It is really true. Technology affords us many luxuries. Cats can hit the studio and make records alone. Yet, it is often misses something.

Dr. Dre figured it out early and as a result, his tracks are the epitome of Hip-Hop. Of course, he studied Quincy Jones.

Unless a muso is gifted e.g. Stevie Wonder or Prince, it is harder to come up with definitive parts for multiple instruments.

Otherwise, even the greatest musos enlist the help of others when it's time to make a record. Mainly for the flavor they will add to the part.

It was no accident that Miles Davis brought Hancock, Carter, Williams and Shorter together. He knew those young lions would bring something to the table.

With that knowledge, Quincy pulled the right cats together to make a "magic that must be love".

Yeah, I think part of the magic of old school records is the fact that the rhythm tracks were recorded live in the room. It's much easier to gel when the bass and drums are playing off each other instead of a pre-recorded feed to your headphones. Also I think the small amount of leakage between the mics added to the quality of the mix. Today everything is recorded so cleanly that everything sounds overly compressed and in your face. I miss that old school vibe.

We finally watched Standing in the Shadows of Motown last night, and the Funk Brothers were talking about what made the Motown sound, and how people had all these theories, it was the room, the weather, the BBQ, etc. One guy said, "yeah, right, let's throw a plate of ribs in Studio A and tell it to play a song, and see what happens!"

The funk brothers were THE studio band. What those guys were able to do together was truly unique. Most of those songs were so simple yet they turned everyone of them into masterpieces. It still amazes me how any old Motown song can come on at any party or gathering with any kind of age group, white, black, etc. and just uplift everyone. There such a joyous and uplifting vibe to all those songs.

Yup, Greg Phillinganes is one bad mofo. I recall Q saying in an interview that GP's Rhodes playing on 'I Can't Help it' was like sprinkling fairy dust on the track, or words to that effect. And this is entirely true.

His little embellishments are constantly moving, which I'm finding hard to work out (my little MJ fakebook's chords are so far off it's not even funny), and Stevie's prescribed baseline, though a beautiful thing, distracts even further. Anybody got chords that work for this song?

Here's an oldie but goodie for you, Cliff. I use to do this one some 30 years ago.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFBS9H_tFLo

Thanks Linwood. I just spend the past half hour chasing various Greg Phillingaines videos around Youtube.

Man Greg makes it sound like playing the piano with perfect time is EASY. He's not reinventing the wheel with a lot of what he plays, but what he does play always fits perfectly and always grooves - - not ridiculously, but just enough for whatever situation he's in.

This isn't the most spectaular version of 'Mas Que Nada' I've ever heard nor the most innovative, but when you realize he segues into it with perfect time and makes everything sound huge, and it's solo piano and the melody is clear along with a roaring accompaniment, it's pretty awesome.

Very nice, thanks Linwood!

Love the track, hate the singing.

+1

IMO, Greg Phillinganes represents the consummate, professional KB player. He provides whatever the music needs.

Studio or stage, he has been a first call musician for almost 40 years. I would not be surprised if he was scheduled to do those MJ dates as well.

I've got a USB external hard drive here full of my CDs that I ripped awhile back. I'm listening to Lonely from Anita Baker's "Compositions". Phillinganes is working it. OMG. This is a great album of music.

I love 'Whatever It Takes' from that album! The huge, whole note chords he plays. very powerful and soulfull, yet there's a canyon of space left to serve the melody and song. So many other keyboardists would have mucked that tune up with a bunch of "extra" that isn't needed. What a track!

Z, I'm with you, the vox aren't the best. He must have gotten that from Donald around the time he did Nightfly with him.

Yeah, the whole tune has a Fagenish vibe to it.

Fagen wrote/produced it. If it were done today, that vocal would lay in the mix much nicer with a little polish. That's probably what most people nowdays sound like.

Exactly. I listened again after reading your post. There's a very haunting quality that the openness gives to the overall vibe. Sometimes it's not whatcha say... it's what you don't say. Leaving a little space can be a good thing.

...kinda like dynamics.

Man I thought of another one this morning while I was lying in bed. I had to get up and run to the keyboard to make sure I remembered it as it always eventually gets erased from my mind:

The PRECHORUS to PYT has so many twists and turns and yet you'd never think so. It might as well be a jazz standard with all the places it goes.

|GM7 |F#7sus F#7 |B7sus B7 |GM7 |F#7sus F#7| C/D B7b13|

That last bar is a knockout!

So the tributes are rolling in from guitarland - I've heard Buckethead's classical guitar piece and am now listening to Vai-Timmons playing "Beat It". Looking forward to hearing tributes from keyboard players.

Great parts and great sounds! Like a lot of other people, I am revisiting my MJ records. The following points which Bruce Swedien has shared are worth taking note of on the production side of things:

- He is not a fan of compression (never tracks with it and not sure if he ever mixes with it) and likes to send synth outputs into a room with mics - then blends the mic'd signal with the direct signal for added dimension (he wants the complex character of early reflections that only a real space can provide).

- He puts a great deal of effort into capturing and maintaining transients. This means mics and preamps that are up to the task - and taking steps to limit the playback of the master tapes until it's time to produce the final mix in order to avoid degradation of the analog master.

If you'd like to read up more on Mr. Swedien's approach, there is his book "Make Mine Music" and there is a collection of threads he contributed to on Gearslutz - some great reading from a true master:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bruce-swedien/


Hank

Just as QJ got A-list musos to play on MJ's tracks, he was had enough vision to enlist a great recording engineer in Bruce Swedien.

There was a point in time when a record producer really took parts and formed them into a cohesive unit.

Those lines have gotten blurred over the years but it's good to know the blueprint still exists.

I believe for years to come, folks will go back to MJ records listening to the magic beneath the surface.

"Music is life's only true magic." - Bruce Swedien


Amen.

WHUUUUUDT.

Can you get THOSE drums sounds without compression?!?!? The Neve board at Westlake already naturally compresses the sound right? I am surprised if that's the case.

Good question - It would be nice to know what happened in the mixes - I haven't seen any of Mr. Swedien's words on that specifically. He did state that Billie Jean (rhythm section) was recorded at Westlake to his own 16 track analog recorder with no noise reduction through a Massenburg portable 12-channel recording console.

My condolences go out to Mr. Swedien during this very sad time.


Hank

Greg Phillinganes is GOD

the guy is a genius and a lovely guy as well

so down to earth and blessed with talent

and now i cant locate ANY of his albums to buy!
cant find PULSE or SIGNIFICANT GAINS anywhere :-(

when i do, they are like 2 billion dollars!!!!