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Strange sounds in music

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    Strange sounds in music

    Does anyone know by what instrument the arranger for Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" created that "bwwrrrr" sound?

    One of the best strange sounds created by an instrument must be Todd Rundgren's guitar solo that starts off as a revving motorbike.

    #2
    If the sound that you are referring to is the one that I think it is, I've always thought that it was a slide down the frets of a guitar (perhaps with some slight distortion), but that's just a guess.

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      #3
      It's a Moog synthesizer slide played and arranged by Tommy Eyre.

      https://www.discogs.com/Gerry-Raffer...elease/7997998

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        #4
        "Baker Street" has a lot of great stuff going. That saxophone and Hugh Burns' superb guitar solo, which apparently inspired Slash’s solo for Guns N’ Roses’ "Sweet Child o’ Mine". I love the bass as well. It really is a beautiful arrangement.

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          #5
          Thanks Satchmo, that's cleared up a longstanding mystery, if I'm thinking of the same sound as G-Man is. It is indeed a really sonically interesting song.

          G-Man, I assume you were referring to the legendary 'motorcycle guitar' solo opening Bat Out Of Hell in your original post, yes? It is indeed an astounding bit of work. I remember the other year seeing one of those "how we made (X) album/classic track" programmes which had Meat Loaf sitting at a mixing desk and describing Rundgren doing it. As he talked about it he played in the song and faded down all the other tracks bar the guitar, so we could hear how it's all done in one take – from initial revving all the way into the solo. Meat's expression as he listened back to it was something to behold, a kind of beatific awe.

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            #6
            Is it OK to love Baker Street now? I always have, always had extra love for it because I worked there and had a love that lived by there (although I disagree strongly about London having "no soul"). His understated vocal sits beautifully amongst all that lush music. It's a perfect pop song, but I think many people can't admit that because it's so popular, and a mainstay of daytime Smooth and Magic radio stations.

            I was puzzled by that instrument on Out of the Blue by Roxy Music, the electric violin, but then that was cleared up for me over 10 years ago :-)

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              #7
              a mainstay of daytime Smooth and Magic radio stations
              That's the problem, you hear it once a week whether you choose to or not

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                #8
                That synthesizer on Baker Street also reminds me a bit of the Star Trek theme, which has a complex history:

                The unaired pilot "The Cage" used a wordless rendition of the melody line, sung by soprano Loulie Jean Norman with flute and organ, over an orchestral arrangement. When originally composed (and as heard in "The Cage"), Courage had Norman's vocalizations and the various instruments mixed equally to produce what Courage described as a unique "'what is that that I'm hearing?' sound."[4] According to Courage, however, Gene Roddenberry had the mix changed to bring up the female vocal, after which Courage felt the theme sounded like a soprano solo. Finally, for the third season it was remixed again, this time emphasizing the organ.
                Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 27-02-2018, 12:00.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by MsD View Post
                  Is it OK to love Baker Street now?
                  Wow, was it ever not? I don't care how often I hear it, it's always been a brilliant song.


                  That's fascinating about the Star Trek theme, Satch. Are there examples of the original mix out there anywhere?

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                    #10
                    Yes, you can see the opening of The Cage on YouTube, which has that mix

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                      #11
                      For almost sixty years I've been trying to figure out the sound at the beginning of Mary Wells's Two Lovers. It's directly after the first couple of notes and sounds like someone pouring a cup of coffee.

                      Two Lovers — Mary Wells

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Various Artist View Post
                        Thanks Satchmo, that's cleared up a longstanding mystery, if I'm thinking of the same sound as G-Man is. It is indeed a really sonically interesting song.

                        G-Man, I assume you were referring to the legendary 'motorcycle guitar' solo opening Bat Out Of Hell in your original post, yes? It is indeed an astounding bit of work. I remember the other year seeing one of those "how we made (X) album/classic track" programmes which had Meat Loaf sitting at a mixing desk and describing Rundgren doing it. As he talked about it he played in the song and faded down all the other tracks bar the guitar, so we could hear how it's all done in one take – from initial revving all the way into the solo. Meat's expression as he listened back to it was something to behold, a kind of beatific awe.
                        Yes, I saw that programme. It really was excellent how Meat Loaf showcased that solo.

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