The Wilhelm Scream

It’s positively ubiquitous! According to Gizmodo

The sound effect that’s been heard in countless movies and TV shows over the decades technically has two birthdays. As a sound itself, it originally debuted in the 1951 film Distant Drums from singer-songwriter Sheb Wooley. But it was officially given its name with the minor character of Private Wilhelm in The Charge at Feather River, a western that came out July 11, 1953. In that movie, Wilhelm (played by actor Ralph Brooks) screams after being shot in the thigh with an arrow, which would come to define its use: in all of its appearances in future media, it would be used when someone got shot, blasted back by an explosion, or fell from a high distance.

Recently, CBS News did a story on the Wilhelm Scream, and the outlet revealed that it managed to find a tape with the first recording session Wooley did for the scream. CalArts researcher Craig Smith explained to CBS that he found the tape among many from the archives of the University of Southern California’s film school that were close to being trashed.

Polymeter?

The Strange Brew podcast on Lennon’s musical influences circa Double Fantasy sent me down some rabbit holes: Touch and Go, and time signatures. This was never one of my Cars favorites, but I’m totally fascinated by it now.

The song’s verses feature the use of polymeter. The bass and drums are playing in a time signature of 54, while the vocals, keyboards, and guitar are playing in 44.

Bastards! While my rather limited rhythm lobe tried to tap out the beats, my remaining auditory cortex projected the contemporaneous Spirits in the Material World, which only confused me more.  Apparently that tune is 4but so ska and misleading that you’ll fool yourself trying to count it out.

Available musicians please fix my brain and/or comment.