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Hearing things that aren't there


bluesparky
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Ok, here's a strange one.

Whilst playing along with a particular track (YYZ by Rush - Trinity College's Rock 'n Pop syllabus version) I keep having to check my email because I usually play the music via my computer mixed intot my headphones.
There is a certain bit during the first "verse" which must be a random harmonic in the guitar part (or something) and it sounds just like Apple's BING for the new mail notification.
It's taken me a while to realise this after I noticed I had to keep stopping and checking my mail but nothing had arrived... I can now ignore it when I play along but I do notice it and give myself a wry grin when I hear it. (I must remember NOT to do that during the exam....).

Also, i remember playing along to Queen's "was it all worth it" and time and time again distintly "hearing" my mum calling my name and "turn it down" just as the song exits the big orchestrated bit in the middle. It took me a few times before I realised it was something on the track not her yelling at me!

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about / have anything similar?

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[quote name='bluesparky' timestamp='1418804436' post='2633432']

Also, i remember playing along to Queen's "was it all worth it" and time and time again distintly "hearing" my mum calling my name and "turn it down" just as the song exits the big orchestrated bit in the middle. It took me a few times before I realised it was something on the track not her yelling at me!

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about / have anything similar?
[/quote]

Until reading your post, I had completely forgotten but yes I had the same thing with a Led Zepp tune. Back in the 70's when up in my bedroom blasting out Zepp 4, at a certain point would have to get off the bed, turn down the amp, open the door and shout (in a sulky teenage fashion) "WHAT" at my mum.

Can't remember which track it was now, maybe Battle of Evermore. I will be checking it out later. :D[size=4] [/size][size=4] [/size]

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Yup. As a teenager I used to listen to rock music in my room and one particular Van Halen track (IIRC) had seemingly random sound that was identical to my Dad shouting upstairs for me to come down for dinner. The first few times this happened there was no food -I traipsed downstairs for naught.

These days all my Zappa albums have an odd interjection that sound just like my wife asking 'what IS that noise?'

Edit: Turns out the last one really IS my wife. ;)

Edited by paul_5
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[quote name='sarah thomas' timestamp='1418805265' post='2633442']
When my son was a little baby I couldn't listen to any music without 'hearing' his urgent hungry cry at some point. Some things are tuned into your neurons - like mothers and children And wives!
[/quote]

Yes, and cats! Sometimes I've thought I heard the cat miaowing outside the door, and then realised it was something in the music. I can't think of any specific tracks though and it's always when I'm listening to the radio rather than records. Something to do with higher frequencies?

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I used to imagine I could hear someone shouting "f***ing Hell!" on The Beatles Hey Jude. Many years later it turns out I was right all along! :blush:
[url="http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamesgrebey/hidden-sounds-that-made-it-into-famous-songs"]http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamesgrebey/hidden-sounds-that-made-it-into-famous-songs[/url]

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The Led Zeppelin I, II & III CD remasters (early 2000s) I'm convinced there's a few tracks where Bonham's hi-hat pedal squeaks like mad and there's some sloppy (albeit, minor) audio artefacts left in during the mastering process.

Also used to have the lemon song set as my ringtone, each time I hear the first few notes of that I instinctively reach for my phone.

When I mention this to my friends they usually ask what a Led Zeppelin is.

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[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1418806309' post='2633456']
Yes, and cats! Sometimes I've thought I heard the cat miaowing outside the door, and then realised it was something in the music. I can't think of any specific tracks though and it's always when I'm listening to the radio rather than records. Something to do with higher frequencies?
[/quote]

Theres a cat meowing in the solo of Middle of the road by the pretenders! i am sure of it.

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Lots of numbers seem to have the exact sound of my doorbell in them... whether this is because I've generally got half an ear out for the postman or not, I don't know..! But after a careful listen, several of them actually DO have that sound in the track and it's inevitably a stray bass or guitar harmonic.

If I'm learning a track by ear from a recording I hear a lot more noises because I'm listening at a much more intense level. On the other hand, they could be messages from Baby Jebus, or The Devil - or more likely your dead relatives telling you to stop masturbating. :D

Edited by discreet
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I had one in a mix the other day. I could hear it with every channel playing, but it wasn't there on any of the individual channels. Clearly it was something made up from the sum of the parts. I had to replace that section on every channel with an identical section from later in the song (only half a second at the most) as it annoyed me so much

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[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1418820663' post='2633637']
I thought i heard someone shout 'I wanna hear caravan with a drum solo' on a Frank Zappa record once.
[/quote]

In 'America Drinks and Goes Home' from the album 'Absolutely Free'.
As I'm sure you well know! :)

Edited by discreet
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[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1418806309' post='2633456']
Yes, and cats! Sometimes I've thought I heard the cat miaowing outside the door, and then realised it was something in the music. I can't think of any specific tracks though and it's always when I'm listening to the radio rather than records. Something to do with higher frequencies?
[/quote]
Probably our neurons get wired towards being sensitive to picking up certain 'alarm' sounds and our alarm reflex is set off when we hear something that is close but not the same source[i]. [/i]I used to hear cats as well when practicing - part of it was anxiety that I'd shut one in a wardrobe or room somewhere.

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You are not alone,
I knew exactly what you meant, as soon as I started reading your post

I can't think of any titles, but several tracks seem to have odd sounds
that sound like a phone, doorbell or something that seems to stand out, just for a moment

I was listening to an Arcade Fire album recently, and again - sorry I forget which track
but there was a very definite sound, that sounded like my old phone
I recall listening to it several times when I had that phone,
and being convinced it was a text coming through....

Listening to the same track, 2 phones later down the line (and with very different text alert sounds)
I was still convinced I could hear my phone.....

I've experienced this sort of thing with several different tracks & bands
So I'm also glad I'm not alone now too :)

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Sort of still on topic - does anyone know AT music near Rettendon? A recording/rehearsal studio set in an old complex of farm buildings. They have some spooky tales to tell of sounds that shouldn't be there. Playing back recordings and a voice making a commentary on it - traced down to the track recorded on the kick drum mike. Shadows fleetingly moving just out of vision when the guy knew full well he was the only one there. Extra instruments that just weren't there in the studio. Electrical equipment fiddled with. That kind of thing. Quite eerie!

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