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29 Feb 08 - 02:16 PM (#2275918) Subject: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Leadbelly Johnny Rivers'self-composed song "John Lee Hooker", recorded at the Whisky a GoGo has a duration of 15 minutes and 40 seconds. But I think he isn't the absolute champion. Any suggestions? Manfred |
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29 Feb 08 - 02:27 PM (#2275920) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Rasener "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is a seventeen-minute, ten-second rock song by Iron Butterfly, released on their 1968 album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, |
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29 Feb 08 - 02:31 PM (#2275925) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Arkie Bob Dylan's Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands is 11:20, Jon Anderson's version at 12:03 and Jamie Brockett's version of the USS Titanic is only 13:31 so they aren't contenders. Did Michael Cooney ever record Tam Lane? His live version would exceed 20 minutes I think. |
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29 Feb 08 - 02:34 PM (#2275931) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Shaneo Me And The Rose, by Christy Moore 13-20 |
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29 Feb 08 - 02:34 PM (#2275933) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Lonesome EJ Didn't the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald go on for about an hour and a half? |
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29 Feb 08 - 02:35 PM (#2275936) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Little Hawk Dylan's "Highlands" is very long, and also Loreena McKennitt's song of Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shallotte". She released it in a shorter version for radio...in the full length version (Lord Tennyson's full poem) on the album. Either way it can send chills down your spine, but I like the full length version best of all. |
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29 Feb 08 - 02:43 PM (#2275944) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Amos Frankie and Johnny. A |
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29 Feb 08 - 02:57 PM (#2275960) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Leadbelly Ha, I just dicovered that Arlo Guthrie managed to lengthen "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" up to 18.20! It's on Arlo's "Alice's Restaurant"-LP (reprise-records). |
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29 Feb 08 - 03:00 PM (#2275964) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Little Hawk It depends on who sings the song, you see. We have a guy at our local song circle who cycles through most songs in half the time it took the original artist to do them. ;-) Then you have the opposite extreme, the very slow rendition, but that's not so common. ************** "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, in my opinion, lasts just about exactly the right amount of time. It's an epic song of an epic story, and it tells the whole story. Very cool. I've noticed that people either love it or hate it, and this could have to do partly with whether the story itself really interests them or not, I think. If you're deeply interested in and caught up in the details of a story, you don't mind it taking a long time, because you want to savour every moment and image. If, on the other hand, it basically just doesn't grab you, then you can't be bothered sustaining the attention for very long (if at all). Some other long songs of that type (they either grab you...or they don't) are Buffy Sainte-Marie's epic "My Country 'Tis of Thy People You're Dying" and Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy". People who don't like those songs are not criticizing the song on its intrinsic merits, in my opinion...they are simply making it quite clear that the subject matter doesn't interest them very much for whatever reason...or perhaps the singer's style doesn't interest them. If the subject matter fascinated them and if they loved the performer too, they'd love the song. When you love someone or love what they do, you just can't get enough of it. When you don't care, well, your attention span will be quite short. |
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29 Feb 08 - 03:02 PM (#2275967) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Borchester Echo John Cage's As Slow As Possible was started on a German church organ five years ago and is due to finish in 635 years' time. More likely to win this contest: Refried Boogie by Canned Heat lasts 41 minutes. |
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29 Feb 08 - 03:02 PM (#2275970) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Don Firth At one time, about three minutes was the max for radio play. Then along came Marty Robbins' recording of "El Paso." Ran for about seven minutes if I remember correctly. Don Firth |
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29 Feb 08 - 03:09 PM (#2275976) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Lonesome EJ LH, I was tongue-in-cheek on Edmund Fitzgerald. I like it and think Gordon is a great songwriter. |
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29 Feb 08 - 03:10 PM (#2275977) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Leadbelly That's right, Don, and when this record entered the hit parades they have had some trouble to play this title comletely. |
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29 Feb 08 - 03:15 PM (#2275983) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) The 22 minute version of 'Tall Ships' by Show of Hands Charlotte (is attempting to arrange this song for the piano) |
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29 Feb 08 - 03:21 PM (#2275993) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Little Hawk Okay, LEJ. It's a shame that Julio Iglesias never did a 45-minute song, eh? Think how great THAT would be! ;-) Well, looks like maybe Canned Heat takes the prize, then, for "Refried Boogie". |
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29 Feb 08 - 03:47 PM (#2276009) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Snuffy A few from the Incredible String Band: 09:02 El Wool Suite (U) 09:17 Ducks on a Pond (Wee Tam) 09:24 Maya (The Big Huge) 10:18 Light in Time of Darkness/Good to See You (U) 10:53 Darling Belle (Liquid Acrobat as regards the Air) 12:55 A Very Cellular Song (The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter) 14:46 White Bird (Changing Horses) 15:22 Rainbow (U) 16:04 Creation (Changing Horses) Later albums (Earthspan & No Ruinous Feud) have no timings anywhere, but may have songs of similar lengths |
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29 Feb 08 - 04:01 PM (#2276030) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's unplugged Apprentice The Live at The Fillmore disc of Cream's Wheels of Fire double LP set has: Spoonful - 16:44 Toad - 15:53 Charlotte (the view from Ma and Pa's piano stool) |
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29 Feb 08 - 04:11 PM (#2276042) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: PoppaGator "Like A Rolling Stone" and, later, "Hey Jude," were said to have been ground-breakingly long for radio play when they were current hits, but I don't think either one was nearly as long as the various album cuts cited above. Also, the 7-minute-plus "El Paso" was just about as long, and came out much much earlier. I had not been aware of that until just now. I'm certainly familiar with the song, just didn't realize how long it is ~ I suppose that shows that I've always enjoyed it enough not to get all fidgity waiting for it to conclude. (While I've certainly heard Marty Robbins sing it, I am most familiar with the song as part of the Grateful Dead catalog; among Dead songs, aseven minute running time is unremarkable: about an average duration, maybe even less.) Another notable long song: Ray Charles' ground-breaking live-in-the-studio "What'd I Say?" was split in half to make a two sided single, "Part 1" and "Part 2." That may have been the first such two-part two-sided 45 single. The Isely Brothers "Shout" came later and was more clearly broken in half; the breaking-point is pretty well known since innumerable cover bands have long performed this popular number to include the transition passage that begins "Now wai-ai-ait a minute!" |
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29 Feb 08 - 04:17 PM (#2276045) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,LDB What would have been the longest folk song recorded would certainly be the Original Woody Guthrie song, "Ruben James." However, there are conflicting reports that the original, in which every member of the crew was named, was recorded. It is well documented that the shorter version of the song that became popular by the Almanac Singers caused some disagreement by Woody. It should also be noted that the one mentioned above did not have the Joe Hellerman ending - that came later. Examples of a shortened version of the original version are: There's Harold Hammer Beasley, a first rate man at sea From Hinton, West Virginia, he had his first degree. There's Jim Franklin Benson, a good machinist's mate Come up from North Carolina, to sail the Reuben James. Dennis Howard Daniel, Glen Jones and Howard Vore Hartwell Byrd and Raymond Cook, Ed Musselwhite and more Remember Leonard Keever, Gene Evans and Donald Kapp Who gave their all to fight about this famous fighting ship. Ant there were 86 killed. There has also been speculation that Woody also wanted the rest of the crew mentioned, |
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29 Feb 08 - 05:00 PM (#2276073) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Ken Brock Pete Seeger has mentioned that Woody definitely wanted to name all crew members, but Seeger talked him out of it. One of Woody's longer songs is Tom Joad, which condenses Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath into about 7 minutes. It was covered by Country Joe MacDonald in the early 1970's. |
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29 Feb 08 - 05:13 PM (#2276079) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: PoppaGator I never knew that about "Reuben James," which I first learned from Sing Out magazine, where a much shorter version of the lyrics appeared sometime in the mid-1960s. Of course, I know that the chorus asked "What were their names, tell me what were their names, did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?" I just didn't know that the lesser-known verses answered the question ~ completely, if you knew Woody's entire lyric. Interesting that his later lyric, "Deportees," was also similarly concerned about the names and identities of modest "common" folk who would otherwise be forgotten after a tragic demise. A recurring theme, and obviously a serious concern of Woody Guthrie's |
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29 Feb 08 - 07:44 PM (#2276189) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Mooh Did anyone mention Thick As A Brick by Jethro Tull? As much as I like Canned Heat, the tune is a bit repeatative. Peace, Mooh. |
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29 Feb 08 - 08:31 PM (#2276213) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Grab No-one's mentioned Dire Straits - the studio version of "Telegraph Road" clocked 14:15. And it'd be impossible to talk about longest popular songs without "American Pie". Don't think live versions and jam sessions really count, do they? I mean, anyone can noodle round 12-bar or other easy progressions for ten-fifteen minutes without hardly trying. The challenge is saying what you have to say in a reasonable duration, not just giving in to diarrhoea of the fretboard. Graham. |
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01 Mar 08 - 02:19 AM (#2276317) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: DMcG Child ballad number 117, "A gest of Robyn Hood", must surely be a contender at 456 verses. |
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01 Mar 08 - 02:44 AM (#2276319) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Richard Bridge Surely the released version of Refried Boogie (and wasn't it actually Refried Hockey Boogie?) on their second album was not anything like that long? One side of a vinyl LP did not run over 40 minutes. How about Tubular Bells? There are the occasional words which might just make it a song. |
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01 Mar 08 - 02:47 AM (#2276322) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Richard Bridge Cream's "Spoonful" was about 17 minutes, too, and the Nice did a version of a Dylan song that took the entire side of an LP. Tangerine Dream I think did some stuff of comparable length, but no words. |
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01 Mar 08 - 06:28 AM (#2276395) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Mooh The aforementioned Thick As A Brick was 22:45 on one side and 21:05 on the other side of the LP, mixed no differently on the cd. I dig it. Peace, Mooh. |
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01 Mar 08 - 07:47 AM (#2276432) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,guest Easy...Sad eyed Lady of the Lowlands bob dylan Took up the whole side on I believe Blond on Blond. |
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01 Mar 08 - 10:11 AM (#2276509) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Snuffy What about the shortest? Anyone beat The Son of Noah's Brother on The Big Huge by the Incredible String Band? This weighs in at a massive SIXTEEN SECONDS. |
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01 Mar 08 - 10:49 AM (#2276537) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: goatfell tom paxton's song a lament for a lost election. dah, dah, dah, shit. Tom |
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01 Mar 08 - 11:05 AM (#2276542) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Gene Burton A great songwriter is one who can say the most, in an entertaining and/or arresting way, in the shortest possible amount of time?? Discuss! (not sure I'd absolutely always go along with the above myself, but it's one plausible working definition) BTW, I've always had something of a soft spot for Mark Knopfler's extended guitar workouts, which is odd 'cos when it comes to other guitarists I can't stand 'em... |
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01 Mar 08 - 11:18 AM (#2276548) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: curmudgeon If memory serves correctly, Ewan MacColl's rendition of Constance of Cleveland, runs the entire side of the original LP - Tom |
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01 Mar 08 - 12:19 PM (#2276590) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: topical tom Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant"? |
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01 Mar 08 - 12:33 PM (#2276599) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) Theoretically Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells is one song (the "lyrics" being spoken by Viv Stanshall on the original and by John Cleese on Tubular Bells 2003) it runs for a total of 48 mins and 56 seconds on two sides of the record "Tubular Bells, Part 1" — 25:36 "Tubular Bells, Part 2" — 23:20 Charlotte (on piano and goodwill) |
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01 Mar 08 - 12:40 PM (#2276606) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) "Easy...Sad eyed Lady of the Lowlands bob dylan Took up the whole side on I believe Blond(e) on Blond(e)." It does indeed take up the whole of side four of Blonde on Blonde, but: Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" – 11 minutes 23 seconds Charlotte (having retrieved Blonde on Blonde from the record collection) |
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01 Mar 08 - 02:04 PM (#2276661) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Charley Noble "Kilkelly Ireland" deserves an honorable mention. Gordon Bok has recorded several long saga such as "Peter Kagan and the Wind." Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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01 Mar 08 - 04:15 PM (#2276783) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Nigel Spencer (cookieloss) Almost anything by Japanese space rockers Acid Mothers Temple. There's one track, called (I think) 'Baby Pink Lemonade' which is over 60 minutes long. |
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01 Mar 08 - 04:50 PM (#2276814) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) "'Baby Pink Lemonade' which is over 60 minutes long" the actual length of this piece seems to vary depending on the gig, somwhat like The Grateful Dead and their songs Charlotte (enquiries made) |
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01 Mar 08 - 05:07 PM (#2276831) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Zhenya Just got curious and checked my iTunes tracks in order by playing time. Looks like the longest single song track I have is Jody Stecher singing Barbary Ellen, at 12:45. It's on his album, Oh the Wind and Rain. In terms of tune sets, there's one at 27:38 from Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, on the Live in Seattle album. The longest combo song and tune set I have is The Green Fields of America on the album Kilkelly (Moloney, O'Connell and Keane) which clocks in at 21:24. (I'm afraid the song Kilkelly itself on this album comes in at a measly 6:47.) And for honorable mention, Jean Ritchie's version of Little Musgrave is 12:03. (That's on her album Ballads from Her Appalachian Family Tradition.) |
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01 Mar 08 - 05:09 PM (#2276834) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Zhenya Whoops - Completely missed the stipulation that the song had to be by a popular band! Not surprising, as I have very little mainstream music in my collection. |
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01 Mar 08 - 05:12 PM (#2276838) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Tunesmith Al Stewart's Love Chronicles sounded like a very long song back in 1969(or whenever). |
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02 Mar 08 - 01:42 AM (#2277124) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Genie Didn't the original, full version of Stairway To Heaven also go on for about 10 minutes? Legend has it that some songs, eg., Marty Robbins's El Paso and Don McLean's American Pie became hits largely BECAUSE of their length -- that DJs would play long songs like that just so they could take a much needed potty break. |
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02 Mar 08 - 02:02 AM (#2277128) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: number 6 Not the longest song (15 min. or so), but worth mentioning here in this thread ... "The Hymns From The Grand Terrace" a Jimmy webb composition sung by Richard Harris. biLL |
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02 Mar 08 - 02:54 AM (#2277141) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Dave Hanson Ewan MacColls version of Tam Lin is pretty long but Bob Dylans ' Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie ' is an epic, it's bloody good as well. eric |
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02 Mar 08 - 03:28 AM (#2277154) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Volgadon Refried boogie? Not sure I could stand listening to the same song for 40 minutes. |
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02 Mar 08 - 05:10 AM (#2277180) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Borchester Echo Late Breaking news: The next chord change in the performance of John Cage's As Slow As Possible which began in 2001 will occur on 5 July 2008. The first movement will end as soon as 2073. |
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02 Mar 08 - 11:51 AM (#2277391) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: oldhippie Lets not forget Dylan "Desolation Row" and Harry Chapin "Taxi" / "Sequel" |
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02 Mar 08 - 01:20 PM (#2277472) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Folkiedave Chris Woods "England In Ribbons" off the "Trespassers" CD is 13.00 minutes. And I have played it on my radio show. (Walked off to the cafe next door ordered and drank a coffee - and walked back into the studio as it finished). |
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02 Mar 08 - 01:29 PM (#2277481) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: SouthernCelt Although not in real contention for longest, the two-part version of "Susie Q" done by CCR ran pretty long. SC |
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02 Mar 08 - 02:37 PM (#2277535) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) "Al Stewart's Love Chronicles sounded like a very long song back in 1969(or whenever)." Love Chronicles - Al Stewart 1969 title track length - 18-minutes Charlotte (the Sunday view from Ma and Pa's piano stool) |
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02 Mar 08 - 08:39 PM (#2277854) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: vectis Gordon Hall's version of The Molecatcher mus hold the record. He did it as an encore once. He started it at 10.55 and finally finsihed at 11.25, a pint and three cigarettes later. I reckon he was making the verses up as he went along. |
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02 Mar 08 - 10:13 PM (#2277914) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Bill S from Perth I note a couple of claims of the shortest songs. Tom Paxton's second shortest must be the Ballad of Spiro Agnew. Here are the full lyrics. "I'll sing of Spiro Agnew and all the things he's done" |
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03 Mar 08 - 01:52 AM (#2277978) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Mike B. Jean Redpath's version of "The Grey Silkie" runs about eight minutes. Don McLean's "American Pie" and Phil Ochs' "Crucifixion" should also be mentioned. |
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03 Mar 08 - 09:40 AM (#2278197) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Suffolk Miracle Spark's Magic Piano runs to 20mins and 35 secs. OK I know it's not really a song as such, but some of us enjoy nostalgia! |
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03 Mar 08 - 09:56 AM (#2278212) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Suffolk Miracle For shortest - Oh, hangman stay thy ggrrll... |
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03 Mar 08 - 10:35 AM (#2278247) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: the button The shortest has got to be "You suffer," by Napalm Death -- under a second. (And it got radio-play). |
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03 Mar 08 - 10:46 AM (#2278256) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,PMB Erik Satie's Vexations must be a contender- at 18 hours 40 minutes when first performed in full in 1963. John Cage and John Cale were in the relay team that performed it, and I think they count as "popular". |
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03 Mar 08 - 11:04 AM (#2278267) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Little Hawk "Love Chronicles" is an interesting song....a personal epic...and it's actually composed of 3 or four different tunes (all quite good) which are linked together into one enormous song. Early Al Stewart material is very frank on the confessional side as regards his love life at the time. He later became a good deal more circumspect in his writing. |
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03 Mar 08 - 11:08 AM (#2278270) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego When The Ramsey Lewis Trio played club dates in Los Angeles during the 1960's, they could stretch "The In Crowd" to an entire set in itself, sometimes as long as 30-45 minutes, or longer. I doubt they ever recorded anything close to that in length, however, unless someone knows of a bootleg tape. Of course, it's not folk, but Ramsey's music does have some folk and gospel roots. |
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03 Mar 08 - 01:41 PM (#2278397) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: PoppaGator "A great songwriter is one who can say the most, in an entertaining and/or arresting way, in the shortest possible amount of time?? Discuss!" Well, there's such a thing as too short a song. It takes few moments to establish a mood or "groove," and then you want to spend a modicum of time enjoying what's been established. The more interesting and compelling the song, the longer you can get away with stretching it out, but the generally accepted "happy medium" seems to be about three minutes. I just wonder whether this is a "natural" optimum length for songs, based upon some inborn attention-span parameters shared by all humans, or if it's something that has been imposed upon our generations by our shared experience of recorded music, nothing more than our becoming accustomed to the song-length limitations of first the 78 rpm single and then the 45. As a solo performer, I don't generally include the instrumental "breaks" that are so often part of the original (or at least the best-known) recordings of many songs I "cover," and so my renditions may tend to be about a half-minute or so shorter than versions by groups/bands featuring instrumental soloists. In some cases, I'll compensate by repeating the bridge and the final verse/chorus an extra time, especially when the audience seems receptive and sufficiently caught up in the song. Discuss! |
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03 Mar 08 - 01:45 PM (#2278402) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,yayaya Sorry for digressing, but does anyone else find the imperative 'discuss' rather obnoxious? |
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03 Mar 08 - 02:02 PM (#2278428) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: PoppaGator Sorry about that, yayaya. I was trying for a laugh by repeating that obnoxious imperative, and didn't really expect to offend anyone. After all, what else do we do here except "discuss"? It is redundant, to say the least, to remind one's readers to continue participation. I humbly withdraw my command to do so. Jeez, that's the second time in the last 10-15 minutes where I've tried to be humorously ironic and failed. I'd better quit this site for a while and concentrate on work! |
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03 Mar 08 - 03:10 PM (#2278499) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Lonesome EJ Jeez, that's the second time in the last 10-15 minutes where I've tried to be humorously ironic and failed. I'd better quit this site for a while and concentrate on work! now THAT was funny! |
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03 Mar 08 - 03:22 PM (#2278512) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Gene Burton Dans mon expérience, la perception de la désagréable tend à être le produit de l'esprit désagréable. |
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03 Mar 08 - 03:27 PM (#2278515) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's unplugged Apprentice "but does anyone else find the imperative 'discuss' rather obnoxious?" Even when I was going to university I found it obnoxious, and would cringe visibly whenever a prof would say such a thing, needless to say I refused to "discuss" anything. Charlotte (doesn't have "issues" either) |
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03 Mar 08 - 03:30 PM (#2278518) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Leadbelly Gene, for all others: In my experience, the perception of unpleasant tends to be the product of the unpleasant spirit. |
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03 Mar 08 - 03:46 PM (#2278532) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Geoff Wallis Re. Genie's message above. There was a spate of long 45 rpm single releases spanning six or seven minutes in the UK in the last few years of the 1960s. 'America' by The Nice springs to mind as does, and I wish I wasn't able to remember this, Richard Harris's version of 'MacArthur Park', plus, of course, 'Hey Jude'. Some bands got around this by recording singles in two parts, one on the 'A' and the other on the 'B' side. Perhaps the most best known was Fleetwood Mac's 'Oh Well', though the second side was obviously geared towards recorder fans. In terms of track length of albums, I don't think it's fair to include the Hayes/Cahill live track as that was a CD release. The Miles Davis album 'Jack Johnson' really did push the LP format to the limit - to this day I've never seen the end of a track closer to the very label itself. Both sides, each featuring just one track, are in excess of 25 minutes. But, if it's songs only, then Caravan's 'In the Land of Grey and Pink' must be a contender - 22 minutes. |
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03 Mar 08 - 03:58 PM (#2278547) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,yayaya Gene and Leadbelly: How convenient. That lays all the blame at the doors of others, doesn't it. Poppagator: I'm sorry. |
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03 Mar 08 - 05:07 PM (#2278592) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Peace An old buddy of mine, Chris Rawlings, did "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" set to music. I recall it being about 40 minutes long. I thought he'd recorded it to vinyl, but his website doesn't mention that recording. |
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03 Mar 08 - 05:20 PM (#2278614) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: PoppaGator yayaya, your (unexpected) apology is accepted. No big deal. Lets's not make this babbling over a side-issue last as long as any of the songs under discussion here! Leej, glad you got a laugh out of that! I was hoping for such a reaction, of course. I didn't really put my nose to the grindstone and concentrate exclusively on work, by the way ~ I just popped down to the BS section where repetitive stupidity is more readily accepted, and contined to split my time, toggling back and forth between frivolity and productivity... |
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03 Mar 08 - 05:33 PM (#2278630) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Leadbelly GUEST,yayaya: I only tried to translate the french sentence. That's all. |
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03 Mar 08 - 06:02 PM (#2278672) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: oldhippie "Rosalie's Good Eats Cafe" by Bobby Bare is another lengthy song. |
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03 Mar 08 - 06:06 PM (#2278683) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Uncle_DaveO I had in mind to nominate Alice's Restaurant, but it's not really a song, it's a whole monologue act, with some singing parts. Dave Oesterreich |
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04 Mar 08 - 02:29 AM (#2278955) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Dave Hanson A quick look in Sir Walter Scotts epic book ' The Minstrelsy Of The Scottish Border ' shows The Young Tamlane [ Tam Lin ] has 67 verses. eric |
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04 Mar 08 - 06:58 AM (#2279060) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,bill S from Perth After a morris tour we used to repair to an hostelry for a few songs. When we got the hint, we used to say "we'll sing one more song then we'll go". The landlord would relax before we started "A thousand green bottles hanging on a wall". Sorry I can't tell you how long it is, we were never allowed to finish it |
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04 Mar 08 - 01:07 PM (#2279364) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine Mikle Oldfield's Tubular Bells (if you count it as a "song") wiht two parts eaxh in excess of 20 minutes is a contender. Amazing to think this was a best-selling album, can you imagine that these days? Someone mentioned the shortest song as being 16 seconds, evidently they have never heard of Napalm Death, whose "You Suffer", consisting of the words "you suffer" grunted very quickly along with a stabbed guitar chord clocked in at a miniscule 0.5 seconds. Granted, it wasn't a big hit. |
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04 Mar 08 - 01:23 PM (#2279385) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Little Hawk I don't think you can really call that a song. |
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04 Mar 08 - 02:48 PM (#2279493) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) don't think you can really call that a song why not? if it has lyrics and a tune, then it's a song..IMHO Charlotte (the view from Ma and Pa's piano stool) |
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04 Mar 08 - 02:52 PM (#2279499) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) He's popular, but he' not a singer or a band...a musical friend reminded me of it this morning over coffee when I mentioned this thread. The Complete Ring Cycle - Richard Wagner I know, I know...it's many seperate songs, but worth including..IMHO Charlotte (attempted Wagner once...but I'm alright now ;-) ) |
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04 Mar 08 - 08:22 PM (#2279774) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Nick E Now I have scrolled the whole thread but that does not mean I have not missed it... When it comes to songs that still get radio airplay Paradise By The Dashboard light from Meatloaf And when it comse to last call and the solo singer with the guitar wants to milk it American Pie by Don Mclean are what leap to mind |
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04 Mar 08 - 10:16 PM (#2279814) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Little Hawk A song that last 0.5 seconds isn't even capable of having a tune. A tune requires more than one note in sequence. It's an outburst of noise, but it's not a song. If it were, then blowing a car horn would be a song or yelling "OUCH!" when someone drops a bowling ball on your foot would be a song. |
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04 Mar 08 - 11:01 PM (#2279843) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Greg B "I went to the Grateful Dead concert and they played for FIVE HOURS. Man, was that a great SONG!" |
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18 Mar 08 - 10:28 AM (#2291581) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,some guy i know its not the longest but a decent long song wld be Dream Theater - Octavarium 24 minutes of unparalleled prog magnificence |
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18 Mar 08 - 11:11 AM (#2291618) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Dave Hanson No shit !!! eric |
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18 Mar 08 - 11:44 AM (#2291643) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: catspaw49 Well for all of you who mentioned "Alice's Restaurant" take heart. As Arlo told it after Chip Carter claimed to have found a copy of Arlo's album in the Nixon Record Library, "Maybe Nixon was listening to Alice's Restaurant. I mean, how many things are 18 minutes and 20 seconds long?" Spaw |
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18 Mar 08 - 12:06 PM (#2291655) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) the original version of Alice's Restaurant Massacree" - 18:20 Alice's Restaurant (The Massacree Revisted)22:26 (live performance) Here's an 18 min 33 second version Charlotte (the view from Charlotte's music room) |
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18 Mar 08 - 03:03 PM (#2291856) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: M.Ted No beats Um Koultoum (one of many possible spellings of her name), who had been known to stretch two or three songs out for as long as 6 hours in performance, and whose popular recordings could run to an hour- From her Wikipedia entry: The duration of Umm Kulthum's songs in performance was not fixed, but varied based on the level of emotive interaction between the singer and her audience. A typical improvisatory technique of hers was to repeat a single phrase or sentence of a song's lyrics over and over, subtly altering the emotive emphasis and intensity each time to bring her audiences into a euphoric and ecstatic state, and was considered to "have never sang a line the same way twice". Thus, while the official recorded length of a song such as Enta Omri (You Are My Life) is approximately 60 minutes, a live performance could extend to many hours as the singer and her audience fed off each other's emotional energy. This intense, highly personalized creative relationship, was undoubtedly one of the reasons for Umm Kulthum's tremendous success as an artist. here are some recordings--http://www.oumkalthoum.org/audio/ though I suspect only Jack Campin will listen to them-- |
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18 Mar 08 - 04:50 PM (#2291961) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Reiver 2 It's not the longest, but my favorite LONG ballad is "Montrose." Done by Steeleye Span (a tour-de-force for Maddy Prior) on their record "Live At Last" (and it IS a live performance). I just timed it at a few seconds short of 15 minutes. It tells the story of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, covering pretty much his entire life from boyhood through his betrayal and execution and is full of historical references to real people and events that are remarkable for their accuracy, (which I appreciate). I counted 42 verses (including choruses) sung to 3 quite distinct melodies and includes several short instrumental interludes. If you have an interest in Celtic history, don't miss this. Reiver 2 |
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19 Mar 08 - 08:52 AM (#2292532) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,The black belt caterpillar wrestler The Dylan song ( "She belongs to me") by the Nice mentioned some way above was not a whole LP side as it was on side two of "Nice" with "Rondo '69". However, "Brain Salad Surgery" by ELP started on side one of the LP with the same name and also took up the whole of side two. Oddly the track of the same name on "Works" does not appear on the LP. As regards 45s, the Nice had "America" which was nearly as long as "Hey Jude", and then there was Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" which took up both sides. |
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19 Mar 08 - 11:59 AM (#2292668) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's unplugged Apprentice I still think Re-Fried Boogie - Canned Heat, wins, clocking in at 40 some odd minutes. For a song....I think I mentioned the 22 minute version of Tall Ships by Show of Hands, from their current two CD best of, though rumour has it that Fairport's Sloth gets longer and longer with each performance *LOL* Charlotte (the view from Ma and Pa's piano stool) |
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19 Mar 08 - 02:10 PM (#2292798) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: M.Ted Um Koultoum was way more popular, and way longer-- |
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19 Mar 08 - 02:26 PM (#2292818) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's inplugged Apprentice 'Um Koultoum was way more popular' in the Arab world probably...in the west...errr no... I'd do a straw poll and see who has heard of Canned Heat and who's heard of Um Koultoum... Oh...and I did give her a listen Charlotte(the view from Ma and Pa's piano stool) |
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19 Mar 08 - 03:08 PM (#2292862) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: KB in Iowa The Allman Brothers did a 22:56 version of 'Whipping Post' on At Fillmore East. Led Zeppelin did a 26:52 version of 'Dazed and Confused' on The Song Remains the Same Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' beats both if considered as one song. On the All Music Guide website they have it listed as part 1 (25:36) and part 2 (23:20) so I guess we can each decide how to tabulate it. |
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19 Mar 08 - 03:18 PM (#2292877) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: M.Ted People are people, Charlotte--and there were said to be more than 4 million at her funeral--it's one world-- |
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19 Mar 08 - 03:26 PM (#2292887) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: The Mole Catcher's Apprentice (inactive) 'People are people, Charlotte--and there were said to be more than 4 million at her funeral--it's one world--' I stand by what I previously posted Charlotte (the view from Ma and Pa's piano stool) |
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19 Mar 08 - 06:29 PM (#2293060) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Jack Campin I was going to mention Oum Kolsoum but M. Ted beat me to it. Charlotte, give her a listen long enough to figure out what she was doing, you might be surprised. I can't place Canned Heat at all. Looking at discographies I can find, I recognize nothing, though I was around when their stuff first came out and I'd probably like them. For something even longer by a singer who has never been at any risk of popularity, Andy Hunter recorded a small part of the utterly boring Scottish late-mediaeval epic "Graysteil", taking up a whole CD. It makes no attempt at varying the arrangement and his delivery is so expressionless that even that much is about 10 times more than any normal human would want to listen to. It's like hearing somebody tell you about their latest campaign on World of Warcraft. |
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19 Mar 08 - 09:13 PM (#2293164) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: M.Ted I'm not sure of your point, Charlotte--Canned Heat is not much listened to anymore, and it's been nearly 40 years since they were popular--and, at least where I live, there is a thriving Middle Eastern community-- |
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30 Mar 08 - 08:14 AM (#2300980) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Wolfgang Rolf Zuckowski's song "Und ganz doll mich" at least some years ago was the respective entry at the Guinness book with 3776 lines all written by children. I don't know whether he has ever recorded the full length version. He's popular in Germany, though not with me. The Devil Glitch" by Chris Butler is the longest pop song recorded according to the Guinness book with 69 min. Wolfgang |
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04 Apr 08 - 06:51 AM (#2306283) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Low wot? |
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04 Apr 08 - 06:52 AM (#2306284) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Nuilt Yikes! |
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04 Apr 08 - 07:03 AM (#2306291) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: goatfell there is a french guy whol ives over here and he sings song that go on for a fornight, you know trad songs that go on for 20 mins. we had him at our folk club in Irvine and he was boring as shit, good guitarist and singer but instead just singing and playing the songs he would do wee twiddley bits that made a song that was 3 mins to 15 mins long. |
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15 Apr 09 - 04:42 AM (#2611508) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Jason Xion Wang 2 Legit 2 Quit - Hammer (7:55) 2112 - Rush (20:37) Abacab - Genesis (7:02) Adventures of Greggery Peccary - Frank Zappa (20:33) Alice's Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie (18:36) American City Suite - Cashman and West (7:42) American Pie - Don McLean (8:34) Angola Anthem - Dr. John (17:35) Autobahn - Kraftwerk (22:43) Babe, I'm on Fire - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (14:45) Blue Monday - New Order (7:25) Butt Naked - Charm (7:53) Captain Jack - Billy Joel (7:14) Celebration of the Lizard King - The Doors (14:25) Champagne Supernova - Oasis (7:28) Chew And Hiccup - Book Oven (approximately 263 minutes long) Dance Of The Dawn - Yes (20:22) Desolation Row - Bob Dylan (11:21) Disco Inferno - The Trammps (10:51) Do You Feel Like We Do - Peter Frampton (14:00) Echoes - Pink Floyd (23:28) Everybody Move - Cathy Dennis (8:09) Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) - Baz Luhrman (7:09) Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (9:07) Freebird Live - Lynyrd Skynyrd (14:09) Fun House (Take 3) - The Stooges (11:29) Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John (11:08) Funkytown - Lipps Inc (7:51) Giants Under The Sun - Yes (18:32) Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel (7:21) Green Eyed Lady - Sugarloaf (7:00) Green Grass and High Tides - Outlaws (9:49) Hey Jude - The Beatles (7:11) High The Memory - Yes (20:34) Hotel California - Eagles (7:12) I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Creedence Clearwater Revival (11:06) I Want You (She's So Heavy) - The Beatles (7:47) I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf (11:59) I'm A Man - Chicago (7:43) In The Midnight Hour - Samantha Sang (7:17) In-A-Godda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly (17:02) Iowa - Slipknot (15:25) Isn't It a Pity? - George Harrison (7:08) It's All Coming Back to Me Now - C¨¦line Dion (7:37) Kashmir - Led Zeppelin (8:28) Killers Are Quiet - Slipknot (20:42) L.A. Woman - the Doors (7:49) Layla - Derek and the Dominos (7:00) Life's Been Good To Me So Far - Joe Walsh (8:56) Light My Fire - the Doors (7:08) Light of Day, Day of Darkness - Green Carnation (60:06) Lovestoned (I Think She Knows) - Justin Timberlake (7:24) MacArthur Park - Richard Harris (7:20) Maggot Brain - Funkadelic (10:19) Maria - Blondie (9:27) Money For Nothing - Dire Straits (8:27) Nights in White Satin - Moody Blues (7:40) Nous Sommes Du Soleil - Yes (21:33) November Rain - Guns N' Roses (8:57) Paradise By The Dashboard Light - Meatloaf (8:28) Purple Rain - Prince (8:45) Rapper's Delight - Sugarhill Gang (14:33) Revolution 9 - The Beatles (8:13) Riders on the Storm - the Doors (7:11) Rosalita - Bruce Springsteen (7:04) Roundabout - Yes (8:30) Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands - Bob Dylan (11:23) Season Suite - John Denver (12:50) Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd (26:01) Scissors - Slipknot (8:25) Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Dream Theater (42:02) Sky Pilot - Eric Burdon and the Animals (7:29) Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills, Nash (7:30) Supper's Ready - Genesis (22:54) Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go - Soft Cell (8:58) Telegraph Road - Dire Straits (14:22) The End - The Doors (11:44) The Foxfire Suite - John Denver (9:09) The Minotaur - Dick Hyman Trio (7:24) The Perfect Drug Nine Inch Nails (7:23) The Same Deep Water As You - The Cure (9:09) Thick As A Brick - Jethro Tull (43:36) This Is The Way We Roll - Hammer (7:46) Toad - Cream (16:16) Tonight, Tonight, Tonight - Genesis (8:50) Voodoo Chile - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (15:05) We Are The World - USA For Africa (7:07) What You Give - Tesla (7:08) Who Is It - Michael Jackson (8:00) Whoot, There It Is - 95 South (7:00) Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who (8:33) Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot (7:02) Xanadu - Rush (12:11) You Can't Always Get What You Want - Rolling Stones (7:30) |
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15 Apr 09 - 06:48 AM (#2611544) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Mr Fox Montrose(Steeleye Span) - 15 Minutes The Bonny Bunch of Roses (Fairport) - 12 minutes Jack Orion (Fairport) - 12 minutes Jack Orion (Pentangle) - 17 minutes The Gypsy (Mr Fox) - 12 minutes Night Comes In (Richard & Linda Thompson) - 11 minutes Fiddler's Cross (Bob Pegg) - 10 minutes |
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15 Apr 09 - 01:58 PM (#2611825) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Bill D We seem to have gotten beyond 'famous', but everyone should know that the longest Child Ballad "A Little Gest of Robin Hood has been recorded by Bob Frank. It runs about 78 minutes..456 verses. more here.... http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robspot/bobgest.html |
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22 May 15 - 01:26 PM (#3710974) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Chris Rawlings Noting the remark from "Peace" above, yes, I did record "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" live and complete in 1976. (approx 55 minutes) I was unable to release it for financial reasons. The recording was digitized a few years ago. I have been able address the recording and I anticipate release in late 2015/early 2016. Among the 17 musicians who took part in this performance is Gilles Losier, on piano, playing brilliantly. |
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22 May 15 - 01:54 PM (#3710984) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Jack Campin There is a recording by Andy Hunter of part of the late mediaeval Scottish epic "Graysteil". It's only about 15 minutes but it's tedious enough that it sounds like he's doing the whole thing. |
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22 May 15 - 01:56 PM (#3710986) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Joseph Scott The best studio popular music recordings I can think of from before 1967 that are over eleven minutes long are "East/West" by Butterfield's band, "Two Trains Running" by the Blues Project, and "Up In Her Room" by the Seeds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78EJupll7vU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGCcnRPONp8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntgyy65cGCI Benny Goodman was a pop star when this classic was recorded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NigiwMtWE0 |
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22 May 15 - 02:13 PM (#3710992) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: Joe Offer I think the undisputed prize goes to Pharrell Williams and his "Happy" - see it at http://24hoursofhappy.com/ I wonder if anyone will ever try to match or beat his performance... |
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22 May 15 - 02:23 PM (#3710994) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: GUEST,Joseph Scott Oh, "The End" by the Doors was recorded before '67 too. |
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22 May 15 - 07:17 PM (#3711035) Subject: RE: Longest song by a popular singer/ band From: mike gouthro Damn How good to see Chris Rawlings posting. I enjoyed many an evening at the Montreal Folk Workshop enjoying Chris' performances, and may have even introduced him once or twice. Though of more conventional length, the crowd also particularly enjoyed his Pearl River Turnaround. |