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New Titles for Old Tunes
By Douglas K. Rhodes

Greetings:  Thanks to George Bogatko for an intriguing suggestion for
slithering past copyright:

> So if Doug Rhodes wants to really tweak noses, don't play the tune, just
> the variations, and spell out the title backward.  Make sure at least
> one of the variations is close enough to cue the audience, but different
> enough to be a "parody."

My personal favourite from the 1920's is "Singapore Sorrows", which is
"Limehouse Blues" with the melody line inverted, more or less.  Did that
ever make it to piano roll status?  If so, merely by putting it in the
spoolbox upside down, you'd get two tunes from one roll -- more or less.

Cheers,  Doug Rhodes

"This lady called and said she put a roll of Zee paper towels on her
player piano, and now it plays 'The Japanese Sandman'".  --  Stan Freberg

 [ I once flipped the Ampico roll of "Turkey in the Straw", inverting
 [ the notes bass-to-treble; the tune was actually (more-or-less)
 [ recognizable!   -- Robbie



(Message sent Fri, 10 Jan 1997 12:04:19 -0800 (PST) , from time zone -0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  New, Old, Titles, Tunes