Through the ages, whistling in songs has been a double edged sword; either it destroys a track entirely or it becomes the central, most memorable melody of the whole mix. Thankfully, Clap Clap Riot got it extremely right on their new track Tired Of Getting Old.
We asked them to dig up a bit of inspiration for their track, naming five songs that took something as simple as whistling to a whole new level.
It’s a bold move to include a spot of whistling in your single. Here are 5 times that bands totally pulled it off, courtesy of Clap Clap Riot.
Smash Mouth – All star
A true classic, we recently decided to do an impromptu performance of this song where the whistle solo was replaced with a clarinet. That melody really shone.
Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay
One of the best whistle solos to whistle along with. Love that sweep up into the first note. Pure whistle joy.
Peter Bjorn and John – Young Folks
This song is all whistle – it drills in that great melody and is as classic as a whistle gets. There’s an interesting podcast about the making of this song online for the whistle enthusiasts out there.
The Black Keys – Tighten Up
A great turning point on this record for The Black Keys and a favourite of the band. Rad little intro mixed with that bass line. Was cool to hear them fleshed out as a full band.
Roy Orbison – Here Comes The Rain, Baby
This shows that a whistle can also be depressing. A huge challenge.
Catch Clap Clap Riot as they embark on their Tired Of Getting Old Aussie tour. Dates and deets below:
Thursday 27th April – Bearded Lady, Brisbane – Tickets
Friday 28th April – Grace Darling, Melbourne – Tickets
Saturday 29th April – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney – Tickets