Published by Swiss James on 25 Feb 2009 at 12:45 pm
Ukulele
Walking down Jingling Lu, near(ish) the Bund on Saturday I had a sudden urge to buy a Ukulele.
Don’t know where it came from, but it was overwhelming, like a thirst. I went into a couple of shops before finding a cheeky little yellow number.
The asking price was 240RMB. I didn’t argue, I was in love. Anyway my bargaining power was compromised after I danced around the shop going
“Look at the little strings! And it’s covered in fruit!!”
By the time I got home I’d picked up “Shake Rattle and Roll” (the taxi driver actually turned down his radio to listen) and now I reckon I can play a few songs reasonably well.
This isn’t necessarily one of them:
A note on the video: Youtube is rubbish in China- takes forever to load, so I’ve also put it on a local site called Tudou (”Potato”).
It was pretty easy to do; good old Google Translate eh?
On Tudou
On YouTube.
Yellow Ukulele all covered in fruit
240RMB including bag- from a guitar shop on Jing Ling Lu (proper address to follow)
Nice one James. With that and your DS synthesiser your a totally self-sufficient one man band. When’s your first live gig?
I tried to use the DS to keep time, but it just made me panic and miss even more chord changes.
There will be a secret gig somewhere in Shanghai on Friday- if you give me 500RMB I’ll SMS you the details.
brilliant! *clap, clap, clap*
oh, and it’s a cute little thing! (esp with the pineapples!)
Radiohead on the ukelele is brilliant.
Actually radiohead is brilliant.
Where is the number I can dial to cast my vote?
I’m strangely reminded of this chap…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D68ymfjpw98&annotation_id=annotation_790015&feature=iv
This could be you in a few weeks with a little effort…
Coldplay rocks! and so do U!
Nice to hear old scratchy back in action!
Have you learn’t “when I’m cleaning windo’s” yet?
Wonderful performance. Your “no surprise” show is really make me surprised. You are a guy loving music, loving life.
The Ukulele master
http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XNjUwMTUxMDg=/v.swf
Does your neighbors still love ya?
I have this guy next door to me that plays the Er Hu everyday in the morning. I think you and him can get together for a jamming session!
BTW that’s much much better than smelly cat too!
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
And I love how pleased you look with yourself at the end. Bless.
Good work mate – it’s a cracker! Can we expect more uke covers on Ispy? Can I suggest Back in Black for the next one?
WOW, you are my English Idol
Back in Black, When I’m Cleaning Windows – got it
Swiss it looks like you’re itching for another rock band night, we’ll gave to get on to ‘john’ about it
I’m on it.
Nice! Now I’m looking forward to hearing a version of Idioteque using one of those recorder things they sell at temples that can do about three notes.
That was fun buddy, since you’re taking requests, how about some Zeppelin.
[...] Emma finds these little Ukulele videos horribly embarrassing you know- she refused to watch the Radiohead one (although to be fair she was sat 5m away when I made it, so why would she bother?) and curled up [...]