Ventures 1960 Walk Don't Run - off key?

[Gatwick1946]

I recall reading somewhere, years ago, that some artists, when in the recording studio, used to tune their guitars up a semitone, because this produced a slightly, brighter sound. It might have been an interview with Pete Townsend?

Kindest regards

Christopher

[cockroach]

Townshend tuned his guitar DOWN a full note for My Generation- the record sounds in G, but on his guitar he was playing in A. He said somewhere that he wanted to keep the ringing open strings.

As I said before, none of this matters very much..the only time it sounds 'off' is when someone is playing a guitar or bass which is out of tune with itself...

As someone said, Vic Flick sounds slightly out on the JB theme, and I don't think you can blame a vibrato arm because his guitar (the big archtop Clifford Essex Paramount job) didn't have one...

And as Dave Robinson always says, some of the Ventures stuff was a bit out too- I love Nokie Edwards, and Slaughter on 10th Avenue is one of my favourite Ventures tunes, but he's out of tune slightly on that record!

[JimN]

I love Nokie Edwards, and Slaughter on 10th Avenue is one of my favourite Ventures tunes, but he's out of tune slightly on that record!

If that one's out of tune, it must be a tape-speed issue, since what sounds like an organ part in the middle of the tune is actually played on a trumpet run through a Leslie or similar speaker. The trumpet is unlikely to have been out of tune...

[Pinner Fan]

On my original 45 (and on a couple of guitar instrumental vinyl collections from the 70s) of JB7's Walk Don't Run the lead guitar was quite obviously not tuned to the rest of the group / band.

Vik Flick mentions this in his book and the fact that John Barry would not allow him to re-tune and do another take
i.e. that take's good enough.

However what I have noticed on recent CD releases of this track is that now the lead guitar actually sounds more or less in tune !!

Digital wizardry ?? Auto tune ??
.

[JimN]

On my original 45 (and on a couple of guitar instrumental vinyl collections from the 70s) of JB7's Walk Don't Run the lead guitar was quite obviously not tuned to the rest of the group / band.

Vik Flick mentions this in his book and the fact that John Barry would not allow him to re-tune and do another take
i.e. that take's good enough.

However what I have noticed on recent CD releases of this track is that now the lead guitar actually sounds more or less in tune !!

Digital wizardry ?? Auto tune ??
.

That isn't possible with a mixed-down recording, and I'm sure that there is no multi-track recording of the JB7's WDR.

[Pinner Fan]

Walk Don't Run by JB7 is available in true stereo so multi tracks do exist ..............

[Uncleboko]

I always tune my accoustic down 2 semitones, because my wife sings "Under the Rose" - an Albion Band song, in the key of F - so I can still use G chord shape with open strings which sounds better to me. It also means that I can bend the heavier strings without too much pain!

As too Walk Don't Run, it doesn't sound to me if new strings were used for the recording

[JimN]

Walk Don't Run by JB7 is available in true stereo so multi tracks do exist ..............

Not so. EMI London simply didn't have multi-track in 1960 (though EMI USA, aka Capitol, apparently did have 3-track available at the Hollywood studios).

It is true that WDR exists in mono and in stereo, but not as a multi-track master.

Still, there's a lot you can do with a stereo recording in the digital domain.

[JimN]

I always tune my accoustic down 2 semitones, because my wife sings "Under the Rose" - an Albion Band song, in the key of F - so I can still use G chord shape with open strings which sounds better to me. It also means that I can bend the heavier strings without too much pain!

As too Walk Don't Run, it doesn't sound to me if new strings were used for the recording

It's surprising how stereo versions, and headphone listening, reveals how many Shadows tracks of the 1960s featured less-than-pristine guitar strings.

Part of the whole sound of some guitars (particularly if fitted with flatwounds) lies in the lack of metallic overtones within the note. It's not "wrong", though for some genres, it may be thought inappropriate.