Whistling: só un-rock'n-roll..

[JumboXL 0]

I just heard Guns 'n Roses' Patience on the radio. Nice song, until the whistling starts.

It suddenly struck me that songs that have whistling in them really are no good.

Brian Ferry ruined Jealous Guy by whistling at the end.

The whistling in the opening tunes of The Scorpions' Gorky Park automatically triggers my finger at the remote control.

Is there ever any whistling done in rock 'n roll that can be approved of?

[The Seeker 0]

I think if it's a funny or really light-hearted, just-don't-care kind of song it's alright. Not always, it can get really annoying, but those songs get away with it more easily.

[bluesboy 5]

Me and Julio Down At the Schoolyard - Paul Simon

Daydream - Lovin' Spoonful

Walking the Dog - Rufus Thomas

[scott 0]

All of Andrew Bird's whistling is excellent

[LeeBB 0]

Jungle Love - Steve Miller (this is tuneless dog-whistling, like "Walk The Dog" and "Me And Julio"... I don't think the original poster's point holds at all for this kind of whistling)

Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding (super cool!!!)

The Stranger - Billy Joel

Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel (spooky whistling)

Centrefold - J. Geils Band

Generals and Majors - XTC

And let's not forget that John Lennon's original version of Jealous Guy featured him whistling. It wasn't just some weird thing that Roxy Music decided to throw in.

LBBBbb

Edited December 16, 2008 by Guest

[Farin 2]

The whistling in the opening tunes of The Scorpions' Gorky Park automatically triggers my finger at the remote control.

Is there ever any whistling done in rock 'n roll that can be approved of?

the song's called "Wind of Change" and it's their biggest hit here by far

[Shawna 1]

"Walk Like An Egyptian" has some whistling in it that I always thought quite well done.

[Farin 2]

Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding (super cool!!!)

this one was sampled in De La Soul's Eye Know, which is also super cool

this one's quite catchy, dunno if it's really a good song though

Young Folks ~ Peter, Bjorn & John

[Uncle Joe 0]

Sorry Jumbo but your anti-whistling campaign seems to have run aground here.

[Viaene 0]

Hocus Pocus features whistling too, and that's a great song

[RonJonSurfer 15]

Man, you hit it there...Hocus Pocus surely rocks and features some serious whistling.

[The Seeker 0]

I think if it's a funny or really light-hearted, just-don't-care kind of song it's alright. Not always, it can get really annoying, but those songs get away with it more easily.

Such as this

[Farin 2]

^ good one

after listening to "Whistling" Radio for an hour or so I got some more ideas:

Alpha Beta Gaga ~ Air

Twisted Nerve ~ Bernard Herrmann

For a few Dollars more ~ Ennio Morricone

[Levis 6]

The whistling in Patience ruins the song? I think it's one of G 'n' R's better songs, meself

[blind-fitter 0]

"Wunderbar" - Tenpole Tudor has a cracking whistling break (in lieu of a guitar solo), as well as one of the catchiest choruses you're ever likely to hear.

[Viaene 0]

The whistling in Patience ruins the song? I think it's one of G 'n' R's better songs, meself

I join this opinion

[blind-fitter 0]

Here is a live recording of "Jolly Roger" - Adam And The Ants; my least favourite song from the "Kings Of The Wild Frontier" album, but it does boast a splendid whistling solo.

[c_s_1987 0]

I just heard Guns 'n Roses' Patience on the radio. Nice song, until the whistling starts.

It suddenly struck me that songs that have whistling in them really are no good.

Brian Ferry ruined Jealous Guy by whistling at the end.

The whistling in the opening tunes of The Scorpions' Gorky Park automatically triggers my finger at the remote control.

Is there ever any whistling done in rock 'n roll that can be approved of?

Sorry, but like most people here, I disagree with everything you said there.

[Tenacious_Peaches 0]

Don't fret, Jumbo, I can't stand whistling in any way. It completely gets under my skin and I damned sure don't want to hear it in a song.

[Shawna 1]

my former co-worker used to whistle all the time. He was an excellent whistler, which is why I never minded it at all. When he was whistling, I knew he was happy.

[Tony Baloni 0]

Don't fret, Jumbo, I can't stand whistling in any way. It completely gets under my skin and I damned sure don't want to hear it in a song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KSYeAAWbIw

Merry Christmas

[blind-fitter 0]

In a way, this thread has illustrated the point of the original poster (whoever that was; I forget), in that we have provided lots of examples of whistling in songs, but almost all are from pop, soul, etc. (i.e relatively "lightweight" musics); very little from the "rock" genre, and even less that amply demonstrates the ability of whistling to enhance the song.

However, The Circle Jerks were a punk band, and no mistake. Punk, as I understand it, is a strain of hard rock. Argue, if you will.

Here- "Wonderful"- the Circle Jerks use whistling to great effect. Without it, the song would just be...nowhere near as good.

[Farin 2]

alright, then listen to:

Engel ~ Rammstein

and how about

Whistle for the Choir ~ The Fratellis?

not their 'hardest' song, but...

btw, wasn't there some Meat Puppets song with whistling?

[cyberjudge 0]

Here's another rock classic, whistling included:

Love is a Battlefield-Pat Benatar

[LeeBB 0]

btw, wasn't there some Meat Puppets song with whistling?

Yes, there's a few Meat Puppets songs with whistling. There's the Whistling Song, surprise surprise, but that's not very rock. "Maiden's Milk" is much rockier, basically an instrumental, from my favourite MP album, Up On The Sun. I've got to go listen to that album now...