Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Daisy, Daisy- First Song Sung By A Computer

Quick...I must type this post before my eyes give out!

Remember the song the  HAL computer sang in the movie, "2001, A Space Odyssey"?  The song was "Daisy Bell" but most people know it as "Daisy, Daisy".

"Daisy, Daisy...give me your answer do...
I'm half crazy all for the love of you.
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford a carriage.
But you'll look sweet
Upon the seat of a bicycle built for two!"

Daisybell.jpg

In 1961, the IBM 7094 was programed to sing "Daisy Bell" which was the first demonstration of computer speech synthesis.  Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke was one of those in attendance. 

I thought it was interesting to know that Arthur C. Clarke was there to hear a computer "sing" a song for the first time.  As a nod to this, he had his HAL 9000 sing the same song in his book and movie, "2001: A Space Odyssey".  See the things you learn from me?  What, you all knew this?  You should tell me these things!


Have A Nice Daisy!


24 comments:

  1. I didn't know this, Kay - and if it will ever come up at the pub quiz, I am sure not many - if any - other people will know it! Therefore, if that question makes my team win, it'll all be thanks to you and your blog :-)

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    1. Ha, let me know...I only wish I could join in your celebration of whatever yuo receive as your prize!
      I am pretty good at trivia games, as long as I don't feel too pressured for time.

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  2. I thought it was cool that HAL was built at my kids' alma mater, University of Illinois at Urbana.

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    1. Interesting! And I just looked at a photo of the University of Illionois...and one of the buildings there reminds me of a space ship! :-)

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  3. Well I never! See, I always find out new things when I come to your blog!!! xx

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    1. Amy, my vast knowledge of wildflowers and movie trivia are here for the world! :-)

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  4. Very interesting for sure and I love the daisies that are pictured too!

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    1. That is a photo that I took of the daisies in my own front yard taken in May, when they bloom here.

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  5. It's a song that is remarkably creepy when sang by a computer. Still cool though. I find myself singing it on occasion, even to people not called Daisy.

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    1. I totally agree, it is creepy! It makes me wonder....when everyone else at the computer demonstration were undoubtedly patting themselves on the back, did Arthur C. Clarke say to himself, "That's the creepiest thing I ever heard... I will write a story about a computer having a meltdown and that is the song it will sing!"
      It is an easy song to sing. We shouldn't only think of creepy HAL singing it!

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  6. No, i didn't know that, although i knew HAL sang that, i didn't know where the author got the idea. And i always liked the second "unoffical" verse my aunt taught me to that song.

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    1. Your second verse might be the one they tell us about on Wikipedia, but I am not sure. :-)

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  7. I did not see the movie, alas. But Daisy, Daisy has been a favorite to sing for years and years.

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    1. Oh, you should see the movie. And make sure you see the beginning with the music, Also Sprach Zarathustra. The images with the music...incredible movie-making.

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    1. I think you mean "fount of knowledge".
      Yes, I am sure that is what you meant. HA!

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  9. I did not know that! And I must be the only person in the universe who hasn't seen "2001 - A Space Odyssey"! Throughout the years I've intended watching it, but somehow have never gotten around to doing so. I will one of these days...I promise!

    Every time I think of computers in line with music I think of "Electric Dreams"...both the song and the movie...I love both! Both never fail to make me smile. :) See...I smiled! :)

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    1. And I have never seen "Electric Dreams"!
      I remember that they re-released "2001: A Space Odyssey" in the theatres there for... wait for it...in 2001. That is the neat kind of thing that is thought of in Great Britain!

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  10. Hi Kay

    More trivia for you: if you move forward one letter from HAL, you get....IBM! Spooky huh?

    Tell your husband to write to me sometime,


    Dave

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    1. Hey Dave!
      Yes, I read that Arthur C. Clarke heard that fans told him this but he SAID that it was unintended since IBM was such a help to him. Who knows, just one of those little things that amuse folks!
      I will tell R. to write. Now, will he listen? :-)
      Take care in lovely Burwash! Say hey to the "Walking Dead" fan! :-)

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  11. I didn't know the song was called Daisy Bell! I think of it every time I see daisies though. x

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    1. I thought of this song this week because my cousin Chris and his wife had a baby, and I remember Chris singing it when he was a little boy!

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  12. Didn't know that. My Dad took me to see 2001 when I was in my teens and I remember that bit. I used to like a lot of science fiction at that age. Arthur C Clarke, Asimov,.Heinlein, John Wyndham, Andre Norton and Philip Jose Farmer. Many of their predictions have happened.Still have all the books.

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    1. Hey Bob!
      I didn't know it either, I just looked up this song this past week because my little cousin who used to sing it as a little boy had a baby this week (well, his wife did, anyway! ha ha) When I found it out, I had to let my blogging friends know, like you! I also used to read a lot of science fiction when I was in high school. I liked Ray Bradbury a lot.

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