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I often talk about ways that technology changes us as individuals, as a society—but do I really put the concepts and theories to the test? I have been critical of the internet mob in the past, but still believe strongly that the internet unites humanity in a way that makes us stronger, more capable than we would be alone, and that we are better off with technology than without.
Here's a chance to see if I'm right.
We have a "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" emergency.
We have a "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" emergency.
Can anyone identify this singer?
Click here to listen to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," as sung by the magical-mystery-holiday-song artist.
Here's the back story:
- In 2007, fellow professional writer Kim Fernandez received a holiday music mix CD from her friend.
- The friend's computer crashed last year, erasing all record of the original artist.
- Fernandez solicited help from a private social network of writers. I decided to bring the search to the crowd.
This is also a unique situation, because our new, powerful tools of search still do not extend far into the realm of audio. Shazam, the popular smartphone-based music discovery engine that analyzes music and identifies the artist, fails to work with this song. For this situation, the network can only help us pass information faster—we are otherwise forced to rely on our own minds to find the answer.
I feel very awkward about playing this entire song without prior permission from the record label (assuming there is one) or the artist—therefore, I'm asking for your help by turning this into a little contest that will benefit the artist.
The first person to correctly identify the singer and/or album will receive one copy of the original album that first featured this song OR one album from the original artist. The winner can choose their preferred media format—CD or digital. The prize will be delivered before January 31. If possible, the money will go directly to the artist instead of through a retailer.
(NOTE: This contest has no direct affiliation with nor endorsement from Psychology Today nor Sussex Publishers. I'm doing this all by myself.)
Close matches don't count. We need to identify the actual recording!
I'm leading this search on two different blogs, here at You 2.0 and at Blog Salad, my personal blog. If you'd like to see what other guesses are going round, you may want to visit the comments area of the Blog Salad post.
Click the "Join the discussion here!" link below and leave your answer. Sorry, anonymous commenters are not eligible for the contest—but your contribution to the search will still be greatly appreciated.
Find me on Twitter: @rondoylewrites
Check out my Blog Salad, my humor blog about design, technology and general geekiness: BlogSaladBlog.com
Copyright Ron S. Doyle.
