What is this sound?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Greg_L
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Greg_L

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I hear this percussion sound on several old recordings, and I want it for a song I'm about to work on. What makes this sound?

You can hear it come in at :06 and it pretty much runs through the whole song.

 
Absolutely one the most ass-kicking Spector tunes ever...just something about the drums/rhythm.

Oh...for 30 points and a chance for that dream vacation at Puerto Vallarta...Greg, those are castanets. :)

I have a pair...left over from when my sister took dancing classes, and flamenco was one of them. It's not hard to play them, but takes a bit of practice. You wear them on your thumb, and use your other fingers to make the fast, repetitious clicking noise.
 
miroslav said:
Absolutely one the most ass-kicking Specter tunes ever...just something about the drums/rhythm.

Oh...for 30 points and a chance for that dream vacation at Puerto Vallarta...Greg, those are castanets.
Click to expand...

Aha, that's what I thought, but wasn't sure. I knew one of you old timers would know! :D

Thanks for the quick answer.

Now I gotta go buy some.
 
Are you sure that's not the sound of Ronnie Spector's bones breaking under yet another Phil Spector beating?

G.
 
That video didn't quite show how to play them....but I'm sure you can find others on YouTube.

One trick for the non-player that I've used the couple of times I recorded castanets, was to play one with both hands.
IOW..hook it on your thumb as usual, but if you can't get the flowing beat with the fingers of that same hand...just use the fingers of your other hand...and it's quite easy. Hold in one...play with the other fingers.

Of course, if you secretly want to become a flamenco dancer, Greg...then you should learn the proper style.
It's OK...I know how things are down in Tejas...you got all the Latin influence going on.
One thing though...the flamenco dancers wear boots with big heels...which will get in the way of your drum playing! :D

;)
 
Lol. They definitely look tricky to play. I'll have my lawn guy show me some tips. ;)
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
Are you sure that's not the sound of Ronnie Spector's bones breaking under yet another Phil Spector beating?
Click to expand...

As much as I respect his audio production...he was/is such a screwed up dude.

AFA Ronnie...her voice is the other kick-ass thing in that song...so much soul!
 
Yeah I'm going for a Spector-ish sound with this song I'm getting started on. Gonna record the drums in my front door entryway, guitars in the bathroom, etc. Should be really sucky.
 
Or...you could just find a cheesy big-hall reverb setting...and use it Mono! :D ;)
 
miroslav said:
Or...you could just find a cheesy big-hall reverb setting...and use it Mono! :D ;)
Click to expand...

Haha, no. I want to at least try and do it naturally. And when that undoubtedly fails, I'll probably just use a lot of reverb. :D
 
miroslav said:
AFA Ronnie...her voice is the other kick-ass thing in that song...so much soul!
Click to expand...
Her voice wasn't the only thing ass-kicking about her. Not that it's ever a sane thing to do, but beatin' on a babe like Ronnie was particularly insane.

It was pretty sad, though; I was flipping through the TV during lunch last week and I tripped across an old I Dream Of Jeannie rerun that actually guest starred Boyce and Hart as themselves playing a rock band, with crazy boy Phil Spector as their manager, and the first thing that crossed my mind was whether Barbara Eden had a security guard on the set.

G.
 
Greg_L said:
Yeah I'm going for a Spector-ish sound with this song I'm getting started on. Gonna record the drums in my front door entryway, guitars in the bathroom, etc. Should be really sucky.
Click to expand...

dunno, worked for Led Zep ;)
 
Great!
Now I've got an earworm.
Might as well crank it up.
Hoooooooooch!
 
And I'm fucking sick of youtube vids with fucking commercials at the beginning.
 
Can't wait to hear this. Bump this thread when you post the MP3. :D
 
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