Cuckoo clock

A cuckoo clock is a typically pendulum-regulated clock that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo's call and has an automaton cuckoo bird that moves with each note. Some move their wings, open/close the beak while leaning forward, whereas others only the bird's body is leaned forward. The mechanism to produce the cuckoo call has been in use since the middle of the 18th century and has remained almost without variation until the present.

It is unknown who invented it and where the first one was made. It is thought that much of its development and evolution was made in the Black Forest area in southwestern Germany (State of Baden-Württemberg), the region where the cuckoo clock was popularized. The cuckoo clocks were exported to the rest of the world from the mid 1850s on. Today, the cuckoo clock is one of the favourite souvenirs of travelers in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It has become a cultural icon of Germany.

Characteristics

The design of a cuckoo clock is now conventional. Most are made in the "traditional style" (also known as "carved") or "chalet" to hang on a wall. In the "traditional style" the wooden case is decorated with carved leaves and animals. They have an automaton of the bird that appears through a small trap door while the clock is striking. The bird is often made to move as the clock strikes, typically by means of an arm that lifts the back of the carving.

Cuckoo Clock (song)

"Cuckoo Clock" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari. The song was written about the myna bird of Brian's father Murry Wilson.

Composition

"Cuckoo Clock" relates the story of a teenage couple who is trying to spend time together. When things start to get romantic, however, they are interrupted by a cuckoo clock. In the final verse, the teenage boy dismantles the clock so they will not be bothered again. The song is in basic verse-chorus-bridge form. The organ solo in the bridge points the way towards future Beach Boys songs.

Recording

"Cuckoo Clock" was recorded on September 6, 1962, at the last Surfin' Safari session. While Nik Venet is officially credited as producer, some of the participants claim that Brian Wilson did the production work.

Musicians