Stomp Stomp Clap
February 6, 2019 4:00 PM Subscribe
Was the "stomp stomp clap" rhythm a thing prior to "We Will Rock You" by Queen? Are there any pre-Queen songs or other performances that use it? Thanks.
Best answer: You can read or more pleasureably listen to Brian May describe the genesis of it (starting at 3:20 in the interview) and how it just popped into his head.
Terri expresses her surprise at how it sounds so ancient and pre-written in our primal brains but...
MAY:[...]And I think, like, most people don't even realize that I wrote it. Most people don't realize that it was written. It's sort of become...
GROSS: (Laughter) That's right.
MAY: ...One of those things that people think was always there. You know, it sort of goes back into prehistory. So in a way, that's the best compliment you could have for a song.
GROSS: Well, I think, you know, that's - if people don't even realize it was written, it's in part because it almost sounds like an old-school cheerleader cheer, you know...
MAY: Yeah. It's become a part of the fabric of life.
GROSS: ....Because of that stomp, stomp, clap thing and because it's a chant.
MAY: That's right. Well, the stomp, stomp, clap thing - yeah, people think it was always there, but actually, it wasn't. And I don't know how it got into my head.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 4:56 PM on February 6, 2019 [6 favorites]
Terri expresses her surprise at how it sounds so ancient and pre-written in our primal brains but...
MAY:[...]And I think, like, most people don't even realize that I wrote it. Most people don't realize that it was written. It's sort of become...
GROSS: (Laughter) That's right.
MAY: ...One of those things that people think was always there. You know, it sort of goes back into prehistory. So in a way, that's the best compliment you could have for a song.
GROSS: Well, I think, you know, that's - if people don't even realize it was written, it's in part because it almost sounds like an old-school cheerleader cheer, you know...
MAY: Yeah. It's become a part of the fabric of life.
GROSS: ....Because of that stomp, stomp, clap thing and because it's a chant.
MAY: That's right. Well, the stomp, stomp, clap thing - yeah, people think it was always there, but actually, it wasn't. And I don't know how it got into my head.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 4:56 PM on February 6, 2019 [6 favorites]
I think May is being a bit disingenuous here, or honestly mistaken. His intro is not that dissimilar from that of John Lennon's background beat for "Give Peace a Chance", with May's stomp-part being more definitely doubled, as opposed to the echo-y barely heard stomp part of Lennon's (who freely admitted to taking the stomp-claps from an encounter with Israeli soldiers singing some sort of training song.)
posted by Chitownfats at 6:24 AM on February 7, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Chitownfats at 6:24 AM on February 7, 2019 [2 favorites]
praemunire wouldn't it be an anapest?
At any rate Brian May is being disingenuous. This is a super-old form. In 4/4 time you'd just write it something like quaver, quaver, crotchet, whole rest, quaver quaver crotchet: ♫ ♩ [rest] ♫ ♩
It occurs particularly in marches and May probably learned it in school. I'll see if I can dig up a specific piece of music, but it's so common it might be hard to search.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:57 PM on February 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
At any rate Brian May is being disingenuous. This is a super-old form. In 4/4 time you'd just write it something like quaver, quaver, crotchet, whole rest, quaver quaver crotchet: ♫ ♩ [rest] ♫ ♩
It occurs particularly in marches and May probably learned it in school. I'll see if I can dig up a specific piece of music, but it's so common it might be hard to search.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:57 PM on February 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
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Fascinating interview overall, and worth listening to in its entirety.
posted by citygirl at 4:54 PM on February 6, 2019 [3 favorites]