Those old-time Egyptians sure knew how to treat their dead pharaohs. They were embalmed. They were buried in large pyramids alongside deceased family members and all their possessions.
The most famous burial chamber discovery took place February 16, 1923 when British archaeologist Howard Carter unsealed the chamber to King Tutankhamun, TOOT-AN-COMMON. The New York Times called it “perhaps, the most important day in the whole history of Egyptian excavation.”
Tut, ruled around 1400 B.C. and is believed to have become king when he was 8 or 9 and died around the age 19.
His modern claim to fame was his well-preserved body and the over 5 thousand possessions found in the tomb. DNA testing and other scientific studies, showed he might have died from malaria. X-rays showed he had a broken leg and possible head fractures.
Liam Sternberg wrote our song of the day “Walk Like an Egyptian.” He got the idea while on a ferry crossing the English Channel. He thought passengers looked like ancient Egyptians as they tried to keep their balance when the boat hit waves.
The Bangles recorded the song even though they thought it was weird. They had no idea the song would make it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. It stayed there for four weeks.
The song put a curse on the group. Each member was supposed to sing a verse. The producer took a verse away from drummer Debbi Peterson. She also didn’t drum on the song. She sang background and played the tambourine. The decision opened wounds that never healed. The band broke up in 1989.
Song of the Day is created by Sheldon Zoldan, and produced by Pam James for WGCU. Audio production is by Simon Dunham, WGCU. To receive the Song of the Day in your inbox every day, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
