Chiff and Fipple Forums

Gimme a break..seventy-five years...no way?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7996979.stm

Slan,
D.

Was that a monk on keyboard? (or maybe a Jawa?)
Yes, well...anyway, it has only been quite recently that I learned that the words were:
and her face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale...

The popularity of certain songs does mystify. In that category: MacArthur Park.

Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade of Pale is the most played song in public places in the last 75 years, according to a chart compiled for BBC Radio 2.

The song, with its distinctive organ riff, stayed at number one for six weeks in the UK in the summer of 1967.

So it's at least thirty-two years from its time at #1. I'm not gettin' the math, either.

Nanohedron wrote:

Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade of Pale is the most played song in public places in the last 75 years, according to a chart compiled for BBC Radio 2.

The song, with its distinctive organ riff, stayed at number one for six weeks in the UK in the summer of 1967.

So it's at least thirty-two years from its time at #1. I'm not gettin' the math, either.

If you go back 75 years, considering all songs originating from 1934 on, there has been no other song played more in public.

emmline wrote:

Nanohedron wrote:

Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade of Pale is the most played song in public places in the last 75 years, according to a chart compiled for BBC Radio 2.

The song, with its distinctive organ riff, stayed at number one for six weeks in the UK in the summer of 1967.

So it's at least thirty-two years from its time at #1. I'm not gettin' the math, either.

If you go back 75 years, considering all songs originating from 1934 on, there has been no other song played more in public.

Aha. Good thing I'm not your accountant, don't you think?

What's even funnier is that "White Christmas" made the top 10. Do people listen to it year round or something?

emmline wrote:Was that a monk on keyboard? (or maybe a Jawa?)
Yes, well...anyway, it has only been quite recently that I learned that the words were:
and her face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale...

The popularity of certain songs does mystify. In that category: MacArthur Park.

The words of Whiter Shade ..have been debated about for years..everybody hears something different..

I happen to like, for my sins, MacArthur Park..it would fit very nicely in a musical..which one is debatable but In can honestly see it towards the end of Phantom....just when it all comes together...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHS8hj4TdT8


Slan,
D.

dubhlinn wrote:...can honestly see it towards the end of Phantom....just when it all comes together...

You're laughing at me.

emmline wrote:

dubhlinn wrote:...can honestly see it towards the end of Phantom....just when it all comes together...

You're laughing at me.

Never...

I am serious...

Interpretation can be a strange thing but I would have no problem placing McArthur alongside the Phantom...

Probably depends on how ye see Mac....or how I interpret the Phantom.

I can put forward a good argument for the gorgeous "Don't cry for me Argentina" and the sentiment behind Irish rebel stuff...

Depends on where you're sittin' ..

Wonder, ask, guess, amaze,dazzle, bewilder.... yes .. but never would I laugh...at you.


Slan,
D.

I grew up with that song and still haven't the foggiest notion, what it's about...

I think that "Pale" tune is still great.
But then I like the soggy cake song and the phantom too.....

skipping the light fandango.....

The weirdness of some songs carries them forward on a wave of disbelief, or perhaps confusion. I quite like "Whiter Shade of Pale". Seems to go with "Leyla" somehow.

Your list reminded me of two songs, both, translations from the French - or possibly Italian. You'll know the ones I mean, maybe.
One has a sort of refrain that goes "Chips, Chips! Sheboom, sheboom."
And the other one has a line in the refrain that goes
"...a cute cute in a stupid-assed way..."

IB wrote:One has a sort of refrain that goes "Chips, Chips! Sheboom, sheboom."

Are you referring to Paolo Conte's Via Con Me?

IB wrote:a cute cute in a stupid-assed way

Are you referring to Marc Almond's Jacky?

To find songs, stick the words in Google and follow the string with the word lyrics. Check the various hits to see if you can find a match to what you were thinking of. Follow up on YouTube to see if you can find the match you wanted.

djm

Can't youtube at work - but thank you for the suggestion.
I generally try a quote around the words and the word "word". "Lyrics" is a better suggestion. The quotable words are too brief to show up much. Your results sound more than likely.

"Whiter" is one of those songs in which some really powerful music (yes, I really think that ) is completely wasted on completely goofy lyrics. It should be a song about, you know, something important. Something epic and tragic. The lyrics don't do the music justice.

I feel that way about lots of late '70's and '80's music. You hear this powerful, world-ending kind of music and it's great...until you listen to the lyrics. Another juvenile break-up song. ho hum.
Tom