Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? Every other week we have a theme, and on alternate weeks, we can blog about any music we wish. First, there is XmasDolly, who will be returning as soon as she can. Her co-conductors are: ♥Callie of JAmerican Spice♥, and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥ Also, co-conducting is ♥Cathy from Curious as a Cathy♥ (who is filling in for Xmas Dolly and doing a fantastic job.) As Xmas Dolly would say, Applause!
<!-- end LinkyTools script —> Today our guest host is Michele Truhlik of Angel's Bark and our theme is "songs with hand claps or finger snaps". Because it can be hard for me to distinguish "natural" clapping/snapping from those created with a synthesizer, am going to expand this to "claps, snaps, and clicks". Why clicks? You'll see shortly.
The Guess Who - Clap for the Wolfman
Queen - We Will Rock You, from 1977. How I loved the singing of Freddy Mercury.
John Fogerty - Centerfield - so full of clapping, and a wonderful song that any baseball fan can identify with. Anybody who begged the coach to let him or her play loves this song
Berlin - The Metro, from 1981. My husband and I debated whether we were hearing clapping or just synthicized drumming, and I don't really care. I love this song - the vocals by Terri Nunn, the music, the setting on a train - just everything. I wasn't even aware that System of a Down had covered the song. This is the original.
Car Wash - Rose Royce. For many, this is "the" clapping song.
David Bowie - Under Pressure. I decided to use a live version with both David Bowie and Queen. As for Queen, they have a number of songs with clapping in them.
From 1965, Shirley Ellis and "The Clapping Song". Recorded in 1965, it incorporates a nursery rhyme called "Little Rubber Ducky". The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Gary Glitter, who had his own clapping song hit with "Rock and Roll Pt. 2".
Finally, remember my comment about clicks? In 1957, the late African singer Miriam Makeba had a worldwide hit with a song called "Pata Pata". It is sung in her native language, Xhosa, which, along with several other African languages, features different types of clicks, just as we have consonants and vowels in English. These are not sound effects; these are part of her language.
I was so fascinated with this song growing up. The version above is a live version, and showcases the versatility of the human voice. This was such a fun theme - it really made me listen to songs I thought I was familiar with, and how we express music with our entire bodies.
Join me and the other Music Moves Me bloggers again next Monday.
Day 8 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost
I just couldn't get past "Center field". Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Fogerty were among my favorite artists, and Center Field is definitely my sports song. The louder you play it, the better it gets. Have a blessed week.
ReplyDeleteAlana,
ReplyDeleteOkay, I left your blog up in a different tab but I can't remember if I left a comment now. *smack forehead* I think I need to have another cup of coffee. BRB Okay, I'm back. :) "Clap For the Wolfman" I'd forgotten about but I probably saw it in my search. "The Metro" I do not remember and like you I'm not sure if there's handclaps or a sensitizer but it makes you think of handclaps so why not count it? I worried about not being able to detect some of the subtle claps and snaps in songs so I have to pay very close attention to the songs to pick it out. I miss these sounds sometimes, too. It's funny how I don't remember the handclaps & finger snaps in some songs, but when I go back with this in mind then it's like, "Oh yeah handicapping...fingersnapping!" How did I miss that? Thanks for sharing a dance with me, my friend!
What a fun theme and I love your selections. Shirley Ellis video maybe from American Bandstand as all the dancers are white!
ReplyDeleteGreat songs. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteI did not know about Pata Pata. I knew there were languages with clicks, but never put two and two together.
ReplyDeletehELLO... I'm back... just wanted to say hello and ya did a great job. Yep I'm back, but I only have so much time to sit. BIG HUGS... More next time....
ReplyDeleteHi Alana,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked my theme! I'm glad you have fun with it.
And great choices! I was blown away at your first selection because I am shocked that I never gave that song a thought, with the Guess Who being my favorite band of all time!! I saw them perform (sans Randy Bachmann) at a cool venue in Lockport NY when I was still living up there. What a great show! LOVE that band!
And heck yeah clicks count! You betcha! Thanks for the introduction to Pata Pata. Interesting article too. I use clicks all the time with the dogs, but I never really thought of them as "clicks" --- I don't know what I call them. To me the sound I make sounds like what I've heard people use with horses. It's almost like it came naturally to me though. Now I wonder if I've always made those sounds? And Now I'm trying to figure, am I doing a C, X or a Q!
Shirley Ellis: OMG, YES!!! That was fabulous! Love the song, loved watching the dancers. That was some downright good fun! I didn't know that Gary Glitter covered it. I used his R&R Pt2 song. I almost didn't. The more I read about him and what he is, the further I wanted to move away from his music and I almost hated to even profile him. But that song is a classic clapping song so I went ahead with it. I like his other song "Do You Want to Touch Me" but after learning of his proclivities, that song is now vile.
Thanks for the intro to Berlin and "The Metro" -- great song and great lyric line: "I hate you for loving me". The song definitely has that 80s sound.
So glad you included David Bowie & Freddy Mercury performing "Under Pressure" together.
I never gave thought to John Fogerty's "Centerfield" -- that's chock full of all-american pastime claps! "Put me in Coach!" :)
And I think you are right in declaring "Car Wash" THE hand-clap song. That was the first one that came to my mind when I first started compiling my list. Great movie from the 70s too... Ah, I miss those days! :) Do you guys ever get sick of hearing me say that?? haha
Thanks for playing along with my theme Alana. Excellent picks here!
Have a great week,
Michele at Angels Bark
Who'd a thought you'd find that many songs that fit the bill? (I admit to not knowing the Guess Who choice. The rest- right on. Especially since we sing the Fogarty song every Philly home game!)
ReplyDeleteGood collection here! I totally missed "Clap For The Wolfman," and it was on one of my favorite albums, "Road Food." And, of course, there's "Centerfield," a bit ironic since my Braves lost the NLDS. Oh well, wait 'til next year...
ReplyDeleteWe Will Rock You and Centerfield are my favorites on your list! Nicely done! Thanks so much for the dance! :)
ReplyDelete