Tiptoe Redux

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lambchop

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Well, this morning I went up to my favorite video location in downtown Flint and took my trusty video camera and Jake signed ukulele and came recorded a solo instrumental version of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." I've been working on this for about two weeks, off and on, and am hoping to do it live at a show next week. It was kind of fun to forget everything known or thought about the song since its infamous revival in the 60s and try to re-make it as something all my own. I have a number of tweaks and my current effort was the best of many takes but not yet perfect, but the underlying tune, which is very similar to "Making Whopee" (in fact, it's the same chord progression, different melody), is such a concise, wonderful little song I was more than happy to have fun working up this version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXqQjScntHM

The question is, can this song ever be revived?

Lyrics for this song are also very clever and very interesting. I have a vocal version worked out to the basic melody above, but my voice needs a little tweaking before I'll reveal that version.

All the best,
Mike
 
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Very pretty. I think that the more people who play "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" as a serious piece of music, the better the chances are of washing the Tiny Tim version out of people's heads. Please let us know how your version of the song is received in your upcoming live performance.
 
Personally, I was never interested in learning Tiptoe.... until now. Would love to learn your rendition.
 
Very nice! You will now be plagued by requests for tabs... like this one... ;-)
 
Aloha Mike,
That was some sweet melody, I enjoyed it very much.....thanks for sharing....MM Stan..
 
As much as I hate that song, I have to admit, it is only due to the fact that I hated Tim's redition of it, and what he did to it. I was a kid when he did that, so it was the first time I was ever exposed to it. That said, you did awesome, and taken as you did with it, yes, it can be revised. Will Tim's version ever be out of my head? I doubt it short of labodomy, (And I have considered it ;)) But let's hear your version with lyrics, it could only help, ;)

Nice job..
 
really nice Mike...virtuosic in fact...sweet playing...I didn't recognise the "Tiptoe" too much either, but enjoyed your nice picking and strumming. Cheers mate, thanks for the post!
 
eugene ukulele said:
really nice Mike...virtuosic in fact...sweet playing...I didn't recognise the "Tiptoe" too much either, but enjoyed your nice picking and strumming. Cheers mate, thanks for the post!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the really kind words - I really appreciate it. I totally changed the bridge and extended it, so that's different, and it's encased in a totally different head and outro, so the Tiptoe basically only appears in the solo/chord melody lines in the song proper - but I do so appreciate your kind words on the playing. The head of the song actually makes me think of "I got you Babe," but it's not quite that, either. Definitely made this song my own, I guess. Mike
 
Tudorp said:
As much as I hate that song, I have to admit, it is only due to the fact that I hated Tim's redition of it, and what he did to it. I was a kid when he did that, so it was the first time I was ever exposed to it. That said, you did awesome, and taken as you did with it, yes, it can be revised. Will Tim's version ever be out of my head? I doubt it short of labodomy, (And I have considered it ;)) But let's hear your version with lyrics, it could only help, ;)

Nice job..
Click to expand...

Thanks so much. You know, I showed my kids the Tiny Tim version on YouTube last night - I think it was the first one on "Laugh In," and they were just fascinated with it. Moreso than I was when I was a kid, and, yes, I was about 8 or 9 when it came out and remember how wildly successful he was. My son was trying to immitate it this morning (Tim's version, not mine) so it is the sort of thing that will never go out of one's head. I know I am not saying anything new here, but Tiny Tim did have an incredible knowledge of those old songs from the teens and twenties and I have seen him play others on other shows since that time. He was outlandish but I think he really did appreciate those old songs, and I think he just found a way to promote the music and, of course, himself. He was kind of the wild YT act before YouTube was around! Anyway, I just thought it was amazing how my kids, knowing it was silly and crazy, just really were fascinated by it. Mike
 
Tiptoe is a great tune. So many people associate it with Tiny Tim and his stage weirdness. I'll wager most people who do that didn't really see or know TT very well. It's more of a stigma thing.

Your rendition is terrific. I'm not much of a picker and would have a lot of trouble trying to make that version work. But you sure pulled it off.

The Canogahana Players have followed Dominator's lead and we play it at two out of three meetings. It's a great song with interesting chord progressions. http://www.dominator.ukeland.com/Images/tiptoe_dp.mp3
 
Harold O. said:
Tiptoe is a great tune. So many people associate it with Tiny Tim and his stage weirdness. I'll wager most people who do that didn't really see or know TT very well. It's more of a stigma thing.

Your rendition is terrific. I'm not much of a picker and would have a lot of trouble trying to make that version work. But you sure pulled it off.

The Canogahana Players have followed Dominator's lead and we play it at two out of three meetings. It's a great song with interesting chord progressions. http://www.dominator.ukeland.com/Images/tiptoe_dp.mp3
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words, but, more importantly, thanks for the link to your MP3 - I hope others play it as it is a beautiful rendition of the song and the playing is superb! Thanks again, Mike
 
SnakeOiler said:
Love the version. I believe all American Ukulele players are required by law to know a version of this song. We've been doing it for a while. Here's a live rendition...

That was incredible! Loved it. So glad to see a vocal version that makes it totally new, and your drummer rocks! Mike
Click to expand...
 
That was awesome.. All it needed was a little more cow bell!! ;)
 
You just raised the bar on this song. Thanks to the love-it-or-hate-it version made popular some fifty years ago, this is exactly the kind of treatment needed to let us know it's alright to go there once again. Tabs schmabs - let 'em figure it out on their own and add their own style to it in the process! (j/k) :•}
 
ADD said:
Are tabs available? Sure would be nice. Please. Pretty please!
Click to expand...

I am so humbled by your request, but sad to say I don't have them and am not very good at creating them, but I am so, so very flattered you would ask and thanks for making my day!
 
ukecantdothat said:
You just raised the bar on this song. Thanks to the love-it-or-hate-it version made popular some fifty years ago, this is exactly the kind of treatment needed to let us know it's alright to go there once again. Tabs schmabs - let 'em figure it out on their own and add their own style to it in the process! (j/k) :•}
Click to expand...

Thanks for your kind words - I really appreciate this and am honored by your comments. All the best, Mike
 
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