Members Stackabones Posted May 15, 2009 Members Share Posted May 15, 2009 What has influenced you in the past ... or since the last FIT? * The King Tut exhibit is ending here at the Dallas Museum of Art. Thirty years ago it was also on tour and Steve Martin wrote a wonderfully funny song about folks standing in line to see the boy king. Martin wrote the song and members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band back him up on the track from A Wild And Crazy Guy. I wore out that album and it made me a life-long Steve Martin fan. For those who don't know already, he's also a pretty good banjo picker and he's been a few films. Hearing this song reminds me that no subject should be off limits. If something floats past you, you've got to grab it and write it. It also reminds me that novelty songs can be really enjoyable and even serious songwriters can write them (think Randy Newman). [YOUTUBE]pP7AJiQM2RI[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rhino55 Posted May 15, 2009 Members Share Posted May 15, 2009 Sweet!... I didnt realize that was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band playing behind him. I've been getting into alot of folk stuff lately Last weekend even sat in with an Ol'time group and a Zydeco band that was fun. I'm not sure if the quality on this will be great but the song it self is pretty awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted May 15, 2009 Moderators Share Posted May 15, 2009 Nice post Stack. Imagine being Randy Newman and trying to sell songs for others to sing. He tried, you know? But Newman... is Newman. But eventually, through some clout his father had for a little extra help, he got a shot. I'm glad. [YOUTUBE]xE5k2euahDI[/YOUTUBE] In america youll get food to eatWont have to run through the jungleAnd scuff up your feetYoull just sing about jesus and drink wine all dayIts great to be an american Aint no lions or tigers-aint no mamba snakeJust the sweet watermelon and the buckwheat cakeEvrybody is as happy as a man can beClimb aboard, little wog-sail away with me Sail away-sail awayWe will cross the mighty ocean into charleston baySail away-sail awayWe will cross the mighty ocean into charleston bay In america every man is freeTo take care of his home and his familyYoull be as happy as a monkey in a monkey treeYoure all gonna be an american Sail away-sail awayWe will cross the mighty ocean into charleston baySail away-sail awayWe will cross the mighty ocean into charleston bay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted May 15, 2009 Members Share Posted May 15, 2009 I can't find a youtube, so let's see how rhapsody works out. http://www.rhapsody.com/herb-alpert/whipped-cream-other-delights-rewhipped/lollipops-and-roses-anthony-marinelli-remix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted May 15, 2009 Moderators Share Posted May 15, 2009 After reading your post again Stack, it's clear you're refering to Newman's Short People and I love L.A. But in the spirit of "anything goes"... imagine writing a song about the promise of a new life. That promise is a lie, but just imagine it. You're going to have a new life. In America! Hop aboard the slave ship! I always like the idea of that song. A broken promise before it was actually broken. Of course the traders did nothing of the kind. There was no promise, it was more, shoot their momma and scare the {censored} out of them. Then they'll come if you keep a gun pointed at their head. But Newman's genius was in writing it as a farce. Farce hits even harder with its imagined promise of being an American. Anything goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted May 15, 2009 Moderators Share Posted May 15, 2009 Here's a Herb Alpert. I always dug this arrangement. I love the way the half time intro is re-introduced through the tune. Just sort of puts a halt on the groove but in a really fun and clever way. Even when he gears up for his solo, he gets knocked off by the re-intro. Pretty cool trick. Classic video too. [YOUTUBE]z_KDPUTyDyQ[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted May 15, 2009 Author Members Share Posted May 15, 2009 After reading your post again Stack, it's clear you're refering to Newman's Short People and I love L.A. I hear ya. What's fascinating about Newman and Short People (and many other of his tunes as well) is that it is a satire and not entirely a novelty song -- though many assumed that it was nothing but a novelty song. He gets a character's perspective down so well that sometimes an audience doesn't get what he is doing. They think, "He hates short people!" and then try to ban the tune. He songs have irony and often create ironic responses from the public. Incredible songwriter. Fascinating that that tune catapulted him into the limelight. I guess the connection between Martin and Newman is that both can write comedic songs, but Martin's King Tut is more like slapstick compared to the satire of Newman in Short People and I Love LA. btw, one of my favorite song lyric lines is "happy as a monkey in a monkey tree." I just love it when he sings it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted May 16, 2009 Members Share Posted May 16, 2009 Four people have died within 100 meters of my apartment in the past week. Two young. Two old. Two men. Two women. . So in the past week, I've heard music from four funerals drifting through the walls of my apartment. I hear it now. Interestingly, they have brass band funerals here too, like they do in New Orleans. But the songs are different and the players aren't as good. They probably took that tradition from the French. They even dress like New Orleans brass bands. They usually provide the early music. So except for the brass bands, here is what Vietnamese funerals sound like. And they're all held at the family's home. In this video, you can see the brass band, they've already played and are seated. This dance plays out an elaborate and subtle mythos, my explanation cannot possibly do justice to. The dancer in white is protecting the spirit of the departed until his guide into the spirit world arrives. The dancer in blackis the guide. Some persuasion must occur. The plainly dressed pall bearers must participate in the elaborate ritual. You can hear the brass band start to play at the end. Also note - the funerary color here is white - not black.-EcTS1nuOu0 XazleLhwYUk sSdCk-5yY-0 And for a touch of the strange, here is a huge Saigon funeral with TS divas providing a tribute in song for the dearly departed. rVRuHESefTI I've never seen a funeral like that before.Quite often there will be blind guitarists, playing scalloped fret Strats through amps. What they play sounds a lot like Surf music and a lot like Blues. MBi6hBrpgqQ It is almost always the blind leading the blind when it comes to blind guitarists. One guitarist will play. One will hold the bullhorn or small amp and collect offerings. Both are sightless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted May 17, 2009 Members Share Posted May 17, 2009 UPDATE: It's Sunday morning here. And I'm still hearing funeral music. That's a big funeral around the corner. I don't know what these people died from, BTW. UPDATE - It's Monday morning and the brass band is playing. There was music all through the night. I don't know if someone else died or if they're just carrying the coffin out. I do no - it's LOUD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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