novelty recording, "Mr. Bull Dog No. 5", which Masekela had heard in Zambia. When Masekela was recording his debut album, the running order was short by three minutes and his record company suggested he record the tune. Philemon Hou, an actor and singer who was present in the studio, came up with a new melody while the backing track was already being recorded. The session was held at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood.
"Grazing in the Grass" is an instrumental composed by Philemon Hou and first recorded by the South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela. Released in the United States as a single in 1968, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, ranking it as the 18th biggest hit of the year. The song also reached #15 Adult Contemporary. Masekela included the song in his albums Grazing in the Grass: The Best of Hugh Masekela (2001), Still Grazing (2004), and Live at the Market Theatre (2006).
Masekela’s recording of the song was inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018.
A vocal version of the song by The Friends of Distinction, with lyrics by band member Harry Elston, was a US chart hit in 1969. The song has been recorded by many other musicians.
"Grazing in the Grass" was inspired by an earlier novelty recording, "Mr. Bull Dog No. 5", which Masekela had heard in Zambia. When Masekela was recording his debut album, the running order was short by three minutes and his record company suggested he record the tune. Philemon Hou, an actor and singer who was present in the studio, came up with a new melody while the backing track was already being recorded. The session was held at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood.
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