Bourrée: The Old Tune That Went Electric

<p>Bach’s <em>Bourrée in E minor</em> is a small piece with unusually long legs.</p><p>This episode follows how the fifth movement of the Suite in E minor, BWV 996, escaped the world of Baroque dance and became a practical tool for modern musicians: a guitar lesson, a riff, a bass line, a joke, a rock chorus, and a way of learning how moving parts fit together.</p><p>The story begins in the late 1960s, with Ian Anderson listening through the floor as a neighbour repeatedly failed to get past the difficult part of the piece. Anderson never heard the ending, but he heard enough. Soon Jethro Tull turned Bach into <em>Bourée</em>, with Glenn Cornick’s bass dancing around the flute.</p><p>From there, the episode traces the tune through John Williams, The Beatles’ <em>Blackbird</em>, Bakerloo, Leo Kottke, Jimmy Page, Tenacious D, Paul McCartney’s <em>Jenny Wren</em>, and Alter Bridge. Along the way, it asks why some old music survives not by being protected, but by being used.</p><p>The episode ends with a new version titled <em>I’m Going Electric</em>.</p>