# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/121 "2006-05-21T04:41:10Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] …The glass harmonica – tuned water glasses – was a popular instrument during the 18th century and Ben Franklin even invented an improved version. The instrument fell into disuse in the 19th century because it was believed that its vibrations caused mental illness and drove its musicians insane. [/QUOTE] Mozart even composed a piece for the glass harmonica. A very young Martin Luther King Jr. sang with the Ebenezer Baptist Church choir at the party in Atlanta for the world premiere of _Gone with the Wind_. Before any of the James Bond movies were made, Ian Fleming said that he envisioned the spy as looking a lot like songwriter Hoagy Carmichael. Mick Jagger sang backup on Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.” ---
**Author:** ![seoulsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seoulsoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seoulsoul)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/122 "2006-05-21T16:13:32Z")
Mingus was a pimp in LA before moving to New York, writing amazing music all the while. Bird, who died at 35, was proclaimed to be at least 50 due to his various drug addictions. (conflicting accounts) Lee Morgan was shot by his common-law wife at age 34 while playing at the peak of his career. Coltrane, having kicked his addictions and working on his music 10 hours a day, died of liver ailments. (41) Wes Montgomery, who began playing around age 19, developed his signature thumb style because he had to practice at night and his many kids were asleep. He learned to play by copying Charlie Christian recordings, and performed them exclusively at first. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/123 "2006-05-21T16:59:49Z")
[QUOTE=seoulsoul] Wes Montgomery, who began playing around age 19, developed his signature thumb style because he had to practice at night and his many kids were asleep. He learned to play by copying Charlie Christian recordings, and performed them exclusively at first. [/QUOTE] His many kids? At 19? I don’t think so. Cite, please. ---
**Author:** ![seoulsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seoulsoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seoulsoul)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/124 "2006-05-21T17:21:01Z")
Wes Montgomery, who began playing around age 19,\*\* later\*\* developed his signature thumb style because he had to practice at night and his many kids were asleep. He learned to play by copying Charlie Christian recordings, and performed them exclusively at first. ---
**Author:** ![seoulsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seoulsoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seoulsoul)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/125 "2006-05-21T17:37:21Z")
No cite available. This comes from first hand accounts. I understand if you disbelieve me, but I will not get into a fight about this. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/126 "2006-05-21T17:56:16Z")
Sorry, but I don’t even understand what this means. Are you saying that Montgomery had kids that he never later acknowledged? Why? How many? Do you realize what you’re saying about him? What do you mean by first hand accounts? People who knew him in 1943? Why does every other source on the Internet refer to him developing his technique because he didn’t want to disturb his neighbors? I also don’t understand why asking for verification is looking for a fight. I don’t in fact believe you - I think you’re simply mistaken - but you were the one who brought it up. You may be a guest, but you’ve also participated enough to know that bringing up an unsourced claim and saying, you’ll just have to trust me, is not how anything works around here. Even in this one thread there have been many refutations of posters’ claims. Not one fight has been spotted. And no fight is being started now. Just a question being asked, but not answered. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/127 "2006-05-21T18:24:12Z")
A number of years ago, I watched a documentary about the rise of Cajun and Zydeco music in the New Orleans area, with many wonderful passages from old recordings. A section of the film emphasized how Cajun and C&W cross-influenced each other for a time. The played, among other snippets, a few bars of some Cajun songs featuring the antics of two unsavory characters named Hip and Thaio, who were apparently very popular subjects for songs for a time. Several of the songs began with the singer (in the part of one of their victims) saying their names as he began to describe what they had done to him. Wailed out in French (“Hip et Thaio”) on a high note, it sounded like: “Eeep -eh-Tye-oooooohhhh…” Although the filmmakers didn’t call attention to it, I realized this must have been the origin of the nonsense exclamation “Yippie-tie-yo!” that has become a cliche in old cowboy songs. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Swan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Swan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Swan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/128 "2006-05-22T00:22:58Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] Sorry, but I don’t even understand what this means. Are you saying that Montgomery had kids that he never later acknowledged? . [/QUOTE] I have no idea why he developed his style, but you really seem to have misinterpreted his post. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Swan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Swan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Swan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/129 "2006-05-22T00:24:14Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] Absolutely not. [/QUOTE] To what does this refer? ---
**Author:** ![Thirty-Nine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/130 "2006-05-22T01:23:35Z")
The bass/snare beat from Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds is the same as the standard hip-hop beat. The repeating guitar part in Brain Damage from Dark Side of the Moon is based on the riff from The Beatle’s Dear Prudence. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/131 "2006-05-22T01:30:31Z")
Legendary composer Harry Warren wrote the melody for “You’ll Never Know How Much I Love You” after hearing the Call to the Post at Santa Anita racetrack. Smokey Robinson wrote “Tears of a Clown” after hearing a caliope. ---
**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 22, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/132 "2006-05-22T01:43:31Z")
I’ve always loved this particular one. Keith Emerson was going about putting together a new band. He had approached Jimi Hendrix, and asked if he [was interested in joining the new band.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2982602). Apparently Jimi was, and might well have joined a band that woulda been known now as Emerson, Hendrix, Lake and Palmer. But instead he died of a heroin overdose. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/133 "2006-05-22T02:11:44Z")
[QUOTE=Cartooniverse] But instead he died of a heroin overdose. [/QUOTE] Of choking on his own vomit after a combination of alcohol and sleeping pills, actually. And as long as we’re talking deaths, although I now see there’s no cite for it, Wikipedia says that REM’s _Automatic for the People_ was probably the last thing Kurt Cobain listened to before killing himself. So maybe it’s not true, but after buying the album I found that very plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/134 "2006-05-22T03:48:52Z")
[QUOTE=The Swan] I have no idea why he developed his style, but you really seem to have misinterpreted his post. [/QUOTE] Then don’t leave me hanging. Please explain to me how I misinterpreted it. > [@The Swan](#): > > [Quote=Exapno Mapcase] > > Absolutely not. To what does this refer? [/quote] To the quoted paragraph directly above it. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/135 "2006-05-22T04:14:12Z")
So many Pauls mentioned, here is my favorite Paul trivia: Regarding _It’s Raining Men_ by The Weather Girls. That song from the 80’s giving thanks for men raining down, got me to do a double and triple take when I found it was written and produced by Paul Shaffer! \* Yes, the same one from The Late Show. - And another Paul: Paul Jabara ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/136 "2006-05-22T04:32:28Z")
[QUOTE=GIGObuster] So many Pauls mentioned, here is my favorite Paul trivia: Regarding _It’s Raining Men_ by The Weather Girls. That song from the 80’s giving thanks for men raining down, got me to do a double and triple take when I found it was written and produced by Paul Shaffer! \* Yes, the same one from The Late Show. [/QUOTE] **cactus waltz** beat you to it in post #19 ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/137 "2006-05-22T05:12:38Z")
[QUOTE=DataZak] **cactus waltz** beat you to it in post #19 [/QUOTE] Well, he forgot one Paul. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/138 "2006-05-22T05:39:57Z")
In _Golliwog’s Cakewalk_, Debussy makes fun of Wagner. He quotes the yearning motif from _Tristan und Isolde_, and follows it with a musical giggle. ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/139 "2006-05-22T07:43:56Z")
Quote: Originally Posted by cactus waltz “It’s raining men” was composed by no less than Paul Shaffer. [QUOTE=Ogre] _snerk_ Hoo boy. I am SO not surprised. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Umm… [Wikipedia] … Since 1990, [Shaffer] has been married to Cathy Vasapoli, with whom he has four children…[/Wikipedia] 🙂🙂🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273/140 "2006-05-22T11:04:41Z")
Hank Williams never sang what was to become his most beloved song, \*“Your Cheating Heart” \*, in front of a live audience. In fact the only two times he ever sang it were in a demo recording he made and when he cut it. He died before it was released. mm [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-random-piece-of-musical-trivia/357273.md?page=8)