"Help me identify a song" Megathread

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > No More Drake > "Help me identify a song" Megathread

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Background: My Dad was in a band in high school. They were pretty good and my grandmother, being impressed with how good they were, saw an ad in a back of a magazine where they could get their own LP made if they sent in a tape of their work and however much money it was.

So, Grandma got the boys together and took them up to the local radio station, as it was the only spot with actual recording equipment in town. So, with one mic and no proper audio equipment, they recorded a handful of songs and sent them off to Jacksonville, Florida, where this company was. After several months, they received their LPs. They were all warped to the point they wouldn't play. However, the original recording survived and Dad found a cassette tape of it last year.

Dad and I have been able to identify every song except one.

This may have been something completely original for the group, but I somewhat have my doubts as they were 14- and 15-year-old kids and had no other original compositions. The rest of the songs range from the late 1950s through 1964.

So, here it is, an unknown song by The Eliminators:

# ¿ May 6, 2011 07:52

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 9, 2024 15:23

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Leper Go-getter posted:

Admitting to not have read through and "searched for ..." through every page;(im sorry!)

I am looking for a "House" sort of tune, with lyrics repeating "whooa ronin, whooah, who ooh ooh"

I remember watching a music video of it, possibly on VH1
It was made in a sort of 8bit 2d graphic style?
i remember there was werewolfs and/or undeads.

A main character (sprite) was running through the video, encountering and (possibly) dancing along with
said undead/werewolfs.

If you hadn't said sprites and werewolves, I would have thought you were possibly talking about Silent Running.

# ¿ May 14, 2011 03:23

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Abel Wingnut posted:

I mean...it sounds a lot like most any Chuck Berry tune.

Dad swears they didn't play Chuck Berry, though a bit of it does sound pretty similar to Johnny B. Goode.

# ¿ May 18, 2011 03:59

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Emalde posted:

That's the one, fantastic, thank you

The beginning of that is not Wipeout. It's Pipeline.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2011 07:33

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Almost has to be a 1970s song because of the 1970s-sounding production. It's something I heard on an oldies station.

Male artist singing solo.

Chorus has "go to the city" or "in the city."

The word "move" might be in the chorus as well. Perhaps "move to the city."

# ¿ Jul 31, 2017 04:24

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

screaden posted:

Maybe Al Green?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K11NCWXuK8

Nope. A lot more overproduced and not jazzy at all. It could have also been from the early 1980s.

The chorus' words are mostly smashed together, but "city"'s syllables are stretched out.

(And it isn't Joe Walsh's In the City but had a bit of that same gloss to its production style.)

# ¿ Aug 1, 2017 04:19

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

None of those. It was a white guy singing it.

My own grip of the chorus of the song is beginning to fade having not heard it in a few days. Probably a top 20 song in its day, but nothing that made any real impact (because it's overly melodramatic). I listen to the station frequently enough and I'll probably catch again it.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2017 02:36

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Kangra posted:

I heard this at a cafe but couldn't quite get much of it since a crowd of talking people walked right in about halfway through the song.

It had a driving beat, about 140 bpm and I think the lyrics might have been something like, "a hero tries[?] to ? ? ?".
It was probably a 1970's or 80's song -- it had a more upbeat 80's sound, and the station (probably XM or some such) also played "Rich Girl" and "Lyin' Eyes" while I was there.

Perhaps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWcASV2sey0?

# ¿ Sep 25, 2017 14:52

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Kangra posted:

Runaway by Del Shannon (specifically the electric keyboard solo around a minute in).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S13mP_pfEc

The distinct solo was performed by Max Crook on something he referred to as a Musitron. It's a modified clavioline, which was a forerunner of the Mellotron.

Though it made Runaway a big hit, from what I've heard from Shannon, he really didn't use it again. Discogs credits Crook on the album "Little Town Flirt." It's been a long, long time since I listened to it, but don't remember anything near the Runaway sound on that album. "Hat's Off to Larry" kinda has a bit of it. Even the direct follow-up to Runaway, "Keep Searchin'" doesn't go for that sound.

# ¿ Nov 6, 2017 05:30

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

I sincerely doubt it's No Rain, but it was the first thing I could think of with a grassy hill. Definitely not a Phil Collins/Billy Joel vibe. Or Queen's Breakthru, which isn't exactly a hill, but the band on a train going through the countryside?

The Billy Joel video is really reminding me of something else, but I can't think of it.

(After a few minutes I've realized it was also Billy Joel. The beat of the chorus is similar to My Life.)

# ¿ Nov 22, 2017 15:19

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Cran posted:

Alright, so, I downloaded a midi off a website way back in 2002, and I've been trying to figure out what it is ever since. I checked the metadata recently, but it doesn't tell me anything other than the star theme is supposed to be vocals, so I'm fairly sure it's a band song, but it might be from an anime or video game??? I honestly don't know. Now I've got some friends going crazy trying to figure it out, too.

I exported the midi to mp3 here.

A slight bit of it sounded like the chorus to Night Ranger's Don't Tell Me You Love Me, which is a similar length. The beat doesn't seem to match elsewhere, though.

# ¿ Feb 16, 2018 04:02

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

1980s pop song, female singer.

Don't know if it actually counted as lyrics or just nonsense syllables, but the chorus or right before it was "ooh la la, ooh la la."

That's all I have.

# ¿ May 6, 2018 06:36

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

T. Rex - Telegram Sam. "Bobby" is Bob Dylan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-hSB35E_gk

"I'm still thinking of Little Queenie" in the outro to Get It On is in reference to Chuck Berry.

Beach Boys - Do You Remember. Loaded with references, but obviously a filler song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEZbsF1jSIQ

And a callout(!) at the end of Surfers Rule to the Four Seasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV6TR7YbGmM

Yes got in John Lennon references in I've Seen All Good People ("send an instant karma to me" and "give peace a chance")

# ¿ Sep 10, 2018 05:21

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Kangra posted:

This was a soft rock song, and sounds a bit like The Eagles "Best of My Love", but probably came a little after it. I think there's some lyrics about 'calling you' or 'your number' in the early verses. (No it's not "Rikki Don't Lose That Number". I'd call it more flaccid than either of the two songs I mentioned.)

I heard this song played live as I was leaving the farmer's market, so it's presumably popular enough to be in the repertoire of the musical acts that would play those.

This popped into my head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVEohM8BOQQ

# ¿ Oct 29, 2018 02:26

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Wild guess:

America's Sister Golden Hair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rxgGVIrDqY

You didn't mention piano, but there's a similar feel in England Dan and John Ford Coley's I'd Really Love to See You Tonight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8RShs00yR0

# ¿ Jun 10, 2019 05:39

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

This is driving me crazy. I thought I remembered the title after a few hours, but can't find it on Google.

It's a late 1980s song by a British group. Maybe even early 1990s. I wanted to think that "living in a polar world" was the chorus, but that's not turning up anything. I think "polar" might be in there.

The background features mostly nonsense chanting.

# ¿ Jul 1, 2019 14:47

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Lester Shy posted:

Maybe this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UXnulANF8g

Yes, thank you.

I see my memory of the lyrics was just a bit off.

# ¿ Jul 2, 2019 01:44

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

1970s/80s song, vocal was Bob Seger-ish sounding. May in fact be something of his.

I don't recall a single lyric, but there's a guitar line underneath that sounded to me like Pink Floyd's Fearless. It was on regular ol' radio, so it won't be anything really obscure.

# ¿ Sep 7, 2019 05:53

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

A really wild stab, with "over the summer" instead of weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vony9BuhxGg

# ¿ Jan 7, 2020 06:46

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

RC and Moon Pie posted:

Almost has to be a 1970s song because of the 1970s-sounding production. It's something I heard on an oldies station.

Male artist singing solo.

Chorus has "go to the city" or "in the city."

The word "move" might be in the chorus as well. Perhaps "move to the city."

2.5 years later, I have an answer. I heard it again in a bookstore and checked the lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOBHXxiZyZM

I'd actually seen Arthur once, but that was 20 years ago.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2020 04:27

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Karenina posted:

more an album, but i'm trying to find this late 1960s (68/69) album. the cover was a black and white line drawing, the music was some flavor of psychedelic rock, and it was using drums in a pretty innovative way that sounded out of the 1980s. i can't find it for the life of me.

Morgen's self-titled album?

# ¿ Mar 29, 2020 02:23

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

SkeletonHero posted:

I'm sorry I don't have the best information on this, but what I do have seems weirdly specific so maybe it will be found. I heard this song about two months ago at Applebee's and I had never heard it before nor have I heard it since. The restaurant was crowded and loud so I couldn't pick out any specific lyrics. Here's what I do know:

* It had a lot of audio from old sci-fi movies. People talking, lasers, explosions. Maybe spaceship noises?
* It was quite long. Like 6-8 minutes.
* The actual song parts were repetitive. The melody sort of reminded me of MacArthur Park. I can't recall the specific melody but that's what I thought at the time.
* The singer was most likely a woman, but could have been a higher-pitched man.
* It can't have been that obscure. Again, I heard it in an Applebee's.
* It is most definitely not Flash by Queen, which is the only answer I get whenever I think to ask someone about it.

I can't see why Applebee's would play any of these, but a few really wild stabs:

- Pink Floyd's Astronomy Domine
- Queen's Gimme the Prize (has a lot of audio from Highlander)
- Jon & Vangelis' The Friends of Mr. Cairo (lots of talking, lots of sounds to imitate 1930s gangster films)

# ¿ Apr 22, 2020 03:07

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Lester Shy posted:

Holy poo poo, yes, thank you!!!

Anybody know what (classical?) song the guitarist is quoting here at 1:38:58?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPya80o-xyA&t=5939s

Rhapsody in Blue

efb

Crackmaster posted:

George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue":

I'm only kind of embarrassed to say I got this solely because it reminded me of the opening of The Critic, and someone in the Youtube comments pointed out the resemblance:

I remembered hearing it in an airline commercial and Googled it that way.

RC and Moon Pie fucked around with this message at 04:48 on May 9, 2020

# ¿ May 9, 2020 04:45

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Kangra posted:

Heard a bit of this at the grocery store, but could only make out a tiny bit of it before people started wondering why I was just standing there by the exit, and now it's stuck in my head.

It had a 70's-ish rock/pop sound, with a fair bit of motion and a loose style. Couldn't really make out any clear instruments but probably electric guitar. Sounded like a male singer, possibly with backup singers at the same time. I kind of thought of Boz Scaggs' "Georgia", but maybe only because of the slight similarity to what I heard.

I couldn't make out most of the words, but I think part of it went "[when/then] [you/I] realize, [that/just how much] I love[?] you/[that I'm in love with you?]." The first option is my best guess of those.

The music just before those words went up a scale (almost major but the seventh note was flat, so Mixolydian) and stopped on the seventh note. The first two notes were quicker and the rest were I think even quarter notes; possibly syncopated but again it was hard to tell.

If you listen to the first four seconds of the Mixolydian that's pretty much it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_mode. Using those notes, the rest continues "G[when]-A[you]-Bb[real]-A[i]-G[ze]" then it maybe goes back down to F at the end of the phrase. In my mind the end of it started to blend with "We Close Our Eyes" by Oingo Boingo so I'm less confident about whether I've constructed my own earworm or I'm actually recalling it properly.

Philadelphia Freedom?

# ¿ Aug 7, 2020 03:24

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

F_Shit_Fitzgerald posted:

An '80s New Wave (?) song that keeps coming into my mind, but I never catch this song's title. In the chorus, the male singers spell out a word.

To make things clearer, I created an Online Sequencer that is a pretty close approximation: http://onlinesequencer.net/1623003.

The only songs from that I era I can think of with spelling:
Safety Dance
ROCK in the USA
And The Bay City Rollers' Saturday Night, but it's older and not new wave in the least

And one that might be mistaken for spelling, Come on Eileen.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2020 05:39

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Like the last post, this is a bit backwards. I have the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3WM1xxh2rY

The Magic Pony is a 1977 English dub of a 1975 Russian adaptation of The Humpbacked Horse. I'm curious about the singer of Lonely Child. Unfortunately, information about the English dub seems to be pretty scant. The full movie is available on YouTube, but none of the voice credits are given. It's not this particular upload of this movie, they're just not given.

# ¿ Sep 24, 2020 19:07

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

rollick posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWb62PwWqsM
It's the part that goes "Times are gonna change, you will be amazed", starting around 1.02 in the video.

It sorta reminds me of the verses to Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2021 03:25

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Owlofcreamcheese posted:

Looking for the name a song I just heard on the radio about a woman dating an elderly man.

Chorus was like �he waited to long and I�ve waited long enough�, it says love is love and age is just a number, talks about them having ten years and 20 if they are lucky. Mentions he moved into a furnished apartment and that they could move together to Vermont. Lots about how his hair is gray but he looked like James dean when he was young. Just a lady being very horny for a seemingly quiet elderly man

The lyrics seemed weird as heck but it wasn�t obviously a parody song, it had a sad slow tone and was lyrics heavy, I don�t know what station it was on but since I caught it scanning stations country or Christian seems possible.

This has to be it. Only Jimmy Stewart and not James Dean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuZrVF4Q39A

# ¿ May 31, 2021 01:41

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

I know it's likely not Papa Oom Mow Mow, but it somewhat fits the gibberish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQrQjNNZCAo

# ¿ Jul 10, 2021 01:51

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Kangra posted:

I'm trying to figure out a song that has a high-pitched (male?) voice singing "[we'll] Go on forever" or maybe "Gone forever" repeated in the chorus or maybe just at the end. The 'on' syllable is a higher note, held for about three beats, and the song is ~80 bpm. The song itself is mellow, but not too sad as I recall.

It is not Dennis Wilson's "Forever", unless it's some arrangement with an added part. I had almost thought it could be that as it sort of fits with the mood of the song, and the vocals made me think of the Beach Boys.

The only alternate Beach Boys versions of Forever is a 1990s one with John Stamos singing and an acapella version with a longer vocal tag. YouTube has both Brian and Carl singing it at concerts.

Queen's Who Wants to Live Forever?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jtpf8N5IDE

# ¿ Aug 1, 2021 01:56

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Pollyanna posted:

I'm trying to identify a song from the early 90s (possibly late 80s?), but I have very little information on it aside from these facts:

- The song was entirely on the piano
- I'd guess the genre was something like jazz piano, as a result?
- This particular song was a very lively one, the rest of the CD was pretty chill
- My dad used to play it on our Macintosh in like 1995 (he doesn't recognize the melody)
- The CD cover was blue (or maybe grey?) and had a picture of some bearded guy on the back

And a crappy reproduction of the main melody that I made in Renoise:

https://voca.ro/1fiZHLD33yNj

I can't find poo poo on the internet about it. I don't expect anyone to recognize it, but hopefully someone does or I'm liable to just give up and assume it was never real cause seriously it's been 25+ years.

Perhaps something by Vangelis?

# ¿ Sep 26, 2021 02:38

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Blood Nightmaster posted:

The chorus from that Justin Bieber/Kid Laroi song "Stay" feels really really familiar to me but I can't tell if I've heard the melody somewhere before or if it's just playing on top 40 radio so much it's giving me a false sense of deja vu:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTJczUoc26U

Anyone have any ideas? It's mostly the way they sing the title in the chorus itself. Almost has a frou frou or Imogen heap quality to it

The singing style of the chorus slightly reminds me of Empire of the Sun's Walking on a Dream. Also the slightest bit of Take On Me quality, though not nearly as uptempo.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2022 07:46

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Cable Guy posted:

Ok... arguing right now bout this with some friends about a song just played.

King Crimson song. Fripp era. There's a lot of background noise where I am so can't give you lyrics...

Uh... Fripp guitar best way I can describe;

"Ohhh-oooooh...oooh wood ohhhh..."

With the drummer playing nothing but tapping on a cymbal.

I know this is the worst description ever but I have faith.

Yeah....

The first two songs I can think of that kinda have that guitar sound are Elephant Talk and One More Red Nightmare. Except both feature more than a triangle for percussion.

# ¿ May 28, 2022 01:52

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

LemonLimeTime posted:

This one has been driving me nuts. Either it's been wiped out of existence and I'm experiencing serious Mandela Effect�, or I'm not typing in the right lyrics.

It's pretty recent, or sounds recent at least, likely from the last ten years. Male singer. Indie but with lots of electronic crunchiness in between the lyrics, and the ones I seem to remember go something like: "I'm afraid of everything...something something and I've had enough...something something..." with the chorus being "I'm noooot myseeeeelf todaaaaaaaay" and an electronic crunchiness right after that. Anyone got any idea? Google and asking any friends has netted zilch.

Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace? Some of the lyrics are similar.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2022 02:32

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Killingyouguy! posted:

This is driving me absolutely insane, the first three seconds of 'Love Letter From Canada' with the plodding bass line sounds exactly like something else but I can't place it at all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1BY8yXxoWg

The first second is the same note that opens Yes' Beyond and Before ... and a lot of other songs.

# ¿ Jul 28, 2022 04:14

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

This song feels like 1980s production. It has an extended piano intro. Background singers sing "think it over" or "gotta think it over" as part of the chorus, which might have strings in the mix. I heard it on the radio and I can't place it.

It is not Think It Over by: Delfonics, Cissy Houston, Chris Rea or The Cars.

# ¿ Sep 8, 2022 04:25

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Synthetic Hermit posted:

Male or female background singers? Distant or loud chorus? Upbeat or slow tempo?

And now I've lost the tune in my head. I think it's a male vocalist. Chorus could also contain female vocalists. The think it over part was kind of a background in the chorus. I want to say there is a woodwind in the mix, too.

Killingyouguy! posted:

Sorry, you probably already ruled this out, but... It's not any one of the many versions of 'Stop! In The Name Of Love', is it? That has 'think it over' repeated in the chorus

Nope, not that. It was a classic rock station and I'm 99% sure it was one that is 1970s-80s. Definitely a softer song, not even nearly as hard as anything The Supremes did. Nothing electronic in the sound, unless maybe the strings were a synth.

This may be unanswerable at this point because I can't cue it back up in my head.

# ¿ Sep 8, 2022 21:11

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

None of these. There was an extended piano intro with this song.

Also eliminated songs named Think It Over or It's Over by: Cheryl Ladd, Boz Scaggs, ELO, Teddy Pendergrass, Loverboy, Uriah Heep, Cameo, Dan Seals, Starship.

It's a very mid-1980s feel with the piano intro and was about as hard rock as Bruce Hornsby's The Way It Is, with the chorus only picking up slightly. (The song is definitely not The Way It Is.)

# ¿ Sep 9, 2022 19:11

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

Kangra posted:

I heard a song that sort of sounds like Stevie Wonder, or at least rather similar in musical style. The only thing I really recall is that the chorus has a part that 'subdivides' the beat (not sure if this has a technical term, but I mean a section where the same note is repeated a half/third/fourth as long as might be 'expected') so there are a lot of short syllables coming quickly. Musically I think it's mostly descending tones for that section. Sorry I can't give more but I've heard it a few times recently and that pattern kind of stuck in my head.

e: It's not 'Sir Duke', though the bit just before the chorus is a bit like what I'm talking about.

That part of Sir Duke somewhat plays similarly to Love Rollercoaster in my head. Main verses and not the chorus, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VH6yD8zobM

# ¿ Sep 26, 2022 03:02

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 9, 2024 15:23

RC and Moon Pie: May 5, 2011

tinaun posted:

Song is probably from the early or mid 80s - it�s a midtempo rock song where the chorus goes �Nobody something something� and then backing vox sing (nobody nobody). Lead vocals were definitely sung by a guy, backing vocals were higher but probably also a guy. It�s been stuck in my head all day.

Nobody But Me?

The Isley Brothers did the original and George Thorogood covered in the 1980s.

# ¿ Nov 11, 2022 03:30

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > No More Drake > "Help me identify a song" Megathread

«‹›2 »