Modern songs using Roaring 20's motif

**Zonefish** · 09-01-2016

So I've got the shuffle going and Kino's Loser's Day Parade comes on---there's the "Now you turn to me like a friend..." bridge about 2 minutes in that emulates an old 78 record with pops and echoes. It got me thinking what other songs use similar motifs that try to emulate that days gone by 20's -'40s cabaret sound. The few that come to immediate mind is Video Killed the Radio Star and Chris DeBurgh Patricia The Stripper....then the mind goes blank. Any other candidates?

Jefferson James · 09-01-2016

Queen's "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" springs to mind.

**mogrooves** · 09-01-2016

HP Lovecraft - "The Time Machine"

**rcarlberg** · 09-01-2016

"Winchester Cathedral" by The New Vaudeville Band (does 1966 count as "modern"?)

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, who were approached to tour as The New Vaudeville Band after the hit, did several songs in their repertoire from the Roaring Twenties.

"Honey Pie" by The Beatles.

**rcarlberg** · 09-01-2016

Originally Posted by KerryKompost

Queen's "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" springs to mind.

As does "Sunny Afternoon" by The Kinks. Maybe. The '20s link is vague.

**Socrates** · 09-01-2016

Beatles - Honey Pie?

**Captain Geech** · 09-01-2016

Looks Looks Looks by Sparks is a perfect example of this.
https://youtu.be/1KTUXKk-GXo

**moecurlythanu** · 09-01-2016

Steve Hackett -"Sentimental Institution"

**ThomasKDye** · 09-01-2016

Van Halen - "Big Bad Bill is Sweet William Now"... of course, that's a cover of an actual Tin Pan Alley song so I guess it doesn't count.

**markwoll** · 09-01-2016

Diablo Swing Orchestra does a 20's meets metal sort of thing.

**zombywoof** · 09-01-2016

XTC - "Respectable Street"

**ThomasKDye** · 09-01-2016

Unitopia - The intro to "When I'm Down." There's even an amusing sample of a man stating the "scratchy" recording as an example of "living stereo."

**The Dark Elf** · 09-01-2016

"Excuse Me" by Peter Gabriel starts off with a barbershop quartet and has a tuba solo. Tuba solos were hot back in the 20s.

**Rarebird** · 09-02-2016

Kayak - Love me tonight / Get on board

**JJ88** · 09-02-2016

Originally Posted by moecurlythanu

Steve Hackett -"Sentimental Institution"

I thought about that, but when you look at some of the big-band names mentioned in the song, I'd say forties is more what Hackett was going for there.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 09-02-2016

One of the best examples I know:

However, by far the most extreme example in all of rock history is the following track by Moby Grape, from their second album W.O.W. (1968). It's the Fifth song on side one, and there's a spoofly spoken message before the tune starts that you have to switch your turntable up to 78 to hear it; seeing how most turntables by '68 were no longer equipped with a '78 pace, you basically have to swirl the record manually to that speed - rendering this the most drunkenly ridiculous pop record experience I know. The tune was written by the then already insane Alexander "Skip" Spence, so it doesn't really surprise me too much - and it features Arthur Godfrey as introducing the unequivocally non-existent "Lou Waxman and his orchestra". Enjoy!

**rcarlberg** · 09-02-2016

That's powerful weird. Has it ever been issued on CD?

**moecurlythanu** · 09-02-2016

Originally Posted by JJ88

I thought about that, but when you look at some of the big-band names mentioned in the song, I'd say forties is more what Hackett was going for there.

The OP said 20s-40s, so I figured it fit in there somewhere.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 09-02-2016

Originally Posted by rcarlberg

That's powerful weird. Has it ever been issued on CD?

Yes, but then the "physical intent" of the gimmick is lost, isn't it? I mean, that wacko succeeded in bringing about actual bodily action from his listeners through mere trickery. And the "authenticity" imprint of the recording itself is... Uncanny. Reminding me of that closing scene in The Shining.

Spence's life and fate should be made into a film, btw. His story is by and large the most dramatic and bizarre I've heard as concerns a major rock player - i.e. someone who were on the verge of making it big.