Hi Ho Silver Lining

[silvertaff]

'Hi Ho Silver Lining' by Jeff Beck has been played towards the end of every wedding reception disco I've ever been to. When did this start? And why?

[andy-hughes]

It's known by DJ's that a skightly tipsy wedding crowd are virtually guarenteed to hit the floor and have a boozy sing-along to thie song, and that is why it almost always played.

It's a wedding standard, like You'll Never Walk Alone, We Are The Champions, Come On Eileen, Love Shack, the list goes on, but any wedding DJ, and I am one (occasionally!) will know the sure fire favourites, of which Mr Beck's utterly untypical pop hit is a staple.

[Prudie]

When I was a student it was also played at every disco - a floor filler, absolutely hate it along with Come on Eileeen

[Old_Geezer]

I hear Eileen wasn't that keen on the encouragement either.

[kvalidir]

My brother banned all Abba songs, novelty songs and similar at his wedding as they weren't 'sophisticated enough' so my other brothers and his friends duck taped him to a chair and paraded him about to 'Agadoo'.

[andy-hughes]

kvalidir - "My brother banned all Abba songs, novelty songs and similar at his wedding as they weren't 'sophisticated enough' ...

That's a shame because part of the pleasure of a wedding disco is that your guests enjoy what they enjoy, and the enjoyment levels are nromally directly inversely proportionionate to the 'sophistication' of the entertainment.

You might find your brother feeling sophisticated when some of the more earnest works of Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie issue forth from the speakers, but the guests would have a far better time falling over to the dulcet tones of The Birdie Song!!

[Canary42]

I understand Jeff himself now regrets ever penning it - don't know if it's true.

[Old_Geezer]

I assume he is paid a fortune for it's plays & replays, and he regrets ?!?
I doubt it, although it might seem 'cooler' to claim so.

[andy-hughes]

Canary42 - "I understand Jeff himself now regrets ever penning it - don't know if it's true."

It's not that he regrets either writing it, or its enduring success.

TRe fact is that it is about as far removed and untypical of the majority of his work as it's possible to be - imagine Martin Scorsese was only ever namechecked for directing a One Direction video, and you get the idea.

Jeff Beck is revered in guitarist circles as a giant of inovation and influence, and his work is a million miles away from the joyful pop of HHSL - he accepts that this is what his name means for millions of people, but he jujst wishes it were a little different.

[Prudie]

ABBA always get a snub as being musically naff but in actual fact their songs are quite complex and very hard to sing - as has often been proved in X factor etc etc

[janbee]

JEFF BECK !... up against the wall...NOW!!!

[andy-hughes]

Prudie - "ABBA always get a snub as being musically naff but in actual fact their songs are quite complex and very hard to sing - as has often been proved in X factor etc etc"

I have always smiled at the historical re-imagining of Abba.

Here in 2014, Abba are about as cool a pop band as you could find anywhere, but history has been very kind to them -

Back in 1979, Abba were the Westlife of their day, Naff City, and not to be mentioned by serious music fans for fear of terminal credibility damage!

But as you rightly observe, their songs were gems of pop sensibilty with deceptively complex arrangements and harmonies, proven by their longevity and ongoing popularity.

When Abba The Musical was being designed, they had to draft in transscribers to score all the music - Benny and Bjorn do not read or write music, so everying was done aurally, and never committed to paper.

[Zeuhl]

Some people have managed to eclipse their earlier efforts

i don't suppose David Bowie loses much sleep over 'The Laughing Gnome'
or Roger Waters over 'Arnold Layne'

Sadly, despite some good work Mr Beck has never risen to that particular challenge

[andy-hughes]

Zeuhl - "i don't suppose David Bowie loses much sleep over 'The Laughing Gnome' or Roger Waters over 'Arnold Layne'

I don;t think Roger Waters would lose sleep over Arnold Layne for two reasons - one, it's a great song, and two, he didn't write it! It was written by Syd Barrett, the band's name songwriter at that time.

Sadly, despite some good work Mr Beck has never risen to that particular challenge"

I suggest you check out the reverence with which Mr beck is held in both guitarist and modern jazz circles -



I know - I was there!

[Old_Geezer]

Abba always wrote/performed good stuff, it's just that they weren't particularly cool, not something to admit you liked to your friends, too popular with the family, particularly the older generation.

[Zeuhl]

/i suggest you check out the reverence with which Mr beck is held in both guitarist and modern jazz circles/

LOL andy; i know he is. i still have my late 60s vinyl version of 'truth', though i'm less impressed by his more recent noodlings which i find a bit indulgent.

but my point was that he has never been 'revered' by the music buying masses, unlike Pink Floyd, Mr Bowie etc

Roger Waters may not have written Arnold Layne, but he did feature in its rather self conscious Sixties-6th-Former 'video' and as he takes great pride in the Pink Floyd back catalogue (well his bits anyway) I would expect a slight groan from him if Arnold Layne is quoted at him as an exemplar.

:-)

[andy-hughes]

A fair response on all points Zeuhl.

I confess Mr Jeck's jazz (Nice!) output is not to my taste, but a lot of people do like it.

I think, as I said, he is revered critically, and by people who understand what an amazing musician he is

I don't think album sales equate to musical worth, and I am sure you will agree, because on that basis, One Direction are more 'talented' than Leonard Cohen!!!!

Although, if we do equate sales to value, it's worth considering that the combined sales for Westlife's fourteen (!) Number One singles do not equal the sales of any one of The Beatles' Number One's!

There's a stat you can zap someone with when they start coming the raw prawn about 'popularity'!

[-Talbot-]

ABBA always get a snub as being musically naff but in actual fact their songs are quite complex and very hard to sing - as has often been proved in X factor etc etc


I always the legions of Elvis fans I know this...

"If Elvis was so great how can so many people impersonate him?"

It does the trick every time.

[-Talbot-]

Ask ^

[Zeuhl]

andy

your last post is very depressing

interesting thought on Leonard Cohen; he was considered very sexy and attractive to women I am given to understand

If he'd had a few similarly gifted mates, what would their 'Boy Band' have been like?

Scott Walker, Tim Buckley and Jim Morrison spring to mind as crooning colleagues

[Zeuhl]

andy - sorry

just re-read your post

it's not depressing; i misunderstood your Westlife v Beatles fact

nice one - i will remember that