Idea: An album of Misirlou covers
(This entry’s alternate title: What do a surfer, a belly dancer, and a Rabbi all have in common?)
In January, I heard an incredible story on NPR about the song “Misirlou.” You know the one. You heard it during the opening credits of Pulp Fiction. It’s the surf-guitar song by Dick Dale. It goes “Dow di-di-dow-dow dow di-di-dow-dow di-dowwwwww…” Yeah, that one.
Well if you didn’t already know (I sure didn’t) Misirlou is actually even older than Dick Dale (no offense, Dick). It’s been recorded in different manners, with different instruments, and different tempos, by dozens of people over the years. It’s a Rabbinical chant, an old Greek tune, a belly-dancer’s song, and eventually a surfer hit.
You owe it to yourself to listen to the Weekend Edition story and hear snippets of different versions. And you can even hear Dick Dale explain how and why he turned that song into the surfer classic it’s become.
I wanted to hear more. So I put together an iMix in iTunes with every version that wasn’t just like the one before it. So here, for your listening pleasure, an album of Misirslou covers (iTunes required).
Comments
Some other fun songs with *lots* of covers on iTunes: “Mack The Knife” and “Brazil”
Posted by: Ross Karchner | March 22, 2006 8:51 AM
Cool, but where’s Taxi 1,2,3 interpretation? :-(
Posted by: Bruno | June 9, 2006 11:29 PM
is it a trumpet or a sax used in misirlou? i was arguing this the other day with somebody?
anybody answer this?
cheers
Posted by: stuart | August 3, 2006 10:58 AM
HOODA THUNK IT? Too cool!
Posted by: Mr. Natural | August 23, 2006 8:42 PM
-> Stuart
it’s definately a trumpet on the Dick Dale Misirlou
Posted by: Gatchez | December 8, 2008 3:59 PM