Pd: ( I don't know if in english the word versioning exist.... but I'm a neologist)

Listen this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsRWpK4pf90

and this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0z1Mo7O6dE



any difference??

WOW!.... Jamie Cullum put his knowledge, his soul, a little of his life in this theme.
Same song, but everything different


that's remembered the Knepper thought in WW2.... " the effects need to have a little of own experience"

in magic its the same for me.

We usually call this "styling." That's the taking of a musical composition (or other art form) and producing our own version in our own style. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's ridiculous.

For example, people who try to play Beethoven's "An die Freude" on an autoharp -- that's kind of ridiculous.

There's several versions of Louie Louie out there - I kinda like Iggy Pop's.
There's a few versions of I Feel Free recorded - I happen to like the Bowie one.
Have you heard the Flying Lizard's version of the song Money (the one the Beatles did)?

While we sometimes get inspired revisits to works we more often get bland remakes. Just recently we had someone doing a remake of the Neil Diamond song I'm a Believer but done as per the Monkees.

Some of the lyrics Lip Service by Elvis Costello come to mind here.

Since a few years now, I grow more amazed, days in days out, about the amount of knowledge about music and photography that good magicians, like Bill Palmer, Pete Biro, Kent Gunn, ..., accumulate (and it freaks me out because I'm fairly ignorant in music and totally ignorant about photography...)

It seems to me that harmony is taught to musicians and ought to taught to magicians and in all arts, however that’s another story as they say.

As to point of this topic I agree with Bill.

I do wish though that some other kind of music had been used for the example as I am not a fan of that horrid stuff. My pal said when you find you don’t like the latest music that's when you know you are old.

Nice topic, Amira.

Authenticity. Here's a couple- both authentic, with heartfelt delivery - but distinctly different in style...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn-bXSlPlMo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI5xwdIRvnk

Chink-a-Chink

David Roth

Doug Henning

Pop Haydn

Miggy Flores

Miggy Flores performs an embarrassing performance. Yes it does make the other performance shine, but they don't need it and shine by their own merits.

The performance that I prefer is Al Schneider's one owing to the slow speed and the directness and I've studied this a little bit with the following routines. From Yank Hoe to Mohammed Bey to Albert Goshman, the genre has seen many variations. David Roth redefined "Chink-A-Chink" by stripping the props to their bare essentials - only four apparent coins and the performer's two hands. He titled his ground-breaking routine the more politically correct, "The Original Chinese Coin Assembly." Multiple variations of Roth's effect soon appeared, and they continue to do so - a testament to how wonderfully magical it is. Michael Ammar, Homer Liwag, Jason Alford, and Chad Long have all applied themselves to the genre (as have I). Doug's contribution to the assemblage is "Scramble."
Biblio/Videography (naturally incomplete as always)

Ammar, Michael: Easy To Mater Money Miracles Vol 2. 1995. Shadow coins. The routine is very thorough letting the coins travel from outer left to inner right corner and then from inner right to inner left and then upper right before meeting one by one at the upper right corner (instead of the traditional matrix upper left). A presentation along the steps of Juan Tamariz’s magic way, discarding along the routine every possible solution. The extra coin is supplied by a shell and Michael offers a very nice clean up to re stack the shell at the end (a false turnover could be added for a version on a table). Two coins in each hand. Shelled coin on top of the two coins in right. Classic palm the shell. Have the coins examined. As coins are returned restack the shell rubbing the coins in the other hand to conceal the tiny noise. Table the two far coins (shelled coin on the far right slightly slightly closer to the inner right and left). Adjust the coins, stealing the shell as the coin out of line is adjusted.

Pôl [Paul Asnar]. « Dé...routant ». Editions Cardini Club 1979. reproduced in Revue Magicus n° 117 2001. 5 pages and 26 figures describing this maginificent vertical Chink-a-Chink with four dice, placed behind cards. The dice magically meet behind one single card.

Baumann, Fred: Apocalypse Vol 4 No 2 Feb 1981 p 450 In Hands Chink A Chink: in the spectator's hands!

Bennett, Doug: Extra Sensory Deceptions. 27 pages, stapled booklet. Flash Light (chink-a-chink with flash cubes)

Billis, Bernard. At a PGCDM, Bernard presented the Sands routine with buttons, the last one ending sewn on the silk.

Buffaloe, Jim. Hippity Hop Half Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo & Modern Coin Magic by Magic Makers. The concept has never been used for chink a chink

Carré, David. Pabular p.365 Production of four dice and their use for a chink a chink.

Colombini, Aldo. World's Greatest Magic – Matrix. Matrix / Chink-a-Chink.

Conn, Doug. Tricks of My Trade - The Magic of Doug Conn; One of the most magical effects performable is "Chink-A-Chink." Doug has taken that venerable household item, the Scrabble™ tile, and applied its distinct properties to "The Original Chinese Coin Assembly." In fact, Doug employs both Roth's routine and Liwag's "Flash Rice" routine within "Scramble." Not only is Doug's routine magical, but it is one that will be talked about after your audience goes home - the familiar Scrabble™ tiles practically ensure this happenstance.
In effect, the performer places four small, familiar-looking wooden tiles on the performing surface in a square formation. While waving his hands above the tiles, they jump around the performing surface as if they had life of their own, eventually collecting into one corner of the square formation. The magician turns the tiles over and their familiarity becomes apparent - Scrabble™ tiles! The four tiles show an E, an O, a G, and an N.
The performer repeats the effect, this time with the letter sides of the tiles visible. As the tiles collect and jump around, they form different words that are in synch with the performer's patter. Finally, as the magician says, "Just say go, and they're GONE…" all four tiles jump to one corner and spell the word "gone!"
You will need five Scrabble™ tiles: one G, two O's, one N, and one E. One of the O tiles should be a slightly darker shade than the other O tile. If you cannot find an O tile with a different shade, then you must mark one of the O tiles very slightly on the blank side so that you can distinguish it from the other tiles. The routine is best performed on a close up mat.

Cros, Daniel. Las Vegas Close Up by Paul Harris p 87 Paper Chase. A paper napkin is torn in four pieces which are rolled up into four balls. After a chink a chink effect repeated three times, the last ball to travel is placed into the pocket and joins the other ones on to the table. Three of the balls are gathered under the finger of a spectator and the fourth is placed to the pocket. Upon lifting his finger and unravelling the napkin balls, the spectator finds that the fourth ball has wielded with the other three and that the napkin has restored.

Cummins, Paul. Apocalypse Vol 10 # 9 Sept 1989 p 1405 Knich A Knich. Backfire chink a chink with Roth handling and special gimmick

Diamond, Paul - Lessons in Magic - V3 - Mr Humble [VHS] & Videonics PROGRAM #77 Paul Diamond Vol. 3. Chink a Chink using plastic bottle caps

Dill, Dean: Apocalypse Vol 15 No 1 Jan 1992 p 2023 : Coin Favorite: chink a chink routine using a shell & Apocalypse Vol 16 # 1 Jan 1993 p 2163: Swirl Assembly & Backfire: shadow coins using only coins, a mat and the hands & Apocalypse Vol 17 # 3 March 1994 p 2331: Coin Explosion "Gymnastics with coins"; chink-a-chink display, coins backfire and many coins appear & Extreme Dean Vol 2 No Extra’s uses four coins with Dean’s unique displacement and flick with the coin being dragged at the base of the pinky instead of the base of the thumb. Mixing Al Schneider and Dean Dill would be a killer. Just use the diamond formation or a reverse T formation. A multi coin variant of Jim Buffaloe’s Hippity Hop Half for the last coin could be a nice addition.

Downs, Nelson. Is sometimes erroneously credited for having published the first chink a chink effect by Yank Hoe. The one published in his book is a matrix effect (coins under cards) and not a chink a chink effect (where only the hands are used as cover). Edwin Sachs on the other hand describes in Sleight of hand p 40/41 a Chink a chink with sugar lumps and the book was published before 1875. For the record, Nelson Downs was born March 16, 1867.

Eldin, Peter: The Magic Handbook.1985, Simon & Schuster, 189 pages, softcover. p 18 Chink a Chink: Matrix routine with sugar cubes covered by hands.

Elliott, Bruce: Classic Secrets of Magic. 1953, llustrated by Stanley Jacks, Harper & Row - Galahad Books. p 93 Chapter 8: The Two Covers and the Four Objects: Chink A Chink type effects with Coins and Cards and another version with Magazines covering cards

Farrell, Bob. The Art of Close Up Magic Vol 1 by Lewis Ganson p 333 Four Dice Chink-A-Chink: Dice and the dice pips transport one by one to the same corner
Garcia, Daniel. Sh4de DVD. Daniel Garcia’s version without any extra coin or shell

Graham, John: Apocalypse Vol 20 No. 3 March 1997 p 2763: Effervescent: a Sympathetic Coins/Chink-A-Chink routine using 4 coins and expanded shell, with the handling to use a "Raven" style device to get rid of the shell

Goshman Albert. Magic by Gosh. The life and times of Albert Goshman by Patrick Page 1985. "Chink-A-Chink". Four beer caps travel from hand to hand, a giant beer cap appearing at the end under the slat shaker. Translation in French by Alain Devals in La magie de Goshman, "Chink-a-Chink" p. 68 à 73, 10 figures explicatives. Editions Guy Lore et Daniel Vuittenez, 1987

Gross, Henry: Pure Magic! A Primer in Sleight of Hand. p 191 The Four Paper Balls and Two Napkins: a Chink-a-Chink effect using paper balls and napkins

Haydn, Whit: Chink A Chink (marketed effect) Whit has a nice gold miner story to justify the use of small weights one of them being nicely gaffed.

Hoe, Yank. Conjuring with Coins by T. Nelson Downs. Sympathetic Coins & Greater Magic . A Practical Treatise On Modern Magic by John Northern Hilliard and Edited by Carl W. Jones and Jean Hugard p 689 The Sympathetic Coins (with Shell) and p 1223 A Brief Biography of Yank Hoe

Kam, Kurtis: Kurtis Kam's Deceptions in Paradise Video. Chink A Chink. Professional Close-up Magic of Curtis Kam by Magic Methods: Chink-A-Chink
Kennedy, John: Lecture III (lecture notes, 1983). Translocation

Klan, Rune. Three Pieces of Silver VHS 1997 Translated in French as Le voyage Sympathique » p. 4 and 5 of the Revue Imagik n° 17 october, no gimmick and ends clean.

Korth, Jens. The Art Of Close Up Magic Vol 2 p 258 Roulette: A routine using poker chips and a roulette cloth. The chips vanish, penetrate, change places and colors. Uses a few gimmicked chips. Phased routine includes a penetration, a Chink-a-Chink sequence, flying counters, a color change, and a climax.

Malini, Max. Malini-Bey Chink-a-Chink. Stars of Magic. Series 3, N° 3. 1947 -Tannen Publications. Four sugar lumps are placed in a square formation. The magician places his hands over two of the sugars. One by one the sugars meet at one of the points. Originally the routine became well known thanks to Max Malini but Mohamed Bey (Samuel Leo Horowitz, a genius) improved it mainly in avoiding the hands crossing.

Malmros, Gert: Chink A Chink Coins. 8 page booklet (1980) by Gert Malmros from Sweden fully explaining his Chink A Chink four coin assembly Routine. This is a sit down routine at a table. The four coins are placed in four corners of the table and covered by the hands. One by one they travel across ending with all four coins under one hand.

Marconick. Marconick’s Super Magic p 2 Les spheres nomades. The effect is performed with three balls (the fourth one being stolen as the third one is taken out from the pocket)

Marlo, Edward: Apocalypse Vol 9 No 1 Jan 86 p 1159 Raised Assembly: a coin chink a chink using just the hands.

Neighbors, David. David Neighbors on the double coin gimmick p 36: Succession Chink A Chink.

Regal, David: Apocalypse Vol 13 No 1 Jan 1980 p 1736 The Coin Diamond: a quick backfire chink a chink with coins

Rindfleisch, Joe. Extreme Coin Magic DVD Matrixy. No extra coin is used. An actual improvement on David Roth’s Chink A Chink and Michael Ammar’s Shadow coins. During the setting up his idea to arrange the visible coins with the dirty hand is nice but the performer should give some movement to the right hand as well. High Rise Matrix is a superb idea of palming a piece of flesh colour clay to gain depth in the coin picking. It achieves something like the Charlie Frye’s matrix with dice: the height of the hand above the travelling object destroys any suspicion of palming (the hand doesn’t even touches the coin). In Joe’s routine the absence of cards supplies an even greater deception than in Charlie Frye’s effect. This is a really great gimmick and Joe supplies a smart idea to disengage it at the proper moment. If performing standing the Cool Clean Up works with the gimmick on.

Rink (Aka J. Van Rinkhuyzen). The Art of Close Up Magic Vol 2. p 112 Chink A Chink Simplified: Chink-a-Chink using any small lightweight objects and a tiny bit of double sticky tape;

Rosenthal, Harvey: Perfect Coin Assembly New Stars of Magic. Volume 1, Number 5. Tannen Publications - 1973, 7 pages and 42 figures. Four coins are placed at the four corners of a silk. The corners of the silk are folded over each of the coins concealing them from view. They all meet at the upper left corner. Each travel is more difficult to understand than the previous one. The last travel is made under impossible conditions.

Roth, David: A Lecture by David Roth. 1977, Chinese coin assembly & Same routine in Apocalypse, Vol 1, N° 1, 1978, an additional coin is used and the hand cross during the routine & Ultra coin assembly. Coin Magic by Richard Kaufmann - 1981. p 51: the hands no longer cross and an additional coin is used & Chinese coin assembly. Expert Coin Magic & Chink A Chink. Ultimate Coin Manipulation Collection & New York Coin Magic Seminar Vol One Coins Across. Chink A Chink. David has very unique circular movement to bring the coin at the bas of the thumb when it still seems at the fingertips.

Sachs, Edwin: Sleight of hand p 40/41 describes Chink a chink with sugar lumps (since the book was published before 1875, it cannot be claimed that Max Malini, born in 1873, was the inventor of the trick.

Sands, George & Van Slyker. The Tarbell Course in Magic Vol. 6 by Harlan Tarbell, 1954 p. 148-152. Birds of a Feather. This “New version” uses only four coins and a handkerchief by folding its corners over the coins.
Schneider, Al. the Al Schneider Technique Vol 1 Chink a Chink. With the pause as an old Buddhist Monk: The routine illustrates the importance of devoting some time after the revelation of the result***

Schulien, Matt. The Magic of Matt Schulien by Philip Reed Willmarth - 1959. The Cards and the Cigarette; p. 100 to 106. A borrowed cigarette is broken into four pieces. After traveling under a card, the cigarette is restored and handed back to the owner of the cigarette. The pieces are ditched under the table.

Stone, David. La Magie des pièces Cocktail Matrix is a standing version of chink a chink with four silver and a penny using an extra coin (a double facer) as misdirection. Placing the last move in the spectator’s hand is interesting. & Made In France Lecture Notes: written description of Cocktail Matrix.

Thompson, John: Polished Polish Prestidigitation. Jeff Busby 1981. p 29 Chink-A-Chink: John Thompson's superb handling of the original Max Malini routine. Commercial Classics of Magic DVD: Chink a Chink with EL variant of sliding the lumps (not credited) but I taught it to him when he came to Paris for my birthday and he taught me the one I’m using now, having only added the Charlie Miller - Scott York Diamond formation.

Watkins, Dan. Caplocation This e-Book with e-film performance offers an evolution of John Kennedy’s Translocaton effect.
1. No gaffed coins are used (Bottle caps are used).
2. It utilizes very easy to acquire, cheap “throw away” props.
3. Obvious and immediate application to restaurant/bar magicians.
4. No sliding coins (or caps): The hands cover the caps, and simply move away. The performer can literally step back from the table and allow the audience to take in the miracle if he desires. There is no need to have a soft surface to perform on.

Williamson, David. Floating Assembly. Williamson Wonders by Richard Kaufman. 1989. The routine uses only four coins and four cards which seem never to touch the cards. Richard Kaufman’s text is translated in French by Jean-Jacques Sanvert as « Les Merveilles de Williamson » par. Ed. Mayette Magie Moderne - 1994. p. 44 46 Assemblée Flottante.

York, Scott. Scott York Lecture Magic Castle. page 41 Another Perspective on Chink-A-Chink. Using beer caps the routine brings in the Diamond formation created by Charlie Miller. Translation in French by Jean-Pierre Meunier, p. 18-19 de la Revue Arcane n° 45 de janvier 1987

How so?

One of the coins seems tossed. There is no script. There is no time allocation for the audience to register the effect. There is no cause to the effect. All in all there seems to be no consideration for the audience and Miggy Flores seems to me to be in a hurry to be over with the effect.

Laurie, I didn't mean to offend somebody that you seem to like, but look at the other routines that you posted and compare...

You're entitled to your opinion, Etienne. The reason I posted the clips I did is to show each performer's authentic variety in style. I've watched Miggy's simple matrix many times and never felt that one of the coins seemed "tossed". It's a very visual effect, I don't think patter is necessary. He addresses the camera at least twice, smiling when the effect is completed. He has style, a nice smooth flow. I don't find it rushed. As a matter of fact I think he does a simply magical job, which is why I placed him in such good company.

Laurie

As you rightfully underline, you have full rights to your preferences. Please, if you have the time, do take a look at Al Schneider's routine.

Be well

A couple of very interesting contributions to the thread, Laurie! How do you find all this stuff?? And how does Lawrence find all the info he provides?? I feel like a slacker...

Thanks, Etienne. I will certainly have a look at Al Schneider's version, if I can find it on video.


Jim, Thankyou!

"You'll Never Walk Alone" has always been one of my favorite Presley songs. My grandmother used to play an 8 track of one of his gospel records when my Grandfather took us for car rides through the mountains in Calgary. "Sing you Children" was likely another that caught my ear.

I became a huge Elvis fan at the 10th aniversary of his death in 1987, when I was 13. In light of that, the first time I heard Jerry sing the song on his MD telethon, I was, to put it politely, unimpressed. Seeing him perform it now, with my artistic eye open wider and more mature, I'm very moved by the sincerity in his rendition, as well.

Being a coingirl , the "Chink-a-Chink"s I posted have been on my radar the last little while- though I was aware of Whit's version, I hadn't taken the time to view it til last night.


Laurie

Jim
Over the year I amassed a huge library and video library, not to "own" the books or tapes or DVDs but to force my mind to open wider by seeing how the wandering mind of others had led them and see in what direction they would be aiming. On a practical basis, everytime a book or DVD comes in I list the tricks (and the sleights and the props)in them in a database on my computer and it forms the lists that I have pleasure in sharing for other imaginations to keep wandering in direction I coould not figured out. Fortunately no one can figure out all of them. There is no magic in the making list: it's what we can do with the lists that may be magical if it spares us from reinventing the wheel.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon and Garfunkel rare demo
Elvis Presley
Johnny Cash with Fiona Apple

Gotta say, the first time I heard Johnny's version, Fiona Apple's voice just blew me away- beautiful.

Here's my fave version of a stage classic:

SARMOTI!

Very nice indeed and graceful. It's interesting to see the legs choreography by the young lady when she comes out of the box and down to the stage. Such details do make a difference in the perception of a stage illusion.

Regarding "neologisms": until one has enough of a command of a language to realize that a neologism is not necessary because another word that has the same meaning as the proposed neologism, then the proposed neologism will be perceived by native speakers as simply a pretentious mistake.

If you don't believe me, try making a pun in German for an audience of Germans. If they don't know that you know their language, they will simply correct you.

That's almost an insider joke