Key signature: Aminor
Submitted on June 8th 2003 by Jamie.
This tune has been added to 105 tunebooks.
Also known as Popcorn Behavior.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Popcorn Behaviour
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amin
e/2e/2g|:a2 e=f ecAc|BABc BGEG|AEAc AE (3ABc|B/2B/2A Bc B2 e/2e/2g|
a2 ef ecAc|BABc BGEG|DFAc dcAF|1ECDB, A,2 e/2e/2g:|2ECDB, A,B,CD|
|:EA,A,E FA,A,F|EA,A,E DA,A,D|A,B,CD EDEA|GECD EFED|
EA,A,E FA,A,F |^FA,A,^F =FA,A,F|DFAc dcAF|1ECDB, A,B,CD:|2ECDB, A,2 e/2e/2g||
Popcorn Behaviour
This is a kick ass fiddle tune from Liz Doherty's album - Last Orders. She got it from some students of hers in Cork, but who the composer is, I'm not sure. Its a great tune, particularly the chromatic section in second part of the turn. Enjoy.
# Posted on June 8th 2003 by Jamie
I don't think this tune is so nice.
# Posted on June 9th 2003 by B Rad
I agree, but then I don't think it was ever meant to be a "nice" tune! More dark and malevolent.
Anyhow, done a little digging. This tune is composed by Jay Ungar (originally rom the Bronx) for a band called "Popcorn Behaviour" who are from southern Vermont and play a pretty far out interpretation of traditional tunes (http://www.popcornbehavior.com/), but good fun (there are some mp3s around of them). Also, here is the only link I could find to an mp3 version of this tune, the first half of the mp3 is slow, the second fast and much more akin to the way Liz plays the tune:
http://www.fromseierrose.com/mp3/PopcornBehaviorLow.mp3
# Posted on June 9th 2003 by Jamie
not a nice tune is a euphimism for #$@! tune. Figures it's an Unger tune, never liked anything yet I've heard from that cornball.
# Posted on June 9th 2003 by B Rad
Oh, you mean "gash" to put it in polite scots slang. Fair enough, but have you heard Liz play it? Do you like liz doherty? This tune always gets our resident DADDAD guitarist and the crowd going when my girlfriend plays it in the pub.
# Posted on June 9th 2003 by Jamie
Brad's just worried that this'll start showing up at sessions, along with a ton of other "new" compositions, and he'll have another 2,000 tunes to learn....

Well, this wouldn't make my top ten list, and it's a bit of a reach to include it in the "tradtition," but it *is* kinda fun to play. Thanks Jamie.
# Posted on June 9th 2003 by Will Harmon
Would Brad like a cup of tea?
# Posted on June 12th 2003 by CreadurMawnOrganig
..no pun intended.
# Posted on June 12th 2003 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Popcorn Behaviour
"Popcorn Behaviour " was a phrase coined to describesthe way adolescent boys carry on. Jay Ungar wrote the tune in his early teens and its a pretty impressive piece for a youngster.
It is popular amongst the players in Gateshead (N.E.England) who can play it fast and accurately enough to make it swing. Its certainly much more technically demanding than the average Irish or Scottish reel.
Noel Jackson
Angels of the North
# Posted on June 15th 2003 by noelbats
From the source...kinda
just a couple comments on this tune. the band Popcorn Behavior is Sam Amidon on fiddle, Stefen Amidon on percussion, Thomas Bartlett on piano and piano accordion, and more recently Keith Murphy on guitar, mandolin, foot percussion, and vocals. the band started about ten years ago when Sam and Thomas were twelve or thirteen and Stefen was ten. their second release about three year later included Keith as a guest on a few tracks. on their third album (Strangest Dream) Keith became a full member. they now have four albums to their name. this tune was writen for them be Jay Unger and apears on their first or second album. they started off pretty much playing a bunch of traditional dance tunes, but by their second album added many tunes composed by Thomas. their third album is increadibally different from any of their other stuff and is strongly rooted in jazz, and throws in a song from the balkins, a tune from Finland, as well as some more of Thomas' tunes. their latest CD (January EP) goes back to a slightly more tradition sound and has a few moments of almost sounding old timey. it again features tunes of Thomas' as well as a watlz be Keith. they produce a grove based blend of fasinating rhythms, stuning piano work, and interwinding mandolin and fiddle work
# Posted on July 27th 2003 by rae_rae_racer
Popcorn Behaivor
This tune was written for Popcorn Behavior by Jay Ungar. It was meant to capture the energy and spirit of the group, which at the time was composed of three kids in their early teens: Sam Amidon, Stefan Amidon, and Thomas Bartlett.
I love this tune, but the only version I've heard is Popcorn Behavior's, and they are perhaps my favorite traditional group, in that they're a bit avant-garde.
# Posted on August 15th 2004 by VermontHermit
Another recording
I've got a version of this tune played on an Irish solo dancing cd - Olive Hurley's Sets and Solos vol3. It's payed on violin and piano. Worth a listen.
# Posted on November 11th 2005 by Amckay
love this tune. first heard it played by dessie kelliher and thought was great so as most banjo players do i decided to learn it . great tune
# Posted on December 3rd 2007 by banjaxed91
A french version
This the tune played by the whistle of Doolin from Toulouse :
X: 1
T: Popcorn Behaviour
C: Version du whistle de Doolin
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amin
|:a2 e=f ecAc|BABc BGAz|EAcA EAcA|BABc ABce|a2 e=f ecAc|BABc BGEz|EFAc dcAF|1EcdB A2 zg:|2 EcdB A2 zd||
%
eAAe fzzf|eAAe dAAd|ABcd edea|gecd efed|eAAe fzzf|^fAAf =fAAf|EFAc dcAF|1 EcdB A2 zd:|2 EcdB A2 zg||
listen this (the 3rd tune of the set) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrV2urK6M9w
# Posted on December 11th 2008 by oli
Easy and pleasant fiddle version
I've heard it played like this on liveireland.com, but I can't remember played by whom:
X:1
T:The Pop Corn Behavior
L:1/8
M:4/4
K:Amin
|:aeef ecAc|ABBc BAGE|~E2AE cEAE|ABBc B^G E2|
aeef ecAc|ABBc BAGE|DFAc dBAF|[1 E^GBc ABce:|[2 ECDB, A,B,CD||
|:EA,A,E FA,A,F|EA,A,E DA,A,G,|A,B,CD EDCD|~E2 AE DEFD|
EA,A,E FA,A,F|^FA,A,F =FA, ~A,2|DFAc dBAF|[1 ECDB, A,B,CD:|[2 E^GBc ABce||
# Posted on February 12th 2009 by protz
The tune is on the latest CD from the ceilidh band 422 - Go Forth - as part of a set with 'Antigonish Polka' and another American tune, 'North Carolina Breakdown'. I saw them play it on the outdoor stage at the Shrewsbury Festival last month in a force 9 gale (well strong wind anyway) and they still managed to get the crowd going with it.
# Posted on September 14th 2010 by neilk