Identifying music before tech became a thing
Posted by Stevey1001@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 16 comments
I'm just wondering if anyone else had a song/songs that they heard when they were younger in a club or pub and didn't know what it was, and found out much later.
In my local Friday night rock/indie/alternative club they would play two songs and I loved them but had absolutely no idea what they were. Thinking about it now I could very easily have gone to the booth and asked the DJ but I didn't think of that at the time.
Anyway years later and with the advent of Shazam etc its very easy, and I found out the two tracks were:
Rancid: Timebomb
DJ Shadow: Organ Donor.
It only took the best part of 20 years to identify them.
any one else have a song that they couldn't track down? and what was it?
kgruesch@reddit
I taped some classical music piece of Wisconsin public radio one Sunday night before Dr Demento came on. It was probably 1991? I still have the tape but no means to play it and I have never found out what it was called, or ever heard it again. I think i need to buy a tape player and let chat gpt listen to it...
Organic_Basket7800@reddit
So many. Into the Night by Benny Mardones. I used to hear it all the time and never knew the name. I finally heard a DJ say the name after years.
Also I thought A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins was David Bowie. I finally figured it out when I saw an ad for the Empire Records soundtrack.
NoContextCarl@reddit
Timebomb single was probably the first vinyl I bought as a kid when CDs were standard.
DefinitionSuperb1110@reddit
I used to keep a small notepad nearby just for such moments. I think over the years before sound identifying apps I had notes on hundreds of songs I heard, when and where I heard them etc, with plans to track them down later.
Different-Smoke7717@reddit
I would always strut up to the booth demand the song title from the DJ. I knew I was 100% less annoying than someone making requests.
spinereader81@reddit
I was too boring for clubs, so I'd find out if I was lucky enough for the radio DJ to announce the title after the song was over. And sometimes I'd hear it several times vefore the DJ finally threw me a bone.
Knight_thrasher@reddit
I remember once going into a music store and asking about a NIN song…. It was Closer. I asked if I could see the case, my brother had already given me a copy I just had never listened to it
Stevey1001@reddit (OP)
Great tune
ScreenTricky4257@reddit
Took me a long time to find Tarzan Boy by Baltimora, but it came on the radio one day and I called in to get their playlist for the previous hour.
I also wanted to find Your Imagination by Brian Wilson for a long time, until I heard it dimly over the loudspeaker in a KFC. I stepped out of line and stood directly under the speaker, looking like an idiot, until I heard some lyrics that I could write down and later look up on lyrics.ch.
Stevey1001@reddit (OP)
Standing writing down lyrics is the way. I salute you. Couldn't do that with Organ Donor. Best I could do was "dee doo doo doo doo doo, dee doo doo doo doo doo..."
JoeSpic01@reddit
Del Amitri - Roll To Me and Sister Hazel - All For You were both stuck in my head but I could never remember what the names were and often they blurred together.
Stevey1001@reddit (OP)
lol I didn't know Roll To Me was Del Amitri.
You know I learned something today.....
ScreenTricky4257@reddit
I thought it was a Blues Traveler song for a long time because they were the hot band at the time and it kinda sounded like them.
BulimicMosquitos@reddit
Ween - Push the Lil Daisies
I saw the video on Beavis and Butthead back in the day, but it didn’t list the song or band at the end on occasion. An alternative radio station once played it on a 120 minutes style show and I misheard the DJ call the band Wing. I was aware of Ween, but it wasn’t until years later that I finally put the pieces together, and it all made so much sense.
Stevey1001@reddit (OP)
Haha yeah I can imagine the frustration
imhungry4321@reddit
The Replacements: Can't Hardly Wait https://youtu.be/EvGjAYH-Nq4?si=3Y7UFEXiGpONlsxs