Show notes
Spaff recently attended a reunion dinner with some old friends. Kurt asked if anyone had dietary restrictions. Dave said cilantro. Then he added, "Not allergic. Just can't stand it." And a song parody was born! What we learned about cilantro: o Americans call coriander leaves cilantro. Other English speakers call all of it coriander. o An olfactory receptor gene, OR6A2, determines your response to the aldehydes in cilantro. Which is to say, it's not just your preference. It's genetic. o A bunch of coriander was found in King Tut's tomb. You can decide if that's what killed him. What we learned about "Fernando": o Before ABBA's English remake, the song was released in Swedish by Frida (Anni-Frid Lyngstad) and is about a brokenhearted bartender, not a Latin American freedom fighter. o In 1976 (Happy Bicentennial!) "Fernando" hit #1 in 15 countries. In Australia it was the longest-running #1 ever (until it was beaten by Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You"). In the US it only reached #13. o Musicologist Philip Tagg wrote a 500-page book about "Fernando" and even he wasn't sure exactly which instruments were used. Bob had to make an educated guess. Swedish Chefs: Ashby, Lucas: Audio engineering Bad Beth and Beyond: Lead and backing vocals Bob Emmet: Instruments, arranging, and production Apprentice Chef Spaff: Lyrics

