Shared melody: Yankee Dollar/Donkey City

Subject: RE: Shared melody: Yankee Dollar/Donkey City
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Oct 12 - 05:33 PM

THE BEST COMPARISON IS THE LORD FLY'S INSTRUMENTAL OF DONKEY CITY AS WELL AS HIS VOCAL CUT, I LISTENED TO THE LORD INVADER SINCE I NEVER KNEW IT BEFORE, LORD FLY'S CUT WAS POPULAR HERE IN JAMAICA IN THE 50'S AND IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THEY DID USE THE MELODY FROM THE INVADER, THE BABA BROOKS HAS A BIT OF THE MELODY AS WELL IF ONLY FLEETINGLY.

Subject: RE: Shared melody: Yankee Dollar/Donkey City
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 09 Aug 11 - 02:54 PM

I don't think it's called anything. If the same melody were used, but with different lyrics, it *could* be called "parody" -- unless, as in English balladry for example, it is simply usual practice to keep the identities of texts and tunes separate, such that texts can be sung to various tunes and tunes do work for several texts.

I don't hear that these are the same. I'd rather hear a calypso or mento rendition of "Donkey City" to compare. If Baba Brook's band is calling their ska track "Donkey City," then the song they have in mind is Donkey City. In other words, if you compare calypso versions of Yankee Dollar and Donkey City, and they turn out to have the same melody, then you have a situation of parody *or* re-use. However, Baba Brooks (the Skatalites) is just playing an instrumental version (worked into the jazz-like format of ska) of "Donkey City," I presume.

IMO ska didn't have much that was truly (uniquely) in common with calypso/mento, except for the fact that old mento songs' melodies (and chord progressions) were sometimes set to the ska rhythm. So whatever the Donkey City melody was, it has been twisted and contorted into having a very different "feel" in this ska rendition.

Incidentally, if you listen to "Part II" of Baba Brooks' Donkey City, you can hear some really brilliant drumming by Lloyd Knibb, the drummer who more or less invented ska, who just passed away in May 2011.

Subject: RE: Shared melody: Yankee Dollar/Donkey City
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 09 Aug 11 - 08:32 AM

Does anyone know what it's called when a musician uses parts of a melody but mostly different musical phrases? E.g. they use the melody for the melody of the chorus? Variation?

Subject: RE: Shared melody: Yankee Dollar/Donkey City
From: GUEST,James Fryer
Date: 09 Aug 11 - 06:42 AM

They share a melody. This is common in calypso.

Subject: RE: Shared melody: Yankee Dollar/Donkey City
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 09:50 PM

If it fits, could a moderator combine this thread with either the "Yankee Dollar" thread or the "Donkey City" thread?

Subject: RE: Shared melody: Yankee Dollar/Donkey City
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 21 Jul 11 - 07:32 AM

Refresh.

Subject: Shared melody: Yankee Dollar/Donkey City
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 20 Jul 11 - 05:19 AM

This was inspired by Q's Lyr Add thread for the song "Donkey City". I listened to "Donkey City" on myspace music and thought I recognised the tune, so I thought about where I'd heard it before, then I realised it was basically the same melody as Lord Invader's 1946 "Yankee Dollar"- just with a few inverted/varied musical phrases. Can anyone with a better musical ear tell me if they think the two melodies are similar and how they are similar?

"Yankee Dollar" on YouTube: "Yankee Dollar" 1946.

"Donkey City"- Baba Brooks. Instrumental.
"Donkey City" instrumental