This is great! Now we know where 'Hey Joe' came from. No, not an exact copy, but come on, this is where Billy got the ideas. Neila, you sound amazing. I wish your album was on CD, but will get a vinyl anyway just to have it, and try to borrow a turntable?
I'm so glad to see some Niela Miller finally up on youtube!
I actually discovered her through Dave Van Ronk's cover of "Mean Old World Blues" which you have up. It took me forever to track her down as the songwriter.
I heard this song first on a compilation and then decided to look it up on YouTube. I immediately noticed the ressemblance to Hey Joe and that was before reading the comments. By the way, next song on the comp was 'Hey Joe'.
@micahcareyfilms It's the same chords. It's the same question-asking form. While the Hey Joe melody is not identical to this melody it is a very, VERY close derivation from it ( Same phrase length - the original Hey Joe not Hendrix's version - 75% the same notes) and this is why I say this song is the source of the Hey Joe melody. But the harmonic colour of both pieces comes from the verse CHORDS. If you think the verse chord sequences are different, then I'd like to know what YOU'RE smoking!
culturejudge, what are you talking about the same melody (!?) This song and 'Hey Joe' have two different melodies! Do you know anything about music? Let me know what you are smoking, as I would like to buy some!
Jesus! So the obscure Niela Miller is the genius that gave us the 'Hey Joe' melody and chord progression, which is of course one of the most famous and used rock sequences of all time - not just in Hey Joe, but Lennon's 'aah' bit in 'A Day in the Life'. For coming up with just this one sequence - and in 1955!! - Miller deserves cred as a great popular music genius of the 20th Century. Even her mixolydian lick after the chorus looks ahead to 'I Feel Fine' and other Beatles mixolydian sunshine.
@CultureJudge Yes, her legacy is so obvious on modern day society. Her hit singles became staples of any music stations, her lyrics had academic analysis. In fact, if you put "N" in google, the first suggestion is her name. She isnt just a musical genius, she is a woman of a century, woman that inspired the century.
@Cartholomew Of course genius is a much-bandied term in pop, and it's in that context I'm using it. As for your idea that genius goes hand in hand with being played on the radio, having hit singles or even being recognised, then please think again.... This chord sequence she came up with here IS genius in pop terms. Why in the hell do you think it's derivative Hey Joe became one of the most widely covered tracks of all time? For the lyrics? Nope, for the chords.
menudo pajaro estaba hecho el roberts, robandole los temillas a su novia ROBERT ERES UN PAHARO!!!!!!!!!
skipbelly 1 month ago
This is great! Now we know where 'Hey Joe' came from. No, not an exact copy, but come on, this is where Billy got the ideas. Neila, you sound amazing. I wish your album was on CD, but will get a vinyl anyway just to have it, and try to borrow a turntable?
DanielPJMMAS 3 months ago
I'm so glad to see some Niela Miller finally up on youtube!
I actually discovered her through Dave Van Ronk's cover of "Mean Old World Blues" which you have up. It took me forever to track her down as the songwriter.
wol4fram 5 months ago
By the way, found out that Billy Roberts wrote Hey Joe. He was Niela's boyfriend at the time.
jommarie 6 months ago
I heard this song first on a compilation and then decided to look it up on YouTube. I immediately noticed the ressemblance to Hey Joe and that was before reading the comments. By the way, next song on the comp was 'Hey Joe'.
jommarie 6 months ago
This song sounds nothing like 'Hey Joe"!
micahcareyfilms 6 months ago
@micahcareyfilms It's the same chords. It's the same question-asking form. While the Hey Joe melody is not identical to this melody it is a very, VERY close derivation from it ( Same phrase length - the original Hey Joe not Hendrix's version - 75% the same notes) and this is why I say this song is the source of the Hey Joe melody. But the harmonic colour of both pieces comes from the verse CHORDS. If you think the verse chord sequences are different, then I'd like to know what YOU'RE smoking!
CultureJudge 3 months ago
culturejudge, what are you talking about the same melody (!?) This song and 'Hey Joe' have two different melodies! Do you know anything about music? Let me know what you are smoking, as I would like to buy some!
micahcareyfilms 6 months ago
fantastic ... just amaze me a lot
discovered the numerogroup LP release of this long-forgotten warped-acetate they have ...
thanks for sharing
binarykult 9 months ago
Thanks for this. Amazing how the pieces fit together (as said by Lenny Kaye)!
Thereyago21 11 months ago
It is amazing that so many tidbits of musical history are made known on You Tube. Thank you Little T-Bird.
mannacler 11 months ago
Copacetic
spliter227 11 months ago
Thanks very much. Very interesting.
13loomisst 1 year ago
Jesus! So the obscure Niela Miller is the genius that gave us the 'Hey Joe' melody and chord progression, which is of course one of the most famous and used rock sequences of all time - not just in Hey Joe, but Lennon's 'aah' bit in 'A Day in the Life'. For coming up with just this one sequence - and in 1955!! - Miller deserves cred as a great popular music genius of the 20th Century. Even her mixolydian lick after the chorus looks ahead to 'I Feel Fine' and other Beatles mixolydian sunshine.
CultureJudge 1 year ago 10
@CultureJudge Yes, her legacy is so obvious on modern day society. Her hit singles became staples of any music stations, her lyrics had academic analysis. In fact, if you put "N" in google, the first suggestion is her name. She isnt just a musical genius, she is a woman of a century, woman that inspired the century.
Cartholomew 8 months ago
@Cartholomew Of course genius is a much-bandied term in pop, and it's in that context I'm using it. As for your idea that genius goes hand in hand with being played on the radio, having hit singles or even being recognised, then please think again.... This chord sequence she came up with here IS genius in pop terms. Why in the hell do you think it's derivative Hey Joe became one of the most widely covered tracks of all time? For the lyrics? Nope, for the chords.
CultureJudge 3 months ago
Comment removed
CultureJudge 1 year ago