Casio VL-1 - Part 1: The Mysterious Demo Melody

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  • Опубліковано 31 бер 2019
  • This is a quite special video. It's only about the origin of the Casio VL-1 Demo Melody. The same Melody was also used for the VL-10, PT-1, PT-10, PT-12, PT-22, EP-10, and is also included in the RO-551 Rom pack. It should be a German folk song called "Unterländers Heimweh", but is this true? I will try to find out where this melody comes from.
    Support this channel and buy a song or album on Bandcamp: keenonkeys.bandcamp.com
    If you want to know more about the VL-1, you should watch the other parts of my small series:
    Part 2: Review
    • Casio VL-1 - Part 2: R...
    Part 3: The Synthesizer
    • Casio VL-1 - Part 3: T...
    Part 4: The Emulations
    • Casio VL-1 - Part 4: T...
    Listen to some music by Keen on Keys on
    Bandcamp: keenonkeys.bandcamp.com
    or Soundcloud: / user-229361059

КОМЕНТАРІ • 235

  • @sub-jec-tiv
    @sub-jec-tiv Рік тому +34

    I love how this video starts as a review of a keyboard and becomes a hard-journalism documentary about the origin of the demo song. 👏👏👏

  • @truthfulrobot9295
    @truthfulrobot9295 4 роки тому +33

    This guys voice is as soothing as a 80s casio piano bass line.

  • @BunnyNg
    @BunnyNg 4 роки тому +82

    Hi~The Demo song original is "Ich bin ein Musikante" but in Japan,they have a little change and named"山の音楽家"(Musician on the hill). Casio use this tone as demo song on many electric keyboard!!!

    • @pmd9801
      @pmd9801 4 роки тому +5

      That's true dude.

    • @joselu90
      @joselu90 4 роки тому +1

      This is a totally diferent lyric for this melody in spain.

    • @OBrasilo
      @OBrasilo 3 роки тому +2

      @@joselu90 What is the Spanish title?

  • @lefrise5
    @lefrise5 4 роки тому +135

    This kind of geekiness is what makes me happy to be alive today.

  • @cheyne15
    @cheyne15 4 роки тому +108

    Nearly 35 years ago I bought one of these for my kids in the hope they'd pick up some musical knowledge. But instead they just kept playing that damn demo tune. Just today my soon to be 40 year old son reminded me of it by leaving a voicemail of him whistling the tune - exactly! Back then I was so exasperating I managed to prise out the rubber 'Auto Play' buttons they couldn't play it. The little tinkers found they could use a pencil tip to press it!! Arrrrgh!!

    • @JL-sm6cg
      @JL-sm6cg 2 роки тому +4

      Welcome to my hell. A classmate of mine in elementary school used to do the EXACT SAME THING. She dragged that thing to school and was ALWAYS playing that song! I swear a few classmates and I wanted to destroy that thing, but she, of course, threatened to make us pay for a new one if we did. That song is, too, permanently burned into my head!

    • @annother3350
      @annother3350 Рік тому +1

      Well you should have bough them a keyboard with actual playable keys!! These key buttons were too small for babies!

    • @jamesderiven1843
      @jamesderiven1843 8 місяців тому +1

      To this day I can send my mother into paroxysms of rage by repeating this song. Mum used to to take the batteries out of the keyboard to stop me playing it.

    • @LordEmilous
      @LordEmilous 4 місяці тому +1

      My dad showed me that keyboard when I was a very small child and I LOVED that song. For some reason it sounded so happy and sad at the same time, it felt amazing. I also constantly played it. I just remembered it out of nowhere today so I tried searching for it on youtube and here I am.

  • @Joryo1
    @Joryo1 Рік тому +11

    I had a VL-1 in the early 80s as a kid. The demo tune will forever be engrained in my brain. The tune really takes me back. Great video.

  • @nilhob
    @nilhob 24 дні тому +2

    Wow this tune brought back childhood memories of my VL-1. I remember every note of this song.

  • @Charley-Mike
    @Charley-Mike 4 роки тому +26

    Very interesting research.
    My VL-1 is long gone, but I haven't forgot this melody for 30 years.

    • @jenniferm6042
      @jenniferm6042 Рік тому +1

      It isn't though... mine is 40+ years old and still going strong! Once upon a time, things were made to last!

    • @haljalykakik2384
      @haljalykakik2384 Місяць тому +1

      I had one as a kid, but it disappeared one year at college (I think an ex-roommate stole it). I found one on ebay recently and bought it. It's still a fun little keyboard

  • @mootbooxle
    @mootbooxle 4 роки тому +49

    “I’ll get you Eh! Steve! if it’s the last thing I doooooo!”

    • @imlxh7126
      @imlxh7126 3 роки тому +5

      I came here to make a Sweet Cuppin Cakes reference but you beat me to it. Getting flashbacks to being in 7th grade, obsessed with Homestar Runner and old synthesizers...wow, I'm almost certain I came across your channel back then too.
      You're my kind of dude.

    • @jaidenronin2236
      @jaidenronin2236 3 роки тому

      a tip : watch series at Kaldrostream. Been using them for watching lots of of movies these days.

    • @keaganyosef3848
      @keaganyosef3848 3 роки тому

      @Jaiden Ronin Definitely, I've been watching on flixzone} for years myself :)

    • @grahamkameron3248
      @grahamkameron3248 3 роки тому

      @Jaiden Ronin Definitely, I've been using Flixzone} for since november myself =)

    • @TooCoolForYoutube35
      @TooCoolForYoutube35 5 місяців тому +2

      Thank you! I'm a Gen Alpha Homestar Runner fan who loves the show! ❤

  • @Khaled.962
    @Khaled.962 3 роки тому +12

    This melody was floating in my head since 1987, and now thanks to you, I solved this mystery :)

  • @donsutube1974
    @donsutube1974 2 роки тому +26

    Fantastic investigative work on identifying the origin of this song. Our family had one of these Casio players years ago. Even today the tune will come out of nowhere from my head to my lips and I will start whistling it for some unknown reason and I never get a note wrong after all these years. Additionally, your video was very nice, you sound like you should be doing voice overs, so calm and pleasing. Great job!

    • @James.Suarez
      @James.Suarez 2 роки тому

      I find myself doing the same thing. So glad to be hearing this again

  • @danbeaudet6718
    @danbeaudet6718 День тому +1

    I bought one when it came out in 1981, from an add in the magazine OMNI. I still have it! I once plugged it in a massive system, with pedals and effects: it sounded massive!!

  • @CRodenbarger
    @CRodenbarger 4 роки тому +20

    This is such a wonderful investigation! My first instrument was the VL-Tone and that was the first song I learned how to play. I live now in Berlin and I’m very tickled to already have one German folk song under my belt.

  • @ominkan3129
    @ominkan3129 2 роки тому +8

    I did not imagine the VL Tone held such history. That was very interesting. The VL Tone was a fantastic first instrument.

  • @jenniferm6042
    @jenniferm6042 Рік тому +3

    My parents bought this keyboard when I was a very small child growing up in Canada in the 80s. Now 40 years later, my children are enjoying it growing up in the Swiss mountains. My 7yo loves the demo! Your deep research into the origin is greatly appreciated!

  • @qix6424
    @qix6424 4 роки тому +6

    Folk music slowly evolves in to children songs over time. A lot of American folk comes from older german and celtics songs. Thanks for the time you took, awesome video.

  • @notsofunnynowisit
    @notsofunnynowisit 5 років тому +11

    Your videos always make my day - bravo on this one! I always wondered where that ubiquitous tune came from! Can't wait for the next!

  • @polymn
    @polymn 2 роки тому +8

    Interesting vid! I am a Japanese but never thought the origin of 山の音楽家 (also had thought it German traditional piece as written in composer column). The ‘modified’ melody has been familiar to us Japanese for a long time. In fact kids would learn it by elementary school’s music book, or Mina No Uta, of course with THE melody! I had wondered why commenters on VL-1’s Demo tune videos did not appreciate it as a German song…but it was quite ‘original’ for them. I love Casio’s invention and believe the tune can be still rocker for owners (as a childhood reminiscence?) . Thanks for uploading and it was huge & great study!

    • @OBrasilo
      @OBrasilo 2 роки тому +1

      Would you happen to know if there's any recording of the Japanese version that doesn't omit the middle part? Because I'm trying to find out how the middle part disappeared in the Japanese version.

    • @polymn
      @polymn 2 роки тому +1

      I think no recording of full version exists in Japan. According to NHK’s official announcement, Hattori arranged song and Kurosawa just made translations (we Japanese are so familiar with the translated lyrics). Wikipedia also says Kurosawa firstly made the translation of 山の音楽家 in Japan. People would not have known the song before 1964. There is no mention if the lyricist later put words on melody or the composer later put melodies on the lyrics, but anyway they perhaps shortened melodies for children to recognize it easier. Resultantly in Japan people believe 山の音楽家 is this melody. Maybe some know it is from a German folk song, but no one would suspect and search more deeply.
      Below is the original (& rare) play of 山の音楽家 by ダークダックス(Dark Ducks), and you know it is the quite same melody with VL keys.
      ua-cam.com/video/B_7pDo4x3c4/v-deo.html

  • @pianokeyjoe
    @pianokeyjoe 3 роки тому +6

    Well my friend, I am revisiting this video because I am in the Casio forums and having an active discussion with some very friendly folks on there about THIS tune and even your video was referenced. One user in particular has done some extensive research all the way from Slovenia about this one demo song. It is funny how these Casios have impacted our lives..

    • @OBrasilo
      @OBrasilo 3 роки тому +1

      That user from Slovenia would be me (yeah, I know my nickname here sounds like Brazil but that's because it's my old one from the mid-2000's). I made two big comments here as I was doing the research before I went to the forum with it, and I'm thinking of also making my own series of videos with the results of my research, but I first need to gather all the information I can to plug in as many gaps as I can.

    • @pianokeyjoe
      @pianokeyjoe 3 роки тому

      @@OBrasilo LOL! OBattler! Hi!

  • @spyromatt
    @spyromatt 4 роки тому +8

    Whatever the demo name, it's genius to pick this as its demo.

  • @DerangedHousewife
    @DerangedHousewife Рік тому +2

    This song has been stuck in my brain for decades LOL what an informative and thorough video - I’m glad you solved the mystery!

  • @mikesmithz
    @mikesmithz 2 місяці тому +2

    Wow...major nostalgia! Thank you for giving me the biggest smile I've had in ages.

  • @Zothiqueness
    @Zothiqueness Рік тому +2

    I was just looking for the song to show my daughter, what a wonderful gem of a video I've found! Thank you for sharing this.

  • @REKHAIYERNFE
    @REKHAIYERNFE 4 роки тому +1

    Love this video so much...We had this Casio in my band way back in my youth! This brings me such happy memories! Thank you so much for your wonderful video & detailed commentary 💟☺💟

  • @psplay
    @psplay 10 місяців тому +1

    Fantastic, really enjoyed this. My first keyboard was the vl10 and the demo tune brings back lots of good memories. Nice to know more about the history of it, thanks for making this.

  • @FeryAndrianus
    @FeryAndrianus 4 роки тому +3

    Wow....I'm so amazed that you've done the research so far... Love your voice by the way 😁

  • @kruegeba
    @kruegeba 2 роки тому

    Nice work. I just found my VL-Tone and was searching about it when I found your video. Thanks for taking the time to research and make the video.

  • @LingTinaTV
    @LingTinaTV 2 роки тому +1

    Thank you so much for making this video! You answered a question I had since I was 2 years old. Thank you.

  • @gerarubiomtz
    @gerarubiomtz 2 роки тому +2

    Brought me great memories back. Thank you.

  • @volttherobot
    @volttherobot 2 роки тому +1

    LOVE this little machine SO much. Thanks for creating this video.

  • @zarrir
    @zarrir 5 років тому +7

    This story is fantastic. Thank you!

  • @TheOrphicCreative
    @TheOrphicCreative 4 роки тому +3

    The re-arrangement of the demo at the end of this video is genius

  • @samuelcheng2u26
    @samuelcheng2u26 5 років тому +2

    I just bought this little Casio VL1 second hand few days ago. No chance to buy it during childhood . Love it 😁❤ searching for 30 years at last i got it. Thanks for the video too🤗

  • @rjfuller1
    @rjfuller1 4 роки тому +1

    My wife and I were mesmerized by this! Thank you very much.

  • @i_never_asked_for_an_alias
    @i_never_asked_for_an_alias 4 роки тому +5

    I don't know why this information makes me happy.

  • @RufusVidS
    @RufusVidS 3 роки тому +2

    I loved my PT-1! (Actually I've had at least 4 over the years, for rehearsing choral music, it was perfect) This video is terrific!

  • @InvertedPopesMusic
    @InvertedPopesMusic 4 роки тому +3

    I have a Casio VLTone original and strange to relate I re-found it only last week in a cupboard and just had to use it. I also wondered where that demo song came from and now I know. Excellent work.

  • @_S.H_
    @_S.H_ 3 роки тому +3

    This melody is rooted deep in my childhood!

  • @jcarlosallo
    @jcarlosallo 4 роки тому +5

    Wow this is so emotional for me.

  • @BoshiYoshi
    @BoshiYoshi Рік тому +2

    Wow! I had the PT-10 as a kid and I was SO obsessed with this song! I used to play it constantly on that little keyboard and even learned the notes for it eventually. Sadly I lost that keyboard over a decade ago when a lot of my items in storage went missing, but that tune has always stuck with me. I guess I never gave much thought as to whether it was a "real" song or just something the people who created the keyboard came up with. Absolutely fascinating. Hearing that tune again put the biggest smile on my face.

  • @Peenutzz
    @Peenutzz Рік тому +1

    I have one of these, used to be my grandpa's. I know this melody all too well. Brings back memories.

  • @Darkfacts2080
    @Darkfacts2080 3 роки тому +2

    This song is the soundtrack of my early years. My dad still have our VL-1 at home and it still works!

  • @techtinkerin
    @techtinkerin Рік тому +2

    You did Casio proud with these 3 videos, excellent!!! 😎❤️👍🎶

  • @EdgeHM
    @EdgeHM 4 роки тому +15

    "Okay, geez! I didn't know you were ahead of us! No need to play the whole demo, man!"

  • @thomaslarson459
    @thomaslarson459 2 роки тому +2

    I always knew at as "Soldier, Solder Won't You Marry Me." My father used to play it on the dulcimer, and I had a caseo p-87 as a child.

  • @arothmanmusic
    @arothmanmusic 3 роки тому +3

    I found my old Concertmate 200 in the attic and bestowed it upon my children. I wholly underestimated how often I would be hearing this song.

  • @cosmosynthesizer
    @cosmosynthesizer 4 роки тому +3

    Hell! What a great investigation. Stunning! And yes, I knew the melody and I knew the 3rd version - we used to sing it in the kindergarten in the early 70ies. Wow. Thanx a lot!! 🤘🏻

    • @OBrasilo
      @OBrasilo 3 роки тому +1

      Interesting, what would the English title be? Would be interesting to see if there's any recordings of it on UA-cam.

  • @user-xn2yf9qy7p
    @user-xn2yf9qy7p 4 роки тому +3

    great research, superb

  • @llittlegreyhound
    @llittlegreyhound 4 роки тому +1

    Your channel is rather excellent sir.

  • @John_Alcier
    @John_Alcier 5 років тому +10

    Oh well that is the tune I always hear when I was a kid

  • @scottwells8064
    @scottwells8064 2 роки тому +3

    After many minutes of Google searches, I found out the lyrics translate to "Only liars and cheats eat grumblecakes, and those folks go to prison."

  • @PraiseTracks
    @PraiseTracks 2 роки тому

    I had a VL1 in high school and was able to program it to emulate the class dismissal tone. Needless to say, those were very interesting times. I wish I still had it today. Thanks for uncovering this mystery.

  • @TheFlaptrapper
    @TheFlaptrapper 2 роки тому +1

    Amazing... Great work hunting this down! Wish I still had mine!... and aslo my unknown casio model with "March of the Toy Soldiers"

  • @jcmurval5040
    @jcmurval5040 Рік тому +1

    I had a flashback to my childhood! , great!

  • @oskarenoksson9626
    @oskarenoksson9626 Рік тому +1

    Amazing! Thanks!

  • @ER-bg9bo
    @ER-bg9bo 2 роки тому +1

    Very interessting, I'm looking for purchasing the ctx 5000 this month for christmas, nice to know such history behind the scene... 👍Greetings from south east germany 😎

  • @tortollhag873
    @tortollhag873 4 роки тому +3

    Very interesting video. In Sweden we have another version of this song called "Vi äro musikanter", (We are musicians". This is sung at christmas or midsummer dances over here. Never knew this had a connection to the casio keybord.

  • @Spacecat2
    @Spacecat2 3 роки тому +2

    When I lived in Japan in the mid 00s, my neighbor had a land line telephone with that song as the ringtone.

  • @MajorSeventh
    @MajorSeventh 3 роки тому

    Holy moly, your research was way above and beyond the call of duty!

  • @Xaintrix
    @Xaintrix 2 роки тому

    Amazing research thank you so much!!

  • @ahootin
    @ahootin 2 місяці тому +1

    It’s easily been over 15 years since I’ve commented on a UA-cam video but I had to sign in. You solved a mystery I randomly have been thinking about for YEARS! This little demo song! I couldn’t find it anywhere and didn’t really know how to search for it. Thank you for this. I can rest easy. 😆🩷

  • @f.d.3289
    @f.d.3289 4 роки тому +1

    Wow... what a great video! The Weltenschule/Warranty Void/Tablehooters guy called Cyberyogi already found out it was based on "Yama no ongakuka" in 2016 (see www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/11993-vl-1german-folk-song-mystery-fake-unterlanders-heimweh/ ), but I still can't believe you dug up the actual melody... so it actually IS a German folk song after all; I thought Casio had for some reason completely messed it up... Also great to be able to listen to all these different versions. Thanks a ton, KoK!

  • @gunner4126
    @gunner4126 3 роки тому

    This takes me back

  • @bebopganymede
    @bebopganymede 5 років тому +12

    Very interesting, keyboard demo detective.

  • @stephanie1733
    @stephanie1733 2 роки тому

    Thank you for this.

  • @AngelVillodre
    @AngelVillodre 4 роки тому +2

    All my life wondering where did the song came from. Thanks a lot for your dedication and this video.

    • @johanndarkk5826
      @johanndarkk5826 4 роки тому

      Its based in Nannerlbook’s music book 55 in F major, de W. A. Mozart

  • @nrdesign1991
    @nrdesign1991 4 роки тому +1

    Wow, that ending sounds great!

  • @totallyfrozen
    @totallyfrozen Рік тому +2

    Your voice is very comfortable to listen to. 👍🏻

  • @courtmetrage
    @courtmetrage 3 роки тому +1

    Great research work

  • @generalerror2938
    @generalerror2938 4 роки тому +3

    This is SO wonderful! The Tablehooters guy had already traced it to the Japanese song a few years ago, but I was sure this is where it would end, forever. In fact I was sure Casio had just made the "German folk song" up for whatever reason. So glad you were able to find the German roots!

  • @samuelcheng2u26
    @samuelcheng2u26 4 роки тому +1

    Watch in 1st day of 2020 . I love this demo song. And me n my bro put in Chinese hokkien worship lyric into it. Thanks for sharing.❤❤❤

  • @Guitarraeficaztutorialesytabs
    @Guitarraeficaztutorialesytabs 3 роки тому +2

    You are AWESOME, I can now die in peace. but not yet.

  • @SD-nf6tl
    @SD-nf6tl Рік тому +1

    Thank you!!

  • @Juanpasaenz
    @Juanpasaenz 2 роки тому

    Badass. Vielen Dank.

  • @Trad-jk5bq
    @Trad-jk5bq 18 днів тому +1

    I live in sweden and we have a holliday caled midsummer when w e dance and sing and stuff. Ons of the Most popular songs is one of the versions of the musician song. It göres "Vi äro musikanter o vi från Skaraborg..."

  • @selectland1
    @selectland1 4 роки тому +1

    Great video.

  • @chrislongisland
    @chrislongisland 2 роки тому +2

    I still have my PT-82 and just played Unterladers Heimweh on World Songs today!!

  • @cetics
    @cetics 4 роки тому +2

    very very good. thanks

  • @GNeuman
    @GNeuman 4 роки тому +3

    I loved my VL Tone....was a very clever piece of electronics for the time.

  • @davidm3569
    @davidm3569 3 роки тому

    Amazing research. I would have never guessed!! 👍😀

  • @felineboy
    @felineboy 24 дні тому

    When I was a kid, I used to take music classes at a Yamaha school. One of the songs we learned to play was precisely the one on the VL-1. We never used that keyboard, though; it was printed in Yamaha music books. I vaguely remember the lyrics, but they indeed had to do with animals playing musical instruments.

  • @sumateratv9755
    @sumateratv9755 4 роки тому +1

    thanks for solving one of mysteries in my life..

  • @mauadachi
    @mauadachi Рік тому

    What a gem!

  • @Nick_Smith1970
    @Nick_Smith1970 4 роки тому +1

    Fantastic. I still have one.

  • @semporna75
    @semporna75 4 роки тому

    MY FIRST KEYBOARD CHILDHOOD.... SO MEMORABLE

  • @U014B
    @U014B 4 роки тому +20

    Why'd they make a boxing-gloved wrestleman's profuse swear-cussing the demo tune? That honestly seems kinda inapropro.

    • @JonathanAuburn
      @JonathanAuburn 9 місяців тому

      "Okay, jeez! I didn't know you were ahead of us! No need to play the whole demo, man!"

  • @mijaba
    @mijaba 4 роки тому

    The first part of that melody was also used in "The twelve days AFTER Christmas". Many choral renditions can be found on youtube. I sang this back in the 1980's when I was in chorus and that is where I remember hearing it.

  • @RaptureMusicOfficial
    @RaptureMusicOfficial 3 роки тому +2

    We had the VL-Tone in the 8i0s as well, when it came out! Great little musical calculator :) I didn't know that there were imitations like the Realisitic Concertmate :)

    • @luigikoopa8771
      @luigikoopa8771 Рік тому

      it's a rebadge for radio shack. it's not a clone. the insides are exactly the same as a casio brand vl-1.

    • @RaptureMusicOfficial
      @RaptureMusicOfficial Рік тому

      @@luigikoopa8771 Ah I see!

  • @possumridgeentertainment4614
    @possumridgeentertainment4614 4 роки тому +3

    I've known the melody of that song my entire life, never knew the title or saw or heard its lyrics, but I always thought it was French.

  • @radimbartosek5356
    @radimbartosek5356 4 роки тому +1

    I used to have PT1 and write my own lyrics on this tune!! Oh boy, it was 30 years ago!! :D

  • @351clevelandmodifiedmotor4
    @351clevelandmodifiedmotor4 Рік тому

    I have a casitone CT 310 ,it was made in 1983, a very basic key board with full size keys and a good sound and a sustain input in the back

  • @andiwidiyantogm
    @andiwidiyantogm 2 роки тому

    Ini mainanku kelas 6 SD tahun 1984… senang sekali bisa nostagia dengan bentuk dan suara nya lagi… terima kasih sudah berbagi dalam video ini..

  • @ElektronicCricket
    @ElektronicCricket 3 роки тому

    Haha, like the final tune at the end.... A little arrangement 👍🏻😄 ... With a few samples and make a song with that ... I think ... I'm going to have a lot of fun !

  • @OBrasilo
    @OBrasilo 3 роки тому +4

    If you look at the ROM's description - under the false "UNTERLANDERS HEIMWEH", there is the correct Japanese title, "Yama no ongakuka" in kanji.
    Edit: Holy mother of God, it *IS* German after all! Very interesting!

  • @MarrsAttax
    @MarrsAttax 2 роки тому

    Thank you

  • @MrSahincene
    @MrSahincene 3 роки тому

    That demo mellody when i was 5 years old.Early 90's damn so emotional.

  • @phunnyfilosophy
    @phunnyfilosophy 4 роки тому +2

    Danced to this repeatedly in a German high-rise apartment. US Army kid. Muppet keyboard. Blue. Star.

  • @JamieShogun1973
    @JamieShogun1973 10 місяців тому

    I’ve not heard this tune for 40 years!

  • @tedmerr
    @tedmerr 3 роки тому +1

    It's also in a musical sound chip that came with a toy baby stroller my sister used to have

  • @ivancarmody7038
    @ivancarmody7038 Рік тому +1

    I was sure this was a German folk song, when I purchased my Casio PT 1, at a music store at Tottenham Court Road.