By Suzi
It seems appropriate to begin with some unmistakeable frog noises which continue throughout Frog Bog, a lovely, lyrical piece by US composer Moondog. It conjures up the image of a pond, a summer's day, and, well, frogs. But did you ever see a woman coming out of New York City with a frog in her hand? Marc Bolan did, apparently, inspiring the classic song by T.Rex.
Back to the 1920s now, with The Bullfrog Patrol, a delightful tale of frog courtship from the Duncan Sisters. And talking of amphibian romance, out of all the nominated versions of Froggy Went A-Courtin', I've picked the one from Dave Dell and the Trends. It's relatively short, and I can't resist a bit of rockabilly.
Amphibian courtship normally results in tadpoles, lots of them. The sight of such wriggly multitudes must have inspired March of the Tadpoles from Toshiko Akiyoshi and the Lew Tabackin Big Band.
Next, a Russian folk tale, Frog, by Shodi. A boy catches a frog in a forest. The frog says that if the boy sets it free he can have three wishes. The boy first wishes for gold and then for power, but neither of these bring him happiness. Then he wishes for love and the frog transforms into a beautiful queen, and he is king! (Did you guess?)
What's with these frog/human interactions? Mary, of Peter, Paul and Mary, sings, 'I'm In Love With A Big Blue Frog.' Really? He sounds quite human, apart from being blue. The Short Sisters follow this with a very short song, Queer Bird. It's a frog, so no wonder.
Next, Johnnie Moore and his New Blazers bring us a lively instrumental which hints at the size and strength of the Bullfrog. Bullfrogs are the largest frogs in North America, as Aesop Rock announces before going on to describe the exploits of Long-Legged Larry, a bullfrog whose jumping powers are literally incredible. But to show that frogs are also capable of graceful and intricately choreographed dancing, albeit involving leaps, jumps and hops, we move on to John Dowland's Frog Galliard, beautifully played on the lute by Eva Baltmiskyte.
Now for a change of species with Teens of Thailand and an extract from their Desert Sessions, 5 and 6. Moody and sonorous, it's an instrumental for two-thirds of the way but then the voices come in: “If you break the penal code/ You will turn into a toad.” Why is it that toads get such a bad rap? They really don't deserve it and according to Alain Souchon in Les Crapauds, it causes them to sing sad songs as they gaze at the beautiful world around them with their topaz eyes.
There is a legend that salamanders are resistant to fire and even that they can produce it. Maybe it originated from the bright orange markings on some species, or from their tendency to hide in firewood. The idea inspired Jethro Tull to compose this gorgeous piece, mainly instrumental but with two short verses in the middle concerning a hopefully fiery lady seen walking through a Kensington haze. And in Salamandrina, Einstürzende Neubauten and his beloved have clearly got it together. But Danish band Majkystar are feeling sad, and in Græder du (do you cry) they wonder whether a little salamander can have the same emotions.
Axolotls are a type of salamander that, although they can grow quite large, don't develop beyond the tadpole stage and still have their external gills. This means that, unlike other amphibians, they live most of their lives in water and can only come out of it briefly. Their adorable appearance hides – at least according to Teho Teardo and Blixa Bargeld's song, Axolotl – a burning ambition to rule the world.
In The Frog In The Window by Pearls Before Swine, the frog seems like a mystic oracle dispensing wise advice, telling us to enjoy life and to live it to the full. You may start to waltz around at this point, but you'll soon be interrupted by Bentley Rhythm Ace and their enigmatic question, Why Is A Frog Too? There's no answer to that, so you may as well dance!
Abundantly Amphibian A-List:
1. Moondog - Frog Bog
2. T.Rex - New York City
3. Duncan Sisters - The Bullfrog Patrol
4. Danny Dell and the Trends - Froggy Went A-Courtin'
5. Toshiko Akiyoshi and the Lew Tabackin Big Band - March of the Tadpoles
6. Darina Kostadinova - Лягушка (Frog)
7. Peter, Paul and Mary - I'm In Love With A Big Blue Frog
8. The Short Sisters - Queer Bird
9. Johnnie Moore and His New Blazers - Bullfrog
10. Aesop Rock - Long-Legged Larry
11. Ieva Baltmiskyte - Frog Galliard (John Dowland, composer)
12. Teens of Thailand - The Desert Sessions
13. Alain Souchon - Les Crapauds
14. Jethro Tull - Salamander
15. Einstürzende Neubauten - Salamandrina
16. Majkystar - Græder du
17, Teho Teardo and Blixa Bargeld - Axolotl
18. Pearls Before Swine - Frog In The Window
19. Bentley Rhythm Ace - Why Is A Frog Too?
Guru's Wildcard Pick:
Bellowhead - Frog's Legs and Dragon's Teeth
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Ponder this: songs about amphibians. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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