The radio station just played "Kung Fu Fighting" back-to-back with "Turning Japanese"...

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...and, of course, both songs begin with that clichéd 9-note "Oriental" riff. A programming decision that could only have been made by a computer, since a DJ would feel compelled to make an inane comment of some sort. Anyway, the station in question doesn't allow DJs to speak at all until, strangely, 3pm.

(Other than that, I have no comment - I'm just bored here on this workaday Monday.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 24 October 2005 16:17 (twenty years ago)

I don't suppose "Bad Detective" is on their roster.

― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 24 October 2005 16:28 (twenty years ago)

Or "Discovering Japan" by Graham Parker!

― xhuxk, Monday, 24 October 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

Is "the oriental riff" an actual song? Or is it just a traditional music phrase found in many old japanese 'standards' ? The lineage of that phrase might be interesting, if it were traceable.

― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Monday, 24 October 2005 16:42 (twenty years ago)

Or was it something from some musical set in the exotic Orient like The Mikado?

Chuck, while I appreciate you bringing Graham Parker into this, I don't think that song has that stereotype melody in it, although now that I think about it, maybe the opening riff does sound like it might be based on it a little bit.

― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 24 October 2005 16:49 (twenty years ago)

Was it the original "Turning Japanese" or the Incubus cover (the least essential thing I've heard in years)?

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 24 October 2005 16:51 (twenty years ago)

RFI: The origin of that stereotypical "oriental" song that plays in movies and is also featured in "China Girl"

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 24 October 2005 16:54 (twenty years ago)

I just came back to post that, walter, but I guess your search engine kung fu is better than mine.

― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 24 October 2005 16:56 (twenty years ago)

I didn't read through the whole thread again but I seem to recall that it's still an unsolved mystery.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 24 October 2005 16:58 (twenty years ago)

Biz Markie's "Chinese Food"!

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Monday, 24 October 2005 16:59 (twenty years ago)

the folks on this great website have done a lot of work in finding out where that song came from, but alas, it seems to remain a mystery for now:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5801473

― richard wood johnson, Monday, 24 October 2005 17:01 (twenty years ago)

> appreciate you bringing Graham Parker into this, I don't think that song has that stereotype melody in it, although now that I think about it, maybe the opening riff does sound like it might be based on it a little bit. <

The opening is definitely what I meant, actually

― xhuxk, Monday, 24 October 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

I was gonna post this on the other thread, but I always wondered why Greil Marcus picked only that song for "Treasure Island" and not the whole album.

― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 24 October 2005 17:10 (twenty years ago)

And of course there's Rush's dopesmoker-ode "A Passage To Bangkok"!

(And speaking of dope, I look forward to reading that link when I can spare a moment.)

― Myonga Von Bonsai (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 24 October 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

at a wedding at the weekend, my cousin managed to get the DJ to segue from "agadoo" into "girlfriend in a coma".

no oriental cliches involved, but that's what i call entertainment.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 24 October 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and it was the original Vapors version, Joseph. The station's playlist is decidedly unambitious.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 24 October 2005 17:18 (twenty years ago)

Did we mention Hong Kong Phooey on the other thread?

― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 24 October 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

Biz Markie's "Chinese Food"!
He caught the vapors!

― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 24 October 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

Mickey Jupp to thread!

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Monday, 24 October 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)

hong kong garden, oh-whoa, oh-oh-oh-oh

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 24 October 2005 18:32 (twenty years ago)

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