Rings: SIngle Ladies (Put A Ring...)

Party Ben: Mashup (Single Ladies/Andy Griffiths Theme)

Purchase (Download free from Party Ben's site)

I, too, have been away from my computer and music collection and so missed the chance to post recently. As for the mp3 files issue, although I am using the same maligned hosting service (and I know I am tempting fate here), my previously posted songs seem to still resolve. It may be because many/most are creative commons legal. It could be because I rename them. So here goes yet another posted mp3 in the hopes that it, too, resolves for you…

One category of music I collect and enjoy are mashups. There are several places online where you can find years’ worth of downloads if you want to get/explore more. For anyone who doesn’t already know this genre, a mashup involves mixing two or more songs, generally adjusting the timing and using just a part of the songs in order to get them to fit just right: some do it better than others.

This mashup, by Party Ben from San Fransisco, is a good example of his skills (also check out his version of Rehab/Can’t Help Myself). In it, he deftly combines Beyonce’s Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) with the theme from the Andy Griffith’s show - hence the tie in to this week’s theme.

As to the legality of mashups, it is a hotly debated topic. Since a mashup generally uses little more than the established “fair use” short selection of a copyrighted work, as well as being a creative original interpretation, it is an art form that seems to survive take-down requests. I would say: not unlike the kind of creativity that Weird Al Yankovitch is known for (the link should provide you with a short version of his "Ringtones".)

Public Domain: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Beyoncé Knowles: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

[purchase]

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is a 19th-century spiritual written before 1862 by a Choctaw freedman named Wallis Willis. It was popularized by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, an a capella group from historic black Fisk University, which is still going strong today. This song recounts the disappearance of the Old Testament prophet Elijah, who was reported to have been carried up to heaven in a fiery chariot after crossing the Jordan River. It's such a vivid scene that if you happen to have an illustrated Bible lying around, you'll probably find some version of it. It makes for fascinating and scary viewing if you're a little kid and can't read yet.

In 2003, Beyoncé starred in 'The Fighting Temptations', which showcased gospel music and numerous musicians as well. The soundtrack notes are very coy about who's providing the choir backing Beyoncé here. Still, if you like your gospel with a heavy dose of melisma, she's got just the song for you!