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View Full Version : Steve: "Gerry" with headphones!


John DeAngelis
04-08-2002, 08:29 AM
Steve Hoffman said:
You know, I loved working on that Gerry And The Pacemakers CD.
_________

Easy to hear why. Last night, I listened to "Gerry" w/ headphones and heard lots of fun things. For example, on "I'm the One", there's so much drum leakage into the vocal mike that when those perky drum fills come in at the end of each verse, they're louder in the center--where the vocal is placed--than they are out of the right channel, where the drums are. Also, I never noticed that on (I think) "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" , the drums are in the left channel, but during the bridge, another drummer adds an additional part in the right channel--seems like it was added when they recorded the strings. And on "It's Gonna Be Alright" I think they must have done at least one reduction (are we talking 3-track recorder here?), because the double-tracked vocals and (overdubbed?) 12-string acoustic guitar are really loud, while the band track is pretty tiny-sounding, and the drums sound as if they're out of phase.

I also watched the Gerry & the Pacemakers bonus tracks on one of my "Hullaballo" DVD's. Fun to see, even though they're not playing live. Brian Epstein, bless his soul, introduces "It's Gonna Be Alright" as "one of the title songs from their new movie"! I think he was a bit flustered by all the screaming girls.

I also listened to the DCC "Highway 61" with 'phones on. On the Columbia CD, the organ on "From a Buick Six" is just a sound--on the DCC, it's a physical presence. I love that!

Thanks,

John D

Steve Hoffman
04-08-2002, 11:20 AM
Yeah John, on the Gerry & The Pacemakers stuff, they are doing it live for sure. A few of the songs might have one bounce, but that's pretty rare.

BTW, the reason that the drums get louder when the vocal stops is that the poor overworked Fairchild Stereo Limiter is bringing up the background music when the vocal level drops. Same effect happens on many of the songs on "A Hard Day's Night" and other "live" Beatles recordings.

When I first noticed it, I couldn't believe how crappy the effect was, but now I'm at peace with that part of Abbey Road recording history. I admit that sometimes I wish I could go back in time and snip the wires of the Fairchild Compressor. But then of course "Revolver" wouldn't sound like "Revolver" I guess...

lukpac
04-08-2002, 11:37 AM
Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
BTW, the reason that the drums get louder when the vocal stops is that the poor overworked Fairchild Stereo Limiter is bringing up the background music when the vocal level drops. Same effect happens on many of the songs on "A Hard Day's Night" and other "live" Beatles recordings.

When I first noticed it, I couldn't believe how crappy the effect was, but now I'm at peace with that part of Abbey Road recording history.

Funny, I LOVE that sound on, say, Anytime At All...

Steve Hoffman
04-08-2002, 11:42 AM
Yes, good example. Or "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".

The Fairchild Limiter really makes studio leakage an art form. It was an accident though. George Martin said that when he heard this on the mixes years later, he was shocked at how "bad" they were.

Sigh. Revisionists!