Halleluhwah
Encyclopedia
"Halleluhwah" is a song by the krautrock
band Can
, on their 1971 album Tago Mago
. The track, which originally took up a whole side of long-playing vinyl, lasts for 18 minutes and 28 seconds and is characteristic of the band's sound around 1971 in that it features a vast array of improvised guitars and keyboards, tape editing, and the rhythm section "pounding out a monster trance
/funk
beat". The drum beat for which the song is famous is repeated almost continuously by Jaki Liebezeit
, with only minor variations, throughout the course of the 18-minute jam. In one line of the song, Damo Suzuki
's lyrics mention all the songs from side one of Tago Mago: "mushroom head
, oh yeah, paper house."
A much shorter version of the song also appeared as the B-side to the band's 1971 single "Turtles Have Short Legs", and a different shortened version later saw release on Can's compilation album Cannibalism
. The original U.K. pressing of Tago Mago misprinted the song's title as "Hallelujah" both on the LP's center label and on the back flap of the album jacket.
On vocalist Damo Suzuki
's 1998 solo album V.E.R.N.I.S.S.A.G.E, a version of this song is performed along with "Mushroom
", also from Tago Mago. His band at the time featured Jaki Liebezeit
on drums.
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
band Can
Can (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...
, on their 1971 album Tago Mago
Tago Mago
Tago Mago is the third studio album by the German experimental rock band Can, and was originally released as a double LP in 1971 by United Artists...
. The track, which originally took up a whole side of long-playing vinyl, lasts for 18 minutes and 28 seconds and is characteristic of the band's sound around 1971 in that it features a vast array of improvised guitars and keyboards, tape editing, and the rhythm section "pounding out a monster trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
/funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
beat". The drum beat for which the song is famous is repeated almost continuously by Jaki Liebezeit
Jaki Liebezeit
Jaki Liebezeit is a drummer probably best known as a founding member of Can who has been called "one of the few drummers to convincingly meld the funky and the cerebral"....
, with only minor variations, throughout the course of the 18-minute jam. In one line of the song, Damo Suzuki
Damo Suzuki
, universally known as Damo Suzuki , is a singer best known for his membership in the German krautrock group Can.-Biography:As a teenager, Suzuki spent the late 1960s wandering around Europe, often busking....
's lyrics mention all the songs from side one of Tago Mago: "mushroom head
Mushroom (song)
"Mushroom" is a song by the krautrock band Can, on their 1971 album Tago Mago. The track lasts for 4 minutes and 8 seconds, which is relatively short by Can's standards. A video was made for the track which has been shown on MTV....
, oh yeah, paper house."
A much shorter version of the song also appeared as the B-side to the band's 1971 single "Turtles Have Short Legs", and a different shortened version later saw release on Can's compilation album Cannibalism
Cannibalism (album)
Cannibalism is a compilation double album by Krautrock artists Can which was released in 1978.-Side A:# "Father Cannot Yell" – 7:05# "Soul Desert" – 3:30# "Soup" – 3:03# "Mother Sky" – 6:41-Side B:# "She Brings the Rain" – 4:07...
. The original U.K. pressing of Tago Mago misprinted the song's title as "Hallelujah" both on the LP's center label and on the back flap of the album jacket.
On vocalist Damo Suzuki
Damo Suzuki
, universally known as Damo Suzuki , is a singer best known for his membership in the German krautrock group Can.-Biography:As a teenager, Suzuki spent the late 1960s wandering around Europe, often busking....
's 1998 solo album V.E.R.N.I.S.S.A.G.E, a version of this song is performed along with "Mushroom
Mushroom (song)
"Mushroom" is a song by the krautrock band Can, on their 1971 album Tago Mago. The track lasts for 4 minutes and 8 seconds, which is relatively short by Can's standards. A video was made for the track which has been shown on MTV....
", also from Tago Mago. His band at the time featured Jaki Liebezeit
Jaki Liebezeit
Jaki Liebezeit is a drummer probably best known as a founding member of Can who has been called "one of the few drummers to convincingly meld the funky and the cerebral"....
on drums.