Re: Question: History of 'The Chinese Phrase'

On 10 Nov 2003 02:33:46 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Anonymous)
wrote:

>I'm trying to find out the history of a musical phrase that, for lack
>of a better name, could be called The Definitive Chinese Phrase.  The
>phrase consists of 9 notes (4-2-2-1)  I heard it a bunch of random
>places, but most notably in "Kung-Fu Fighting" by Carl
>Douglas(http://www.hamienet.com/3668.mid).
>
>What is the origin of this elusive tune?  How did it come to be
>associated so strongly with china/asia/'the orient'?

i have often wondered this myself--interestingly, in the video game
"Mario Land" there is a level which is supposed to be 'oriental'
(although this is a japanese video game...) and is uses that phrase..

if i had to guess, i would guess that it came up somewhere in old
movies scores or on a tv show...