Music Conversations
Discover more from Pass Along Songs
Have you ever thought of what it would be like to have a conversations between two different songs?
By this I don’t mean mash-ups like the amazing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World” by IZ (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole) or the gorgeous of combination of two of Adele’s songs by the two Irish tenors.
Instead, how about taking two seemingly unrelated songs and singing them as a back-and-forth conversation/discussion? Interesting, right?
I first heard about this technique from Abe Soane and Jeong-Soo Park of 8Eyes - an LA-based singer/songwriter duo. They were holding a conversation between two songs from two different movies. Abe would sing one song and Jeong would sing the other. When appropriate, they would merge the two by singing simultaneously in harmony. The songs were, “A Millions Dreams,” (The Greatest Showman) and “How Far I’ll Go (Moana). Another favorite is a conversation between “I Will Wait” (Mumford & Sons) and “Dial Drunk” (Noah Kahan).
You can hear more of the duo’s remarkable work by clicking on the links below:
8Eyes Website: https://www.8eyestheband.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/8eyestheband
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8eyestheband
Then I got to thinking about other ways musical conversations could be held. A recent “discussion” held between Ichika Nito (an electric guitarist from Japan) and Marcin Patrzalek (a polish acoustic guitar player) using the song “Just the Two of Us” written by Bill Withers, William Salter, and Ralph MacDonald came to mind.
Finally, I’ll leave you with a mind-bending conversation between Ren Erin Gill (known simply as Ren) and himself. The song is entitleld, “Hi Ren,” and is a conversation between Ren and the part of him that was desperately ill. Please listen to the song before reading the little bio I’ve written about him below.
About Ren
Ren is a Welsh singer-songwriter, producer, rapper, poet, and multi-instrumentalist who was poised to become a mega-star when he contracted Lyme disease. Initially misdiagnosed (the doctors thought he had chronic fatigue syndrome and depression), Ren spent seven years searching for a correct diagnosis while enduring all kinds of debilitating symptoms. He eventually obtained a correct diagnosis in Brussels, Belgium. You can learn more about him here: https://www.themusicman.uk/ren-gill/ and listen to a good interview HERE.
And of course you know I am going to ask you which of your favorite songs could be played together to create an interesting conversation. In addition to naming the songs and musicians, please tell us what you think listeners could learn from the conversation. I can’t wait to hear your suggestions!
Hugs!
Jena
Music Conversations
Jena hi...
You mention about songs in conversation...
I know a song, where there are four people "talking" (possibly more, if you're singing along and swaying to its rythym), from the one and only.... Paul Simon - "Run That Body Down" - gorgeous song 🧘🌌
Jena, I’ve been listening to Tom Jones this morning ... so
Tom Jones' expansive discography is crazy good. Two classics: "It's Not Unusual" and "Delilah". Here's a conversation between the two:
It's Not Unusual":
> Tom 1: "It's not unusual to be loved by anyone,
> It's not unusual to have fun with anyone."
"Delilah":
> Tom 2: "I saw the light on the night that I passed by her window,
> I saw the flickering shadow of love on her blind."
"It's Not Unusual:
> Tom 1: "But when I see you hanging about with anyone,
> It's not unusual to see me cry, I wanna die."
"Delilah":
> Tom 2: "She was my woman,
> As she deceived me, I watched and went out of my mind."
Together:
> Tom 1: "Why can't this crazy love be mine?"
> Tom 2: "Why, why, why Delilah?"
From this dialogue, we can trace the trajectory of a tumultuous relationship. Initially, Tom 1 sings of the joy and universality of love, and the pain of seeing a loved one with someone else. On the other hand, Tom 2 provides context to the relationship, revealing a betrayal that has led him to anguish. His merged voices reflect the complexity of love — its highs and lows, joys and sorrows.
We learn about the unpredictable nature of love, the ecstasy of being in love, the pain of jealousy and betrayal, and the despair that can come from losing a cherished relationship.