elif Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 WaPo article... No guitar - parts played by nasty synth sound. Quite an effort. [video:youtube] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUSSIEKEYS Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 I so loved that. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoMan51 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 My ear gets captured by the vocal pitchiness. And this reminds me how difficult it is to achieve 'barbershop quartet" - like harmonies with rock singers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyray Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Great song used to play the song back in my younger club days. Always started the first set off with Tie Your Mother Down great rocking tune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docbop Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 I was never a fan of the Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, but after the wedding band version I really hate it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyray Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 All about appreciating the talent that it took to play the piano parts not to mention the vocals wait the guitar lead at the end is pretty impressive. The song is not for everybody just appreciate the time it took to arrange a song like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 That was fun, thanks or sharing. Elicited fond (not really) memories of having to use a Rhodes to cover piano parts back in the day, not to mention trying to keep sheet music from falling off the curved lid while playing. Several years ago I was in a band that did a Queen medley, which included a large segment of Bohemian Rhapsody. When we reached that song, it was like 'Okay, here we go, fingers crossed.' Enjoyed reading the article, as well. Definitely appreciate the work those guys put into that tune, made even more challenging with no guitar. I think they did an excellent job, especially considering the aforementioned constraints. Quote "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Towne Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 I enjoyed the crap out of this. Quote Endorsing Artist/Ambassador for MAG Organs and Motion Sound Amplifiers, Organ player for SRT - www.srtgroove.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyNQ Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 That's the best thing I've seen on YouTube in ages. Thanks for sharing this and the article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Harrison Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsongs Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 Nice performance, but I'm skeptical this was actually recorded in 1976. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spider76 Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 Honestly, the audio quality seems just too good for what was supposedly a rotten 45-years old tape recovered from the junk heap and somehow restored. There's not a trace of background noise, the mix is perfect, and if this was supposedly recorded live at a wedding, how is it possible there's not a single noise, voice, comment or applause from the audience? Still a great performance, great arrangement and vocal work (a bit less that terrible synth sound!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Towne Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 I think they were called a 'wedding band' but this wasn"t a wedding per se. If you read the Washington Post article, the existence of the recording is explained. Quote Endorsing Artist/Ambassador for MAG Organs and Motion Sound Amplifiers, Organ player for SRT - www.srtgroove.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elif Posted June 30, 2021 Author Share Posted June 30, 2021 Here's a YT comment, posted by Arnie Reed regarding the recording of the video. The video was recorded by Washington Talent Agency, which purchased a commercial video rig so potential clients could preview bands they might want to hire without going out to see them in person. They rented out a vacant night club that had a big stage and room for the cameramen to get different shots. So the only audience was the camera crew and members of the other band, Inner Light in which I played piano. The video was originally recorded in color, but it took 34 years for me to find someone who could transfer it to a format we could view. The archivist used the location of the sound track to determine that it was recorded on a Panasonic High Band machine, which was made for only one year. He was fortunate to locate possibly the only remaining working model so the tape could be played and transferred. I apparently own one of the few tapes known to exist that was recorded on that machine. The sound track came out really well, but the video was degraded by 34 years of sitting in my basement. You may enjoy Sixpence's entire set: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1O5w_w6TcCZx9kOINA0WKBJGpIvZi-Am. Here's a playlist I put together for Inner Light that also includes some studio audio we recorded, set to a slideshow of the band: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1O5w_w6TcCZFJ2avhwb-H2NnBAX20kNz. I hope you will subscribe to my channel and browse the more than 1,800 videos I have uploaded over the years to document my life in bands. Here's a sample demo that I produced from a 2010 gig I played with my Nashville band, Two-Bit Eddie: [deleted by ChoppedHam] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 Pretty cool. Must have sucked to play piano parts on a Rhodes. People actually had to have talent to do something like this. Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWkeys Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 The distorted parts are also Rhodes. Looks like he was playing through a 2-channel Peavey head and had a footswitch to change to the distorted channel. My first amplifier was a Peavey Centurion head and a 18" Black Widow cabinet that I bought off my brother. The best part is my first keyboard that I played through this rig was a Yamaha Portasound, LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docbop Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 The distorted parts are also Rhodes. Looks like he was playing through a 2-channel Peavey head and had a footswitch to change to the distorted channel. My first amplifier was a Peavey Centurion head and a 18" Black Widow cabinet that I bought off my brother. The best part is my first keyboard that I played through this rig was a Yamaha Portasound, LOL! This reminded me of a group from my days working in recording studio. The group was all excellent musicians except for one, the guitarist. The guitarist was the brother of one of others who insisted he was in group both would leave. This was back in the days before computer anything so no plug in magic to fill up sound. The track needed something to put low in the mix for harmonic filler. They didn't want a B3 grown so they decided to have the guitar player crank up his amp and do some Pete Townsend like "Windmill" guitar chords and let them ring for whole measure. The dam guitarist for the life of him could not do it, he'd couldn't hit one in time, or missed the guitar trying to do those big up strums. Even some of the others who play a little guitar tried and couldn't get it right. Finally engineer said you got a Rhodes out there lets crank it thru the Twin Reverb. So after trying a couple chord voicing we laid down the track of cranked Rhodes slamming chords on one. We had are fill track to fatten up the track. We didn't need no stinkin' plug-ins! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o0Ampy0o Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 That take on the song holds up after all of these years. They did this just going off the record and did not have exposure to anything like Youtube with various efforts made by the few if any bands tackling the song. It is so good even the badly rigged keyboard (my opinion) could not ruin it. Such a rich full sound range is possible from a Rhodes that a guitar is not needed or missed. The mistake was trying to get there using a fuzz box or similar approach (?). Given the time, this example (1:50) is probably the amp driven to distortion by volume & velosity alone without use of a fuzz pedal. All of the other versions of this song (studio and live) which I have heard are cleaner. I prefer this by far. Credit is also due to Mel Schacher's full bodied bass and playing. I have never missed an instrument on this recording, meaning I have never thought "that needs guitar" or anything. (NOTE: Youtube has contributed mud. The vinyl LP was much clearer but this is a live recording of a band playing more wild like The Who live than say Pink Floyd. [video:youtube] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUSSIEKEYS Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Ahhhhh... Just listened to all their songs now on utube as posted above. "You may enjoy Sixpence's entire set: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1O5w_w6TcCZx9kOINA0WKBJGpIvZi-Am." So it seems..... The LOVE BOAT soon will be making another run. Im sure I saw this band playing the Cabana Lounge on the Love Boat a year later. I know at the time Captain Stubing was shite frightened that Earnest Borgnine would make a guest appearance on the boat & expose Stubings past life as a simple swabby on McHales PT73. Gavin thinking it would be unbecoming for the Ships "Captain of Love" to have such a lowly past avoided all contact with Earnest.. Yet later in the show when it was revealed he was simply a "mate on the PT" everyone said "you have to start somewhere Capn" then everyone smiled & patted backs. At that time Julie McCoy was dating one of the lead singers [the one with the big boof hairdoo] & Gopher was ropeable. So much so that Issac & Gopher concocted a plan to get the whole band drunk at Issacs bar, enough to get them kicked off at the next port. That never happened as the sax player coming down with some exotic flu went to see "Doc" only to confuse him with Siegfried from "Get Smart" ending in a comical chase of all band members along the Lido deck where sweet little Vicki Stubing stepped in to propose that when she was old enough she would date Gopher. Everyone laughed & the band returned to the Cabana Lounge to play Hava Nagila where every one danced & clapped & everything was right with the Nautical World. And Love wont hurt anymore...Its an open smile on a friendly shore. Its L>>O>>V>>E>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nadroj Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 That distored Rhodes tone was nasty, but what can you expect - guy did a good job picking up the guitar part. That there were slight warbles in the harmonies can be forgiven, this is a live recording of a live band. I thought it was brilliant. Loved the article too. No one in any of my bands is allowed to say to me that BR can't be done now. Quote Hammond SKX Mainstage 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Even though it's black and white, I know that wallpaper! It's red and black with a velour finish It was in one of the Seattle south end clubs I was playing back then... can't remember if it was My Place, Ad Lib, Chalet, Flame, Fogcutter... It's so 1970s, and instantly took me back. Loved the video, and it was very brave for a wedding band to do a song that was considered more of a quirky oddity than established canon at the time of it's release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUSSIEKEYS Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Even though it's black and white, I know that wallpaper! It's red and black with a velour finish It was in one of the Seattle south end clubs I was playing back then... can't remember if it was My Place, Ad Lib, Chalet, Flame, Fogcutter... It's so 1970s, and instantly took me back. Loved the video, and it was very brave for a wedding band to do a song that was considered more of a quirky oddity than established canon at the time of it's release. Bill after going thru all the songs on utube I think I saw mention in the comments or somewhere of the exact location. Unfortunately I don't remember as being in Aussie the location didn't sink in. But it's there somewhere but it's a lot of songs to go thru about 8 but doable. So someone else recognised it or knew for sure. As much as I enjoyed visiting the Utube Cabana Lounge listening to these 8 songs I think once is enough Hee hee Edit: it may have simply been mentioned in the linked description from the contributor of the videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Yeah to be clear, I didn't think the video was shot in Seattle. It was just a 1970s thing - like the Gremlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUSSIEKEYS Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Yeah to be clear, I didn't think the video was shot in Seattle. It was just a 1970s thing - like the Gremlin Hee hee got it now...a bit like my joke above... one of those "you can't be sure if he's serious or joking". With a wink of the eye thing you got me in bill... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
confidence Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 Nice performance, but I'm skeptical this was actually recorded in 1976. Really? Did you SEE the collars and lapels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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