Winkrich's "Friday On My Mind" thread (moved)

[JimN]

Trains And Boats And Planes?

Vocals?

[Iain Purdon]

Yes. Listen closely. Try under headphones. On one side of the stereo someone is going "daaa-da-daaa" along with parts of the melody line. It happens at intervals throughout the track but is at its most perceptible (or, least imperceptible) towards the end.

I have no way of knowing who it is, but I think it's John Rostill.

Why? Because, I left out another "vocal" - Chelsea Boot. Not only is there the "Chipmunk" section, but someone is humming along with the bit where the bass takes the melody. That seems most likely to be the man playing the bass!

[JimN]

Yes. Listen closely. Try under headphones. On one side of the stereo someone is going "daaa-da-daaa" along with parts of the melody line. It happens at intervals throughout the track but is at its most perceptible (or, least imperceptible) towards the end.

Yes, but that doesn't make it a vocal. On that basis, Atlantis, Geronimo and Diamonds would be vocals

I have no way of knowing who it is, but I think it's John Rostill.

Why? Because, I left out another "vocal" - Chelsea Boot. Not only is there the "Chipmunk" section, but someone is humming along with the bit where the bass takes the melody. That seems most likely to be the man playing the bass!

I think you're right about the humming along with the bass solo - it's a device often heard in jazz, of course.

[Iain Purdon]

I think, Jim, you may have missed what I said in my earlier post.

This was a unique Shads album at the time, having no vocals. Hurrah!
Unless you regard Trains & Boats & Planes and Winchester Cathedral as vocals. I don't know. "What do you think, Brute?"

[JimN]

Point taken.

[Fenderman]

Jigsaw was recorded under pressure, EMI wanted a new album but they were working six days a week in panto so the only free day they had was Sunday so they were working non stop between December 1966 and April 1967 when the panto run finished. I don't envy their workload. This is probably why there isn't as much originals on the album.

[JimN]

Jigsaw was recorded under pressure, EMI wanted a new album but they were working six days a week in panto so the only free day they had was Sunday so they were working non stop between December 1966 and April 1967 when the panto run finished. I don't envy their workload. This is probably why there isn't as much originals on the album.

Despite the pressure, the "Jigsaw" album clearly had a lot of work done on it. It is very "experimental", relying heavily upon the same sort of creativity in the recording process that certain other artists were using at the time.

No question of just rehearsing the song, setting up the mikes and counting it in...

[Fenderman]

The title track is a personal favourite of mine, i also love Stardust and Prelude in E Major.
Could have done without Chelsea Boot or With a hmm hmm on my knee, these seem like space fillers.

[Uncle Fiesta]

Jigsaw has always been one of my favourite Shads albums too, and I've not been able to find it on CD. Did they do one?

On the subject of speeding things up, in the late 70's when I had an Akai sound-on-sound tape deck (the ubiquitous 4000DS) and used it to record my original instrumentals by bouncing between the two tracks, this was a trick I used quite often. In those days it was the only way I could play fast enough! I've improved since, which is another way of saying that since I've grown up, I've come to realise that playing too fast is just silly.

Strangely enough I recently read an interview with Justin Hayward, in which he mentioned that people occasional say to him, 'on [such-and-such track] you've speeded the guitar up' but in his case it actually WAS a mandolin!

Finally, if we're going to call Winchester Cathedral a vocal, has anyone ever been able to work out what the lads are actually saying at the beginning?

[Iain Purdon]

Yes it does deteriorate into "rhubarb, rhubarb" as it fades!!