9 Responses to “DID YOU KNOW supplemental quiz worth lots of points and bragging rights.”

1. #1 by TTop
   July 21st, 2008 at 2:01 pm

   Hmm, the official shortest, who knows exactly. I’ll add a vote for “Her Majesty” on Abbey Road, but certainly the whole “fingertips” suite by They Might Be Giants on the Apollo 18 album should be in the running… wikipedia describes it as “a series of twenty-one apparently unrelated short tracks ranging in duration from four to sixty-one seconds (although most of them are under fifteen), totalling four minutes and thirty-five seconds.”
2. #2 by anon
   July 21st, 2008 at 5:24 pm

   TTop,

   Not the answer in the paper. But, you did mention “duration”, which is where I expect the debate to begin. John Cage had a piano play the same three notes for 24 hours. Not the shortest piece when you think of duration. You could play one note for 24 hrs or a nano sec…… and call it a tune???

   Anyway, you have to go to the “Way Back Machine” and a famous duo for the answer.
3. #3 by Sunng
   July 21st, 2008 at 7:05 pm

   Did you say “hit record”?
4. #4 by Jek
   July 23rd, 2008 at 10:34 am

   What is your definition of a tune? Chirping crickets make a tune.
5. #5 by anon
   July 23rd, 2008 at 11:52 am

   Sunng,

   No, not a hit record.

   Jek,

   The definition of a tune is where the debate starts. Could run on forever maybe. T.T.’s four second number is a contender. The article described it as a “tune”. I’ll leave the community to figure it out. It was recorded by Capitol Records.

   Big hint: It was the result of an earlier tune recorded by a famous duo whose first names were Les and Mary, one of whom has a guitar with his name and it’s not Mary. BIG HINT!

   You’re right. The “Crickets” made a lot of nice tunes back in he 50s.
6. #6 by anon
   July 23rd, 2008 at 3:00 pm

   After careful consideration, I’d have to say a tune is defined by the number of notes…..more than one…….and duration doesn’t count.
7. #7 by anon
   July 24th, 2008 at 5:17 pm

   OK here it is.

   “Les Paul and Mary Ford had a minor hit in 1955 with ‘Magic Melody,’ which ended with the familiar ‘shave and a haircut’ musical phrase, without the final two notes (‘two bits’). After receiving complaints about the omission, Capital Records released the two-second ‘Magic Melody Part 2,’ consisting only of those two notes, which is said to be the shortest recorded tune of all time.”

   I believe there is a flaw here. And, I’m inclined to award T.T. bragging rights and untold points for his answer……the 4 second number by “They Might Be Giants”. T.T., unless someone comes up with something better, hook your thumbs in your suspenders, boldly walk into the nearest WallMart, and claim your discount points.
8. #8 by MRambler
   July 28th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

   Anon, if Capitol records actually released “Magic Melody Part 2” on a vinyl record by itself, can you imagine what it’s worth now?….. I wonder if the “flip-side” was “Magic Melody”?…..
9. #9 by anon
   July 28th, 2008 at 5:01 pm

   MR, I have a vague memory of that record way back when. I think “Part 2” was on the back of a 45 with some other hit.

   Since it was only two notes of “Shave And Haircut” it was an incomplete tune…..so….in all fairness……TT gets bragging rights for his entry……until someone betters it.

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