Mistakes and weird things in songs

[Darles Chickens]

There's a high-end harmony going on throughout the whole shebang, but if what I'm hearing at 2:42 is a major third I'll eat my own head.

Yeah I was talking bobbins before - what I meant was a minor third.  But having just relistened with headphones, I hear exactly what you mean now - it's quite a bum note which seems to start as a minor third and then drift higher until it reaches something between a major third and a perfect fourth.  I think the perfect fourth was the intention, but it needed more juice to arrive there.  Give her a break, it's the last note of the song; she must've been knackered.

[Wet Blanket]

One More Cup of Coffee by Bob Dylan - Emmylou Harris fucks up the chorus the first time; she's singing harmony and accidentally sings the second line first. I think it was a very early take and it was so good they thought fuck it.

I've got a 1970s cassette of Desire and at the end of this track there's a snatch of dialogue where Harris admits she fucked up. I was surprised when I picked up a vinyl copy of the album years later this was missing.

Talking of the Beatles, there's a really nasty edit in Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds where you get a 'EEEH!' snatch of the previous vocal take. There's also that just-a-second-too-late pan in the horrible stereo version Eleanor Rigby.

[a duncandisorderly]

Do you have an opinion on the particular bit I mentioned? What with you being an professional and that.

It's such a tiny thing, but not knowing whether it was deliberate - or if everyone involved was too coked off their nubs to notice it - has been gnawing away at me for years!

(And I'd actually forgotten about it until I read this thread. Thanks a lot, thread. You fucking TWAT.)

well, the audio's awful on that YT upload, which isn't helping, but yes the BV on the dot of 2:42 is neither a minor third nor a perfect fourth but occupies some limbo henceforth known as hynde-land. whatever she was reaching for, I'm sure they discussed it & decided it was right how it is; JHS had worked in prog prior to this, & had chops as an arranger. I actually don't mind it- I'm a big fan of her voice, & there are bits of the pretenders' output that will stop me doing what I'm doing. 'chain gang', 'cuban slide'...
I can't forgive her the UB40 shit though.

[yesitsme]

One from the lore of ancient pre-internet days: Michael Stipe corpses on one of the lines about "Dr. Seuss" in "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"

That really annoys me that.  Most of Rem's output is bollocks, talk about hits-by-volume but that is a total piss take.  Even he can't believe he's singing this crap.

Billy Ocean 'Caribbean Queen' was on the radio earlier.  He doesn't sing 'Caribbean' he says 'Currabune' or something like that.  Listen, how did no one say 'From the top Billy...'

Does Donna Summer deliberately sing 'Instant med-I-hay-shon' to take the piss out of the Bros Gibbs on Chain Recation?

Does Celine Dion sing 'Go on Danon' to get a yogurt eating contract?

[Kane Jones]

It's 'radiation'. And it's Diana Ross.

[yesitsme]

It's 'radiation'. And it's Diana Ross.

I raced to my desk this morning.  On the way home last night I thought to myself 'Did I put Donna Summer in that post?  Sure enough, of course I did.

That's why instead of saying 'Sandy Shaw' and winning a big house in France on Raise the Roof I said 'Helen Shapiro' and won fuck all.

Still, whether it's 'medication', 'radiation' or 'Larry Grayson' she still 'hay-shun'.

I should have known it was her by the way.  I had £100.00 on her being the first goal scorer at USA'94 and the bitch let me down.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

I raced to my desk this morning.  On the way home last night I thought to myself 'Did I put Donna Summer in that post?  Sure enough, of course I did.

That's why instead of saying 'Sandy Shaw' and winning a big house in France on Raise the Roof I said 'Helen Shapiro' and won fuck all.

Were you trying to make the presenter laugh ? Got form on that sort of thing, so you have.

[yesitsme]

Were you trying to make the presenter laugh ? Got form on that sort of thing, so you have.

No, I was trying to win a big fucking house in France.  It was the final question in the final round.  Me v Him.  Honesty v Cheating Fucking Weasel.

Telling you, there was a round of three where you could bet up to £50.00 per question.  You didn't know the question just the subject.  I bet £50.00 per time, the girl next to me bet up and down but this wee shite, an accountant bet £1 every time knowing that all he had to do to get in to the final was come second.  Me and her would play each other off and he'd slide in behind the round winner.

It was a gamble, if we'd both got them right he'd have been out but it paid off and the wee twat went right through to the end winning the fucker by £20.00 over me.

I'd have won if I'd have said 'Sandie Shaw'.  I'd have been sat In this big mansion in Normandy with a water wheel and land and chickens the works.

He sold it back to them for £74.000 - I bet they were laughing.

He was chewing all the way through the show.  Bob Holness called him out on it but he said I'm biting the inside of my cheek.' Another reason to hate him.

His 'niece' came running on to the stage at the end as I crumpled like a crisp packet.  She seemed young enough to be his niece.  A bit over friendly if you ask me though.

Not that I'm bitter.  I'm living in a two bedroom terrace in East KIlbride after all.

[Satchmo Distel]

That's why instead of saying 'Sandy Shaw' and winning a big house in France on Raise the Roof I said 'Helen Shapiro' and won fuck all.

Sandie, not Sandy

Have we done the phone ringing at the end of 'Life On Mars'?

[kngen]

When Slade (as 'Flame') channel MC5 for the total banger Them Kinda Monkeys Can't Swing you can hear Noddy come in too early on the verse, 'Eh-....', which makes sense in the movie, as they were still rough-and-ready and just on the verge of being signed, but it's on the soundtrack LP too (probably the CD as well. Haven't checked). Does it really count as a mistake as they were 'in character'? Ah, probably not. Makes me smile every time I hear it though.

[Chriddof]

Billy Ocean 'Caribbean Queen' was on the radio earlier.  He doesn't sing 'Caribbean' he says 'Currabune' or something like that.  Listen, how did no one say 'From the top Billy...'

Well, they do pronounce "Caribbean" differently in America to begin with. It kind of sounds like he's aiming for some weird interpolation of both the UK and US ways of saying that word.

[yesitsme]

Yeah they say 'Carib-ian' they don't say 'Cara-bune' do they?

I think we need to have a reevaulation of Billy Ocean's work.

And Lionel Richie's just to be safe.

[Darles Chickens]

When the going gets tough, the tough get going, going (g-going, going)
Tough! Tough! A huh huh hooh!
When the going gets tough, the tough get ready yeah-eh
Tough! Tough! T-t-tough, tuh, tuh, tuh



Seems legit to me.

(Just listening to that now, there's a subtle editing fail at 0:53 where the horns seem to come in a split second too soon and a fraction of the beat is swallowed
https://youtu.be/-n3sUWR4FV4?t=46s )

[the hum]

Talk Talk - It's My Life. Paul Webb is a pretty accomplished fretless bass player, but about 5 seconds in here he hits an audibly jarring flat note https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ixRWvrkUHo

[Avril Lavigne]

Talk Talk - It's My Life. Paul Webb is a pretty accomplished fretless bass player, but about 5 seconds in here he hits an audibly jarring flat note https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ixRWvrkUHo

That sounds fine to me!

[Panbaams]

There's an slightly awkward-sounding edit in the bassline of "West End Girls" at about 2:23: https://youtu.be/p3j2NYZ8FKs

[Darles Chickens]

Talk Talk - It's My Life. Paul Webb is a pretty accomplished fretless bass player, but about 5 seconds in here he hits an audibly jarring flat note https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ixRWvrkUHo

Crikey! Number of times I've listened to that and never noticed. Now I will never not notice!

[popcorn]

Talk Talk - It's My Life. Paul Webb is a pretty accomplished fretless bass player, but about 5 seconds in here he hits an audibly jarring flat note https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ixRWvrkUHo

If you mean the moment at 0:10, I reckon that's borderline. I think he does a slide into the note and sometimes the slide emphasises the transitioning note more than others, so that might be the jarring effect. It's prominent at around 00:24 too.

[Natnar]

Peter Gabriel - Washing Of The Water
When Peter sing "Bring Me Something" it  sounds like part of the start of the "Me" is missing like it's been pasted into the song wrongly. It's at 3:23 in this vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AICeVeWpMts

[the hum]

If you mean the moment at 0:10, I reckon that's borderline. I think he does a slide into the note and sometimes the slide emphasises the transitioning note more than others, so that might be the jarring effect. It's prominent at around 00:24 too.

That's interesting, I've never noticed it at 00:24 before, possibly because the bass has been brought down in the mix at that point to accommodate Hollis' voice. Not convinced it's a slide though, but is hitting the transitioning 'fret'.

[the hum]

There's an slightly awkward-sounding edit in the bassline of "West End Girls" at about 2:23: https://youtu.be/p3j2NYZ8FKs

Yup, not quite on the money slicing the tape there.

[a duncandisorderly]

not a published performance on a record or anything, but something that these guys (with the exception of the two new kids) have played hundreds of times, & nicks fucks it up (1'50).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VElI89y_-QI

god, that's horrible. they should've just split up when buckingham refused to tour. it's an ignominious stage in finn's career too- he's better than this.

[Avril Lavigne]

There's a messed-up bass note about 5 seconds into the intro of Chas & Dave's 'Gertcha':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwvnkPRgo_E

[popcorn]

Going back to Radiohead, there are lots of noticeable tape splices on their most recent record, A Moon Shaped Pool. The album was recorded with tape so it makes sense.

The most obvious one is in Present Tense - the final "in you I'm lost" - because they cut the final chorus in half. If you listen to the instrumental version you can hear the chorus its original length.

[ccbaxter]

He recovers gallantly enough, and yet do always wish Johnny Cash didn't falter over the scanning of the rhythm and lyrics towards the triumphant end of "Boy Named Sue".

[popcorn]

--FUCKED THIS POST UP DIDN'T I--

[a duncandisorderly]

Peter Gabriel - Washing Of The Water
When Peter sing "Bring Me Something" it  sounds like part of the start of the "Me" is missing like it's been pasted into the song wrongly. It's at 3:23 in this vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AICeVeWpMts

that one's well weird. it sounds like they spliced in a bit of tone, like a bleep. it's really a duff bit of falsetto, & it's intact, but of questionable merit.

[popcorn]

Is child MJ's "ooh ooh baybee" in I Want You Back flat? It has always made my skin crawl.

[PlanktonSideburns]

There's a messed-up bass note about 5 seconds into the intro of Chas & Dave's 'Gertcha':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwvnkPRgo_E

Too soon

[pupshaw]

Is child MJ's "ooh ooh baybee" in I Want You Back flat? It has always made my skin crawl.

It might be sharp actually, which is even more grating