SOTU 554 "Swayin' to the tempo of a squeezebox melody" Songs About Instruments

[wee_ginga_yin]

Making a Dan Moi sound like a didgeridoo.
(It may not be PC to do songs by Rolf Harris)

Samm Bennett is a virtuoso on the Dan Moi

 

[One Man And His Uke]

Hi Jim, thanks for hosting. Another guitar, as mentioned in the first verse of this Leo Sayer/David Courtney song. Lyrics aren’t quite as originally written, but close enough, and as I remember them from Roger Daltrey’s version.

 

[One Man And His Uke]

And an original written in about two seconds flat. The Ondes Martenot is kind of a keyboard with a slidey thing attached that makes otherworldly theremin like sounds. Jonny Greenwood of pop combo Radiohead plays one, although the lyrics/title is me making things up as although I have seen video of Jonny Greenwood playing the Ondes Martenot, I can’t say with any certainty he has played it on stage with Radiohead.

 

[YorkSteve]

This one had to show up, didn't it?

 

[Ila]

Hi, Jim. Thanks for hosting. Sorry for the break in my voice (I'm still sick) but this one mentions a piano.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Here's a song from Michael Smith that I first heard on a Tom Rush LP. Tom called it Hobo's Mandolin, but Michael calls It This Here Mandolin.



-Mandolin - 1

Now that you mention it, Jim, I'm working on a Key of G cover of Bruce Hornsby's 'Mandolin Rain' but will defer to any fellow UU-er who enters it first. I have the verse down pat but for the chorus am struggling with the quick change from Am to G and have yet to perfect the longer-held C chord in the final line.

 

[One Man And His Uke]

Now that you mention it, Jim, I'm working on a Key of G cover of Bruce Hornsby's 'Mandolin Rain' but will defer to any fellow UU-er who enters it first. I have the verse down pat but for the chorus am struggling with the quick change from Am to G and have yet to perfect the longer-held C chord in the final line.

That is a gorgeous song. I was trying to sing it earlier, the verse is easy enough but getting Bruce’s higher notes on the chorus! Boy!

 

[Canada Jim]

Another guitar song - the only instrument I play more than the ukulele these days. Me & Martin by Gary Fjellgaard
After seeing John's One Man Band video, I decided to include my favourite instrument, the 1962 D-21 that has been my faithful companion for the last 43 years (I think). (Maggie has only been my faithful companion for 42 years, but I love her dearly.)
I learned the song from an LP that I got at a yard sale. I'd never heard of Fjellgaard before, but I liked the title and the photo of the old D-18 on the cover.

 

[Ila]

Jim, check the settings on your YouTube video. They're set to private.

 

[Canada Jim]

Thanks a lot Ila. It's fixed (I think)

 

[Canada Jim]

-Well, we started the day with a kazoo song from Brian (Pabrizzer). That's exactly how I feel about 'em Brian.
Then Rob (Wee Ginga Yin) introduced us to an instrument I'd never heard of, the dan moi. Since I'm not about to shave my moustache, I guess I'll give adding one to my arsenal a pass, but I love to hear about these things.
John (One Man And His Uke) also had a weird and wonderful instrument, the ondes martinot, but first he sang a tune about a guitar player; from popular to obscure.
The piano made two appearances next, a song with which I was very familiar and hoped would make it this season from Steve, Billy Joel's Piano Man, and a song I'd never heard, but really liked from Ila.
I couldn't resist adding another guitar song - Me & Martin.

That brings the score up to:
-Ukuleles - 4
-Guitars - 4
-Piano - 3
-Harps - 2
-Banjo - 1
-Kazoo - 1
-Dan moi - 1
-Ondes martenot - 1


Below are Google images of the two instruments that I'd never heard of before. Thanks Rob and John.

the dan moi



the ondes martenot


The guitar has caught up to the ukulele (Sorry for my part in that) so maybe we can hear Ukulele Lady or The Ukulele Song or My Ukulele Helps Me Beat The Blues or . . . but I'd love to hear some instruments that haven't appeared yet as well.
Suggestions: Seventy-Six Trombones or McNamara's Band.

 

[pabrizzer]

you can add trumpets and drums to the list - paoriginal - lyrics on youtube

 

[AZChris]

This will counter Steve's "Piano Man" submission. Here's "Guitar Man" from the band Bread who I'm covering for the 2nd week in a row.

 

[wee_ginga_yin]

My performace of "When the roll is called up yonder" is stuck at 666 views... this has to be some cosmic joke played by Youtube. Reference is made to the trumpet of the Lord when Gabriel blows his horn to usher in the end times.

 

[One Man And His Uke]

 

[jtsteam]

Here's one with loads of instruments. For those keeping score: Cornet, clarinet, trombone, fiddle, cello, bass drum, bassoon, flute, and euphonium. It was written in 1911 by Katie Moss about the annual "Furry Dance" in Helston, Cornwall, and made famous in the 1970s, at least in the UK, by the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, then by Terry Wogan.



I have no idea what possessed me to do this. It just popped into my head yesterday...

 

[Canada Jim]

I thought it was time for a song abut bagpipes and wanting to avoid Danny Boy, I put out a request on www.mudcat.org and got this lovely song.

PIPER ON THE HILLTOP - John Warner (1989)

Apparently John was moved by the unexpected sound of bagpipes being played near the Spence shops in Belconnen near Canberra. The moment was climaxed by a dramatic summer thunderstorm rising over the Brindabella Range, an outcrop of the Snowy Mountains.



Maggie's family is of Scots heritage (Ross/McEachern) and at all family reunions there would be sword dancing and bagpipes. Her brother, Bill, led us out of our wedding ceremony with the Lewis Bridal Song (Mairi's Wedding).

 

[CeeJay]

Looking above I see that we have two of the anti social instruments one after the other....just need a banjer and we got the full set.....


Squeeze Box~ The Who

 

[ukulele extra cheese]

Lyrics are in the YouTube description.

 

[Barbablanca]

Here is one in praise of my Wild Irish Whistle (made by McNeela Music of Dublin). The finest whistles I have ever played. A world away from the cheap ones and not nearly as expensive as some of the top branded ones. Thoroughly recommended to anyone who wants to upgrade from a basic whistle.

Hope you enjoy: