Growing up in Wisconsin I heard plenty of polkas. So, this morning I wake up with this song playing in my head over and over. Soundhound was no help.

Anybody know?

Scott

'Two Chord Polka'. Normally used for interrogation when waterboarding is unsuccessful.

chas

LMAO !!!

Its called "Rain Rain Polka". For real.

Laugh if you must, 2 weeks ago, I played a NH and theme was Pennsylvania Day for which they requested a polka party. Very happy music and most of those old-timers were glowing. Loved how animated and responsive the audience became. Haven’t done a polka gig for about 50+ years, forgot how much fun it is.

My former teacher Johnny, a finest Jazz organist and accordionist , told me once that Jazz musicians looked down upon his cousin Dick Contino during his hay day because Contino didn't play the kind of music Jazz musicians played. I can kind of understand how Jazz musicians will get really bored listening to 3 chords in a song, but I agree with you that polkas do animate audiences at least in senior places. Johnny does play polka at requests, and when he plays, he plays more than what he calls vanilla chords. He manages to throw in things like dim7 and chromatic bass lines but always within the confinement of Polka idioms. A truly great musician.

I think the notion that music is a universal language is so wrong. Conversely, music is probably the most culturally conditioned language. A case in point; even in the same culture, different generations play and listen to different kinds of music. Talk about a generation gap! A former professor of mine who was a missionary to Africa once said that the Africans he interacted with thought Western harmony was a very ugly sound! Wow, we can not fathom it, because that's all we know. We must remember, though, they have different tonal scales. A number of parts in the world use quarter tones that we do not have in our scales!!! Isn't it why the Middle Eastern musicians want different kinds of arranger keyboards? My most favorite music is Black gospel music. It has all the great musical elements and the message for me as a Christian. However, that doesn't mean I only play and listen to black gospel music. Also, I do not judge other musical languages based upon black gospel music. In fact, as a classically trained pianist, playing black gospel music is difficult for me. It is a different language! I play it with an "accent" at best.

I've noticed that good accordionists try to avoid playing polkas. Perhaps they are a little too conscious of the "stigma" attached to it. I will say, play it not for yourself but for your audience - just like the black Jazz musicians almost a century ago here is America who played the kind of swing Jazz their white audiences could understand and enjoy - but after they were done, they would gather together themselves at a club founded by black musicians and for black musicians; there they would play and experiment with "wild" jazz that the public were not quite ready (according to the PBS documentary Jazz by Ken Burns)

I had the pure pleasure of working with Dick Contino years ago. He was a fabulous musician and could play anything. One night in Chicago on New Years eve we were booked together on a show but both our bands goT snowbound and couldn't make the job. Funny because Dick and I made it fine. So I told Dick, you play and I'll back you. We had a great time and Dick was my Idol and the reason I played accordian in my younger days.
At the end of the night he asked me to become his bandleader and contuctor. What a great honour.
MEL

All true, but let's not make too much of it. I was just kidding around. And although I don't personally seek out polka's for a music listening session, I can see, hear, and understand the infectious nature of it. It's deeply rooted in so many European cultures, even more so than jazz, blues, and Black gospel in this country. Still, unlike jazz, blues, and gospel, it is embraced by very few OUTSIDE of those (European) cultures. Black, Asian, Mid-eastern cultures, which, incidentally make up the majority of the world's population, have not raced to embrace it as a popular musical form. And yet, nobody 'hates' it (as they do, say, Rap or Hip Hop) and it is universally recognized as a symbol of joy and festivals, and good times, and partying, and .....well, practically any uplifting event.

Sooooo, I apologize if my little joke offended anyone. There was no malice aforethought. But they (polkas) ARE sometimes the butt of (good-natured) jokes, even within the cultures where they are commonplace. There are so many forms of musical expression; there are bound to be some that some people don't like. For me, that would include Bluegrass, Rap/HipHop, Polkas, and practically anything written expressly for pipe organ. For the most part, it comes down to what you're used to (just like religion).

chas

I forgot to say when I work with Dick Contino I was playing an Elka X-75 with a 950 leslie. Heavy heavy.

MEL

Yessssa Friends Bobby & Sissy on the dance floor!!!

and just for you accordion lovers....

To be honest with you, Chas, I almost joined in your joke and added to your initial response to Scot's post, "You are wrong. The song's title is not Two Chord Polka, but 2.5 Chord Polka!" However, I refrained myself because I do not know Scott personally and also this is a public forum. I didn't want to continue with musical stereo-typing. Ironically, you are the one that helped me one time with my post concerning "unconscious" racial stereo-typing when I quoted my teacher's comment about black musicians. Johnny said that the Italian community he grew up in with Dick Contino was right next to a black community and that black musicians especially black church musicians taught him a lot. So his comment about black musicians was a compliment, but you thought it was still racial stereo-typing. I realized that you were right, and ever since then I am a little more "polished" and do not make direct quotes like that but filter them. I do know that you were kidding around, and I am not a polka evangelist, either. LOL However, I have noticed that there is this musical stereo-typing among musicians. I just wanted us musicians to be aware of the fact that there is musical stereo-typing.

Chris


PS: I've heard accordionists complaining about media's stereo-typing about a certain musical instrument or a certain kind of music as in this TV sitcom



I don't know what to make of the next video clip but the young woman as attractive and lovely she is, she could have demolished accordion stereo-typing and accordion bashing all together had she been a good player playing some wild stuff on the accordion, but she is not even a beginner and thus solidifying the accordion bashing even more against her will. I don't know; maybe it was staged, too.

Now, that was funny

Thank you, Sparky, right on. Come to realize after listening to the whole song, I played drums in a band while in college that did that song.

Years ago in Wisconsin our seven piece band was asked if we could play polkas for a wedding reception. We said sure. In Wisconsin you played polkas, or else It was common to mix a few in.

Well, this party wanted polkas all night! Four hours worth! One after another. Keep in mind our band was doing jazz-rock at the time.

I came up with the idea that we would play the polkas very, very long and get those farmers winded and then do our stuff.

I can still see that old farmer huffing and puffing on the dance floor and when the song ended he was still huffing and puffing as he came up to the band, AND REQUESTED ANOTHER POLKA, RIGHT AWAY.

I thought the guys in the band were going to kill me that night for taking that gig. I remember walking outside of the Best Western where this was held later, and I remember talking out loud to myself that I would never, ever do that again. lol

It actually can be a lot of fun to play polkas though, I'll have to admit. Still don't want to do them for four hours though. lol

This is especially for chas. This guy plays two and three trumpets at a time while bouncing up and down on a pogo stick. Really.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLW2zfK8TMQ

OMG, I KNOW that guy.....you couldn't believe a word he said...always talked out of both sides of his mouth .

Anyhow Scott, glad you weren't offended. We've both been around long enough that I was pretty sure you knew I was just kidding around.

chas

Polka Dancing and Polka Bands are alive and well in some parts of the country. In Clark NJ I belonged to and played at the largest German Club on the East coast. divided betweennewer member wanting newer music and the old timers who still wanted just German waltzs and Polka music.
I don't know if any of you can find this on your TV but its on late Sat. nights here and I look in for a rew minutes to see the bands and people dancing.
http://www.rfdtv.com/story/23049580/mollie-b-polka-party
Good times.

Quote from Tonto: "Hmmm, kemo sabe, white man play with forked tongue" ...

I used to play a lot of polkas until I came down with a serious case of Polka Dots.

Jerryghr

People LOVE Polka !!!

good times!!

good one, Tony. Scott has probably put a hit out on you, me, and Jerry by now . Oh well, we'll grow up eventually.

chas

Why start now?

Wow, I know that guy too. When the stage is level he drools out of both corners of his mouth.

That's all well and good as long as she is wearing an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini

I actually have Prussian relatives in the concrete shoe business. They let you try out the shoes at the local river.