this sort of mystery is fun to solve.

[scottobear]

passing this note along. -

Help me Solve a 20-year Audio Mystery

Somewhere back in the mid-eighties, when I was in High School, I played around with tape recorders a lot, picking up stray sounds, trying to edit them into something weird / cool / funny. One good source was the radio, and one day, while recording a show on NPR, I picked up this song (short excerpt in MP3 format here - about 800k). The tape ran out before the announcer said what the song was, or who performed it, or anything. I know nothing about this song, but over the years, it's come to mean a lot to me.

This recording (on a cheap cassette) has survived dozens of moves, boxes, tape players and neglect for nearly 20 years. Only recently I recorded it onto my PC (so the sound quality is poor). My request to you, if any of you can help, is to help me name this song / artist / album, since I would dearly love to buy a better quality recording, and hear more music like it.

My only clues are that it sounds like something performed by Stuart Dempster (but I don't think it is), and that it's performed with brass instrument(s), and that the release date is pre-1986. If you can help, or to get a link to the full MP3 version of the song (6mb), please send me a note. Thanks ever so much.

http://www.kokogiak.com/gedankengang/default.asp#07007200110

is the original article... if you do know it, let me know too! :)

Comments

Not that this will help much but...

[laurak.livejournal.com]

...it might spark some ideas in someone else. :) The piece you have in the mp3 sample reminds me a lot of the first movement of Copland's "Appalacian Spring," as well some other things I've heard by Copland before. Perhaps look around the net for some Copland pieces written for brass ensembles? There is also a little-known late 19th - early 20th century composer named Paul Hindemith who was probably a musical genius, but was very much ahead of his time. He composed many things that were similar to that mp3. It probably will be harder to find his works, though.

One last place to try - there is a website you may have heard of called Abuzz.com (http://www.abuzz.com). Its a website where you can ask questions and other users of the site answer them for you. They do have a section devoted to music, and some of the people in that section are incredibly knowledgable. So maybe give them a try? :)

Good luck with your search! I love searching for songs like this, sometimes its better than reading a mystery and when you finally find what you're looking for its the greatest feeling! :-)

Re: Not that this will help much but...

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

thanks for the info! I sent it along to the seeker! :)

Re: Not that this will help much but...

[laurak.livejournal.com]

no problem! happy to help.