Coincidence?

[WVK]

So last Saturday I had a song pop into my head while surfing on the IPad. It was from a CD I had purchased many years ago and haven’t played in years. It was called “Everybody knows” by an obscure band The Washington squares. Found it on YouTube and gave it a listen.  So Sunday I’m out running errands with the wife we stop at a grocery store. I stay in the car while she runs in.  I turn on the radio  to a listener sponsored station that plays obscure music and, you guessed it, they were playing that song albeit by a different group.  What are the odds?

[Piney]

It's a demonic curse meant to get the song stuck in your head.

[pellinore]

Someone I worked with for about 3 years 25 years ago, and got on with very well (platonic), rang my old workplace a few months ago to ask for a reference for a new job in the same field we had worked in (a character refence ofc as it had been such a long time). I am retired so it was all a bit circuitous. 

A few weeks prior to her call, I had started thinking about her and feeling I should contact her. I tried to look her up on SM without any luck without knowing why I was doing it.

Her contacting me was so out of the blue, and yet so expected. We had a great catch-up, but it was so strange that I had never thought about her once in 25 years until she had started racking her brains as to who she could contact for a reference.

 

 

Edited May 29 by pellinore

[Occupational Hubris]

Frequency illusion 

[WVK]

1 hour ago, Piney said:

It's a demonic curse meant to get the song stuck in your head.

Or it proves we’re living in a simulation an they/it are screwing with us.

[Kenemet]

5 hours ago, WVK said:

So last Saturday I had a song pop into my head while surfing on the IPad. It was from a CD I had purchased many years ago and haven’t played in years. It was called “Everybody knows” by an obscure band The Washington squares. Found it on YouTube and gave it a listen.  So Sunday I’m out running errands with the wife we stop at a grocery store. I stay in the car while she runs in.  I turn on the radio  to a listener sponsored station that plays obscure music and, you guessed it, they were playing that song albeit by a different group.  What are the odds?

The odds are 100%

There are bazillions of songs on the radio/youtube, and all of them are curated in some form (you don't get rap on a 40's station, for instance.)  At any given moment, quite a few of them are being played and most often in a thematic playlist.  You listen to stations you like, which means you're listening to curated soundtracks from people who like the same kinds of music that you do.  That playlist will generally be a few thousand songs.

It would not be unusual for you to name a random song and tune to one of those stations and find it happening.  How rare an occurrence that would be depends on how many songs you know and how many they have and how often they play them.

Now, if you listen to rap music and suddenly the radio (legit, without someone taking over the station) decides to play Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love" in Spanish... THAT would be freaky-weird (and by the way, here's the song in Mostly Spanish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLjk6zC0JV8)

 

Edited May 30 by Kenemet

[XenoFish]

The spyware is listening.

[WVK]

23 minutes ago, Kenemet said:

The odds are 100%

There are bazillions of songs on the radio/youtube, and all of them are curated in some form (you don't get rap on a 40's station, for instance.)  At any given moment, quite a few of them are being played and most often in a thematic playlist.  You listen to stations you like, which means you're listening to curated soundtracks from people who like the same kinds of music that you do.  That playlist will generally be a few thousand songs.

It would not be unusual for you to name a random song and tune to one of those stations and find it happening.  How rare an occurrence that would be depends on how many songs you know and how many they have and how often they play them.

Now, if you listen to mariachi music and suddenly the radio (legit, without someone taking over the station) decides to play Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love"... THAT would be fraaky-weird (and by the way, here's the song in Mostly Spanish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLjk6zC0JV8) It's not impossible for a mariachi band to figure out how to do that, but it'd be freaky-weird.

 

It was KPFT (Pacifica) which plays Blues on Sunday. I don’t think they use playlists, I’ve never noticed the same sone repeated. Furthermore the song is not a blues tune The version of the Leonard Cohen song they played is not listed here (obscure)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Knows_(Leonard_Cohen_song)

The cover played was not a blues version. Less than 100%, way less

[Kenemet]

24 minutes ago, WVK said:

It was KPFT (Pacifica) which plays Blues on Sunday. I don’t think they use playlists, I’ve never noticed the same sone repeated. Furthermore the song is not a blues tune The version of the Leonard Cohen song they played is not listed here (obscure)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Knows_(Leonard_Cohen_song)

The cover played was not a blues version. Less than 100%, way less

There will be some sort of curation... they're playing Blues, so they're not playing Classical or Rap or Hip Hop or Disco.  And the Leonard Cohen example was just an example to show that in curated spaces, 100% coincidences are more common than you'd think.

[Alchopwn]

10 hours ago, WVK said:

So last Saturday I had a song pop into my head while surfing on the IPad. It was from a CD I had purchased many years ago and haven’t played in years. It was called “Everybody knows” by an obscure band The Washington squares. Found it on YouTube and gave it a listen.  So Sunday I’m out running errands with the wife we stop at a grocery store. I stay in the car while she runs in.  I turn on the radio  to a listener sponsored station that plays obscure music and, you guessed it, they were playing that song albeit by a different group.  What are the odds?

And if you hadn't been paying attention to the band, you would never have noticed what was playing, and it wouldn't be a coincidence.  But seriously what are the odds that a radio show that plays obscure music that you like would be playing an obscure band's song you like WVK?  More importantly, if this was an important synchronicity, what sublime insight into your destiny did this event provide you?

Edited May 30 by Alchopwn

[the13bats]

I've had a career in club. Music, band DJ business all my life and can assure you very odd musical coincidences happen a lot and some people do read more into it than is really there, my thing is alternative music and Leonard Cohen is very much covered so the fact you heard a different cover of a song that was a cult classic isn't really a shock to me, who was the obscure artist That was played on an obscure station?

I was guest on a sun radio show years back where we actually DJed and had no set list but this was a special show that after many years was of course cancelled, but we played a lot of non radio music, seems your obscure show might be like that, Sunday isn't drive time.
Also I beg to differ. Any song with a line about a fellow picking cotton is blues, it might be rewrapped as rock or whatever but it's a blues song.

Around 90 concrete blonde covered the tune and made it mainstream like Bowie did with Iggy pops china girl, it's not obscure in my opinion, but don't listen to me my boss said Eurythmics love is a stranger is too obscure.
The radio stations here are horrible a very small list of songs repeated ad nauseum, and the station that plays 80s and classic hits is very predictable, Fri sat I drive home about 30 miles from the club and most times after spinning no breaks 6 plus hours I'm done with music but a few times I flip on that classic hits channel thinking of this or that tune and it comes on, woohoo, but that's within a narrow margin, I could name countless artists that simply will not be on that channel.
All tired maybe a bit down I'll fit a song into my moodset,

I think a far bigger coincidence would be if a radio station played some original by the Washington squares that happens to be a non single non hit but one you like.

 

 

 

[WVK]

5 hours ago, Alchopwn said:

And if you hadn't been paying attention to the band, you would never have noticed what was playing, and it wouldn't be a coincidence.  But seriously what are the odds that a radio show that plays obscure music that you like would be playing an obscure band's song you like WVK?  More importantly, if this was an important synchronicity, what sublime insight into your destiny did this event provide you?

See #5

[Antigonos]

14 hours ago, Piney said:

It's a demonic curse meant to get the song stuck in your head.

Don’t tell Read, she’ll go ape****.

[Kenemet]

@the13bats - career in a club?  Oh, that sounds interesting!

[the13bats]

3 hours ago, Kenemet said:

@the13bats - career in a club?  Oh, that sounds interesting!

 

13 hours ago, the13bats said:

I've had a career in club. Music, band DJ business

Yeah, well clubs, I've worked many, in the early 80s I was into punk and booking punk bands as trends changed break dancing died etc and wave alternative came in we were booking all the one hit wonders, my specialty was is dark side of the dial, goth industrial etc.
I would open for bands as a DJ,  time flashed by too fast.
Now I am lucky and have a two night DJ residency at a small club.

[the13bats]

8 hours ago, WVK said:

See #5

 

21 hours ago, WVK said:

Or it proves we’re living in a simulation an they/it are screwing with us.

We're you kidding or think like that?

Who really knows right? I would hope there wouldnt be glitches but I guess nothing's perfect, I know at times I have been having a downer depressed and a song comes on seemingly out of the blue that I sure would like to subscribe more to that coincidence,

The whole idea gets a bit too tangent universe Donny Darko for my weird brain.

[WVK]

On 5/30/2024 at 4:20 PM, the13bats said:

We're you kidding or think like that?

I was joking however it happened again! Wife and I square dance Saturday nights, one of the moves, Do-si-do is a dance move in squaredancing where two partners who are facing each other go around each other before returning to their starting positions. This move is common and called numerous times during the evening.

Switched on NPR on the way home which had a program discussing the Three Body Problem:

In simple terms, a three-body problem exists when three celestial objects (planets, stars, or suns) with similar mass are in close proximity and therefore exerting force on each other. Normally when two objects exert force on each other, it's easier to predict the objects' rotation.

they referred to this movement as objects as Do-si-doing a rounding one another. 

[+joc]

1 hour ago, WVK said:

I was joking however it happened again! Wife and I square dance Saturday nights, one of the moves, Do-si-do is a dance move in squaredancing where two partners who are facing each other go around each other before returning to their starting positions. This move is common and called numerous times during the evening.

Switched on NPR on the way home which had a program discussing the Three Body Problem:

In simple terms, a three-body problem exists when three celestial objects (planets, stars, or suns) with similar mass are in close proximity and therefore exerting force on each other. Normally when two objects exert force on each other, it's easier to predict the objects' rotation.

they referred to this movement as objects as Do-si-doing a rounding one another. 

A lot of people see such things as 'a sign'.  Hey, I was one of those people once.  When it was all about the 4s.  And then the weekend I recorded 57 Chevy with Rod Foster and watched the movie Misery.  The following Monday I pulled up to a red light and directly in front of me was a Black 57 Chevy with a personalized license plate that read MISERY.  These things seem special to us, but in reality, everyone experiences them all the time.

Edited June 2 by joc

[WVK]

2 hours ago, WVK said:

I was joking however it happened again! Wife and I square dance Saturday nights, one of the moves, Do-si-do is a dance move in squaredancing where two partners who are facing each other go around each other before returning to their starting positions. This move is common and called numerous times during the evening.

Switched on NPR on the way home which had a program discussing the Three Body Problem:

In simple terms, a three-body problem exists when three celestial objects (planets, stars, or suns) with similar mass are in close proximity and therefore exerting force on each other. Normally when two objects exert force on each other, it's easier to predict the objects' rotation.

they referred to this movement as objects as Do-si-doing a rounding one another. 

The program was called “Radiolab”.

[WVK]

On 5/29/2024 at 9:22 PM, Kenemet said:

There will be some sort of curation... they're playing Blues, so they're not playing Classical or Rap or Hip Hop or Disco.  And the Leonard Cohen example was just an example to show that in curated spaces, 100% coincidences are more common than you'd think.

Would it be statistically significant to know how many times they played any version of  “Everybody knows” ? The station is KPFT in Houston:

https://kpft.org

[the13bats]

2 hours ago, joc said:

A lot of people see such things as 'a sign'.  Hey, I was one of those people once.  When it was all about the 4s.  And then the weekend I recorded 57 Chevy with Rod Foster and watched the movie Misery.  The following Monday I pulled up to a red light and directly in front of me was a Black 57 Chevy with a personalized license plate that read MISERY.  These things seem special to us, but in reality, everyone experiences them all the time.

Whew! Long work weekend train wreck tired but it was good,

Here's you one, around Thursday Tina says wonder what happened to so in so haven seen him at the club in a long time hope he's okay.

Well he hadn't been in likely close to a year and he wasnt looking well, my wife didn't go Friday but a cat comes up to the booth asks where's my fav lady?
I didn't recognize him right away but it was my wife's friend looking great he had hit bottom been in grey bar and got all cleaned up got his life on track.

I did think it weird coincidence but my wife doesn't, not in the least, she went sat and he was there and they got caught up.

And being a DJ music weirdness for me is near constantly.

[the13bats]

1 hour ago, WVK said:

Would it be statistically significant to know how many times they played any version of  “Everybody knows” ? The station is KPFT in Houston:

https://kpft.org

Leonard cohen is simply too big in inspiration to other musicians i can't tell you how many people love covers of his stuff with no clue it's a cover,

DJs some that is love to see just how obscure they can get at times, radio is captive format very open and forgiving there is no floor to worry about clearing.

Who did the cover you heard?

[WVK]

23 hours ago, the13bats said:

Who did the cover you heard?

Don’t know, it wasn’t in the Wikipedia list. I just chalked it up  both experiences as curious. There may be something going on but whatever it is I’m not privy to it.

[the13bats]

2 hours ago, WVK said:

Don’t know, it wasn’t in the Wikipedia list. I just chalked it up  both experiences as curious. There may be something going on but whatever it is I’m not privy to it.

That is interesting it didn't make the covers list you saw like I say lenard Cohen is very popular on many levels.

Look at read em and weep written for meatloaf by Jim steinmen it wasn't a hit for meat then Barry manilow revamped it a bit in ,83 huge hit for him.
It was a bit surprising to me how many cover tunes are very popular and listeners have no idea it's a cover, for example the cramps goo goo muck made a huge comeback at the club ( bigger than ever )  because it was used in the Wednesday series, yet no one dancng knew it's a cover of Ronnie cook and the gaylads from 62 and was a huge fail at the time.

Coincidence had another today, I used lots of various incense scents both home and work a certain brand, my friend gets me big boxes wholesale about every six months, his supplier was out of my fav scent, ( only medium popular ) now my friend a great guy has way too much on his plate and isn't thinking about my incense and just got me a bunch a couple weeks ago, i wake to a message that his supplyer came over with a box of my fav scent, it's a bit odd since it's all a wholesale idea they don't think about pushing the sale of one box and like I said with his life right now it sure wasn't on my buddy's mind,
Last night before crashing I was going to pester him to check if they had this fav scent back in stock I didn't pester him about it because I know he's at wreck right now, it was the seller who came to him with it.