I was running over The Ladies Pantelletes, so to speak, and I had this feeling that I knew the tune in a completely different context. I couldn't place it but after a day or so it dawned on me. Caroline Rua by Mary Black, allegedly written by Thom Moore so I wonder how many other modern pop songs have been totally lifted from trad melodies ?
I can't think of *any* trad tunes that have been lifted by popsters. Some must surely have suffered that fate, and my inner discography of the pop and rock world's most notorious artists is mercifully small; but mercifully again, like nimble and mischievous fauna scattering before a sadistic but lumbering farmhand, most trad tunes have been too fast to be annexed by crass crooners such as Elvis "Wooden Heart" Presley, or the legions who write unspeakable dreck to the "Ode To Joy" (a rather iffy little number at best, IMO).
Yes, Danny Boy gets left out as a decoy, to suffer unspeakable mauling and abuse, while the rest of the pack leg it - works every time.
What I meant, patkiwi, was that they're putting on fake American accents, but in America, they say 'zee', not 'zed'. And that's incongruous. At least, I *think* it's the Americans that say 'zee'. It could be the knights ...
A couple of weeks ago Bon Jovi were doing a gig at the local soccer stadium, not far from where I live. Being a mere 300 yards distant from, and in line with, the sound stage I was able to hear everything loud and clear, despite my best endeavours to achieve otherwise. What struck me with one of the numbers they performed was that bass line and the harmonic structure apparently came straight from the Middle Baroque.
But then, it's been claimed that the Baroque musicians rocked with the best.
Lifting tunes
Lifting tunes
I was running over The Ladies Pantelletes, so to speak, and I had this feeling that I knew the tune in a completely different context. I couldn't place it but after a day or so it dawned on me. Caroline Rua by Mary Black, allegedly written by Thom Moore so I wonder how many other modern pop songs have been totally lifted from trad melodies ?
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: Lifting tunes
"modern pop songs" ~ !?
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Lifting tunes
Wanna be a gun slinger
Don't be a rock singer
Eenie meenie minie moe
Tell me where you wanna go
Talk about, pop muzik
Talk about, pop muzik
Sorry, couldn't resist it.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Bodhi
Re: Lifting tunes
Patkiwi, have you tried getting a flag and claiming all the tunes in the of Ireland? You know, like Eddie Izzard jokes of..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEx5G-GOS1k
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Bodhi
Re: Lifting tunes
Not quite trad, but old enough to be so: Amazing Grace/Never Ever from All Saints
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEzU8bJaGu0
Weird hearing the put on American accents, and still singing "the alphabet runs right from A to Zed" ...
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by benhall.1
Re: Lifting tunes
I think you might be confusing your American accent with a Canadian one there Benhall.1 auld chap.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: Lifting tunes
'Words' by the Christians is based upon The Women of Ireland.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Henk Bos
Re: Lifting tunes
I can't think of *any* trad tunes that have been lifted by popsters. Some must surely have suffered that fate, and my inner discography of the pop and rock world's most notorious artists is mercifully small; but mercifully again, like nimble and mischievous fauna scattering before a sadistic but lumbering farmhand, most trad tunes have been too fast to be annexed by crass crooners such as Elvis "Wooden Heart" Presley, or the legions who write unspeakable dreck to the "Ode To Joy" (a rather iffy little number at best, IMO).
Yes, Danny Boy gets left out as a decoy, to suffer unspeakable mauling and abuse, while the rest of the pack leg it - works every time.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Lifting tunes
Most pop songs are set to Pachelbel's Canon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by mickray
Re: Lifting tunes
What I meant, patkiwi, was that they're putting on fake American accents, but in America, they say 'zee', not 'zed'. And that's incongruous. At least, I *think* it's the Americans that say 'zee'. It could be the knights ...
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by benhall.1
Re: Lifting tunes
A couple of weeks ago Bon Jovi were doing a gig at the local soccer stadium, not far from where I live. Being a mere 300 yards distant from, and in line with, the sound stage I was able to hear everything loud and clear, despite my best endeavours to achieve otherwise. What struck me with one of the numbers they performed was that bass line and the harmonic structure apparently came straight from the Middle Baroque.
But then, it's been claimed that the Baroque musicians rocked with the best.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by lazyhound
Re: Lifting tunes: Bon Jovi and the Middle Baroque
A fairly surprising number of pop/rocksters have been choirboys and the like, and know this sort of stuff.
It's where the choirboys go who don't want to be rectors, Lord Lieutenants or Privy Councillors.
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Lifting tunes
"Belfast Child' by the Simple Minds is based upon She Moved Through the Fair.
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by Henk Bos
Re: Lifting tunes
Damned, so that's why I'm doomed, I was a choirboy...
# Posted on July 8th 2008 by ceolachan