Calculating the Costs of Commander Hadfields Musicvideo in Space:
Randal Munroe rechnet auf seinem What If-Blog aus, wieviel Commander Hadfields Space Oddity-Video an Board der ISS gekostet hat: ISS Music Video – Is this the most expensive music video ever?
Commander Hadfield sings Space Oddity in Space
Commander Chris Hadfield fliegt heute von der ISS aus die Erde zurück, nachdem er ein paar Monate lang die Erde per Twitter und Reddit mit News aus dem All beschallt hat. Zum Abschied hat er jetzt mal flugs das erste Musikvideo in Space gedreht, natürlich ein Cover von David Bowies Space Oddity.
Das Teil ist keine wirklich spontane Nummer und tatsächlich war Emm Gryner daran beteiligt, die eine Weile in Bowies Liveband gespielt hat, in seinem Facebookdings erzählt sie ein bisschen was dazu:
The task was in front of me. I came up with a piano part. i then enlisted my friend, producer and fellow Canadian Joe Corcoran to take my piano idea and Chris’ vocal and blow it up into a fully produced song. Drums! mellotrons! fuzz bass! We also incorporated into the track ambient space station noises which Chris had put on his Soundcloud. I was mostly blown away by how pure and earnest Chris’ singing is on this track. Like weightlessness and his voice agreed to agree.
And voila! And astronaut sings Space Oddity in space! I was so honoured to be asked to be a part of this. You wouldn’t get too many chances to make a recording like this and not only that, to make music with someone who – through his vibrant communications with kids in schools to his breathtaking photos to his always patient and good-humoured demeanour – has done more for science and space than anyone else this generation. Planet earth IS blue, and there’s nothing left for Chris Hadfield to do. Right. Safe travels home Commander!
Chris Hadfield: Space Oddity, in diesem Video hier reflektiert er nochmal ein bisschen über das allgemeine Astronautendasein und seinen Aufenthalt in Space…
Is this a Headline? Is this just Fantasy? Printed on Paper, this is Newspaper-Hilarity…
I’m just a Print-Boy, I need some Headline-Fun… (Print-Journalist-Chorus: And when our Business-Modell blows, doesn’t really matter to me… to me.)
The Ulster Gazette’s deputy editor Richard Burden is the man responsible for that outstanding bit of glam rock pastiche.
“I just always liked to do that type of headline. If there’s a film, a song, a lyric – anything that springs to mind and it lends itself, you’ll try to fit the words in round it,” he says.
But why choose Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody? Is it some deep and meaningful commentary on Danny Kennedy’s plans for our rail network? “They’re my favourite all time band, so it was an obvious thing for me.
A Real-Time Map of Johnny Cashs „I Have Been Everywhere“
So einfache wie grandiose Arbeit für den London Music Hack Day 2012 von Iain Mullan: Johnny Cash has been everywhere zeichnet die komplette Reise aus Cashs Song „I’ve been everywhere“ in Echtzeit auf eine Googlemap. Großartig! (via The Verge)
Smashed Guitar from Smells like Teen Spirit for sale:
Die Bassgitarre, die Kurt Cobain am Ende des Teen Spirit-Clips zertrümmerte, wird demnächst bei Christies versteigert: „The bass guitar which was smashed up in the music video for Nirvana’s 1991 single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ is set to be auctioned off. The battered instrument is estimated to sell for £15,000 – £25,000 at the entertainment memorabilia sale next month at Christie’s in London.“ (via Pitchfork)
50 Jahre Beatles’ „Love me do“
Vimeo Direktlove, via @Futurexwives
Heute vor 50 Jahren erschien die erste Single der Beatles: „Love Me Do“. Von späteren Heldentaten, die man auf dem Album „Rubber Soul“ bereits erahnen konnte (zum Beispiel in „Nowhere Man“ und „Run For Your Life“ und vor allem „Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown)“) und die auf dem folgenden Album „Revolver“ voll explodierten („Taxman“, „Good Day Sunshine“ und das abartig fantastische „Tomorrow Never Knows“)… von solchen Heldentaten konnte bei „Love Me Do“ noch keiner ahnen. Kann man mal sehen, was ein bisschen Acid und Drogen aus recht banalem Tralala-Pop alles machen kann. Happy Lennon&McCartney!
20 Jahre Radioheads Creep
Vimeo Direktcreep, via Testspiel
Um ein paar Tage verpasst, aber egal, I’m a weirdo: Am 21. September 1992 veröffentlichten Radiohead ihr Debut, die erste Single ihres ersten Albums: Creep. Die Single wurde erst bei einem 1993er Rerelease zu dem weltweiten Hit, der er heute ist, und markierte den Auftakt zur Karriere einer der besten Bands aller Zeiten (auch wenn ihr letztes Album immer noch stinkt). Happy Creeping, Thom & Band! Von Wikipedia:
According to Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood, Thom Yorke wrote “Creep” while studying at Exeter University in the late 1980s. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood said the song was inspired by a girl that Yorke had followed around who showed up unexpectedly during a show by the band.
In 1992 during rehearsal sessions with producers Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie, Radiohead spontaneously performed “Creep”. Yorke described “Creep” to the producers as “our Scott Walker song”; Slade and Kolderie mistook the singer’s remark and believed the song was a cover. After tension arose due to unsatisfactory attempts at recording other songs, Slade and Kolderie tried to improve morale by requesting Radiohead to play “Creep” again. The band recorded the song in a single take; after the performance everyone in the room burst into applause. Once the band assured Kolderie that “Creep” was an original song, he called EMI to tell them to consider the song as Radiohead’s next single. While the recording had minimal overdubs and the band did not intend to release it, the producers were impressed with the song. Due to similarities to “The Air That I Breathe”, a song recorded by The Hollies in 1973, Radiohead was successfully sued for plagiarism. Consequently, Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood are credited as co-writers of “Creep”.
Vorher auf Nerdcore:
Homeless Dude sings Radiohead, gets viral, gains Record-Deal
Obdachloser singt Radioheads Creep
Neeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnn! Gunter Gabriel covert Radioheads „Creep“
Radioheads „Creep“, songsmith’d
Prince Is Being A “Creep,” Radiohead Tell Him He’s A Loser
„All Night Long“ all night long
Youtube Direktnight, via MeFi
Rhett und Link singen eine ganze Nacht lang Lionel Richies „All Night Long“, hier ein Video der kompletten 11 Stunden. Ist nur ein Viral für nen Kaugummihersteller, aber auch ‘ne schöne Idee, außerdem mag ich den Song tatsächlich sehr gerne, auf so ‘ne Jambo Jumbo-Art.
Jay-Zs 99 Problems: A speculative List
Brillant: Eine spekulative Liste von Jay-Zs 99 Problemen, ich lag eben vor Lachen unter’m Schreibtisch. Meine Favorites:
1. Awkward street cred issues re: recent events with “the 99%.”
5. Irritating eczema between index, middle and ring fingers during change of seasons and humid weather, exacerbated by high temperatures and showering; especially irritating in the middle of the night.
Worries about bad breath.
10. Detection of flowering, toxic claustrophobia/ fears of not being able to ‘get out’ when in group settings in which others would notice signs of anxiety and nervousness such as excessive sweating, heavy panting, body odor, fidgeting, and repeated swallowing.
15. Persistent anxieties regarding making the ‘right’ decision and simultaneous increasing feelings of confusion about concepts of ‘right’ and ‘wrong,’ made esp. troubling by comparison to pre-fame days, when almost always confident in ‘gut instinct’ and rarely questioned decision-making abilities.
19. On Steve Jobs’ bad side when he passed away.
20. Random, unwelcome visual images of Beyonce performing oral sex on Kanye West, Kanye West having intercourse ‘doggy style’ with Beyonce, and, sometimes, Kanye West’s penis.
24. Major losses of productivity due to recent near-obsessive consumption of cat videos.
28. Worries re: porn addiction.
29. Extreme fear of spiders.
35. Still unable to get through Joyce’s Ulysses; currently on his fourth attempt; contributes to an insecurity that holds he’s “not good enough” and “not intellectual.”
41. Current income seems ‘weak’ compared to the GNP of the US, other Western powers.
66. Repeated worries regarding the end of industrial society via peak oil videos on YouTube, related literature.
A Speculative List Of Jay-Z’s 99 Problems (via JWZ)
Bonustrack: Vor mehr als fünf Jahren – 99 Voodoo Problems…
The Beatles Complete on Ukulele is complete now
The Beatles Live on Ukulele startete vor dreieinhalb Jahren (hier mein Posting von damals). Das Projekt postete jede Woche dienstags bis zu den Olympischen Spielen ein Beatles-Cover, alle 185 Songs von John, Paul, George und Ringo. Jetzt haben sie den letzten Song online gestellt, passenderweise: „The End“. Fantastisches Projekt, schönes Konzept und bis zum Ende durchgezogen. Glückwunsch! (Video oben: deutsches Cover von „If I need someone“ von Christian Jahl, Martin Schmidt und David Barratt.)
What a wonderful journey. Our youngest contributor was Luke Serrano (aged 4 at time of recording), our oldest, Harry Steinberg (currently 102). We have lost a couple along the way.
Our final song is dedicated to our brethren Gregory Russell Clark and Victor Spinetti who both left this mortal coil before the project was complete. There was only one way to finish this project and that was with this song.
A band that started with the self-centered, childish pleading of “Love Me Do” ends with: “And in the end, the love you take Is equal to the love you make”. Who knows if it’s true, but it is a touching and tender way for The Beatles to sign off and we have followed their lead. The drum intro to the ukulele version is performed by Billy Ward and then Isabella Serrano (aged 10) leads the mass ranks of the performers who have given their time and talent to this massive effort sing the final few lines. A fitting goodbye.
Thank you to everybody involved in creating The Beatles Complete on Ukulele.
The Beatles Complete on Ukulele
Vorher auf Nerdcore:
The Beatles complete on a Ukulele
Beatles on a Ukulele: Kids singen „Yellow Submarine“
The Beatles Complete On A Ukulele #60: Love you to
The History of Wooing Women
Youtube Direktfuck, via Laughing Squid
Ich bin mir sehr sicher, CDZAs ersten Clip The History of Lyrics that aren’t Lyrics hier irgendwo gebloggt hatte, ich finde ihn aber grade nicht. Jetzt haben sie die Geschichte der Damenverehrung in Songtexten vertont, von „I wanna hold your hand“ bis „I wanna fuck you like an animal“. Oder wie sie das schreiben: „Men just don’t romance ladies the way they used to…“
Kim Jong Uns Propaganda-Hymn and the North Korean Mickey Mouse
Youtube Direktkim, via Neatorama
Kim Jong Un, der „Große Nachfolger“ von Kim Jong-Il, hat sich seinen ersten Propaganda-Song. Der Track heisst „Onward Toward the Final Victory“ und der Clip dazu wird ein paar mal am Tag im Fernsehen gezeigt, was das nordkoreanische StaatsTV zu einem musikalischeren Sender als MTV werden lässt. The Atlantic hat ‘ne Analyse und Übersetzung des Songtextes. Außerdem: Kim Jong Un hat sich ein Musical/Theater/Aufführung/Whatever angesehen, bei dem die Band in Disney-Kostümen auftrat und so kam es, dass sich der „Supreme Commander“ öffentlich ‘ne singende Mickey Mouse angesehen hat.
Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh took the stage in North Korea during a concert for new leader Kim Jong Un, in an unusual – and unauthorized – performance featuring Disney characters. Performers dressed as Minnie Mouse, Tigger and others danced and pranced as footage from “Snow White,” “Dumbo,” “Beauty and the Beast” and other Disney movies played on a massive backdrop, according to still photos shown on state TV.
The inclusion of characters popular in the West – particularly from the United States, North Korea’s wartime enemy – is a notable change in direction for performances in Pyongyang. Actors and actresses also showed off new wardrobes, including strapless gowns and little black dresses.
Kim himself established the group that performed, and the changes may be a sign that he is seeking to carve out a different image from his father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, by easing restrictions on Western culture, said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korean studies professor based in Seoul, South Korea.
Small world: Show for N. Korea’s Kim goes Disney (via The Beat)
Gentleman sings „Kiss from a Rose“ for his Cat
Ein junger Mann singt Seals „Kiss from a Rose“ für seine Katze: „I’ll break down to you exactly what happened, a play-by-play account. I came home, unbelievably intoxicated, I mean beyond drunk. I couldn’t even, let’s say, upload a video to Youtube. Then I walked upstairs and spotted in the hallway a video camera atop a tripod, pointed toward the floor. I had no choice. The only viable move was for me to start singing Kiss From a Rose to my cat, who I am very clearly abusing physically. That’s the basic gist of it, hope I managed to clear things up a bit.“
A Song for the sexually aggressive, racist, homophobe, misogynistic, cowardly, illitterate, Waste of human Skin
Youtube Direkttrolls, via MeFi
Isabel und die Clever Pies singen ein Lied für alle Trolle, die Lyrics nach dem Klick.
Take On Me on five Accordions, North Korean Style
Youtube Direktkorea, via Neatorama
Fünf Akkordionspieler aus Nordkorea covern „Take on me“ von A-Ha. Das Cover ist das, was man von „Take on me“ auf ‘nem Schifferklavier erwartet, aber die Story zum Video ist das eigentlich spannende: Das ganze gehört zu einer Kunstaktion von Morten Traavik, der vor ein paar Jahren vor allem mit seinen Miss Landmine-Wahlen in Angola und Cambodia durch die Medien gereicht wurde.
When Mr. Traavik visited Pyongyang in December to meet the accordion ensemble at the Kum Song School, he took several examples of Norwegian music, including works by classical composer Edvard Grieg, for them to practice for their tour of Norway. He also took a CD by a-ha, the Norwegian pop group that had a global hit with “Take On Me” in 1985. The song turned popular in part because of its innovative video.
After giving the students the CD on a Monday night, they surprised him by playing their own improvised version of “Take On Me” on Wednesday morning. Mr. Traavik made a video of them and decided to post it on YouTube to promote the festival. Since he put it up on Thursday, the video has gone viral, passed along by North Korea watchers and others mystified or intrigued by the idea of musicians in a collective society with traditional instruments playing one of the classics of 1980s Euro-pop.
