Friday Ukulinklinks

Some very diverting videos this week: Eddie Thomas & Carl Scott, Lego ukulele and KazooKeyLele.

On the subject of ukulele videos, UkeToob is a new blog and podcast showcasing the best ukulele videos.

Jumping Flea Market looks like it might be the recipient of a few of my hard earned Euros once the online store opens. Only two Euros for ‘Ukulele Huren’? (Except the sign is in Dutch)

A new, free and exceptionally good album from Minor Constellations.

Jonathan Coulton’s Just As Long As Me and The White Stripes’ Offend In Every Way.

Warren Buffett takes to the road with his uke, his son and Akon.

The KoAloha Ukulele Story: A film charting the rise of KoAloha.

Foggy Ruins of Time has an mp3 from and an interview with The Elated Sob Story (”Outta Me is my favourite song of yours…” “That’s a cover song.” Ouch.)

For everyone who was interested (Hi, Lonna) the tracks I quoted on Manha Manha were: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Top Gun Theme, Top Hat by Woody Mann, Have Love, Will Travel, and The Stripper.

If this is your first visit here, you can find the chords/tab in those posts by clicking on the song title in red.

Ukulele Video of the Year 2007: Sweetafton23 - Tom Cruise Crazy

Tom Cruise Crazy (Chords)

Thanks everyone who voted. After a nice, round 200 votes, the winner was Sweetafton23’s cover of Jonathan Coulton’s Tom Cruise Crazy. A very deserving winner (although if Willa had picked up that uke in her version of Re: Your Brains it might have been another story) and very topical. If you enjoyed TCC, watch MyHope - her own song with some definite Coulton influence.

You can go here to Digg Tom Cruise Crazy.

The chords for this version are a little different from the original. The most obvious difference being the ukulele version is in the key of A rather than E. There’s also this nifty little bit that crops up in the intro and at the end of the chorus.

Buy an mp3 of the original

Friday Links

This week, The Guardian ran a story about the ukulele viciously murdering the recorder in schools. It’s run similar stories before but, for some reason, this one took hold and was picked up by BBC TV and radio, The Telegraph and even made it’s way across the Atlantic to the hipsters at Idolator. Kudos goes to Andy McSmith of The Independent for mentioning living people who play the ukulele.

Speaking of the Beeb, they have a sweet little clip of Ukulele Bob discussing meeting his wife and strumming uke. Non-UK folks will have to content themselves with reading Ukulele Bob putting the world to rights about ukes not being small guitars (and Howlin’ Hobbit setting the world to rights about the different sizes of uke).

Jonathan Coulton buys his first ukulele and puts the Doifter out of a job.

Liverpool may have the world’s largest ukulele, but there’s a new contender for world’s tiniest ukulele. You can follow the progress of this ukulele girl and her magnificent hair, and see some fantastic Tiki carvings, on The Leeward Lounge.

Al Gore may be getting the Peace Prize, but it’s ukers who are really saving the environment.

KPFK have a month show called Ukulele Spotlight. Recent guests have included Uke Hunt favourites Janet Klein and the UkuLady.

Gym Class Heroes drummer Matt McGinley on uke.