Mistakes

[Owen]

I teach a module called listening skills. One of the grading criteria (get me with my teacherspeak) is

hear and identify sonic and musical
faults in a recording or performance,
competently and independently, showing
a comprehensive understanding

I do have a list of recordings where bad things have happened and actually got through to the release stage, however it never hurts to have some more. Anybody have any favourite bloopers?

TIA

Edited May 7, 2011 by owen

[wateroftyne]

Texas Twister - Little Feat (a couple of AWFUL edits)
We Hold On - Rush (an apalling edit)

Both quite rotten, but I think Texas Twister was a limitiation of the technology available at the time. Rush have no exuse for theirs, though...!

[Low End Bee]

Faults in performance.

Generation X - Live in Paris LP. It's all a mistake. Timing, intros, out of tune. King Rocker is played particularly badly. I can't believe it was actually released. Possibly a good night out if you were there and had no ears though.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='728630' date='Jan 29 2010, 01:01 PM']Texas Twister - Little Feat (a couple of AWFUL edits)
We Hold On - Rush (an apalling edit)

Both quite rotten, but I think Texas Twister was a limitiation of the technology available at the time. Rush have no exuse for theirs, though...![/quote]

If you are including edits, Stereophonics/Jools Holland - the single version of Handbags and Gladrags where they edit the brass part to only play once, feels like the rest of the record is tripping up on itself.

[wateroftyne]

Here's the Rush Boys up to mischief... 1:19-ish:

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='728640' date='Jan 29 2010, 01:09 PM']Here's the Rush Boys up to mischief... 1:19-ish:

[/quote]


That's... that's... words... fail... m....

[RhysP]

There's a nice bum note played on piano by Thomas Dolby on the track "I scare myself" from the "Flat Earth" album.
(Well It's always sounded like a bum note to me - maybe it's jazz or something)

[BottomEndian]

John Paul Jones seemed to hit plenty of duff notes and miss cues across the first few LZ albums, but he somehow managed to turn them into "right" notes and "features". I wish I could do that. The swine...

[MacDaddy]

Guns n Roses - Don't Cry. Terrible bit of fret buzz 5sec.

it's really noticeable on Spotify and original recordings, but not so noticeable when compressed on Youtube etc.

[chris_b]

I suppose you must have heard Gene Genie by Bowie? Where the bass starts the chorus about half way through the verse?

You could play your students Broken Dream by Python Lee Jackson. They make every mistake in the book but to be fair it was only a hastily recorded demo that would never have seen the light of day if Rod hadn't recorded Maggie May!

[Huw Foster]

I remember a lecture on music production when we were shown a track by Alanis Morissette that's full of recording mistakes.

Just done a quick search - it's 'Hand in my Pocket' from the Jagged Little Pill album. Before the vocals come in there's a noise which is (apparently) the radiator in the studio, then in the second line there's a really badly done punch-in (halfway through a breath).

Is that what you meant? Sorry if this is an obvious one btw.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

My favourite bum note on the Bass at 3:08 where Trevor Bolder seems to think it's going back into the verse rather than repeat the chorus.

oops - just noticed Chris mentioned it while I was looking for the vid

Edited January 30, 2010 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[wateroftyne]

Oh. here's another. John Lennon's wretched, flubbed bass part in The Long and Winding Road.

[Huw Foster]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='728706' date='Jan 29 2010, 01:52 PM']My favourite bum note on the Bass at 3:08
[/quote]
That's just amazing. Funny thing is, I never noticed it before!

[Stylon Pilson]

[quote name='Huwberry' post='728709' date='Jan 29 2010, 01:55 PM']That's just amazing. Funny thing is, I never noticed it before![/quote]

Agreed. Next time someone's worrying about their first gig ("but what if I make a mistaaaake?") and we're doling out the usual "don't worry, if you make a mistake, no-one will notice" platitudes, we could use that clip as evidence.

S.P.

[BottomEndian]

Just remember one of Eno's Oblique Strategies:
[quote]Honour thy error as a hidden intention[/quote]

In other words, if you get it wrong... play it again.

[neepheid]

More of a recording blooper than playing, but take your pick from Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Californication" - clipping scattered throughout, the song "Otherside" springs to mind. Cheap shot really and you're probably already well aware of it, the album is often cited as an example when discussing the "loudness war".

[OldGit]

[quote name='chris_b' post='728698' date='Jan 29 2010, 01:47 PM']You could play your students Broken Dream by Python Lee Jackson. They make every mistake in the book but to be fair it was only a hastily recorded demo that would never have seen the light of day if Rod hadn't recorded Maggie May![/quote]


They do? Er, I've never noticed anything .. Can you eloborate? Ta



I nominate whoever was on tuning checking on this one:


Alto sax, 2:45
Wacks me in the ears every time ...

[casapete]

The Supremes -'Reflections'. Edit done with a blunt kitchen knife.
Derek&Dominos 'In Concert Live'- great bum note from EC in 'Have you ever loved a woman' (which he tries to get round!)
Jackie Wilson - 'Higher and higher'. Rhythm guitar part out of tune, but sounds great!

[casapete]

[quote name='OldGit' post='728807' date='Jan 29 2010, 03:35 PM']They do? Er, I've never noticed anything .. Can you eloborate? Ta



I nominate whoever was on tuning checking on this one:


Alto sax, 2:45
Wacks me in the ears every time ...[/quote]

God yeah, forgot about that one-me too!
Same as some of Bowie's sax noodlings too (Man who sold the world maybe?)

[Earbrass]

There's a bass failure in the Stones' 'Let It Bleed'; I seem to remember the bass jumping up to the III chord late on one verse. Also the early Dylan albums are full of band mistakes.

[Owen]

[quote name='chris_b' post='728698' date='Jan 29 2010, 01:47 PM']I suppose you must have heard Gene Genie by Bowie? Where the bass starts the chorus about half way through the verse?[/quote]

I have been using that one. On careful listening it actually sounds like the guitar actually moves out of his groove early which then throws the bass player off and the whole thing gets a bit wobbly.

Thanks everyone, keep them coming.

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='728640' date='Jan 29 2010, 01:09 PM']Here's the Rush Boys up to mischief... 1:19-ish:

[/quote]

Just goes to show.... I've listened to this about 5 times and can't hear anything wrong at all !!

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='728849' date='Jan 29 2010, 03:59 PM']Just goes to show.... I've listened to this about 5 times and can't hear anything wrong at all !![/quote]
Listen to the kick, and tap along with it...

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='728856' date='Jan 29 2010, 04:01 PM']Listen to the kick, and tap along with it...[/quote]

Give in.... sounds fine to me