Monday, October 22, 2018

Unusual Instruments #MusicMovesMe #blogboost

It's Monday.  Time for Music Moves Me.

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We blog about music each Monday.  Every other week we have a theme, and on alternate weeks, we can blog about any music we wish.  First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  Callie of JAmerican Spice,  and ♥Stacy of Stacy Uncorked♥   Also, co-conducting  is  Cathy from Curious as a Cathy .  And finally, there's me. 

Got music?  You are welcome to link with us (but please, only posts with music!)
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Today's theme, picked by our guest conductor Michele at Angel's Bark, is "songs using unusual instruments".  

Of course, it depends what you think "unusual instruments" are.  Mainstream instruments but not in the United States? Washboards? Kazoos?



Gallows Pole, done by Led Zeppelin on their album "Led Zeppelin 3", here is done live by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant - see the hurdy-gurdy on the left?

Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al - if you want until around 1:49 Paul takes out a penny whistle and plays it.

As a child of the 60s, I have to include several songs.  First, Wild Thing, by the Troggs, featuring an ocarina.

Speaking of the 60's, how can I resist Good Vibrations and its theremin?

There is the Moog Synthesizer, which was invented by Robert Moog, who went to my high school (not at the same time as I did!)  You can hear it in this 1967 song called "Strange Days" by the Doors.  I know, really not that unusual - but I couldn't resist.

How about the sitar? An early take of Norwegian Wood by the Beatles, with some beautiful sitar playing.  I'm not sure I can call the sitar "unusual" because there were a number of songs of the 1960's that featured it, but I'm putting it in here, too.

And finally, from 1971 - the song that many know as "Teenaged Wasteland" but is really The Who's "Baba O'Riley", complete with electric violin.

Thank you for visiting, and be sure to check out some of the other Music Moves Me bloggers!

Day 22 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

9 comments:

  1. Alana,

    I know all your song picks but had no clue they used any 'unusual instruments' in these arrangements. I wasn't sure what an ocarina was until I saw an image. We bought the kids some mewsical instruments to play with many moons ago which included an ocarina. I didn't know what it was called, so it's good to know what that thing is after all these years. :)

    I'm reeling after some unexpected chaos from the end of last week which I plan to discuss in tomorrow's post. Have a boogietastic week, dearie!

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  2. Outstanding music selections. Of course, as another child of the sixties, they all have a place in my heart. There were few songs more well composed than Good Vibrations. "Wild Thing" spoke to a lot of our generation, and Led Zeppelin was probably the best hard rock band of the era. Thanks for sharing with us today. Have a blessed week.

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  3. These all brought back great memories. I was a fan of Jim Morrison (Alexandria), the Beach Boys (Californicate), The Troggs...
    But, that video that Paul did with Chevy Chase was something I always recall fondly.

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  4. We both picked Wild Thing. I guess that great minds think alike. Great songs.

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  5. I loved this week's musical post! Too much fun on the unusual instruments. The video of Paul Simon and Chevy Chase is adorable!

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  6. Hey, sitar and other Indian instruments count (I chose "Within You, Without You" from "Sergeant Pepper"). Good choices!

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  7. Most of those, I had no idea what was making the sound! This was amazingly informative! And totally fun!

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  8. Hey Alana,
    Excellent song choices! All of them! And a great cross-section of interesting instruments. It's really eye-opening, in digging into the making of the music, how many different instruments there are out there. As listeners and lay people, we just take for granted the sound, and most of us just think of the typical lead guitar, bass, drums, keyboards...and horns and strings. But how often do we think of these really cool and far-out instruments in the songs we love?

    I love the sitar. When I think of sitar, I usually think first of John Lennon. I don't know why, I just do for some reason. I think I might've read something about his infatuation with the instrument in his travels, especially during those spiritual getaways. Loved seeing that rare video.
    And I loved Led Zeppelin's "Gallows Pole" -- it's fabulous to see the hurdy-gurdy in action.

    Thanks for playing along with my theme. Hope you had fun with it.
    There are so many cool songs out there with a plethora of unique and what I consider to be cool instruments and you picked some awesome ones.

    Have a good week,

    Michele at Angels Bark

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  9. I had a blogpost titled after that Troggs' song - from the 60's, if I am not wrong.
    https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/wild-thing/
    Love that Paul Simon's number.

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