Comments on: Calliope Music for Clowns

Question: Calliope Music for Clowns

Capn — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:13:24 -0800

What is the "circus clown" music called? It is usually played on a calliope, it goes:
doot-doot-doodle-oodle oot doot do do
Homer hallucinates Marge singing it in the episode where he goes to Krusty's Klown Kollege.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:25:26 -0800

This is definitely a midi file of it, though I don't know what it's called.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:29:45 -0800

Oh, it's called Thunder and Blazes by Fucik. [scroll down for sheet music and a little sound clip]

By: Otis

Otis — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:35:09 -0800

That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college!

By: Grangousier

Grangousier — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:35:14 -0800

A.K.A. Entrance of the Gladiators
Julius Fucik

By: Capn

Capn — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:44:50 -0800

Well, I don't think any of us saw that coming.

Thanks all!

By: plemeljr

plemeljr — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:58:08 -0800

This is totally off topic, but it is kinda fun to listen to the midi jessamyn linked to and try reading Capn's, "doot-doot-doodle-oodle oot doot do do" with the music.

By: Capn

Capn — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 10:46:07 -0800

doot doot doodle oodle OOT doot do do
doot doot doodle oodle oot doot do do
doot-doodle oot oot
doot-doodle oot oot
doodle-oodle-oodle-oodle-oodle-oodle doot doot

By: Krrrlson

Krrrlson — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 11:09:01 -0800

Good lord! I've been wracking my brains for years trying to think of a way to transcribe this melody using doots and doodles so I could ask what it was.

By: mfbridges

mfbridges — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 12:16:25 -0800

doot-doot-doodle-oodle oot doot do do

That's awesome. I knew exactly what you were talking about just from this musical transliteration.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 14:23:24 -0800

Just in case anybody wants to know, Fucik's name is pronounced FOO-cheek (although FOO-chick would probably sound more natural in an English context). And I'm very happy to get the answer to a question I would never have thought to ask. Thanks, jessamyn and Grangousier!

doot-doot-doodle-oodle oot doot do do...

By: adamrice

adamrice — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 14:27:41 -0800

Capn, that's the best thing I've read all day.

By: i_am_joe's_spleen

i_am_joe's_spleen — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 14:58:13 -0800

At the risk of complete irrelevance: I know from a Comp Sci colleague of mine who worked on a project to identify tunes by recording people whistling that it's rhythm, not pitch, that is most significant in melody recognition. That's why Capn's transcription works so well.

it would work even better with some eedles and iddles for pitch...

Yeah, I feel a blog entry for Capn's doodle oodle coming on.

By: ShawnString

ShawnString — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 17:08:56 -0800

Capn, what was HYSTERICAL was to take that and make my mac speak it.
fred never sounded so musical.

By: davidmsc

davidmsc — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 19:15:37 -0800

Arguably one of the greatest scenes in Simpsons history. The best part: the expression on Homer's face as he is "carving" the mashed potatoes, with his tongue just sticking out a bit.

Who's with me on this?

By: skallas

skallas — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 23:23:03 -0800

That MIDI is just great. Its like circus music meets Wendy Carlos, at least on my machine.