5 ms·

Songs of the IBM

71 points by andreiursan 14y ago

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
noirman 14y ago
Any video/audio link to the actual song?
guard-of-terra 14y ago
Dude, that's pretty f~-d up right here! (c) Stan Marsh
superxor 14y ago
The docudrama 'The pirates of Silicon Valley' has a small clip with some IBM employees singing some song. I thought it was a one off thing.
- pirateking 14y ago
  Came here to post the same. Interesting bit of history, to know that it was actually a thing.
lathamcity 14y ago
As an IBM intern, nothing has made me happier than reading this. Now I just wish HN had a downvote button so I could get it off the front page and make sure I'm the only one on my team who knows about it, haha
- peterjmag 14y ago
  You can downvote once you reach 500 karma. Now get cracking!
  - andrewflnr 14y ago
    Only comments. You still can't downvote stories.
    - peterjmag 14y ago
      Ah, I didn't know that.
  - brianpan 14y ago
    It's been 2 years....I don't think it's going to happen.
eli 14y ago
Not quite a secret: IBM's official archive has the 1935 edition as well as some .WAV files (!) and pictures. http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/music/music_room.html http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/music/music_room.... And explanatory text: http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/music/music_intro.html http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/music/music_intro...
sytelus 14y ago
There is a common pattern here: Leaderships like CEOs or presidents set up an inanimate conceptual objects such as companies or countries to symbolize their ideals. The primary objective seems to motivate rank and file to work for these symbols and indirectly for them by having rank and file believe that they represents those symbols. It's funny how subtly of leadership has common patterns across small startup to large countries to activists groups.
TinyBig 14y ago
I worked at a startup purchased by IBM and they had everyone sing a few of these songs during the first indoc session (year: 2010).
achllies 14y ago
Wow ! These songs remind me of "traditional school songs" that a lot of universities have.
memset 14y ago
A favorite of mine is the Sametime song! http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/stwiki.nsf/dx/Sametime_Song http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/stwiki.nsf/dx/Sametime_Song
utopkara 14y ago
There goes my favorite trivia question. There are really few people at IBM who know about this past tradition. Actually, I don't know if there is still an IBM chorus, perhaps it is still being kept alive.
olalonde 14y ago
This practice is still common in China. If you walk early in the morning you can often see groups of employees in uniform singing or dancing.
- rodp 14y ago
  I was in Beijing until a few days ago. One morning, I saw some of the hotel's staff lined up in front of their manager, reciting something in one voice. Later on, I asked a girl at the reception desk what that was but she couldn't understand me. Now I know. Thanks :)
ben1040 14y ago
Here's a little more (well sort of) modern corporate anthem, from Sun. http://anthems.zdnet.co.uk/anthems/sun.mp3 http://anthems.zdnet.co.uk/anthems/sun.mp3 Lyrics here: http://www.zdnet.com/it-anthems-the-power-of-sun-3002133207/ http://www.zdnet.com/it-anthems-the-power-of-sun-3002133207/
- ajtaylor 14y ago
  Huey Lewis rocked! I heard the opening bars and I couldn't help grinning.

Songs of the IBM

71 points by andreiursan 14y ago

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

noirman 14y ago

Any video/audio link to the actual song?

guard-of-terra 14y ago

Dude, that's pretty f~-d up right here! (c) Stan Marsh

superxor 14y ago

The docudrama 'The pirates of Silicon Valley' has a small clip with some IBM employees singing some song. I thought it was a one off thing.

pirateking 14y ago
Came here to post the same. Interesting bit of history, to know that it was actually a thing.

lathamcity 14y ago

As an IBM intern, nothing has made me happier than reading this. Now I just wish HN had a downvote button so I could get it off the front page and make sure I'm the only one on my team who knows about it, haha

peterjmag 14y ago
You can downvote once you reach 500 karma. Now get cracking!
- andrewflnr 14y ago
  Only comments. You still can't downvote stories.
  - peterjmag 14y ago
    Ah, I didn't know that.
- brianpan 14y ago
  It's been 2 years....I don't think it's going to happen.

eli 14y ago

Not quite a secret: IBM's official archive has the 1935 edition as well as some .WAV files (!) and pictures. http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/music/music_room.html http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/music/music_room.... And explanatory text: http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/music/music_intro.html http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/music/music_intro...

sytelus 14y ago

There is a common pattern here: Leaderships like CEOs or presidents set up an inanimate conceptual objects such as companies or countries to symbolize their ideals. The primary objective seems to motivate rank and file to work for these symbols and indirectly for them by having rank and file believe that they represents those symbols. It's funny how subtly of leadership has common patterns across small startup to large countries to activists groups.

TinyBig 14y ago

I worked at a startup purchased by IBM and they had everyone sing a few of these songs during the first indoc session (year: 2010).

achllies 14y ago

Wow ! These songs remind me of "traditional school songs" that a lot of universities have.

memset 14y ago

A favorite of mine is the Sametime song! http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/stwiki.nsf/dx/Sametime_Song http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/stwiki.nsf/dx/Sametime_Song

utopkara 14y ago

There goes my favorite trivia question. There are really few people at IBM who know about this past tradition. Actually, I don't know if there is still an IBM chorus, perhaps it is still being kept alive.

olalonde 14y ago

This practice is still common in China. If you walk early in the morning you can often see groups of employees in uniform singing or dancing.

rodp 14y ago
I was in Beijing until a few days ago. One morning, I saw some of the hotel's staff lined up in front of their manager, reciting something in one voice. Later on, I asked a girl at the reception desk what that was but she couldn't understand me. Now I know. Thanks :)

ben1040 14y ago

Here's a little more (well sort of) modern corporate anthem, from Sun. http://anthems.zdnet.co.uk/anthems/sun.mp3 http://anthems.zdnet.co.uk/anthems/sun.mp3 Lyrics here: http://www.zdnet.com/it-anthems-the-power-of-sun-3002133207/ http://www.zdnet.com/it-anthems-the-power-of-sun-3002133207/

ajtaylor 14y ago
Huey Lewis rocked! I heard the opening bars and I couldn't help grinning.