Earworm

[neptune]

I know that the issue of on-bike entertainment is almost as contentious as the subject of H*lm*ts , you are either for it , or against . I use entertainment only on my pushbike , and only on out of town back roads and lonely cycle tracks . As an old man , my tastes in music are rooted in the 1950s , 60 s and 70s . There is a nationwide network of Gold Radio on the AM band that suits my tastes . No Ipods , stereo , or modern gadgets like that , I use a small transistor radio on a home made handlebar bracket . As such radios are a bit directional , the bracket incorporates a small turntable , so I can turn the radio if the signal fades . I do not use any form of headphones , and a keep the volume at a low level that is scarcely audible to passers by . But today , I did not use the radio , as I have an earworm . I watched "Family Guy " the other night , and there was a scene where Peter Griffin ,Lois , and Quagmire were at a dance . The band were playing a slow dance tune [ we used to call it a smooch] Called Earth Angel . Originally recorded by the Platters in 1954 , It follows the classic chord progression of C major , A minor , F major and C seventh . Actually I do not remember hearing it before , but I could not get it out of my head . I was foolish enough to find it on Youtube ,and play it several times . So now it has become an earworm . Like a continuous tape loop that plays in my head 24 / 7 . I feel like walking into the chemist`s and asking for some earworm tablets ....

 

[morphix]

[video=youtube;K2RIChOZDfw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2RIChOZDfw[/video]

I think I have an earworm too.. I love this old catchy song! '69, 3 years before I was born.

 

[funkylyn]

I think I must have an 'earworm factory' in my head.......but thankfully more up to date worms than you two LOL

Or maybe mine are rock snakes in disguise.......

Lynda

 

[morphix]

Now I'm stuck on Elgar's Nimrod Now the weather is getting nicer I'm planning my longest trip to Elgar's house and the Malvern hills where he used to ride his bicycle.

 

[bode]

It follows the classic chord progression of C major , A minor , F major and C seventh.

C major , A minor , F major and G major, surely?
Pedantic, moi?

 

[flecc]

Here you are Neptune, indulge yourself with the original by The Penguins, the Platters recorded it afterwards:

Earth Angel

Maybe the different version will expunge it.

 

[neptune]

Bringing on back the good times ... Yeah , bring it on ! I remember playing that in my "Pub Band " days . Here is a useful riding tip . When looking for a song or tune to convert into an earworm , try to choose one where the beat coincides with your favourite pedaling cadence , or just slightly faster . It will improve your battery mileage no end .@Bode , you are right about the G major . When I was a lad , a competent guitarist was someone who could play two chords . Three , and you were a superstar . More than three ? Now you`re just showing off ... Lynn , a worm by any other name is still a worm...Pleased it`s not just me . The worst thing is when you get a worm of a song you hate , for example ,Joe Pasquali singing " I know a song that`ll get on your nerves ." The last worm I had was "Reflections of my Life " by marmalade . I always wanted to play the guitar solo in that , and now , at 67 , I have finally mastered it . @flecc , thanks for that I will give it a try , apparantly it also featured in "Back to the future " and the family guy scene was a sort of lampoon of that .@Morphix , I never really listened to the classical stuff , maybe I should try it .

 

[z0mb13e]

For some strange reason '99 Red Ballons' has always worked as an anti earworm for me. And a few others I have mentioned it to, have said it works for them.

Anyway, I think it works for me because it is catchy enough to drive out the unwanted earworm and forgettable enough at the same time so as not to get stuck in its place.

 

[flecc]

I never really listened to the classical stuff , maybe I should try it .

You should, there are so many hidden delights in the vast repertoire. Explore, it's not all about the "bleedin' chunks" as the record companies call the popular classics highlights.

 

[Jimod]

I once had a tune in my head for 500 bloody miles. I was coming up past Lyon on my motorbike back in the days before sat navs playing mp3s into your helmet and for some reason the song which appeared in my head was................................................'I'll take you home again Kathleen' I mean what the hell was that all about. I'm in the middle of France and THAT'S the tune that came into my head? By the time I got to Zeebrugge I didn't want to take Kathleen home, I wanted to drown her. God bless helmet speakers and mp3s.

 

[neptune]

@ flecc , I had a listen to the Penguins version , and although I like it , I have to say on reflection , that I like the Platters version better . The backing singers are more in evidence with the Penguins , but on the Platters version , the thing that does it for me is the fat-and-dirty sound of the sax . Audible throughout , but especially noticeable on the first 8 bars .Going back to the C , Am , F , G chord sequence { I got it right this time } , it occurred to me that if I had a pound for every time I had played it , I could buy the most expensive E-bike on the market . The version of the song on Family Guy was specially recorded for the show , as pretty well all their songs are .
@Jimod , as I said , the worst worms are of songs you don`t like , or if you liked it to start with it goes on long enough for you for you to get sick of it .

 

[flecc]

@ flecc , I had a listen to the Penguins version , and although I like it , I have to say on reflection , that I like the Platters version better .

I agree, the Platters cover was far better and that's why I thought the Penguins version might release the earworm through being less attractive.

 

[timidtom]

I once had a tune in my head for 500 bloody miles. I was coming up past Lyon on my motorbike back in the days before sat navs playing mp3s into your helmet and for some reason the song which appeared in my head was................................................'I'll take you home again Kathleen' I mean what the hell was that all about. I'm in the middle of France and THAT'S the tune that came into my head? By the time I got to Zeebrugge I didn't want to take Kathleen home, I wanted to drown her. God bless helmet speakers and mp3s.

One of the problems with being tone-deaf but still suffering from/with earworms is that I haven't a clue what the tune is - anyone recognise 'dah, dah,de dahda, de, de de, da dah da , dum? Pretty sure it's not The Archers theme tune, but it could be something by wots 'is name - the one beginning with 'B' ?

 

[neptune]

@Timidtom . I`d recognise that anywhere , it`s Elgar`s Nimrod ! Didn`t there used to be a phone number you could ring , and hum the first line of a tune , and a panel of judges would try to "name that tune " ? That reminds me of something from my child hood .When I was about 10 years old , around the mid 1950`s we had an exceptionally hot summer . We had weeks of high atmospheric pressure , and it caused abnormal propagation of radio signals , including television interference . But the thing that sticks in my mind was the interference on the radio , or as we called it then , the "wireless ". Our receiver was always tuned to the BBC Light Program , on 1500 metres , long wave . Every evening , we got interference from a powerful German station . All it consisted of was a snatch of music and a station announcement . The announcement was of course in German which I did not speak then or now . The announcement sounded like " Nie schtaff fiest andana Ni oondas fier " in phonetic spelling . The music was the first line of a tune I have since heard as a hymn tune . It is not Deutchland Uber Alles , but a tune that in my head I associate with Germany . It goes
dah dah dah dah dah ,dah dah dah dah dah , dah daaa daaa da daaa. The notes , in the key of C are ,
e e f g g f e d c c d e e d d I hereby claim the record for an earworm that has lasted on and off for about 56 years ! Atually we did not get TV until 1958 , so it would have probably been nearer to then .Can anyone name that tune ?

 

[flecc]

That's Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", part of his ninth symphony and the Hymn of the European Union. The words of that original are from a poem by Friedrich Schiller.

P.S. I knew there are other hymns to the same tune, so looked online and found these hymns use it:

God Hath Spoken by His Prophets

Sing to God New Songs of Worship

Fill Your Hearts with Joy and Gladness

Glory Be to God in Heaven

When the Light of First Creation

Christ is Risen, Shout Hosanna

Sing With All the Sons of Glory

.

 

[neptune]

@flecc. You clever old bleeder .[in the nicest possible way ] I too tried to research it on the web , but used a different approach . I found a site called Musipedia . You can whistle the tune or play it on an on screen keyboard with your mouse . I chose the latter .Did you work out the tune from the notes I gave ? The answer it gave was the ninth symphony in D minor by some dude called Ludwig Von Beethoven . Say , wasn`t he the same guy who was invited to "roll over " by Chuck Berry In the song ? That just leaves the station announcement . I quoted it to a German friend , and he could make nothing of it . Could it be another language , Dutch perhaps ? Flecc , did you actually hear the interference mentioned on the radio , back in the day ? Of course once we have cracked the station announcement , all we have to do is work out timidtom`s tune.

 

[flecc]

Yes, I do remember the interference on long wave, but never paid much attention to the music or words of interfering stations at that time.

I worked out the tune from bits of both the phonetics and notes you gave, plus the hymn mention hinting strongly in that direction. The "Ode to Joy" is such a common steal for other purposes, though I don't like it much. Blasphemy it may be, but I think Beethoven's ninth is his worst symphony by far, and the only dud. He should have stopped at eight and left the "choral symphony" mistake to later composers like Mahler.

 

[neptune]

In researching this tune , I learned that Beethoven was taught music by his father , who used to beat him during music lessons . Probably that is what he was thinking about when he wrote his ninth symphony ...

 

[flecc]

In researching this tune , I learned that Beethoven was taught music by his father , who used to beat him during music lessons . Probably that is what he was thinking about when he wrote his ninth symphony ...

Yes, his father was a snob and social climber, hence wanting his son to achieve. The "van" was an added affectation since they were commoners. Had they been German nobility they would have been von Beethovens. He could never have got away with adding "von", so he added the Dutch noble "van" instead. Still, he did us all a favour in teaching his son music.

 

[indalo]

Yes, his father was a snob

Just as an aside, I don't imagine many know this but the word "snob", as well as the common definition, is an old-fashioned word for a cobbler. I don't think it applied to Beethoven's dad though.

Indalo