Posted on 05/28/2004 8:31:30 AM PDT by Born Conservative
Band leader John Stanky has tried everything in more than 50 years in the polka music business.
Stanky and the Coal Miners have performed Irish polkas, Italian polkas, Russian polkas, even rock 'n' roll polkas.
Add hip-hop to the list of experiments.
Stanky and local songwriter/producer Jim Donnelly have joined to record "Stanky's Hip-Hop Polka."
Funny as it seems, the song just might work.
"People say 'That's not what I expected, I really like that,' " Donnelly said. "That's a big compliment. It's our goal of still introducing his music, mixed with something newer a younger audience will like."
Stanky's traditional followers, fear not. The 68-year-old lifelong Nanticoke resident will not be donning big gold chains or outfitting his black van with spinning rims.
"It's not like he's going to do this all the time," Donnelly said.
"Stanky's Hip-Hop Polka" will be available on compact discs starting today at Joe Nardone's Gallery of Sound locations and when Stanky and the Coal Miners perform at a special "release night" at Black Rock Brewing Company on Coal Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Stanky has played the Black Rock once a month since January and has succeeded in attracting younger, college-aged fans to his performances to compliment his older fan base.
Donnelly came up with the idea for a musical novelty when hip-hop legends Run-DMC covered "Walk This Way" with original hard-rocking band Aerosmith in 1986.
Donnelly, who owns and operates Moonlight Productions in Pittston, thought a polka/hip-hop song would be a funny mix. Once listeners get past the initial giggles of the unlikely musical bedfellows, they like what they hear.
Donnelly has played the song for Black Rock's younger patrons and employees and said feedback has been positive. "Everybody had a little chuckle at first before they heard it, but then when they heard it they were like, 'That's not bad, I kind of like it.' "
Donnelly and Stanky met at Black Rock in January. The two became fast friends and Donnelly approached Stanky with his idea. Stanky, always willing to try something new, agreed.
At Stanky's performances, Donnelly immediately was attracted to Stanky's signature song, "Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie," which Stanky composed in the early 1950s with the late Walt Gorecki.
Also, Donnelly liked "No Beer Today," a song Stanky has played for only about four years after hearing the Walt Groller Orchestra perform it on WVIA-TV's "Pennsylvania Polka" program, for which Stanky serves as executive producer. Groller adapted the tune from an old German song.
Sitting in on drums with Stanky, Donnelly realized the two songs had similar beats that could easily mesh with a hip-hop rhythm. Donnelly began experimenting with a drum machine on his computer and was able to match a hip-hop beat with that of the two polkas.
Then Donnelly recorded Stanky's accordion and vocals separately, and after about a half-dozen revisions, came up with a final version that satisfied him. The final cut also includes some rock guitar and a rapper's voice announcing: "It's the man with the master plan, here to turn it out with a mic in my hand."
The song, which was limited to 2 minutes, 34 seconds in the hopes of getting radio airplay, does not sacrifice Stanky's talents. It enhances them with a different beat that translates well to polkas.
"The beat that's in there doesn't hurt the dancers," Stanky said.
Donnelly also played with Stanky's vocals, giving it a tinny, "AM radio" effect when Stanky belts out "Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie, who's not ready, holler I, let's all play hide and seek."
"He's still doing his own thing. That's the core of his success," Donnelly said.
IF YOU GO
"Stanky's Hip-Hop Polka"
Special release night
9 p.m. today
Black Rock Brewing Company
Coal Street, Wilkes-Barre
(Song also available at Joe Nardone's Gallery of Sound locations)
Polka has always been hip...
Just damn.
I knew I shouldn't have eaten that ptomaine burger last night. I've died and awakened in Hell.
Not my grandparents, they were too young. Definitely your music though!
I already read this post, and couldn't come up with any reply...speechless...
That old age feeble mindedness setting in huh? I'm soooo sorry!
Some Jewish comedians got together a few years ago and invented something they called "Hebe Hop," with performers such as "Dr. Dreidle" and "Ice Berg," etc.
Never listened to it myself, but I thought the concept was funny...
http://www.forward.com/issues/1999/99.01.15/fastforward.html
(dancing)
Wider at the bottom
Narrow at the top
Way to hip for me..
To hip for me..
Cleveland - home of Yankovich - alert *ping*!
a Stanky bump! :)
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