Ah, Pachabel’s Canon in D. Done by a Korean kid on YouTube. To the tune of 38 million views and counting.
[youtube]http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA5faZF1A8[/youtube]
Oh, yeah. I remember watching that video and just thinking, “You rock, kid.” Then The New York Times did a piece on him, his true identity was unmasked (or un-hatted?), and he rocked all the more. He then made the rounds on Korean television, spoke and performed around the world (and he still is), at which point I met him as a panelist in the YouTube Korea rollout that they inexplicably invited me to attend.
Then…came my most recent podcast. (Sorry, TypePad’s giving me crap – so I don’t have a post of my own to link to right now. )
Well, OK, I’m sure Jay (Jeong-hyun Lim) wasn’t thinking “score!” as when a NYT reporter contacted him, but we had a good lunch and great talk at Shinchon’s On the Border nonetheless (a frequent haunt these days). This is also the first actual English-language audio interview with Jay that you’ll hear. He’s frank, cool, and tells the WHOLE story behind the YouTube video that’s has achieved the distinction of being one of the most ever viewed. Jay also tells us his REAL motivation for playing the guitar…
And if you want to meet him – the kid’s got his own band, which is playing TONIGHT in Hongdae at 7PM, at the Sapiens7 LiveHouse. Sorry for the late notice, but if you can get out there, it should be an experience! Note to the guys: the looker lead singer’s worth the trip alone. Here’s the map:
43 Comments
That is sweet. I actually have a friend w/ a local cover band who does something similar with that song (though nowhere near as this awesome). Gotta show him and see if he wants to change it up a little bit.
Weren’t you going to call me on Saturday for an On the Border run? This is what you did instead?!
Oops - I thought you were gonna call me, dude! But don’t worry, that interview has been in the can for about a month, actually – I just posted it to time in with his concert, although I flubbed on the date…I thought it was going to be on a Friday or something, so I didn’t give people much lead time for this one.
Forgive me? I am always up for Border action.
Hey Metro-
The Podcast on the iTunes feed is only 9 seconds long. Just FYI.
I’m just mad because I couldn’t go there until Sunday.
pixel -
Loaded normally in my iTunes, though? And I double-checked my podcast program (Podcast Maker for the Mac) – still a problem? Can’t download it through iTunes? Or it’s not playing properly?
The Korean obsession with that Pachelbel tune continues. It’s like an informal national anthem. Do they never get tired of hearing it??
The informal national anthem of Korea is actually “Somewhere, Over the Rainbow,” various artists’ versions.
Second place is, “Fly Me to the Moon,” various artists’ versions.
Yes, “Over the Rainbow” and “Fly Me to the Moon”, for sure; at least “Rainbow” is well written.
I blogged on Lim some time ago. He has chops and I hope he is doing well.
Hey Marmot Holer’s, there’s already been 9 comments on Metro’s post here and none of them have been rude or degrading to him yet. What’s wrong with you guys, nobody wanna step up and be the first a-hole today?
# 10 - Was thinking the same thing! I’m waiting! Hehe.
Bitch, you don’t write, you don’t call; no flowers, no candy; and now you’re cheating on me.
But the Korean uber-anthem is “My Way”
You are all fools.
The Korean national anthem in the mid-90’s was Kim Geon-mo’s “잘 못된 만남.”
Seriously, though – anyone remember that? I remember Koreans joking about that a lot.
That shit was EVERYWHERE. Back in the days when they sold bootleg tapes like 3-street-stands-to-a-corner and you absolutely could not escape having the top ten songs of the time driven into your skull like a jackhammer in soft concrete.
Ah, my age is showing. I kinda miss that pain.
Well, as a guitarist I’m curious to see how it would sound if he tried that though a tube amp, like a Fender Twin, without the pedals and the backing track.
“Back in the days when they sold bootleg tapes like 3-to-a-corner and you absolutely could not escape the top ten songs of the time.”
Yeah, I remember one vendor of these bootlegs being right across the street from the police station in my hometown. It was there for years, up until MP3s became popular.
it (his cart)…
I feel you, metro. That song is forever immortalized… in my iPod.
Classical music on an electric guitar is so early 90’s.
Sorry for taking a while to get back. I’m subscribed through iTunes and for some reason it only downloaded the first 9 seconds. After it played it auto-deleted and I’m not sure if there’s a way to get it to try again (I can’t see it in the feed in the iTunes window). I’m subscribed to about two dozen podcasts and this is the first to give me any issues. I’ll send you a reply via email if you need any other information. I’m listening to it through the Hole for now. Heh. That sounds kinda obscene.
Ok, I just unsubscribed and re-subscribed and that took care of business.
You told me you were disappearing to work on your Abs at
5557™ home workout video. I didn’t think the greasy, heavy Mexican food at On the Border fit your new lifestyle.Don’t cry, baby. Let me make it up to you.
Metropolitician,
Do you have RSS feeds for you podcasts, audio or video?
I’ve been downloading them from your site because I’m not really a fan of iTunes but I’d like to be able to throw them into my normal podcast downloader (Juice).
Also, do you mean for Metropoliticking to be listed as explicit in iTunes?
the guacamole is OK; food of the gods.
This is a rather funny take on Pachelbel’s Canon in D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
This is a rather funny take on Pachelbel’s Canon in D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
Here’s a rather amusing take on Pachelbel’s Canon in D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
First of all, On The Border is ok, Choi’s Tacos down the street is ok, but I would shoot someone in the face for a 24-hour Taco Bell (that wasn’t on the Army base).
Second, everyone knows that the unofficial Korean national anthem is “Find My Way Back Into Love” from every Korean’s favorite movie - “Love Actually”
I bet the kid spent 1000s of hours just on that one song. There are a lot better guitarist here in Korea rocking live every weekend in the clubs. Not impressed…a Steve Val wanna be for sure.
‘Music and Lyrics’
“Sweet Child O Mine” on violin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
Cute kid,……now for some real guitar playin’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsqmYNP6L6g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Emxez982s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IDvFRqo04g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vo6DE2_6bQ
Rule #1 It’s gotta swing or it ain’t happenin’
Is there still an O’Kim’s in the basement of the Westin? Are there still Philippine singers in the Shilla Hotel’s Rainbow Room? Does the Paris Restaurant at the Hyatt still sell excellent (if pricey) steaks?
I prefer places with fewer guitars and better food than Hongdae; but if you have work-safe photos of the band, you should feel free to post ‘em…
He’s good, but it’s a cover. Jerry C from Taiwan made the track that the kid is playing to.Playing a cover that is tabbed all over the internet isn’t as impressive.
#34,
He’s okay…for a bedroom guitarist.
#34,
Oh really? Who do you think “Jerry C” copied his “cover” from? Duh!
Yngwie Malmsteen
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5aWJPSFcizA
#36,
Look at #15 and then watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpDblDia5TE
and then this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
PS. If you want to talk about shredders, Steve Vai is a far superior musician and composer than Malmsteen.
Eeeeaaasssyyy everyone. Back away from launching the rotten vegetables. He’s a kid for crying out loud. What were you doing at that age, I mean besides discovering the mood swings of your genitals.
I’m tired of these cute kids with guitar chops videos, full stop.
“He’s a kid for crying out loud.”
He’s almost 25 years-old for crying out loud.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08.....wanted=all
http://english.chosun.com/w21d.....00024.html
Jazzman,
My point was to the clueless masses who think this “Jerry C” invented the electic guitar version of the Pachelbel Canon. Merely pointing out the fact that Malmsteen did his years ago in his Christmas album, w/ much more class and style. Of course, Vai is very accomplished guitarist in his own right; no doubt.
I did actually watch this “Jerry C’s” version on some Asian tv show; very sloppy and amaturish. This “Funtwo” is techically much more sound than Jerry C.
I am still amazed at how popular this video is. The “kid” plays fine, but there really isn’t anything amazing or unique about it. Yngwie did this years ago as mentioned by Jazzman, and the only thing in the piece that is remotely difficult is playing the arpeggios cleanly. And if your guitar is set up properly even that is cake.
eh…
Twenty-five eh? Is that how old he was when he made the video? If so then my bad. Just one more question. Is he a new breed of Shetland-People?