most incongruous background music in a restaurant

[hannnah]

My peeve is when the music doesn't suit the place. I want Chinese music in Chinese restaurants, and Andrea Bocelli in Italian. In a donut shop? How about nothing? It would distract from the aroma.

I dunno. I used to say that, but then I was really pleasantly surprised by the music at Babbo. While we were there, they got through part of a Cure album, the Black Crowes, and some Pink Floyd - it was such a relief to be able to eat a nice Italian meal and *not* have to listen to Bocelli/Sinatra/opera/Dean Martin/ad infinitum. And I'm sure it's much nicer for the staff not to have to listen to the same tape loop over and over again.

[bilrus]

I think I heard the same CD when we were at Babbo.

[elyse]

Does anyone know what those made for restaurant 8-track tapes were called? Are they still used?

[beans]

We had one of those when I managed an Ann Taylor. It was a giant 8 track tape.

[mongo_jones]

My peeve is when the music doesn't suit the place. I want Chinese music in Chinese restaurants, and Andrea Bocelli in Italian. In a donut shop? How about nothing? It would distract from the aroma.

that doesn't bother me so much. i'm not that into complete cultural coherence. that being said i don't think anyone ever expects to hear lou reed whining his way through "venus in furs" or "heroin" while eating anything! the velvet underground isn't exactly music to eat to--well, maybe "loaded". emerson, lake and palmer is just sadistic--i can only imagine that it is prescribed in turkey as a laxative or something like that. they probably have yes blaring in the lavatories. but i wouldn't put king crimson quite in their category. though i can't imagine they would be good for the digestion either--especially adrian belew era crimson; what would king crimson be good mood music for anyway? maybe whale mating?

indian restaurants with their cheap synth instrumental versions of hindi film classics infuriate me too. why are the choices only muzakky versions of great film songs or original versions of crappy contemporary film songs? why not let naushad and s.d burman and salil choudhary soothe us while we eat?

[beans]

This was one of my most favourite Toronto weekend visit memories with my former sister-in-law.  We were walking down Younge Street on our way to some club we spotted we'd like to check out (Was it Gotham?  I've forgotten) and some 4' 5" grandmotherly woman came popping out of a donut shop swinging her walking cane over our heads cursing and screaming at us  "Fucking punk rockers."  New Order's Fine Time cd single was recently released and blaring as the door open and shut.

Donuts, New Order and one frightening old woman.

Guess that wasn't me. I've never been to Toronto, am 5'8", and don't use a cane ------but it COULD have been me!! LOL!

In a donut shop? How about nothing? It would distract from the aroma.

I grew up hearing oldies in the donut shops. Windows and doors throbbing with a current dance club hit sporting an unruly, but hysterical old lady making us scurry and giggle in some frigid temperatures -- it was good fun.

[elyse]

She was a regular?

[bloviatrix]

I can't get over how timely this thread is. Tonight, while eating dinner at Dougie's, a kosher barbecue joint, they were playing John Lennon's Happy Christmas.

[sherribabee]

Had dinner tonight at Three of Cups -- quaint sorta italian place with brick walls, velvet curtains, candlelight, etc. Right after we ordered, they started blasting Led Zepplin. Very strange.

Oh, and then we went to see The Triplets from Belleville at the Sunshine Cinema -- excellent flick.

[Eric_Malson]

Over the years, I've often been struck by odd background music in restaurants (being a musician, I somehow can't seem to not listen to music if it's playing, even if it's very soft), but one instance is the clear winner.

It was almost 20 years ago and my very first time in Paris (for a grand total of nine hours, changing trains--I had just finished a stint at an opera house in Germany and had to get to Spain pronto for a concert tour with a violinist. Back then, flights within Europe cost almost as much as transatlantic, so the train was the only feasible option.). We had just enough time to see Notre Dame and have an early dinner before checking in for the overnight train to Spain, and found a relaxed, somewhat bohemian, and extremely cheap restaurant with decent food. A local radio station was on which played what might be described as "progressive pop."

All was as it should be until a certain "song" came on which caused all of us to nearly choke on our food....the genre it most closely resembled was rap, except the rhythm of the words was slower than any rap I've ever heard--every word and idea was CLEARLY understandable (to English speakers, anyway). It was "sung" (spoken? shouted?) by a woman over a droning electronic harmony/beat. The first few lines will give you a taste:

You don't own me, b*stard....

You f*cking a**hole!

You wanna s*ck my p*ssy?

Well, lemme s*ck your d*ck!

It then went on to describe a lot of sexual acts, many of which I had never thought of before. (The ones involving Belgian waffles and her grandmother were particularly evocative!)

After we got over our initial shock, we looked around the room to see the reactions of other diners to this particular selection: nothing. Everyone else was calmly eating and chatting....they were all French and didn't understand the words!

It took me YEARS to find out what that thing was. About 3 or 4 years ago (thanks to the internet!), I finally managed to ascertain that it was Karen Finley's "Tales of Taboo". Naturally, I'm now the proud owner of a copy. I love to play at for people, introducing it as "the song I heard in a quaint little restaurant during my very first trip to Paris!"

Ah, I'll always remember Paris......

[Al_Dente]

It then went on to describe a lot of sexual acts, many of which I had never thought of before. (The ones involving Belgian waffles and her grandmother were particularly evocative!)

Okay, I'm fairly imaginative and open to some ideas, but what in the F! do you do to involve Belgian waffles in any sort of sexual act?

Just give me a hint, that's all I need....

[Al_Dente]

brain salad surgery was awesome heather.  for shame.   

Sorry, I had a roommate with a fatal weakness for British prog rock. I've heard enough ELP, Yes and King Crimson to last me a lifetime.

Although "Still... You Turn Me On" is a pretty good song. For ELP.

This was about 7 years ago-- it was a bit surreal, but it turned out the owner of the place was a Turk ex-hippie who lived in London during the sixties. When I inquired about his choice of music (I was the only non-Turk in the place) we starting chatting and I ended up being invited to his daughter's wedding the next day. Not entirely confident I wasn't being set up as the husband, I had to decline as I had a bus ticket to the south coast the next morning. I regret not going. Could have been fun.

I can't remember the name of the place, but it was something strikingly similar to that picture that made its way around the internet with a name like "Ufuk II". Food was excellent, as it was at most out of the way restaurants in Turkey.

Edited December 3, 2003 by Al_Dente (log)

[mongo_jones]

We've been running this site for well over 2 years, and I marvel every day at the ability of eGulleters to come up with brand new topics.

the success of threads like this one does partially explain the popularity of the non-cooking shows like top 5 etc. on the food network (i think i recall people wondering about that in another thread).

[tommy]

the success of threads like this one does partially explain the popularity of the non-cooking shows like top 5 etc. on the food network (i think i recall people wondering about that in another thread).

i gotta ask: how so?

[mongo_jones]

well, we're mostly all foodies but we like to talk about trivial food related things from time to time. presumably this extends to our viewing habits as well.

[Al_Dente]

the success of threads like this one does partially explain the popularity of the non-cooking shows like top 5 etc. on the food network (i think i recall people wondering about that in another thread).

i gotta ask: how so?

I can see his point. "Top 5" does go into a lot of minutiae about food. Recent Top 5 episodes:

Top 5 Culinary Cures for Bladder Infections

Top 5 Restaurants for Constipation Relief

Top 5 Episodes of Top 5 for Making You Want to Stick an Icepick in Your Temple

[Mayhaw Man]

Does anyone know what those made for restaurant 8-track tapes were called? Are they still used?

I just emailed three different people who should know the "generic" name of that giant loop tape that restaurants used to have. We all have it on the tip of our tongues (or on the edge of our slightly burnt brains) and no one has come up with it so far. I am pretty sure that we used to have a catalogue that had the tapes listed with some kind of glib title (Upbeat Show Tunes!, Music for Junkies Who Can't Afford to Cop, New Wave Favorites, etc) and that we actually ordered them through a food supplier (Sysco, I think) but I really can't remember. Too much water under the bridge (or cocktails down the gullet) I guess. I'll keep thinking about it and unless I lose my mind first, report the results.

[hjshorter]

And I once heard a Muzak version of Depeche Mode's People Are People in a Burger King.

That would put me right off my food. Wait, it was a BK.

I generally don't find that the music has to match the ethnicity of the retaurant for me to enjoy my meal.

Mayhaw Man...

Music for Junkies Who Can't Afford to Cop

Hilarious! Damn, it hurts to laugh while drinking hot coffee.

Edited December 3, 2003 by hjshorter (log)

[Hickory]

A couple of years ago, we decided to check out a local Austrian restaurant. The highlight of the evening was when they put on a "Learn how to play the bongos" tape.

A Chinese place we used to go to only had one tape that they played over and over. It featured a bizarre version of Michael Row the Boat Ashore that had a totally out of context organ freakout solo in the middle of it.

A friend once mentioned that he heard a Muzak version of "Badge" by Cream.

[hannnah]

Okay, I'm fairly imaginative and open to some ideas, but what in the F! do you do to involve Belgian waffles in any sort of sexual act?

Just give me a hint, that's all I need....

Waffled for his/her/its pleasure?

[phaelon56]

For me it had to be the time I ate at Yono's in Albany, back in their original location (a gorgeous old townhouse just off the Empire Plaza in downtown). They had an Indonesian and French menu, very uspcale with tuxedoed waiters. Country music playing in the background - go figure.

[phaelon56]

though i can't imagine they would be good for the digestion either--especially adrian belew era crimson; what would king crimson be good mood music for anyway? maybe whale mating?

I think most of King Crimson's music os very good for.... uhhhh.... ingestion. Forget about digestion.

[bilrus]

We've been running this site for well over 2 years, and I marvel every day at the ability of eGulleters to come up with brand new topics.

the success of threads like this one does partially explain the popularity of the non-cooking shows like top 5 etc. on the food network (i think i recall people wondering about that in another thread).

Yeah - except this is entertaining and Bobby Rivers is thankfully nowhere to be seen.

[tryska]

Oh, and then we went to see The Triplets from Belleville at the Sunshine Cinema -- excellent flick.

that's the animated one right?

so it was good?

[SobaAddict70]

Sade's Greatest Hits, while at Diwan.

What's more, the same CD over three different visits...

Soba