Comments on: Finding rare songs on YouTube

The popular video sharing site is also a treasure trove for music lovers in search of that long-lost track. But be warned, that song might not be as awesome as you remember.

[jhoeforth]

Great post! I have a similar experience, although not as huge as yours.

I was looking for a song I heard from a Sprite commercial (the one where they were playing basketball and the court turned into a pool). I tried everything: Limewire, torrent and even forums but no luck. I found out that a lot of people were also looking for the song. The song is "Falling Away" by Benjamin Pacheco. It turns out that the song was never released and was only made exclusively for the commercial. After a while, I had given up looking. Then one day, I remembered the song again and tried looking it on Youtube and viola! There?s the song that keeps lingering on my mind.

[michael_j_x]

Great comment!!!! I remember looking for this song as well. I actually managed to find the 3d studio max files for the commercial (how they made the court turn into a pool) , but no luck with the song, as there were so many other songs with same or similar title. I ll listen to it now. Thanks .

Kent Duchaine/I'll be true to you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIep1DFxQTI

[terminalblue]

no reason for everyine not to watch this

Tom Lehrer - "Wernher von Braun"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTKn1aSOyOs

[paulsecic]

Try finding Mombo SantA

[eric225]

I listened to the video, as weird as that sounds, the music reminded me of DJ Taucher remix of DJ Tandu?s "Ayla" project. It is a Euro group so finding their music here in the states is hard.

Ayla ? Ayla (DJ Taucher mix full)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eue53EYpHUw

One sad thing I have noticed in lieu of song not turning up on YouTube is that some artists have had their videos taken down, "Judy and Mary" out of Japan did. I use to go on to YouTube and listen to their videos a lot, then one day they were taken down for copyright reasons. I was lucky and grabbed a copy before it went down. I had to import their music from Japan at almost $50 a CD on Amazon, and had family in Japan send me DVD?s.

Here is one not caught yet...
hitsotsu dake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqtJXdbc5_M

[kelaltieri]

that DJ Taucher song is awesome. thanks! :)

[Broward Horne]

Baxter Robertson - Silver Strand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjNWyhe6y-8

[cyberspittle]

How about this punk new wave band ... "The Suburban Lawns" from LA.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+suburban+lawns&search_type=&aq=2&oq=The+Suburban+

Bet you never heard of them

[Life_on_Mars]

Yes! I remember that song well, it reminds me of a 25 year search for another obscure LA band, Tupelo Chain Sex. When my brother was in college in Durango, a friend of his would record hours of KROQ whenever he went home for break and hand over tons of cassettes with music we'd never hear in Colorado (even at Wax Trax). One of the songs was "Everyday's a Holiday", and I couldn't find it anywhere. I've searched all of the music outlets, digital and physical since then to no avail and then forgot about. One day I watched something on YouTube (can't remember what) and one of the comments mentioned that the poster had seen this Band with Tupelo Chain Sex back in the day, Eureka! I did a search on YT, nada on the song I wanted, but plenty of more recent releases. So I Googled and found them on MySpace, and there was the song streaming on their site! And I must say that there wasn't any nostalgia tainting the remembrance of the song, it's still totally cool! Check them out at:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=362371078

As far as songs on YouTube, I did find some clips of the 80s cult classic, Dogs in Space. Still can't find a soundtrack to that movie, although I haven't looked for some time. The best clip is The Primitive Calculators doing "Pumping Ugly Muscle". It's at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztWGP0ajNXA

I bought the Dogs in Space CD soundtrack on eBay a few years ago.

I just checked exactly when and what I paid for it and what it is going for now and two and a half years ago I paid half of what it it is sold for now.

[jvearley]

A song that I have not been able to find was the live KSAN version of Terry Reid's 'The River' which (in memory) is far superior to the recorded or live version that I did find. I was cool to see Terry play though!

[Bh01]

Actually even if you can't download the songs you can record them. Plug a cassette tape or mini disk recorder into the sound out of the computer and you can at least get a copy of the music before it disappears again. Not cd quality perhaps but at least you will have the song until you can find a way to buy it!

[stlhobbit]

I was astonished & thrilled when my search for Pino Donaggio?s 1963 love song "Io Che Non Vivo Sensa Te" (which reportedly sold 80 million records worldwide and popularized in English as ?You Don?t Have to Say You Love Me? by Dusty Springfield and Elvis Presley) ended with a YOUTUBE B&W video clip of a 1964 performance by Donaggio.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O_27c0XiFI

[cwbutler]

I've found lots of things I thought I'd lost - I can't post links from work but:

The slickee boys have 3 or 4 videos (regional surf-punk band)

Mountain's 20 minute long epic "Dream Sequence" from a show that was evidently broadcast or atleast recorded for TV (it's only 10 minutes here, so it just squeeks in).

Visqueen doing new songs

Little Feat from english TV, and a note-for-note cover of "Dixie Chicken" from a japanese band (I think they're japanese anyway)

The original marshal tucker band doing "Can't you see"

and - for a giggle - pick a song and look for covers - my favorite so far is "River Deep, Mountain High" - there must be 100 different versions of it from all over the world.

[itworker--2008]

Thank you for posting this article.
I too had a song stuck in my mind for many years Neil Young's "sample and Hold" which was a big departure from his usual sound. Your article renewed my interest once again....Just listened to it for the second time in many many many years

[itworker--2008]

BTW, if anyone is interested, which I doubt :)
The original video I saw on MTV (when they still played videos) can be seen here
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=9275129

[deborahjw36]

I was having trouble finding a recording online of Stroke 9's "Little Black Backpack" song, which I love beyond any reasonable understanding (although now I'm not sure why it was all that hard). Anyway, Google sent me to a really cute video by an rgraverson on YouTube of a bunch of girls singing it. My kids made fun of me for singing this song in the 90s; now they're making fun of me again. That's OK, guys. Just don't expect to get your bloody black backpack back.

[istill316]

I've found several things on youtube:

1) My dad would always sing the old Post Raisin Bran commercial at breakfast, that I'd never seen. And here it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGXl311mM3A

2) Dancing: I couldn't find the song "Only You" by Captain Jack, which is an excellent jive/swing song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71qDtDttI_s

3) And finally, from the cartoon Fairly Odd Parents, Chip Skylark and My Shiny Teeth and Me!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNS5WJTjtRY

[inachu]

One very rare song I can't find due to I do not know the performers name but the lyrics go something like this:
Voices! I hear voices! Don't look back look straight ahead don't look back yesterdays gone.
You see theres this house. and in that house theres a room and in that room in the corner you will se a voice is there waiting for me to set it free I got the key I got the key....

Voices I hear voices!

No idea who sings it. I hear it now once every 5 years.

[karma667]

Russ Ballard - Voices:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK1D4lQMgDo

Great tune, had to find it for you.

[djjackd]

"Running Down The Enemy"?.. nope...
"Running With The Enemy"?... nope...
"Sleeping With The Enemy"?... ahhhh! There it is!
Roger Hodgson - Had A Dream (Sleeping With The Enemy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XwfXVUL7mg

Just watched the video and now have the song playing over and over in the background as I type this. Always loved the song, and Supertramp also, but never realized the two were connected until I googled him just now. Exploring some of his other songs on YouTube now. And, just as radio and Mtv drove us to the record store in the past, YouTube will now be driving me to the iTunes store to make some purchases.
Hmmm.. "Record store"... reminds me of the first record I ever bought.... and... ahhh! There it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qW0Edq1KqI

[inachu]

Other songs that are nice and you can't find in stores anymore are like Johnny Reno and the Sax maniacs with the hit song- WISH ME LUCK.

Awsome song.

[da9ve]

It's a great way to troll around for cover versions, too - search capabilities/tags/etc., are valuable!

F'rinstance (and I'm at work or I'd do the search myself and post a link), the amazing Mike Keneally doing a cover of the Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing" and playing both lead guitar lines at the same time.

[ssichler]

Off - Electrica Salsa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwXYx71A1Zo

Somehow the mind forgets how cheesy 80's synths sounded but it was great to find this song again.

[mcclurec]

Psychic TV - "Joy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTsFhKPDCuU

[mcholyg]

This article has put a huge smile on my face, because I have only recently started viewing anything on YouTube, and specifically for finding old music/videos. I don't have access to YT at work, so I just never got into using it frequently for viewing home made or commercial videos.

But I recently got a text msg from an old college roommate who asked me about a video I showed him 10 years ago, which I had taped (vhs) from MTV "Amp". It took me a minute to guess at the artist and title, but a Google search found it, sure enough, on YT.

"Kung Fu" by 187 Lockdown. Search it. The video is hysterical.

I hope YT will always be able to provide this medium for us, this kind of sharing is what makes the internet so great. Some anonymous posted it, so that other anonymous's can benefit from it. (so anti-capitalist - gasp!)