# BELLS: any good songs with bells (a.k.a. keyboards)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751 "2003-11-06T19:24:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/1 "2003-11-06T19:24:38Z")
When I was in high school I had the pleasure of being at some band competition somewhere (it’s irrelevant), and I saw four young dudes whackin’ out some of the coolest keyboard bells music I’ve ever heard, thanks to their strong sense of harmonization and innovative timing. Some songs have bells in them that envision the twinkling cold atop a freshly laid blanket of snow. It’s a very warm feeling, and I’d like to hear any recommendations you Dopers may have. **Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy** has it, the song [“There Is a Number of Small Things”](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=MISS70306121805&sql=Aztom961ojepo) by **Múm** has a pretty little bit of it. **Mogwai’s** [“tracy”](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=MISS70306121805&sql=Azjtvad1ku8wo) is a lovely song that has the effect. Assuming someone will know what I’m talking about…any suggestions? Classical music preferred. ---
**Author:** ![Chavardz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@Chavardz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chavardz)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/2 "2003-11-06T19:56:19Z")
Carol of the bells? ---
**Author:** ![PaperTowel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecb155/32.png) [@PaperTowel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperTowel)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/3 "2003-11-06T20:11:52Z")
Rush: Xanadu Frank Zappa: Why Does it Hurt When I Pee? (Yes it’s a flip title, but the bell part is seriously cool. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/4 "2003-11-06T20:38:39Z")
_Futurama_ theme song. Oh, I just saw that you said you prefer classical; 1812 Overture? The instrument used in _Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy_ is a keyboard instrument called Celeste. Bartok wrote _Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta_, but it’s been a long time since I’ve heard it, so I don’t even remember what the piece is like. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/5 "2003-11-06T20:44:27Z")
Also, bell choirs are very popular in churches, and I’m sure there are lots of recordings available. ---
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/6 "2003-11-06T20:58:06Z")
Flaming Lips - Do you Realize ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/7 "2003-11-06T22:20:09Z")
Mike Oldfield, _Tubular Bells:_ The music from the movie _The Exorcist_ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/8 "2003-11-06T23:10:03Z")
If you rent [_The Madness of King George_](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0110428/), there is a nice scene in which the royal court is entertained by some bell-using muscians. I forget the tune; it might have been _Greensleeves_. ---
**Author:** ![Tertius01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tertius01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tertius01)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/9 "2003-11-07T03:38:51Z")
I would highly recommend [The Mercury Program](http://www.mercuryprogram.com/). Most of their songs have no vocals but include a vibraphone. They are surprisingly terrific live. ---
**Author:** ![Tertius01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tertius01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tertius01)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/10 "2003-11-07T03:46:36Z")
I would highly recommend [The Mercury Program](http://www.mercuryprogram.com/). Most of their songs have no vocals but include a vibraphone. They are surprisingly terrific live. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/11 "2003-11-07T20:53:37Z")
**Van Morrison’s** cover of **Bob Dylan’s** “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” has an excellent keyboard & bells line, which was so good that **Beck** stole-slash-sampled it for his song “Jack-Ass”. ---
**Author:** ![KarmaComa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@KarmaComa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarmaComa)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/12 "2003-11-07T21:14:15Z")
Disarm, by Smashing Pumpkins… ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/13 "2003-11-07T21:46:10Z")
Would the bridge of Sweet’s “Love is Like Oxygen” qualify? Some of the work of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra features “bells”, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/14 "2003-11-07T21:52:12Z")
There are no actual bells, but at the end of Kate Bush’s “The Ninth Wave,” the song cycle on _Hounds of Love_, Kate beautifully evokes the sound bells simply by singing. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/15 "2003-11-07T22:14:58Z")
“Mr. Blue Sky” by ELO has bells. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/16 "2003-11-07T23:59:00Z")
What are keyboard bells? Do you mean something like a [carillon](http://www.gcna.org/action.html)? Or simply sampled bells played on a synth? FWIW, my faves include: [_Carol of the Bells_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000025LY) (Track 4 for the general idea) _Futurama_ theme Mike Oldfield’s [_Tubular Bells_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000000WG4), aka the music from _The Exorcist_ ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bells-any-good-songs-with-bells-a-k-a-keyboards/211751/17 "2003-11-08T03:42:34Z")
You might also dig the glockenspiel in Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run”. The tones are at least bell-like.