By Marco den Ouden
The topic of finger snapping, toe tapping and foot stomping generated quite a few variations on the theme and an impressively international couple of playlists. We start off our list with Billy Joel and friends with a terrific a capella tune, The Longest Time. Finger snapping seems to go well with a capella or minimal instrumentation.
Finger snapping also seems to fit well with bluesy numbers. Ronnie Milsap does the honors on Snap Your Fingers.
Despite her stage name of Sudan Archives, violinist, singer and songwriter Brittney Denise Parks is actually American, though she is influenced by both African and Irish music. Nont for Sale off her debut EP was a big hit. Writing at Passion of the Weiss, Ben Grenrock writes that “at its core ‘Nont For Sale’ is about reclaiming agency over her time on earth in a song that is nothing short of gorgeous.”
The Dead South are not from the American south. They’re a folk/bluegrass quartet from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Their songs are often a bit dark, as is their breakthrough hit, the finger-snapping In Hell, I’ll Be in Good Company. The instrumentation is minimal, bass and banjo with some whistling.
And we come full circle back to another a capella tune (some percussion), Home Free’s version of Stand by Me. Another finger snapper. A very soulful number.
Next are variants on finger-snapping: castanets and rhythm bones. Castanet are usually associated with Spanish music. Both our selections are instrumentals, the engaging El Vito by Embrujo Mestizo. They are the Mexican duo of Saib Melchor on guitar and Elisa Pérez on castanets. The song is a variation on a traditional Andalusian folk song by classical guitarist Jose de Azpiazu.
Next up is Luigi Boccherini’s Guitar Quintet 448 4th Movement "Fandango". The artists are The Carmina Quartet with Rolf Lislevand on guitar and Nina Corti on castanets. Although the fandango is a Spanish and Portuguese dance, Boccherini was, in fact, an Italian composer from the 18th century. The video was filmed at a performance in Switzerland.
The rhythm bones (usually just called bones) originally were actual animal bones. It “has a history stretching back to ancient China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome,” according to Wikipedia. The instrument is used in many traditional pieces including Irish and Scottish music as well as some Canadian derivatives. Our featured number is another instrumental called Brigg’s Corn Shucking Jig. The artist is the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Grammy Award winning artists from Durham, North Carolina.
It’s foot-stomping time! There were some variations on this theme as well. But first, let’s look at some plain old foot-stomping. We start off with glam band Hello doing New York Groove. I particularly liked this piece because, not only is it a great foot stomper, it has a Bo Diddley guitar riff backing it. And, of course, I❤️New York.
Our next three foot stompers come from around the world, starting with The STRiPES from Japan performing O-Kagura and Festivo from the film Zatoichi. Traditional Japanese drums and sticks feature as well. Our son got to play one of those drums on a field trip with the school band to Japan many years ago.
From Japan we move to Canada for Le rap à Ti-Pétang performed by La Bottine Souriante. The group’s name, appropriately enough, translates as The Smiling Boot! This style of foot stomping is very traditional and very popular in French Canada.
And before hitting the variants we fly to Colombia in South America to take in TEKEYÉ Percussion. The group features vocalist Sofia Rei as they perform La Gallera. Interestingly, the video was filmed while they were in Berlin, Germany!
Spanish tacaneo
Variants on foot-stomping includes tap-dancing, and Spanish dancing known as zapateado. It is featured in Flamenco dancing. A variant is called tacaneo which involves more heel work. We also had a few nominations of songs with clog-dancing. In Dutch, clogs are called Klompen which somehow seems appropriate. You’ll find clog number in the B-List.
First up in tap dancing is Philly Joe performed by Geri Allen and Timeline. As the renowned jazz pianist notes, the song features their tap dancing percussionist Maurice Chestnut. The recording was live at the Detroit International Jazz Festival.
And no tap-dancing extravaganza would be complete without the fabulous Nicholas Brothers. Here they are with singer Dorothy Dandridge and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. And the song is Chattanooga Choo Choo. It’s from the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade.
For our grand finale we go to Spain to watch zapateado virtuoso Farru dancing up a storm with Por un Sueño on the set at the Yo Soy Del Sur television talent show before taking his seat as a judge. Farru has performed with such renowned international stars as Beyoncé and Björk, and he danced with Madonna at her birthday party. As well as a dancer, he is also a composer and lyricist. In 2010 he was voted Best Dancer of the Year by Flamenco Magazine readers. And he was voted Best Photographic Model by magazines like Vogue and Woman. A dynamic finish to an entertaining collection of music and dance.
A-List Playlist:
1. The Longest Time – Billy Joel (Uncleben)
2. Snap Your Fingers – Ronnie Milsap (Fred Erickson)
3. Nont for Sale – Sudan Archives (untergunther)
4. In Hell, I’ll Be in Good Company – The Dead South (EnglishOutlaw)
5. Stand By Me – Home Free (bluepeter)
6. El Vito – Embrujo Mestizo (Maki)
7. Boccherini Guitar Quintet 448 4th Movement "Fandango" – Carmina Quartet (Maki)
8. Brigg’s Corn Shucking Jig – The Carolina Chocolate Drops (tincanman)
9. New York Groove – Hello (SweetHomeAlabama)
10. O-Kagura/Festivo – The STRiPES (untergunther)
11. Le rap à Ti-Pétang – La Bottine Souriante (Suzi)
12. La Gallera – TEKEYÉ Percussion featuring Sofia Rei (Nicko)
13. Philly Joe – Geri Allen & Timeline (Nilpferd)
14. Chattanooga Choo Choo – Glenn Miller with Dorothy Dandridge & the Nicholas Brothers (Nicko)
15. Por un Sueño – Farru (Maki)
B-List Playlist:
1. Sixteen Tons – Tennessee Ernie Ford (Traktor Albatrost) – cool finger snapping from a 50s legend.
2. Foot Stompin’ – The Flares (SweetHomeAlabama)
– stomp along with this 1961 classic doo-wop hit.
3. Catch Us If You Can – Dave Clark Five (severin)
– the DC5 were one of my favorite bands from the British invasion as we called it. Tempted to A List this finger snapping hit.
4. Murder on the Dance Floor – Sophie Ellis-Baxter (severin)
– this lush pop song has finger snaps and some foot stomping. Came close to A-Listing it.
5. Clap Your Hands and Stamp Your Feet – Bonnie St. Clair (TarquinSpodd)
– foot stomping action from the 60s Dutch singer.
6. Your Precious Love – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (AltraEgo)
– soulful 60s duo with a finger snapping love song.
7. Have I the Right – The Honeycombs (vastariner)
– another 60s hit from one of the few groups with a female drummer. The band was named after her, Honey Lantree. Solid foot stomping.
8. Dig It– Fred Astaire & Paulette Goddard (Nicko)
– from the 1940 movie Second Chorus. Takes a while to get to Astaire’s fabulous tap dancing but worth the wait.
9. Muscles – Diana Ross (AltraEgo)
– a sultry 1982 hit written and produced by Michael Jackson. Even the finger snapping is sultry!
10. Drunk in Love – Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z (tincanman)
– 2013 hit from Beyoncé and hubby Jay-Z. Another sultry number with more explicit lyrics than Diana’s. Also with finger snapping.
11. Fever – Kak Channthy & Cambodian Space Project (Nicko)
– this Cambodian singer was still learning English when she covered Peggy Lee’s finger snapping hit in 2013. Parts are sung in Khmer. Another one I almost A-Listed.
12. Snap Your Fingers – Joe Henderson (Nicko)
– a bluesy finger snapping number from the very smooth Mr. Henderson. A hit in 1962.
13. Boogie Chillun – John Lee Hooker (Nicko)
– another blues number from the legendary John Lee Hooker. This 1948 number features rhythmic foot stomping.
14. El Sol, La Sal, El Son – Rocio Molina & La Tremendita (Maki)
– superb zapateado from the talented Ms. Molina.
15. Mama Says – Ibeyi (DiscoMonster)
– the finger snaps really suit this mellow number from these French twin sisters. .
16. A Lover’s Question – Clyde McPhatter (ParaMhor)
– this finger snapping 1958 song was Clyde McPhatter’s biggest hit.
17. Toyi Toyi – Lalela Cape Town Choir (pejepeine)
– the Toyi Toyi is a South African protest song featuring foot stomping and chanting. Popular during the anti-Apartheid movement.
18. In the Hall of Body Percussion King – Body Avlaia Group (magicman)
– this group uses body percussion including finger snapping throughout. Definitely something different.
19. The Clog Dance – Frederick Ashton (composer) (bluepeter)
– from Ashton’s ballet La Fille Mal Gardée. Performed by The Royal Ballet. In Dutch, clogs are appropriately named Klompen. Lots of klomping in this number!
20. Piensa En Tu Mirá – Rosalia (magicman)
– foot stomping for sure, maybe even zapateado serves as background for Rosalia’s gorgeous voice.
21. Wallop the Horse – Lancashire Wallopers (bluepeter)
– this hilarious number features a tap dancing horse accompanied by a singer with an accordion. It’s two tap-dancers in a horse costume. The Wallopers Weekend is an annual event.
22. Love Me Better – James Blunt (tincanman)
– a mellow number from his 2017 album The Afterlove. Even the finger snapping sounds mellow.
23. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Snap Your Fingers Off the Beat) – Duke Ellington (Nicko)
– a short explanation of the proper way to snap your fingers by the legendary jazzman. Thought about opening the A-List with it.
24. Cool – Don Dixon (tincanman)
– several version s of this finger snapping number from West Side Story were suggested, but I preferred Don Dixon’s.
25. Gumboots Dance – Babukisi Arts Group (bluepeter)
– this South African dance originated as a covert way for black miners to communicate in the gold mines. Talking was forbidden so the miners devised a coded stomp.
26. Foot Stompin’ – The Dovells (Loud Atlas)
– 1960s foot stomper.
27. 42nd Street – Wanda Richert and cast (Loud Atlas)
– my wife and I saw a live production of 42nd Street on Broadway when we visited New York in 2002 (six months after 9/11) As I recall, the production included a big mirror above the dancers to catch an overhead view of this tap dancing extravaganza,
28. So What’s New? – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (AltraEgo)
– the fabulous Tijuana Brass include castanets throughout this number.
29. Roma Dance Party – Logreybeam (Shoegazer)
– could be clogs, could be zapateado. My ear’s not good enough to tell the difference. From the movie Perhaps (which I could not find online).
30. So Much in Love – The Tymes (magicman)
– they sure had a lot of great finger snapping songs back in the day, including this one from 1963.
Guru’s Wildcard Picks:
Real Enough is a hit from Doug and the Slugs featuring The Nylons and some finger snapping. Stompa is zedded but long a favourite. Nice stomping from Selena Ryder. And surprisingly, no one nominated any Irish dancing so here is the Finale from Riverdance.
Tap, tap, tap ….
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Make it snappy: songs featuring finger-clicking, toe-tapping and foot stomping. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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