Whistling
Was driving along in the car and listening to XTC’s Fossil Fuel when Generals and Majors came on, at which point it struck me that you just don’t seem to hear anyone whistling in songs any more.
While the art form undoubtedly reached its peak with Brian Ferry’s nonchalant pursing of the lips in Roxy’s cover of Jealous Guy some 40 years ago, surely the rest of the world can’t have given up.
Anyone think of more recent examples or perhaps foolish enough to argue that Whistling Jack Smith’s I Was Kaiser Bill’s Batman is somehow superior to RM’s Lennon tribute?
2006? Young folks
James Taylor on the wonderful “Hourglass” album.
Those with my”Decades” album will hear the Twang whistle on track 2. On Spotify, kids.
Heard this on the radio the other day for the first time in an age. Top whistling !
Surely AW icons?
It’s not a ‘lost’ art to me..It’s a ‘never been able to’ art to me. 2 songs in my little repertoire require whistling – “It’s Saturday Night” by The Proclaimers and “Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard” by Paul Simon. I make my excuses before playing them, and tell the audience to fill in for me.
Bit of Roger Whittaker, then…
Multi-track whistling from Peter Gabriel, Hugh Padgham and Steve Lillywhite evokes a military mood in Gabriel’s first UK top ten hit.
Recent, you say? How about last month? A lovely bit of exotica from Molly Lewis…
March was a good month for whistling
This is the new one from LP, I think this would make a good Eurovision song
This is her most well known [and Afterword friendly] track, with some nice dog calling whistling
I can’t whistle – just do a passable impression of Pob when I try.
So I damn to hell anyone who can make a chirpy noise through pursed lips
(not really …)
May not be the best, but first one I thoght of
Guns n Roses – Patience
I’m actually really good at whistling. I can whistle Charlie Parker bebop solos. And do!
What do you want to bother with that rubbish for? Why don’t you whistle some proper tunes?
…er….
And piss on the goons in the jungle.
Noah And The Whale – 5 Years Time
Sapristi nabolas!
Not to forget The Whistling Spy Enigma….
featuring Otis Redding on whistling solo.
One of the greatest ever and Otis does all the heavy lifting with the vocal, but I thought it was a matter of record that he couldn’t do the whistling bit and a stunt whistler was subbed in..
The seasons don’t fear stunt whistler
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain
Have you heard the outtakes? I’ve got a version of SOTDOTB somewhere and Otis fails miserably at the whole whistling thing. Maybe the released version did feature a stunt whistler?
There are outtakes on It’s Not Just Sentimental. Can’t remember whether the ’tis pulled up at Whistler’s Brook.
House classic from Frankie Knuckles obvs a sample but a great group whistle
Paul Simmonds’ take on Farage and Brexit
TMTCH: The Amazing Carrier Bag
I’m not sure whether it is real or synthesized, but the plaintive whistling interlude during Underworld’s ‘And I Will Kiss’, played during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, was a truly beautiful and memorable moment.
Starts around the 8.30 mark on this vid.
Excellent thread!
I googled and came up with this..
And was reminded of the mighty Toots Thieleman.
Duetting and whistling with a great Dane: Birgit Lystager.
The wikipedia page on Whistling is excellent.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistling#In_music
There re quite a few superstitions conned with whistling. Not least The Seven Whistlers.
Whistling is so big in India that there is an Indian Whistlers Association.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa7YlLGSvqM7aaMM2u8S_6Q
Here’s Swetha Suresh
Nibin
Goodness Gracious Me! That was impressive!
Uncharacteristically sweet stuff from Parliament. George Clinton can’t sing but he can sure’s hell whistle. Yes sir.
He certainly can! Exquisite!
I’m guessing you’ve never listened to Andrew Bird then?
I only recently got round to this album. It’s quite magnificent.
Indeed – some of his finest work (yet)… 😉
Yeah … all ten tracks are superb. It’s very rare that you get that in an album.
Is there a Beatles song with whistling in it? If there is I can’t think of one right now.
We don’t write about mountains, George.
@Mrbellows
That’s right.
As any fule kno, Donovan invented mountains
Donovan really needs to make his mind up.
Good question Black!
The article below mentions how Macca whistled at the end of a track, When the Wind is blowing. Pretty tune.
Interesting story.
https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2015/05/watch-paul-mccartney-whistle-the-melody-from-all-day-15-years-ago
There’s whistling at the end of The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill.
Whistling in popular songs is easy compared to actually speaking a line, now that is dicey and I don’t know who has managed to pull that off mid drift without the audience collectively cringing. I’m looking at you, Martin Fry.
Try John Prine. Lake Marie.
Or Phil Oakey in the Human League’s Louise
Or in Love Action. “This is Phil talking…”
And then there are those fellows in caps and jackets that just talk all the way through their songs, with no singing at all! I don’ know how it’s allowed.
Strangely missing from the Dave Edmunds version….
The 12 inch Warp Mix shows off Madness’s whistling skills.
Thought there was sure to be whistling hidden away somewhere amongst Frank Sinatra’s or Bing Crosby’s biggest hits, but there’s hardly anything.
Bing Crosby whistles towards the end of one his his minor hits, er, White Christmas.
White Christmas!
White Privilege more like
I think there could be some whistling on Metal Machine Music, if you listen carefully. Might be a kettle.
Looking for an album that one of our number had posted elsewhere.
I found that Andrew Bird had recorded this.
Whistle along.
Fannies whistling is always a treat.
The words, ‘Fannies whistling’ are written in this forum and go unremarked upon – I never thought I’d live to see the day.
Have an up, Sir.
I missed Fannies whistling.
On this thread, and generally.
There are videos on the internet…
It’s a cracking song as well.*
* pun intended
Can’t post a clip, but the the track Jesse on the Janis Ian album Stars features very mellow whistling courtesy of, if memory serves, one V. Martin Fink.
There you go @VernierCaliper.
Beautiful song which I’d never heard before. The whístling gives it a rather spooky feel.
Some very heartfelt comments under the clip. Several people who had a dog called Jessy.
Remember that there is whistling on this?
A bit of whistling at the end of this gawge tune.
That Gawge tune was not available in Sweden. What was it?
This slightly less gawge tune was…..
Die Woodys ought to bring us all down to earth!
This gorgeous Japanese song by Kyu Sakamoto has a whistling bit in the middle. In fact it’s a song about whistling.
The notes are rather good.
“The title Sukiyaki, a Japanese hot pot dish, has nothing to do with the lyrics or the meaning of the song; the word served the purpose only because it was short, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and more familiar to most English speakers. A Newsweek columnist noted that the re-titling was like issuing “Moon River” in Japan under the title “Beef Stew.””
The only song in Japanese to ever top the Billboard charts.
Here’s your actual Paul McCartney. I don’t know if he did anything with this but he should have if he didn’t.
https://fb.watch/5oukrAQxXD/
Nice – thanks for that👍
Molly Lewis was on Radio 4 this morning.
That is quite astounding, Steve.
Exotica lives!
Moly would be very at home with Peruvian star Yma Sumac!
Surprised no mention of Betty Boo’s whistling classic, Where Are You baby?
This is one of the best pop records ever made.
I have danced to this on more than several occasions. I might do so again.
And the Beach Boys short but lovely Whistle In:
Lastly, here’s Jackie Leven doing a marvellous rendition of Marble City Bar, complete with some ace whistling:
This intriguing singer specialises in whistling at loose moments in her songs.