Live Recordings
In any recording of a live concert, or any concert footage on TV, there always seems to exist the same phenomenon. People cheer when the band plays their favourite song. This is a good thing, but what tends to annoy me is that the cheering never seems to start until the first words are sung. Regardless of how long the intro has gone on before it.
Maybe I am biased, because I play guitar, but surely you cheer favourite song at the opening guitar lines? Is the throbbing bass introduction not worthy of your applause? Or do people simply not recognise what song is playing until it is confirmed by the lyric?
One of the most recognisable introductions in the history of pop music has to be the plinky-plonky piano intro to “Close to You” by The Carpenters. I’m not a great fan of The Carpenters, but I am fairly sure none of their other songs begin in the same way. Yet, picture the scene; The Carpenters are headlining Glastonbury 2008, they have yet to play their most famous song, it’s getting to the end of their set… when… “Do-doo-d-do-doo….” the piano strikes up that instantly recognisable hook. Silence. Four bars later, Karen Carpenter sings, “Why do bi…” and before she finishes the third word, the place erupts in an overjoyed spackload of cheers and screams.
Of course, Karen Carpenter selfishly had to go and starve herself to death, so my theory can never be tested. Thanks a fucking bunch Karen.
