h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Some time back in the '60s or early 70s, Manfred Mann released a track called 'Joybringer'. Some of the music is a direct and very obvious rip-off from the Jupiter movement of the Planets suite.

"Joybringer" was part of a theme album about planets by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The album included some new planetary songs like "Earth the Circle" and "Pluto the Dog".

The Planets is my favourite suite of all. And in particular I love Jupiter and Mars, sure the loudest but they really get you conducting. Plus there fantastic to play on my AM university radio program that only has pants mono broadcasting.

Plus Holst lived in Cheltanham which is where I live, which is nice.

Every year, Classic FM do a competition where listeners nominate their top 3 classic works. I can't remember what the prize is, but my top 3 are Jupiter by Holst, Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin and Hall of the Mountain King by Greig.

The rugby song "World in Union" also steals a large piece of the Jupiter movement from "The Planets".

Hay that is a good top 3, however possibly I would opt for something instaed of Gershwin. Not sure what though. Something bu Copland, hmm...

Yes, those are three very good songs. Being a trombonist, I have had very good experiences with all three of them. Jupiter has an incredible trombone line in it. Very powerful stuff, here. Now Rhapsody in Blue, that's a gem. Gershwin rocks. You know, that piece was actually comissioned by some jazz band that didn't really play jazz... who was the leader of that band? Oh, his name eludes me at this time. Anyway, back to the point. The Hall of the Mountain King was a different experience for me... I played that one way back when I was learning how to play the trombone, so it was a very simple version.

However, I think my absolute top choice for song is something a bit more modern... it's called Abram's Pursuit, and was composed by another guy who I've forgotten the name of. My second choice would have to be Persis, by James L. Hosay. And thirdly, I'd slap down March to the Scaffold, one of the movements from Hector Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique. Again, I've performed all three of those.

Well, immeadeatly after I posted that last one, I remembered the name of the guy who wrote Abram's Pursuit. The man I speak of is David Holsinger. Him and Hosay are a bit more modern, so I don't expect any of you to know anything about them.

Yeah, the memory hits me again. Just remembered the name of the guy who led the band that comissioned Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Benny Goodman. Interesting band leader, you know. His music wasn't really jazz, but it sounded a whole lot like jazz. Of course, this all depends on your definition of jazz.

I once heard a pretty good version of Rhapsody In Blue featuring Larry Adler. I've also heard it played by a 'jazz orchestra', which apparently was closer to Gershwin's intentions than the traditional symphony orchestra rendition.