# What's your favorite random piece of musical trivia? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273 "2006-05-18T16:25:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/241 "2006-05-27T00:47:36Z")
[QUOTE=volvelle] Also, I have been utterly unable to find a cite for this, but I remember reading in a magazine that one of the roadies pictured on the back of _Ummagumma_ is the father of some relatively famous current singer, although I can’t remember who. [/QUOTE] Not a famous singer, but a famous actress. The one in the white shirt is Peter Watts, father of Naomi Watts. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/242 "2006-05-27T00:52:15Z")
Jim Gordon – rock session drummer extraordinare, who played for The Everly Brothers, The Beach Boys, Joe Cocker, Randy Newman, John Lee Hooker, Leon Russell, Delaney and Bonnie, Derek and the Dominoes, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Traffic, and many others (let’s just say you’d have to be deaf not to have heard him play), and cowriter of “Layla” – developed paranoid schizophrenia and ended up murdering his mother. He was sent to jail for a life term; he still lives in a state mental hospital. The royalties from Layla and other songs probably make him the richest murderer in jail (not counting drug lords). ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/243 "2006-05-27T15:41:18Z")
I think it’s been done twice in this thread: posters have identified Mozart as the composer of the the tune now used to sing The ABC Song, Twinkle Twinkle and Baa Baa Black Sheep. As far as I know, the tune is an early 18th-century French folk song, originally titled “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” Mozart did compose a series of 12 variations based on the the tune, which is probably why it’s commonly thought that he wrote the original. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/244 "2006-05-27T16:15:17Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] Have to take minor exception to your exception. I disagree, for one, with your assessment of the number of stanzas in each song, as there is considerable repetition in each one. TTLS and ABC can not end as you describe, as they have not yet resolved to the tonic at that point. [/quote] Hence “repeat first two phrases”, dude. > [@scotandrsn](#): > > Also, I myself have never heard Baa Baa Black Sheep sung to the tune you describe for it, although it is certainly a reasonable variation, and may in fact be a difference in tradition as far as how it is sung on either side of The Pond. Plausible. Our settings of “The Wheels On The Bus” are quite different, for a start. ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/245 "2006-05-28T02:14:29Z")
Before they formed Steely Dan, Donald Fagan and Walter Becker were in a band with Chevy Chase. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/246 "2006-05-29T22:22:32Z")
The Pet Shop Boys song “King’s Cross” contains the lyrics: _Only last night I found myself lost By the station called King’s Cross Dead and wounded on either side You know it’s only a matter of time_ This song was released on September 7, 1987 - **before** the tragic fire that killed 31 people at King’s Cross-St. Pancras tube station on November 18 of the same year. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/247 "2006-05-30T01:01:05Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick is considered the Godfather of Vintage Guitar Collecting - with one of the biggest, most respected collections. He was buying vintage Les Pauls out of pawn shops for $50 that now go for $300,000… [/QUOTE] Rick had or has as big collection of great vintage guitars. If he has more of them and that makes him the Godfather, then so be it. But he’s far from alone in his obsession and certainly not the first. ---
**Author:** ![volvelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e0b2c6/32.png) [@volvelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/volvelle)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/248 "2006-05-30T04:07:58Z")
After her drum was stolen before a show, Moe Tucker played garbage cans brought in from outside. ---
**Author:** ![volvelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e0b2c6/32.png) [@volvelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/volvelle)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/249 "2006-05-30T04:10:19Z")
In other VU trivia, John Cale’s then girlfriend Betsy Johnson designed long sleeve fingerless gloves so he could play viola without his track marks showing. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/250 "2006-05-30T08:06:55Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Arturo Toscanini was once approached by his second bassoonist who said apologetically “Maestro, I have broken the bottom key on my instrument”. Art looked thoughtful for a few moments and then said “No matter. There isn’t a bottom D flat in the second bassoon part in tonight’s programme” - having instantly recalled both what the key was for and the range of everything that particular instrumentalist had to play that night. [/QUOTE] That is simply amazing. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/251 "2006-05-30T11:01:15Z")
[QUOTE=11811] Rick had or has as big collection of great vintage guitars. If he has more of them and that makes him the Godfather, then so be it. But he’s far from alone in his obsession and certainly not the first. [/QUOTE] That’s all you got? 😕 The statement I made doesn’t contain references to him being the first or alone in his collecting - there are dozens of other collector/players, of course… If you travel in collector’s circle - I do - you know that he is revered and looked at as someone who really knows his stuff (who was fundamental in finding out and documenting what “stuff” to know) and who’s collection is considered one of the best… ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/252 "2006-05-30T12:23:47Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Arturo Toscanini was once approached by his second bassoonist who said apologetically “Maestro, I have broken the bottom key on my instrument”. Art looked thoughtful for a few moments and then said “No matter. There isn’t a bottom D flat in the second bassoon part in tonight’s programme” - having instantly recalled both what the key was for and the range of everything that particular instrumentalist had to play that night. [/QUOTE] Cite ? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/253 "2006-05-30T15:24:42Z")
[QUOTE=Cartooniverse] Cite ? [/QUOTE] **Reader’s Digest** , about thirty years ago. This is a CS thread about musical trivia, FFS. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Logan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Don\_Logan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Logan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/254 "2006-05-30T16:19:41Z")
The best Smiths song, “This Night Has Opened My Eyes” is based upon the great UK movie **A Taste of Honey** , with several lines in the song coming directly from the film. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/255 "2006-05-30T16:26:17Z")
I hereby retract my earlier statement concerning Joe Perry being the lead vocal on **Aerosmoth’s** _Dream On_ . I have searched & searched, and cannot find any evidence that it is true. I actually found something that said he mostly disliked the song, because he liked the rock, not the ballads. FWIW, I was told by an acquaintence, and it really does sound like two seperate individuals. Now I have to pay back all those bar bets… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/256 "2006-05-30T16:29:21Z")
Paul McCartney’s album “Ram” is actually credited to Paul and Linda McCartney. The reason was that McCartney (Paul that is) was embroiled in a lawsuit and all of his music-related assets and income were frozen. Sharing credit with Linda was the McCartneys’ only means of earning any income prior to the lawsuit being resolved. (I also believe Linda had to go into court and testify to her actual contributions to the album, but I’m fuzzy on the details.) ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/257 "2006-05-30T17:45:07Z")
[QUOTE=Cardinal] (One of my favorites: ) The small-time but greatly respected and inventive band Daniel Amos put out an album called “Doppleganger” in the mid 80s. The first song was pretty weird sounding, as the intrumental track was the last track from the last album, reversed, with entirely new melody and lyrics sung over it. [/QUOTE] “The Hollow Man! The Masked Man!” One of the more underrated bands of all time. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/258 "2006-05-30T17:53:30Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Arturo Toscanini was once approached by his second bassoonist who said apologetically “Maestro, I have broken the bottom key on my instrument”. Art looked thoughtful for a few moments and then said “No matter. There isn’t a bottom D flat in the second bassoon part in tonight’s programme” - having instantly recalled both what the key was for and the range of everything that particular instrumentalist had to play that night. [/QUOTE] I kind of wish this was true, but there are several things wrong with it. D flat would have the same fingering in any octave, so it wouldn’t matter that there wasn’t a lower D-flat in the song, as there would almost undoubtedly be a higher d flat somewhere else in the song. And, from a purely logical standpoint, I’d imagine that a working second bassoon would simply fake those notes in order to avoid the conductor’s wrath. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/259 "2006-05-30T20:01:55Z")
[QUOTE=VCO3] “The Hollow Man! The Masked Man!” One of the more underrated bands of all time. [/QUOTE] Agreed. There are large parts of “Alarma” and “Kalhoun” that stand up against anything else that came out at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/260 "2006-05-31T02:45:16Z")
[QUOTE=Madwoman in the Annexe] I think this is incorrect, as John Lennon (IIRC) played backing on David Bowie’s cover of ‘Across the Universe’ (which appears on the album _Young Americans_) [/QUOTE] Lennon sang backup on that track as well, and in the last verse and chorus, especially on the fadeout, is pretty much duetting with Bowie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273.md?page=14)