UNCONVENTIONAL WORLD RECORDS » music

Catchiest national anthem

pinolobu — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:01:00 +0000

Requirements: on first listen, you’d be immediately smitten by the melody, whether or not you understand the lyrics is secondary.

IMHO the catchiest of them all is La Marseillaise, the French national anthem:

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s followed by the Soviet Union’s anthem:

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Followed by Das Deutschlandlied, Germany’s national anthem:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Followed by the national anthem of Canada:

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Honourable mention: it was reported that in April 2010, a poll was started by the Commonwealth Games Council for England, to ask the public which anthem should be played for Team England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. There were 3 choices: God Save the Queen, Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory. Result: Jerusalem won, garnering 52% of the vote. If indeed England decides to officially declare that this is its national anthem, then it surely is one of the catchiest national anthems in the world:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Best scolding during music concert

pinolobu — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:42:56 +0000

While performing at a Jewish orthodox synagogue in Slovakia, violinist Lukas Kmit was interrupted by a mobile phone ringing, that very familiar Nokia jingle.

After pausing and giving the guilty party an annoyed glare, Kmit did the unexpected: continuing his performance with an on-the-spot improvisation of that ringtone, earning him applause from the appreciative crowd.

The video was uploaded to youtube in July 2011.

It starts at 0:38 in the following video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yes, he definitely has made his point.

Note: while seemingly genuine, this video could very well be a viral marketing exercise by Nokia.

Most unique dance duet

pinolobu — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:16:11 +0000

Dominique Boivin (born 1952) is a French dance choreographer.

His partner is a five-ton excavator – his body gets in touch with the ground, now this is truly dirty dancing.

The machine’s movements are preprogrammed to move in time to classical music, perhaps piped to wireless speakers during performances.

Hence this is a truly bizarre man-machine dance duet.

He’s been promoting the one-of-a-kind show in various places around the world.

The programme notes say:

The dance relives those childhood moments where proportions take on another dimension, and where the street becomes a playground… the dancer meets, greets, and embraces a moving excavator, transforming the stage into a construction site and dance into a tentative balance between nature, man, and machine.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rarest music album cover

pinolobu — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:06:37 +0000

According to Record Collector magazine, it’s the “Capitol executives” cover of The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album (released 1967).

In it, the original Sgt Pepper collage done by Sir Peter Blake was modified in that the faces of the members of the Fab Four Beatles and other notable figures were replaced with those of executives from Capitol.

It was specially created to celebrate the success of the record, for Christmas of 1967.

It’s now reportedly worth GBP70,000.

Apparently only around 100 were made.

The original

Isn’t it weird that while you’ve might have heard the album many times before, the sight of the CD / vinyl inside a different-than-expected cover makes you want to listen to it again on home theatre systems?

Most relaxing song

pinolobu — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:48:32 +0000

The Daily Mail reported on 17th October 2011 that a study commissioned by Radox Spa and conducted by Dr David Lewis-Hodgson of Mindlab International has listed the top 10 most relaxing songs in the world – more relaxing than even a massage. They are so relaxing that you’re not recommended to listen to them while driving, lest you fall asleep. They do so by slowing down listeners’ heart rate, breathing and reducing brain activity.

According to the study, the most relaxing song of them all is Marconi Union’s Weightless. The Manchester band reportedy collaborated with sound therapists so that they make the “most effective use of harmonies, rhythms and bass lines.” The song turned out to be even more relaxing than Enya’s celebrated yawn-inducing song: Watermark.

I can’t find any audio to Weightless online, but here are some of the other songs in the top 10:

Airstream – Electra

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DJ Shah – Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix)

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Enya – Watermark

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Coldplay – Strawberry Swing

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Barcelona – Please Don’t Go

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Mozart – Canzonetta Sull’aria

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Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, was quoted to have said:

Weightless makes use of many musical principles that have been shown to individually have a calming effect. By combining these elements in the way Marconi Union have has created the perfect relaxing song. The study found this to be the world’s most relaxing song. It contains a sustaining rhythm that starts at 60 beats per minute and gradually slows to around 50. While listening, your heart rate gradually comes to match that beat. It is important that the song is eight minutes long because it takes about five minutes for this process, known as entrainment, to occur. The fall in heart rate also leads to a fall in blood pressure. The harmonic intervals – or gaps between notes – have been chosen to create a feeling of euphoria and comfort. And there is no repeating melody, which allows your brain to completely switch off because you are no longer trying to predict what is coming next. Instead, there are random chimes, which helps to induce a deeper sense of relaxation. The final element is the low, whooshing sounds and hums that are like buddhist chants. High tones stimulate but these low tones put you in a trance-like state. Weightless is ideal for putting on at the end of a stressful day and unwinding.

Dr Lewis-Hodgson himself said:

The results clearly show that the track induced the greatest relaxation – higher than any of the other music tested. Brain imaging studies have shown that music works at a very deep level within the brain, stimulating not only those regions responsible for processing sound but also ones associated with emotions. In fact, Weightless was so effective, many women became drowsy and I would advise against driving while listening to the song because it could be dangerous.

Most extreme-sounding Christian metal band

pinolobu — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:04:13 +0000

There are many Christian bands in metal subgenres, including thrash, doom, death and even black.

How far could one go?

Crimson Thorn of the USA has been described by Allmusic as “surely one of the world’s most extreme-sounding Christian metal bands”

Their song with the most youtube views is Withered, taken from their Purification LP released in 2002:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Biggest song ever from Asia

pinolobu — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:13:34 +0000

Kyu Sakamoto’s song “Ue o Muite Arukō” (上を向いて歩こう), written by lyricist Rokusuke Ei and composer Hachidai Nakamura is the undisputed biggest Asian hit song in history.

It is best known under the alternative title “Sukiyaki” in English-speaking parts of the world.

It topped the USA’s Billboard Hot 100 charts 1963, and the only Japanese-language (and probably any non-Western language too) song ever to do so.

It has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, one of only about 27 songs to have ever managed to do so.

Click here to view the embedded video.

First all-female rock band signed to a major record label

pinolobu — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:50:05 +0000

By rock band I mean the girls must not merely sing, they must play their own instruments too.

Goldie & the Gingerbreads of the USA, was the first all-girl rock band signed to a major record label, Decca in 1963.

Active from 1962 to 1967 it was made up of:

Goldie Zelkowitz (Genya Ravan): lead vocals, harmonica;
Carol MacDonald (joined 1963, died 2007): guitar and vocals.
Ginger Bianco: percussion
Margo Lewis: organ

This is not to say that there were no all-women rock groups before them – there were, but most big record labels were not interested in them and they were not big live draws.

So yes, Ginger, Margo, Carol and Goldie were something of a trendsetter, at a time when most women were perhaps more into more homely things like carpet cleaning raleigh or elsewhere.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The biggest rock star you’ve never heard of

pinolobu — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:10:07 +0000

Johnny Hallyday (born 1943), the French singer and actor has been called the French Elvis. He’s relatively unknown outside of France, hence his nickname of “the biggest rock star you have never heard of” in English-speaking nations.

His career has spanned 50 years, and is considered by some to be France’s only rock icon.

He has sold more than 100 million records, which is even more than arguably better known and years-established superstars like Bob Dylan, Christina Aguilera, Duran Duran, Jennifer Lopez, UB40, Beyonce, Boney M, Eminem, Gloria Estefan, Eurythmics, Iron Maiden, Prince, Santana, Spice Girls and Van Halen ever made.

He started his career at the age of 16 and became famous in the sixties for singing rock n roll in French.

His debut single was “Laisse les filles”, released in March 1960:

Click here to view the embedded video.

His cover of “Let’s Twist Again” in 1961 sold over 1 million, topped many European charts, yet failed to crack that all-important British charts:

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The only world-famous band with a female lead vocalist-drummer

pinolobu — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:05:06 +0000

The Carpenters were made up of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. They were the top selling American music act of the 1970s, scoring 12 top 10 and 3 number 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. They have sold more than 100 million records.

Karen Carpenter (1950-1983) was the lead vocalist with a pure, effortless voice. At the same time, she was an exceptional drummer. Her skills were commended by excellent drummers of the time including Hal Blaine, Cubby O’Brien and Buddy “the world’s greatest drummer” Rich.

When the group first started, Karen was both the lead singer and drummer. It was only starting in 1973 that she stood at the mike while another person played the drums.

The following video showcases her undeniable drumming talent, while singing at the same time:

Click here to view the embedded video.