# ID this obscure rock song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401 "2017-01-17T16:45:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/41 "2017-01-18T21:37:11Z")
Could it be “Taurus” by Spirit, the song that Led Zep’s “Stairway to Heaven” was said to rip off? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xd8AVbwB_6E/hqdefault.jpg "Taurus- Spirit") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd8AVbwB_6E) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/42 "2017-01-18T21:55:21Z")
[quote=“Aeschines, post:41, topic:777401”] Could it be “Taurus” by Spirit, the song that Led Zep’s “Stairway to Heaven” was said to rip off? [/QUOTE] That’s another one I thought of, but it’s fairly short ---
**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:** [January 18, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/43 "2017-01-18T22:01:21Z")
Kind of stabbing in the dark … but could it be either of these? “[Git Fiddler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAzPrSwKg0o)” by Jefferson Starship “[Song for America](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC-JhQ1p7nw)” by Kansas ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/44 "2017-01-18T22:01:48Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s another one I thought of, but it’s fairly short Yes, this is a mystery. If it’s truly a deep cut, it could be anything by a large number of bands. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/45 "2017-01-18T22:23:05Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > So it’s a descending set of phrases, each phrase about as long as the one before it and starting one note lower than the previous phrase? Yes. > [@](#): > > Is the 7th note of each phrase (A, G and E, respectively) longer than the 6 notes that precede it? Yes. > [@](#): > > Approximately how LONG, in duration, is each phrase? Is GFECDEA (for example) a fast-moving sequence like J. Geils band’s “Centerfold” (“my angel is a centerfold”) or Zeppelin’s “Custard Pie” (“give me a piece of your custard pie”) or a medium-fast sequence like Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” (“carry on my wayward son”) or the Doors’ “Light My Fire” (“come on baby light my fire”), or slower like Tom Petty’s “Free Falling” (“she’s a good girl, crazy like elvis”), or what? Medium fast. > [@](#): > > Edited to add: is the FIRST note of each sequence longer than the notes to follow? in other word G…FECDEA, F…EDBCDG etc? no. BTW the melody I defined are played by the violins, not the guitar. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/46 "2017-01-18T22:31:32Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the OP is intimately familiar with all the extremely well known songs mentioned here. > > He said it was a deep track. What most of you are offering up here are not deep tracks. Dust in the Wind: seriously? > > Sent from my adequate mobile device using Tapatalk. Yeah, I thought of this…but then I remembered times when I’ve heard just the end of a familiar song, or just the solo - and out of context it’s hard to recognize even a familiar classic. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/47 "2017-01-18T22:37:38Z")
Do we know that the song has no vocals, is an instrumental? If there were vocals, how would you describe them? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/48 "2017-01-18T22:50:19Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Do we know that the song has no vocals, is an instrumental? If there were vocals, how would you describe them? Actually, it looks upon re-reading the OP that we don’t know for sure whether it was an instrumental, just that at least from the point they heard the song it was, and that it was several minutes long from the point they heard it. Also, one question about the contour of the melody, when you say: GFECDEA FEDBCDG EDCABCE That “A” and that “G” – is that final note LOWER from the preceding notes or HIGHER? I’m interpreting it as G down to F down to E down to C up to D up to E DOWN to A, but it might be UP to A. Similarly with the last two. Are the notes even, except for the last note in the phrase drawn out, or are the other notes of varying lengths? ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/49 "2017-01-18T23:36:54Z")
I played the given notes on the piano, and they sound a bit like “Strong Enough” by Sheryl Crow… but that can’t be it, dangit. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/50 "2017-01-18T23:42:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That “A” and that “G” – is that final note LOWER from the preceding notes or HIGHER? I’m interpreting it as G down to F down to E down to C up to D up to E DOWN to A, but it might be UP to A. Similarly with the last two. > > Are the notes even, except for the last note in the phrase drawn out, or are the other notes of varying lengths? Lower. Even,'cept for last note. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/51 "2017-01-18T23:50:19Z")
> [@Enola\_Straight](#): > > Lower. > > Even,'cept for last note. Okay, that makes me think that the song may be in 6/8 or 3/4 (or some multiple), as the groupings of the notes seem to follow naturally in 3s. No guarantees, but that’s how I’m hearing it in my head (GFE)(CDE)A… (FED)(BCD)G…(EDC)(ABC)E … No idea if that help or obfuscates for others. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/52 "2017-01-19T01:42:26Z")
Maybe somebody can make a midi (or whatever) of the melody, post a link to it, and that will jog some memories. ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/53 "2017-01-19T03:40:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Okay, that makes me think that the song may be in 6/8 or 3/4 (or some multiple), as the groupings of the notes seem to follow naturally in 3s. No guarantees, but that’s how I’m hearing it in my head (GFE)(CDE)A… (FED)(BCD)G…(EDC)(ABC)E … > > No idea if that help or obfuscates for others. After thinking about it a little, they might actually be 16th notes in 4/4 times. I now vaguely remember some song with a repeated theme that’s something like: ```auto 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . E . . . | . . . G F E C D E a . | . . . | . . . F E D b C D g . | . . . | . . . E D C a b C e . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . ``` (lower case notes being an octave below the upper-case notes and all the notes at the end of a phrase being drawn out) In my head, those 4 measures take 11 seconds, so that’s 16 beats / 11 seconds = ~90 bpm. After doing the math, though, that might be too slow. Is that how it goes, **Enola Straight**? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/54 "2017-01-19T04:06:59Z")
Don’t know, not a musician. ☹ FWIW, the song is apparently recorded some time from the late 60s to the late 70s. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/55 "2017-01-19T06:00:24Z")
I keep wanting to make it something from Kansas — something akin to “Opus Insert” or “Magnum Opus” from _Leftoverture_ for instance — but I can’t place it. ---
**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:** [January 19, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/56 "2017-01-19T14:08:25Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Kind of stabbing in the dark … but could it be either of these? > > “[Git Fiddler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAzPrSwKg0o)” by Jefferson Starship > > “[Song for America](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC-JhQ1p7nw)” by Kansas Bumping in case these suggestions were missed on pg 1 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/57 "2017-01-19T16:04:16Z")
Nope…too up-beat. My song was much more laid-back. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/58 "2017-01-19T16:52:05Z")
> [@Kimble](#): > > After thinking about it a little, they might actually be 16th notes in 4/4 times. I now vaguely remember some song with a repeated theme that’s something like: Oh, that’s a good thought, and would much better fit into a rock context. The way I was hearing it in my head was much more classical, with accents on the first note of every three-note grouping instead of on the first and fifth. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401/59 "2017-01-19T18:43:54Z")
Sea of Joy by Blind Faith? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-obscure-rock-song/777401.md?page=2)