Greatest Hits

March 8, 2011 11:59 AM

The Greatest Hits of the World looks at two songs that have achieved cross cultural, and multigenerational success -- Ben E. King's Stand By Me and Mbube, aka Wimoweh or The Lion Sleeps Tonight (BBC World Service, 2 parts, 25 minutes each)
posted by puny human (8 comments total)

Now I want to find three other guys and go look for a dead body. That's gonna shoot my whole day!
posted by tomswift at 12:15 PM on March 8, 2011

This book also has a really interesting essay by Rian Malan about the history and musical evolution of The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:37 PM on March 8, 2011

I heard the Mbube program several months ago and really enjoyed it. Worth seeking out.
posted by jmccw at 12:38 PM on March 8, 2011

I'm glad this is delivered on the internet and not, say, on the radio. Every few minutes I have to pause it, hit YouTube, and track down whatever it is they're talking about. They don't include a clip of There Goes My Baby, for example, and now I'm listening to Spyder Turner's version of Stand By Me with all the impressions in it -- listening to people talking over it doesn't do it justice.

This is gonna take a while.
posted by darksasami at 12:41 PM on March 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Damn all these beauuuuuutiful giiiirls
posted by doublehappy at 12:55 PM on March 8, 2011

mp3 download links:
Stand By Me
Wimoweh
posted by Manjusri at 1:30 PM on March 8, 2011

Well, now it's stuck in my head.

ah wimoweh, ah wimoweh, ah wimoweh eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
posted by fight or flight at 1:38 PM on March 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Previously, a great video made by recording musicians around the world playing Stand By Me and mixing them together.
posted by straight at 3:16 PM on March 8, 2011