Questions tagged [history]
For questions about the past or present events of Musical History.
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How did David Dickey (bassist in the band America) inadvertently fly home to America?
I just read on wikipedia that America bassist David Dickey (who died in 2016) missed a European tour because after landing there, he inadvertently flew back to America. There has to be a story here — ...
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Political message of Hindemith's "Der Schwanendreher"
Hindemith composed this acclaimed viola concerto right around the time when the Nazis came to power and began attacking his works. Since he composed this concerto during such a stressful period, I was ...
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Bob Dylan - Mixed Up Confusion
I have a treasured copy of Mixed Up Confusion/Corrina Corrina - the Dutch reissue from the late 60s. I always understood that the version of Mixed Up Confusion was the one that appeared on Dylan's ...
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How did Celine Dion become so good in English although she's not a native English speaker?
Celine Dion is born in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada. Quebec is mainly a French province since most people speak French, yet we see that Celine Dion is perfect in English even though also her first ...
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Is "Ten commandments of man" sexist or ironic?
As per the title, is this song
ironic?
It seems way too extreme to be anything but ironic, and perhaps at the time it was clear because of how it was performed or who ...
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"Whiskey in the Jar" - which version is 'canon'?
Of course folksongs have no canon version, but at least in this case two "main", very different variants exist:
The depressive one (e.g. Thin Lizzy, our highwayman ends up in prison charged ...
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In which year and under which government was this video probably set?
Under which government, in what place, and in what year does this video of Mongol Shuudan's "Finnish Knife" look like it's set?
I am not asking for an analysis of the song's lyrics because ...
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Rubinstein with Rachmaninoff piano 3 and Horowitz with Chopin concertos
It seems to me that Rubinstein never recorded Rachmaninoff piano concerto 3, and Horowitz never did Chopin piano concertos. Does this mean that both of them thought their playing styles didn't suit ...
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Why are vinyl RPM and tape speed the way they are?
I've two related questions.
[1] Analogue record players rotate the disk at 16⅔, 33⅓, 45 or 78 RPM - apart from the first two values, there's no obvious relationship between all those figures. Why were ...
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How do I play a 16⅔ RPM record?
I bought an LP record from a local library and back home turned it on to hear it. And I get very funny voice like somebody is on helium.
I thought I had it on 45 and wanted to switch to 33, but it was ...
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Was "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" based on some older classical music?
I'm talking about https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livin%27_in_the_Sunlight,_Lovin%27_in_the_Moonlight
Years ago, I remember hearing some instrumental music from IIRC the late 1800s which seemed like ...
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What happened to songs telling stories in our culture?
I've just heard the "Hotel California" once again. Beautiful song from Eagles...
Watched nearly 10 covers on the YouTube, some of them are really awesome. This song was really a hit at its ...
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Why the excess of 3 children underneath the mango tree?
In the song Underneath the Mango Tree the refrain goes:
Mango, banana and tangerine
Sugar and ackee and cocoa bean
When we get marry we make them grow
And nine little chil' in a row
https://www....
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Why did Goose House do so many home recordings of their song "Sing"? Does that song have special significance to them?
The Goose House music group typically only does one house recording of an original or cover song (at least- after around 2012), but for one particular original song, "Sing", they've done ...
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What was the first song to contain a sample from another song on the same album?
Listening to Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) and noticed that "Night of the Living Baseheads" contains a few samples from "Bring the Noise" from ...
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What is the first recorded instance of a stage name?
To me, it seems as though stage names did not become very common until recently. Maybe I am wrong, but either way, this got me wondering what the first recorded instance of a stage name is. I am ...
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Who coined the genre “indie”?
I know that “indie” is short for independent to refer to a band’s record label but overtime it grew to encompass a music genre.
When/who does “indie” (ex. Indie rock, indie folk) as a genre identifier ...
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Why does all Christian rock music sound the same?
I understand that it's a music genre so somewhat by definition there's a similar sound, but I'd like to know why so much Christian music converged into this similar sounding "Christian rock"....
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How did Paul's Boutique (1989) contain sounds which were "not samples"?
I read this strange claim today:
Their second album, Paul's Boutique (1989), composed almost entirely of samples, was a commercial failure, but later received critical acclaim.
Source: https://en....
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Why is the Chinese ABC song different?
Why is the Chinese ABC song different to most of the rest of the world?
The traditional song in all Western European countries has a fast LMNOP and whole song similar to this:
The second half has ...
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How is it possible that the band "Paradisio" was Belgian when they sang in Spanish?
I have always thought that Paradisio, who made/performed the fantastic songs "Baliando" and "Vamos a la Discoteca", was Spanish.
They sing in Spanish, look Spanish, and Belgium, ...
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Was OMC’s “How Bizarre” (1995) inspired by Anne Clark’s “Hope Road” (1987)?
Listening to the Anne Clark song “Hope Road” (1987, YouTube, from 01:00), I immediately had to think of OMC’s “How Bizarre” from (1995, YouTube, from 00:15).
The rhythm of the vocals is so similar in ...
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Are there any examples in classical music history of "mashups" of two unrelated works?
note: while I use contemporary examples to formulate my question, I'm asking for answers based on examples in classical music.
Two contemporary music examples of a "mashup", the combination ...
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Origin/meaning of the lyrics "hang on behind" in the shanty Roll The Old Chariot Along (aka A Drop of Nelson's Blood)
In the old walkaway song/sea shanty known as "A Drop of Nelson's Blood," "Roll the Old Chariot," or "Roll the Old Chariot Along," the last line of each stanza is, "...
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Which musical chords were forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church?
Is it true that during the middle ages there were some musical chords that were forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church? I heard somewhere that you would be even punished by the inquisition then for ...
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Who has won the most different categories of Grammy awards?
I was listening to the song “The Roots of Coincidence” by Pat Metheny Group and learned that the song won a Grammy for best rock instrumental performance - which is surprising given that the group is ...
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Who inherited the rights to Otis Blackwell's extensive song library?
I've been reading about Otis Blackwell's life, and I noticed that no one mentioned an Otis Blackwell estate or inheritors. So I'm wondering - who, if anyone, inherited rights to / his share of ...
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Have any rock bands risked their lives or done anything extreme to achieve a tone?
Especially in today's music industry, achieving all the desired effects and elements that otherwise used to depend on the performance during recording can typically be achieved in post production. One ...
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Late medieval music - Queen of the Poles - Interpretation
I found some basic info about a piece titled "Polorum Regina," which is part of a larger collection known as Llibre Vermell de Montserrat. The pieces have a devotional feel / spirit as is ...
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Is there any source of information about Liam Clancy's song "For Real"
I'm looking for any kind of source of information, regardless of medium, about Liam Clancy's song "For Real", regarding lyrics, background, commentary, etc. I can't seem to find anything ...
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Why was Barry Gibb's and Michael Jackson's "All In Your Name" song released 9 years after being recorded and after Michael Jackson's death?
Barry Gibb's and Michael Jackson's "All In Your Name" song was released 9 years after being recorded and after Michael Jackson's death. Why?
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Did Freddy Mercury sing in a female 'opera' voice in the song 'Barcelona'?
claims that the audio played is Freddy Mercury singing with a very high 'opera' voice, and the comments seem to agree. On the other hand, I think the voice sounds female and is not Freddy Mercury's. ...
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"Mignon" in Robert Schumann (Album Für Die Jugend Op.68 and Requiem für Mignon, Op. 98b)
"Mignon" was mentioned in:
"Mignon" no.35 in <<Album Für Die Jugend Op.68>>
This seems to be a reflection in the pondering or deep-...
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What is the oldest known Christmas carol, and what is known about it?
Carols go back at least to Medieval Europe, and the form is associated with Christmas, though not exclusive to it.
What is the oldest known Christmas carol? What is known about it? Composer? Place of ...
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Musicians with significant limitations/disabilities
I'm interested in learning about musicians who've had major careers while managing significant physical or mental limitations.
A few I know of:
Mental illness
Tom Harrell (jazz trumpet): ...
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Where can I read information about the English folk song "Monday Morning"?
I'm talking about this song:
For years now, I've tried to find a Wikipedia article on it, or any information at all. Oddly, I've been unable to. All I know is that a ...
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What differentiates music of the 1960s and 1980s?
So, I have been wondering a lot a bout how music changed through the decades and came to 2 points. The 80s and 60s. But, I have no music background and don't know why I can tell that the music is from ...
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Mozart - the magic flute - did the story have a dragon or a snake?
I have come across depictions of the dragon of The Magic Flute opera where the creature is conveyed as a dragon, but I have also seen that the original German word should be interpreted as simply a ...
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Did that kid rapper "Lil' Bow Wow" really not release his iconic "That's My Name" song in the mid-1990s? [closed]
I have a distinct memory of myself hearing this song on the radio in a certain rented "summer house" in the (roughly) mid-1990s, perhaps even earlier, with the memorable refrain going:
Bow ...
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Is there such a thing as relaxing/pleasant Internet radio stations in good quality with no ads?
Between 2004 and 2014, the Swedish government had a wonderful radio station called "SR Minnen", meaning "Swedish Radio Memories". It would constantly loop, without interruption, ...
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What traditional songs do parents and close family sing to their young (birth - 4) children? [closed]
Background
I met a boy, about five years old, from a Persian family, and wanted to teach him some familiar (to him) songs on the piano. However, the children's songs familiar to me were not familiar ...
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Is Beethoven's 5th Symphony named "symphony of fate" by the composer?
There are many myths and doubts about this title. Do we have evidence about the original intention of Beethoven naming his symphony after the so called fate motif?
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What were Roman Catholic hymns called back in the days?
Well, there are three sub-religions in the context of Christianity:
Roman Catholicism
Orthodoxy
Protestantism
Before Orthodoxy and Protestantism was developed, what were Catholic hymns called?
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Was Guido d'Arezzo the one who invented the diatonic scale? [closed]
During Music History class I was taught that Guido d'Arezzo had composed the hymn to St. John and had made the ut-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si (solfege) pattern.
Here are the lyrics to the first verse:
Ut ...
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What has the RIAA(/MPAA/BSA) done in re the recent surge in music piracy due to coronavirus? [closed]
From torrentfreak.com: Coronavirus Lockdown Boosts Interest in Pirate Sites and Services
From nbcchicago.com: More People Are Pirating Movies During the Coronavirus Lockdown
Question: So what's the ...
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Unreleased Kanye West Chain Heavy album
8 years ago, I downloaded a Kanye West album called Chain Heavy.
I've always wondered about the history behind this album: maybe half of the songs are available on YouTube; nothing on other streaming ...
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What car make/model was used for the engine roar in the studio recording of KISS's "Detroit Rock City"? [closed]
Given that it was in the '70s when 8 cylinders were abundant, there could be many. Has it ever been revealed — an interview, a book, someone with really good ears — what car that is?
Here is a clip
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Does the Don Carlo in the two Verdi operas--Ernani and Don Carlos--pertain to the same historical character?
In the Verdi opera, "Ernani", there is the role of Don Carlo, later Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, while in the Verdi opera, "Don Carlos", there is the role of Don Carlo, Infante ...
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Ennio Morricone's Ancora Qui first seconds
I feel the first piano musical notes, the very first secondes of Ancora Qui come from another classical music that'd be as famous as Ancora Qui. Unfortunately, I don't know which song and I have no ...
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Hit song with misheard chorus
Here's a music trivia puzzle for you all:
What big international hit song had a chorus that was a garbled, misheard rendition of a much older hit song. The original song was in English, the newer song ...
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