(De) Toppers - 1001 Nights

This is the Orientalist-out-of-control introduction to a (De) Toppers concert in 2013.

The song they intro with, "1001 Nights," was originally done by Dutch pop band Ch!pz as "1001 Arabian Nights."

Enjoy!

If you'd like more, here they are in 1001 Nights' shirts dancing around Turkey, singing a version of Marc Anthony's song "Vivir Mi Vida" - 

Ali Baba - Louie Ramirez

Here is the song "Ali Baba" (1972) by Louie Ramirez (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louie_Ramirez), part of the soundtrack to the film Chef (2014).




"I refuse to open My Sesame"

Girl's Generation - Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)

Sparks - Scheherazade

Here is the song "Scheherazade" by the US prog rock electronica jack of all trades band Sparks, from their 2000 album Balls, lyrics below -




Scheherazade, you enslave me
Others begged, crying "save me"
Wasted words, hatred tore me
Scheherazade, tell me stories
Ships at sea, all imagined

Bravery, all imagined
Bloodless blood, colorblindness
Scheherazade, who's behind this?
Scheherazade, there's a sameness
To the world in its plainness
But your worlds are on fire
Filled with lust
Filled with liars

Once upon a time
Very, very long ago
Once upon a time
Very, very far away
All I want are illusions
Scheherazade, no conclusions

Every night, entertain me
No repeats, entertain me
Ships at sea, all imagined
Bravery, all imagined
Bloodless blood, colour-blindness
Scheherazade, you're behind this

Scheherazade, Scheherazade, Scheherazade, Scheherazade
I won't kill you

Life Ball 2013 - The 1001 Nights Vienna

Life Ball is an annual HIV/AIDS awareness benefit concert in Vienna, happening this week.  This year's theme is The 1001 Nights!

picture from http://vikisecrets.com/news/life-ball-2013-style-arabian-nights - check out this website for more great Nights-inspired pictures

Here is the website for Life Ball 2013 - http://www.lifeball.org/?page_id=9&lang=en

And from it:

"Life Ball 2013 is dedicated to “1001 Nights”

“Saving lives with imagination” is the link between Life Ball 2013 and its entertaining yet sensual source of inspiration: “1001 Nights”.

Everyone knows her, courageous Scheherezade, bravely fighting for her life during 1001 nights. Her adventurous and fairy-tale like stories attract the king’s curiosity night after night, and her inexhaustible fantasy eventually saves her life. Opulently designed, guests of Life Ball 2013 on 25 May 2013 will be immersed into a world of poetry and fairy tales, mythical creatures and djinns, desirous poems and wise allegories – using fantasy to help people infected with HIV or suffering from AIDS.

Using an old Arabic saying, Life Ball 2013 follows the motto: “It takes the night to see the stars”– for a future without HIV and AIDS. This vision, which can become true, was the common tenor at the World AIDS Conference 2012 in Washington D.C., where representatives of different international AIDS aid organizations agreed: “Together we can end AIDS”."

And here is Adam Lambert as an Ali Baba-esque performer (with 40 thieves dancers!) singing "Love Wins Over Glamour":

Nancy Ajram - Alf Leyla We Layla

Here is pop superstar Nancy Ajram's version of Umm Kulthum's song Alf Layla wa Layla:

Ron Goodwin - Music for an Arabian Night

 

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Ronald Alfred Goodwin (wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Goodwin) (17 February 1925 – 8 January 2003) was a British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years. His most famous works included Where Eagles Dare, Battle of Britain, 633 Squadron and Operation Crossbow.

Someone posted the album on youtube:

 

Panda Bear - Scheherazade (2011)

Here is a song by Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panda_Bear_%28musician%29) called "Scheherazade."  Good stuff from an artist who is well known in his circles and set to break out any moment.  The song is from his 2011 album Tomboy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomboy_%28album%29.

Lyrics are pasted after the youtube link.



"I see it up ahead
I've seen it all behind
I see it at the sides
Though I've no point to try

But if I could do
Then what I would do to you

I see it in the day
I see it in the night
I see it all the time
Though I might not desire

But if I could do
Then what I would do to you"

Haroun Rachid, Nights of Algeria

From 1001 Nights

This is an album cover by Haroun Rachid, Nights of Algeria, late 90s early 00s.

Open Sesame - Kool & the Gang

Get down with the Genie!



Open Sesame - Kool And The Gang - Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack

Axe Bahia - Ali Baba (Tres Deseos)

Your popular culture Nights fix of the week comes from the formidable continent of South America, the pop band Axe Bahia of Brazil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ax%C3%A9_Bahia) sings (and dances to) "Ali Baba (Tres Deseos)" ("Three Wishes"):

The Grateful Dead

From what I have found, The Grateful Dead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grateful_Dead) have at least two songs with mentions of the Nights: "What's Become of the Baby?" and "Blues for Allah." Both songs interestingly, well perhaps not that interestingly, conflate the Nights with a Romanticized notion of Islam.

Here are the relevant song lyrics with links to a cool UC Santa Cruz academic website about the Dead and their songs:

"What's Become of the Baby?"

From the album: AOXOMOXOA (1969). Song: http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/baby.html

"Sheherazade gathering stories to tell
from primal gold fantasy petals that fall
But where is the child
who played with the sun chimes
and chased the cloud sheep
to the regions of rhyme?"

Here's a mix of the song (can you smell the patchouli?!):



-----------------------------

"Blues for Allah"

From the Album: Blues for Allah (1975)

http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/allah.html

"The thousand stories have
come round to one again
Arabian Night
our gods pursue their fight
What fatal flowers of
darkness spring from
seeds of light"

arabian nights in new jersey

This Feb 25-27 the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is hosting an event they call Arabian Nights featuring performances of Nielsen's Aladdin Suite, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, and Behzad Ranjbaran's Seemorgh. 

From their website:   http://www.njsymphony.org/10_11calendar/February.htm#nights

"ARABIAN NIGHTS
Nights of adventure and intrigue await as Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Nielsen’s Aladdin Suite weave a spell with vivid orchestral color. Ranjbaran’s exciting music, based on an 11th-century Persian epic poem, fuses ancient and modern sounds."

Here's a commercial for the event, interesting to note that the conductor says "Arabian Nights is such an enchanting phrase, one that captures Persian stories and exotic music."

Ali Baba Twist

"Ali Baba Twist" is a song from the 1960s by Bob Azzam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Azzam).

From 1001 Nights

Pretty catchy after a few listens....

From 1001 Nights

and the remake by the band "The Orientals" (with a Nights-esque storefront in the video):

Ali Baba - Andy Kohlmann

Here is the song "Ali Baba" by electronic musician/dj Andy Kohlmann (http://www.myspace.com/andykohlmann).

In Bad With Sinbad

"In Bad With Sinbad" - by Frank Dailey & his Stop & Go Orchestra (1930s).

This is a great big band era song that I don't know too much about, if anyone can add any info about the song or the band please do in the comments section. The song might be related to the book by the same name by Arthur Stringer though again I'm not sure at the moment!



some more info on Frank Dailey:

http://www.parabrisas.com/d_daileyf.php

J Majik - Arabian Nights

Here is the 1996 Drum and Bass single Arabian Nights by J Majik (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_Majik).

shahd barmada - alf layla wa layla

Here is Shahd Barmada from Syria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahd_Barmada) singing Umm Kulthum's 'Alf Layla wa Layla' (One Thousand Nights and a Night). Barmada came in second place on the hit Arabic show "Super Star 3" a singing competition affiliated with the makers of Pop Idol and American Idol.



here's a link to the Umm Kulthum songs:

http://journalofthenights.blogspot.com/2009/05/umm-kulthum-alf-layla-wa-layla.html

Shabaam Sahdeeq - Arabian Nights

From the 1997 release Soundbombing comes this track from Brooklyn MC Shabaam Sahdeeq. Features lyrics relating to the stories and to contemporary city life too.

Here's the original:



instrumental (music on both produced by Nick Wiz):

Ron Goodwin - Music For An Arabian Night

Ron Goodwin was a composer who did a lot of movie soundtracks in the 1960s and onward. Here are a couple of covers of his Nights themed album.

From 1001 Nights

From 1001 Nights

From 1001 Nights

and a couple songs from the album: