Songs from the Womb

[Land Waster]

I was in gestation from February- March 1972 and Bowie's 'Starman' is my favourite song from that period. I wish I had've been born humming it, but my parents could never have been Bowie fans. Perhaps Mouldy Old Dough by Lieutenant Pigeon would've been more to their taste.

There are plenty of documented cases where unborn children have been exposed to songs in the womb which have later turned out to be favourites.

Er... the theme tune to Neighbours, anyone?

So what are your favourite songs from your gestation?

[G-Man]

Songs from the Womb

I'll narrow it down to the notion that my mother and sisters plausible listened to the music on the radio or on record, and which I therefore might have heard in the womb.

One of the biggest hits the week after I was conceived was France Gall's Poupée de cire, poupée de son, and it was a hit for a long time, as it was in Germany, where a song could reside in the Top 20 for months. So it is quite plausible that the G-Foetus was grooving to that.

My mother had the single of Gilbert Bècaud's "Nathalie", which was a hit while she was 3-4 months pregnant with me, and which she would have played periodically during my gestation.

After the sixth month of my gestation, I definitely would have heard the great Marmor Stein und Eisen bricht by Drafi Deutscher, 17 Jahr blondes Haar by Udo Jürgens, and "Yesterday's Man" by Chris Andrews.

I know my older sister who was 14 at the time was a Beatles fan, but probably only had the singles. That could have included "Help", "Yesterday" (released on single in Germany), "Michelle" or "We Can Work It Out".

Other big hits in Germany at the time included Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone", the Stones' "Satisfaction", "Get Off Of My Cloud" and "19th Nervous Breakdown" (the latter was #1 on the day I was born), Sonny & Cher 's "I Got You Babe", The Byrds' "Mr Tambourine Man" and "Turn Turn Turn", The Who's "My Generation", Spencer Davis Group's "Keep On Running", Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds Of Silence"...

[Bored Of Education]

Songs from the Womb

Of course, there is loads of evidence of the effect that the sound of the mother's voice in utero, as it were, has on speech development on babies so it is reasonable to think that a oft-repeated song or artist would have an effect.

As it goes, the three Elvis singles that were in the UK charts during my gestation I am completely unfamiliar with - Frankie and Johnny, Love Letters, All that I am, If Every Day Was Like Christmas.

Having said that, the Supremes songs at the time were You can't hurry love (although I am not sure that I knew before the Phil Collins cover, I am honest) and the amazing "You keep me hanging on" so there may be that.

[Incandenza]

Songs from the Womb

Hmm...I'll have to think about this. I first thought of Wire, but Chairs Missing and 154 were just before my conception and just after my birth. The Fall's Live At the Witch Trials come out while I was in utero.

Some others:
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Squeeze came out with "Up the Junction"
B-52's released "Rock Lobster" just before I was born.

[Bored Of Education]

Songs from the Womb

Hate you.

[Fussbudget]

Songs from the Womb

This is one of those threads that are a roundabout way of asking people's ages, isn't it? Reading it is like playing those 'guess the year' radio shows. Anyway, a few favourites :

The Wedding Present - Go Out and Get 'Em Boy
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Never Understand
New Order - The Perfect Kiss
Microdisney - Birthday Girl
Julian Cope - Sunspots

There is absolutely no way my mum would have heard any of those though.

[Bored Of Education]

Songs from the Womb

Hate you as well.

[3 Colours Red]

Songs from the Womb

J. Geils Band - Centerfold
ABC - The Look Of Love
Madness - House Of Fun
The Jam - A Town Called Malice
Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes

Problem is, most of my favourite songs from 1982 seem to have been released (at least over here as singles) after August. Those are the only ones I'm sure were released in that nine-month period.

Although there can be absolutely no doubt that my mam will have been listening to Rod Stewart. If no other music existed but his, she'd be happy.

[Bored Of Education]

Songs from the Womb

Well, the issue is that, of course, our mothers could have been listening to old stuff on record which would have predated the contemporaneous music on the radio.

[3 Colours Red]

Songs from the Womb

Precisely - mam was only 19 when she had me and you'd think you were still experimenting with your tastes at that age but no, she's always been narrow-minded and as stubborn as a mule.

[Jah Womble]

Songs from the Womb

Your mam was listening to the charts, basically.

(Jesus wept, she's younger than I am!)

[3 Colours Red]

Songs from the Womb

Jah Womble wrote: Your mam was listening to the charts, basically.

Nah, even in the 80s it will have been the 70s stuff.

[Jah Womble]

Songs from the Womb

Ah, the 'this' refers to Rod Stewart - apologies.

(So where would she have stood on Young Turks, Baby Jane, etc?)

[Satchmo Distel]

Songs from the Womb

Disco imitates the mother's heartbeat so I could imagine Rod's disco stuff being OK in that context.

Harmony is more difficult to translate to the womb experience yet we know that babies are calmed by Mozart. Maybe it's the actual tones of the mother's voice that classical captures, or conveyed by a really sweet-voiced pop singer like Doris Day or a young Olivia Newton-John?

I would imagine some who was exposed to Karen Carpenter in the womb would have a lifelong yearning for that kind of voice and harmony.

[3 Colours Red]

Songs from the Womb

Jah Womble wrote: Ah, the 'this' refers to Rod Stewart - apologies.

(So where would she have stood on Young Turks, Baby Jane, etc?)

She'll probably have waited till the 90s, her tastes have always been a decade behind.

[Satchmo Distel]

Songs from the Womb

Young Turks sounds like the backing track has been absurdly speeded up and Rod's vocal sounds like its trying to keep up with a runaway train.

Also, checking the video, there seems to be some Dire Straits style noodling on there, like a curious blend of disco and Straits-lite.

[Disco Child Ballads]

Songs from the Womb

My mum went to see a production of A Little Night Music while pregnant with me so that may explain my later love of Sondheim.

[Gangster Octopus]

Songs from the Womb

I'd sue her...

[Tramp The Dirt Down]

Songs from the Womb

So you were Sondheimised (stolen from Cam in Modern Family)

[treibeis]

Songs from the Womb

I was conceived at a time when Strangers In The Night was all the go.

While I was in the womb, Puppet On A String would have been played quite a lot.

[IronSeaPower]

Songs from the Womb

Conceived - almost certainly Traveling Light by Cliff Richard and the Shadows.

During gestation, tunes that I like were Cathy's Clown and Three Steps to Heaven.

On calving, it was Cliff again, Please don't Tease.

I'm getting on a bit.