An amazing 1960s vocal piece - any classical inspiration?

[Ciel_Rouge]

In this piece you can hear slowly flowing voices just like honey or smoke from an incense with varied pitch which I can easily imagine being transformed into a piece for strings in symphonic setting... or was it the other way round? Can you think of any classical inspirations for this? Of course it also contains a 1930s flavour (which is some kind of a dance from that era I guess) but by classical I mean the voices only. Any suggestions? Here it goes:

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

[Joe Barron]

Classical? I'd say this was the more immediate inspiration:

[Bulldog]

Seems like Ciel will listen to just about anything on the net.

[Ciel_Rouge]

Nope, definitely not. If I listened to EVERYTHING, then... what's the point? It's like saying that art can be anything... If everything is art, then nothing is art...

But putting philosophy aside, I suppose the Lennon Sisters might or might not be an inspiration. But I am not talking about the female group, I am talking about this particular PIECE. Can it be that the MELODY was lifted off something? Perhaps some early music like 16th century or earlier when unacompanied vocal was the dominating genre? Also, it is clear that there is also some kind of 1930s dance involved. Any guesses?

[Szykneij]

Basia was in the group Alibaki before she went solo.

[Kullervo]

Ha! Basia is the Polish Sade (and I don't mean the Marquis!)

[Szykneij]

Ha! Basia is the Polish Sade (and I don't mean the Marquis!)

Similar, for sure, although Basia is a little more "pop". Sade's music is moodier. I happen to enjoy them both.
(  Kathy was also my favorite Lennon Sister     )  Who remembers Myron Floren?

[Szykneij]

All of us who own

'

   You might be the only owner of that rare recording! I don't think I've ever heard a Disco/Polka version of "How High the Moon"! 

[Joe Barron]

My favorite Lennon sister was Peggy. The hair! The white boots! The preadolescent dreams!

I remember Myron, too. My father subjected us all to Lawrence Welk when I was growing up, and to this day I regard it as a form of child abuse. I am sure I got into Mahler as a form of revenge.

[Cato]

YES!  The Polish version of the Lennon Sisters!

Of course, with Gomulka in charge back then, maybe he thought it was the Polish version of the Lenin Sisters!   

And I thought Communists had better taste!   

To answer your question: the only inspiration involved is from a basic harmony textbook!

Myron Floren!  His only competition is one of America's greatest all-around musicians:












That's right!  The incredible Weird Al Yankovic!