Mark's voice sped up on Setting Me Up

[JF]

this morning, by listening to the Ronettes' song "be my baby" the backing vocals remained me of the ones on Springsteen's Hungry heart (I am talking about the verses on both songs)
So I started to search if it was intentional, and if Bruce wanted to have typical Spector backing vocals in his song.

An by searching infos on this song, I found something else that I havent' heard before :

Springsteen's voice was slightly sped up on the recording, producing a higher-pitched vocal. (Dire Straits had done the same thing on 1978's "Setting Me Up".)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungry_Heart


indeed, Mark's voice sounds a little high pitched, but does anyone have heard infos about this ?

Thanks to Ingo, we know that In the Gallery has been sped up
http://www.mk-guitar.com/2009/06/30/which-key-is-in-the-gallery-on-the-first-dire-straits-cd-am-or-bbm/

Could it be the same about Setting me up ? if so, the original key would not be open A then...
or maybe is it only the vocals ?

[ds1984]

Well I think I never heard SMU played live the way it was recorded on the album and always wondered why. So this would be the explanation.

[JF]

Well I think I never heard SMU played live the way it was recorded on the album and always wondered why. So this would be the explanation.

Maybe you are referring to NHB or OES tour versions, but I think the versions from Leeds january 78 and the ones from late 79 are close to the studio version imho :







and the key seems to be the same.

An we know that Wikipedia is not always true... so maybe it was not the case ?

[ds1984]

Well I think I never heard SMU played live the way it was recorded on the album and always wondered why. So this would be the explanation.

Maybe you are referring to NHB or OES tour versions, but I think the versions from Leeds january 78 and the ones from late 79 are close to the studio version imho :







and the key seems to be the same.

An we know that Wikipedia is not always true... so maybe it was not the case ?

Yes Cologne 79 is pretty close. I did not know that version.

[dmg]

I we cast our minds back to the demo version we will recall that it is completely different and much slower, which would indicate that they were experimenting with the pace of the song. Of course it doesn't prove whether or not it was speeded up on the album but the fact that they played it only a few times at that pace live would indicate that perhaps they did...

[dustyvalentino]

If they played the tape slower in the studio, then MK sang along with this, it would sound higher pitched but stay in the same key when played back at the original speed. Think Alvin and The Chipmunks. Or MacArtney on When I'm Sixty Four.

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[dmg]

If they played the tape slower in the studio, then MK sang along with this, it would sound higher pitched but stay in the same key when played back at the original speed. Think Alvin and The Chipmunks. Or MacArtney on When I'm Sixty Four.

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lol

I don't think so.  Using Wavelab (Lite) I can speed up a sample and have the option of keeping the original pitch.  It works well on recent versions of Sultans!    If I can do it with a cheap(ish) program then I'm sure they can do it in a professional studio, even back then. 

[dustyvalentino]

Nope, no computers then, all done on tape! Amazing but true.

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[dmg]

Nope, no computers then, all done on tape! Amazing but true.

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If only Muff had Wavelab Lite!

[Fletch]

Dusty is right, running the tape at a slightly slower speed whilst recording and then bringing it back would create a real headache if the music is 440Hz, which i presume it is?

Incidentally i do love the tape trickery of the olden days, the famous pre-echo of Pink Floyds lyrics, "..when we were young and went to school.." really was very clever yet so simple. Those engineers were amazing.

[JF]

Yes indeed it's a possibility, and it was likely the case

thanks Dusty for the info about Macca on 64. although I read the whole beatles recordings sessions book, I didn't remember this.

Fletch, which Floyd song is it ?  I can't point out these lyrics

Page also used the reverse echo on Plant's voice on you shook me, or on his guitar on other songs

[H97]

^ guess he meant when we grew up and went to school from The Happiest Days Of Our Lives

[JF]

thanks Hugo I got it
and thanks Fletch to point it out. I had heard it before but thought that it was Roger who sang the word several times, and indeed you are right it's an echo but played before the orginal sound

[Fletch]

JF they recorded the lead vocal, then reversed the tape to add an echo to just that line (I think)... I remember reading about it in Sounds magazine or some lost and forgotten recording magazine from the early 90s

[dustyvalentino]

I googled When I'm 64 and apparently they sped up the whole track.

My point about Alvin and the Chipmunks still stands though.

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