Red-Winged Blackbird = Creature from the Black Lagoon Music

[Andrew]

I've been outside a lot this spring at our house (we moved in during the summer of 2008 and I was gone part of spring 2009).  We're in a fairly rural area.  As a result, I've heard a lot of red-winged blackbirds.  What struck me one day was that their call sounds a lot like the music from "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (the main, repetitive chords).  I wonder if there was some inspiration there.

[Newt]

Like the calls at the beginning of the clip on this site?  http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=25

That would be a very effective method: take something unconsciously familiar, use it for that or tweak it and thereby generate a suggestion of unease.  Cool to use other senses, not just visual.

[Andrew]

Like the calls at the beginning of the clip on this site?  http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=25

That is very close.  The calls from the birds near my house are even closer sounding to the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" chord.  It might be due to my distance from them (they are 50-100 meters from me; I think that sound clip was recorded near to the bird) or perhaps regional differences in the species.

When the similarity hit me I actually stood up (I was weeding the garden); sort of an "Ah-ha!" moment.

[Raffine]

I can hear it.



Conk-a-reeeee!!!

Bernard Herrmann once said his infamous 'Murder' cue from PSYCHO was inspired by the shrieking of birds.

[Andrew]

Here's a trailer for "Creature from the Lagoon" with the chord I am talking about at 27 seconds or so:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-mDrE4iUH8

And here are two videos of red-winged blackbird calling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP_Zn9DfBz4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR9W7KDCwjU