Identify that Song (with almost nothing to go on)

[MikeyMike]

Right folks, first of all I apologise because I have next to nothing to offer by way of a clue on this one. If anyone gets this I’d be amazed frankly.

There’s a song stuck in my head. It’s an instrumental synth/electronic piece, late 70s early 80s, it has a Jean Michel Jarre feel to it but perhaps a bit darker. It often features in documentaries about the 80s, usually set to a scene depicting depressing heavy industry or a stock market crash. If anyone has a clue what the hell this song is please let me know because it’s doing my head in. Answers on postcard please (if you can be arsed).

Thanks!

[stlol]

Tangerine Dream??

[MikeyMike]

stlol said:

Tangerine Dream??

Good shout but doesn’t seem to be. Thanks though

[DodgyGeezer]

Some of Kraftwerk could fit the description

[MikeyMike]

DodgyGeezer said:

Some of Kraftwerk could fit the description

To be fair mate, there’s a lot that could

To weird this up a notch, the melody goes a bit like this:

(Whistle) doo dee doo dee…..(deeper tone) doo dee doo doo….(higher tone) doo dee doo dee..doo dee doo dee… and repeat

[NDA]

Not a segment of West End Girls (Pet Shop Boys) is it? Often used to illustrate the 80's.

[MikeyMike]

NDA said:

Not a segment of West End Girls (Pet Shop Boys) is it? Often used to illustrate the 80's.

I don’t think so. It’s darker, and a fair bit older too.

[NDA]

MikeyMike said:

stlol said:

Tangerine Dream??

Good shout but doesn’t seem to be. Thanks though

Have you listened to Ricochet by Tangerine Dream? Very Jean Michelle..

[king arthur]

Early Human League? Being boiled is rather "dark" but doesn't quite fit your description.

[Freakuk]

king arthur said:

Early Human League? Being boiled is rather "dark" but doesn't quite fit your description.

That was my first thought also, could be early Depeche Mode also both quite industrial.

Other thoughts not mentioned so far

Gary Numan/Tubeway army
Cabaret Voltaire
Section 25
New Order/Joy Division

[deggles]

MikeyMike said:

To weird this up a notch, the melody goes a bit like this:

(Whistle) doo dee doo dee…..(deeper tone) doo dee doo doo….(higher tone) doo dee doo dee..doo dee doo dee… and repeat

If you can recall and hum/sing/play the melody with reasonable accuracy, there are loads of AI tools to identify the song online, even Google Assistant will do it. "Hey Google, what's this song... [hum tune]". Worth a go.

[king arthur]

Supernature? That has a kind of synthesized whooshing noise going on which I guess could be described as a "whistle".

[vixen1700]

Tubular Bells?

[Yahonza]

Edgar Froese or early Vangelis?

Edited by Yahonza on Thursday 27th October 10:59

[Teppic]

MikeyMike said:

DodgyGeezer said:

Some of Kraftwerk could fit the description

To be fair mate, there’s a lot that could

To weird this up a notch, the melody goes a bit like this:

(Whistle) doo dee doo dee…..(deeper tone) doo dee doo doo….(higher tone) doo dee doo dee..doo dee doo dee… and repeat

Not 70's or 80's but if it sounds like whislting then Lovely Head by Goldfrapp could almost fit that.

[NDA]

I am in the office, so can't listen to anything easily - but Jealous Guy by Roxy Music... ? It may not have a synth part, but it has whistling . Right era though.

[DodgyGeezer]

are you sure it's not a classic piece - quite a few of those seem to accompany docu's about industrial decline and/or heavy industry in general

[vixen1700]

DodgyGeezer said:

are you sure it's not a classic piece - quite a few of those seem to accompany docu's about industrial decline and/or heavy industry in general

Philip Glass?

[king arthur]

MikeyMike is now going to disappear and this thread will reach three volumes of arguing over what he originally meant!

[MikeyMike]

I should just clear up that the piece itself doesn’t have an industrial sound to it, more bleak and ethereal really. But it’s often played in documentaries to scenes of things that juxtapose the optimism, rose tinted nostalgia of the 80s, things like frigid North Sea oil rigs, or a voiceover talking about shares in ICI dropping, that kind of thing.

I apologise for inflicting this upon you all