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Author Topic: Piano on Darlin'  (Read 12296 times)
harrisonjon
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« on: February 03, 2017, 06:00:05 AM »

I was wondering how this was recorded? The piano seems to play a single note through the lines of the verses but then hits a big chord, joined by the organ. It's very addictive (especially the backing track in isolation) and an example of Brian's keep-it-simple approach post-Smile. The vocal is obviously gorgeous and probably in the top 5 leads on a BB single.
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RubberSoul13
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« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2017, 08:51:25 PM »

Now, I'm only using YouTube as my tool...but my ear isn't picking out any organ. Also, I can hear the piano moving through the chord changes on the entire track, I think the "single note" you're hearing is the left-hand of the piano bouncing between octaves as it is accented VERY heavily. The tone quality of the piano is similar to that of just about all piano usage from 1967-1969 on Beach Boys records.
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Shane
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« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2017, 09:11:59 PM »

Correct me of I'm wrong, but I think that's the Chickering piano that was in Brian's house.  It was out of tune on purpose.  It's very prominent on BB recordings in the few years after the demise of Smile. 
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« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2017, 12:52:43 AM »



The piano plays exactly this:

https://youtu.be/OLnCk8OK1sU




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Hickory Violet Part IV
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« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2017, 09:51:36 AM »

Correct me of I'm wrong, but I think that's the Chickering piano that was in Brian's house.  It was out of tune on purpose.  It's very prominent on BB recordings in the few years after the demise of Smile. 

Yes. This is the famous tuning job Marilyn talks about, where Brian sang each note to the guy tuning it.
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JK
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« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2017, 12:41:36 PM »



The piano plays exactly this:

https://youtu.be/OLnCk8OK1sU

Thank you!
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« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2017, 08:56:13 PM »



The piano plays exactly this:

https://youtu.be/OLnCk8OK1sU






So with the original question being how it was recorded, I don't know the story behind it by any means, but it's obviously a great deal of reverb involved there. Considering it's Brian's home piano, I'd assume this was simply recorded naturally in his home and this was the sound that came back?

Thanks for sharing that. I feel stupid saying this, but it's nice to hear Brian Wilson playing a solid piano track.
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Mark H.
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« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2017, 07:19:03 AM »

This was recorded in Brian's home studio.  Love that piano on so many tracks of that era - especially Here Comes the Night.
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Emdeeh
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« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2017, 01:13:19 PM »

I love that piano, too! Brian got such a robust sound out of it. One of the things that makes WH so great!
« Last Edit: February 10, 2017, 01:14:07 PM by Emdeeh » Logged
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« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2017, 01:56:17 PM »

This was recorded in Brian's home studio.  Love that piano on so many tracks of that era - especially Here Comes the Night.

HCTN is a favorite of mine mainly due to the piano riff...good call!
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« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2017, 03:36:29 PM »

I was wondering how this was recorded? The piano seems to play a single note through the lines of the verses but then hits a big chord, joined by the organ. It's very addictive (especially the backing track in isolation) and an example of Brian's keep-it-simple approach post-Smile. The vocal is obviously gorgeous and probably in the top 5 leads on a BB single.

The retuned piano creates it's own flanged effect with harmonics creating extra tonal nuances. This makes it sound fuller & you could be forgiven in thinking an extra instrument was at play. Plus the brilliantly undermined brass also blends in at times to add to this.
Didn't I hear on a previous thread that most - if not all - of the bass on this album was by Bruce?? Props to him if it was - epic & near as dammit to James Jamerson!
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harrisonjon
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« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2017, 11:10:45 AM »

Thanks for the replies. The isolated track clearly shows I was way wrong on the 'one note'. I wonder to what extent those chord changes came out of listening to the Motown stuff of the era?
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« Reply #12 on: February 11, 2017, 04:34:26 PM »


Didn't I hear on a previous thread that most - if not all - of the bass on this album was by Bruce?? Props to him if it was - epic & near as dammit to James Jamerson!

Consensus has been that it's their touring bassist Ron Brown, who actually was a motown guy.
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harrisonjon
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« Reply #13 on: February 12, 2017, 05:36:07 AM »

Does the same piano tuning appear on the demos of Don't Talk Put Your Head On My Shoulder (Pet Sounds box) and Surf's Up?
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SMiLE Brian
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« Reply #14 on: February 12, 2017, 10:48:45 AM »

What was the exact piano model that BW used?
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« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2017, 08:46:33 AM »

It was a Chickering grand - not sure of the size.  It was sold to a collector in the late 70s.  I remember seeing the sale notice in the fan club news letter.  Anyone know who's got it?
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James Hughes-Clarke
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« Reply #16 on: February 23, 2017, 06:28:42 AM »

I have an embarrassing (but hilarious) admission.   Thanks to this thread, I have only just worked out that 'Chickering' is the actual brand of the piano, rather than a description of its sound.  In other words, I thought it was 'the chickering piano', as in, say, the 'jangly' piano. 

I hereby demote myself to the slow stream...
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« Reply #17 on: February 23, 2017, 06:45:03 AM »

I have an embarrassing (but hilarious) admission.   Thanks to this thread, I have only just worked out that 'Chickering' is the actual brand of the piano, rather than a description of its sound.  In other words, I thought it was 'the chickering piano', as in, say, the 'jangly' piano. 

I hereby demote myself to the slow stream...

 LOL

Of course it could just be cussing:

"Whaddya mean piano, SMiLe Brian? It was a chickerin' grand, fer crissakes!"
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SMiLE Brian
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« Reply #18 on: February 23, 2017, 11:34:37 AM »

Perfect! LOL
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« Reply #19 on: February 24, 2017, 03:03:41 PM »


Didn't I hear on a previous thread that most - if not all - of the bass on this album was by Bruce?? Props to him if it was - epic & near as dammit to James Jamerson!

Consensus has been that it's their touring bassist Ron Brown, who actually was a motown guy.
Cheers, that makes sense! Still like to cling to some sense that it was Bruce given that his only other recorded contributions (besides vocals) appear to be on piano. Maybe he did sirens on Student Demonstration Time.....
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« Reply #20 on: February 24, 2017, 03:20:23 PM »

I have an embarrassing (but hilarious) admission.   Thanks to this thread, I have only just worked out that 'Chickering' is the actual brand of the piano, rather than a description of its sound.  In other words, I thought it was 'the chickering piano', as in, say, the 'jangly' piano. 

I hereby demote myself to the slow stream...

LOL You're not the only one! Same here!
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« Reply #21 on: February 25, 2017, 01:57:59 AM »

make that three  Roll Eyes
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #22 on: February 25, 2017, 08:32:04 AM »

I was wondering how this was recorded? The piano seems to play a single note through the lines of the verses but then hits a big chord, joined by the organ. It's very addictive (especially the backing track in isolation) and an example of Brian's keep-it-simple approach post-Smile. The vocal is obviously gorgeous and probably in the top 5 leads on a BB single.

COMMENT to harrisonjon: 

1)  Take one 9 foot concert grand piano (a gift from Murry Wilson to his son, Brian) manufactured by The Chickering Piano Company of Boston, MA, established in 1853. . .

2)  Record one basic track

3)  Overdub one "padding" track, recorded with the recorder running slower by a few IPS, but with the piano notes played exactly the same as in (2). . .

4) Mix together into one MONO track.  The two tracks (one normal tuning and one slightly sharp) will cause the sound to hytrodyne or beat with itself, depending on the speed difference between the original and overdubbed tracks -- thus giving you that "sound" you like. Must be combined into one track in one position and not spread over the stereo panorama.

Rumor has it that Brian called in a piano tuner to de-tune the Chickering for the overdub, but that's rather expensive and inconvenient since the piano once detuned would need to be completely re-tuned once the overdub is finished.  Much simpler, cheaper and faster to VSO the multi-track's speed down a few IPS -- and that's how it's done.

Brain liked the Chickering, not necessarily because of its superb sound, but rather because of its action. It is a performance instrument, not a studio recording instrument. The action favored his playing style and heavy hand.

~SWD 


   
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guitarfool2002
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« Reply #23 on: February 25, 2017, 08:49:34 AM »

I was wondering how this was recorded? The piano seems to play a single note through the lines of the verses but then hits a big chord, joined by the organ. It's very addictive (especially the backing track in isolation) and an example of Brian's keep-it-simple approach post-Smile. The vocal is obviously gorgeous and probably in the top 5 leads on a BB single.

COMMENT to harrisonjon:  

1)  Take one 9 foot concert grand piano (a gift from Murry Wilson to his son, Brian) manufactured by The Chickering Piano Company of Boston, MA, established in 1853. . .

2)  Record one basic track

3)  Overdub one "padding" track, recorded with the recorder running slower by a few IPS, but with the piano notes played exactly the same as in (2). . .

4) Mix together into one MONO track.  The two tracks (one normal tuning and one slightly sharp) will cause the sound to hytrodyne or beat with itself, depending on the speed difference between the original and overdubbed tracks -- thus giving you that "sound" you like. Must be combined into one track in one position and not spread over the stereo panorama.

Rumor has it that Brian called in a piano tuner to de-tune the Chickering for the overdub, but that's rather expensive and inconvenient since the piano once detuned would need to be completely re-tuned once the overdub is finished.  Much simpler, cheaper and faster to VSO the multi-track's speed down a few IPS -- and that's how it's done.

Brain liked the Chickering, not necessarily because of its superb sound, but rather because of its action. It is a performance instrument, not a studio recording instrument. The action favored his playing style and heavy hand.

~SWD  

Terrific post and info, Stephen - Thank You!   Smiley

This kind of info is fascinating, as in how it was done almost 50 years ago yet the techniques carry on to the present day.

If I can add something I thought you'd like to hear from the digital age and how this same technique is still in use today after it was pioneered by the true creative engineers like yourself: File under what is old is new again. Or something   Grin

Going back to 2003 when I and a partner were getting a studio/production operation going, a friend who was engineering in NYC at rooms like Platinum, Hit Factory, whatever the Record Plant was called that year said check this out, he was doing this regularly on R&B and hip-hop vocals with Pro Tools. he described this process: Take the lead vocal, copy and paste it so there are three of the same track. Take one of those, detune it slightly. Take the other, raise it slightly in pitch. Blend them behind the lead vocal into one track...

And it was the essentially the same process as you described with the piano track on '67! I don't remember if it was considered something new as of that time and via digital, or whether it was just the standard vocal mixing method in that genre at that time...but when I read how it was already being done 50 years ago, it is more testament to the creativity in how the truly great engineers and producers like yourself developed all of these techniques decades prior.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2017, 08:51:44 AM by guitarfool2002 » Logged

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« Reply #24 on: February 25, 2017, 09:36:39 AM »

Guitarfool2000 - I've heard the tracking tape from the "Darlin'" basic session, and the piano Brian is playing on the incomplete takes sounds exactly like the piano on the final mix. It's obviously de-tuned, or specialty-tuned, but it's not standard concert-tuning. I believe he did overdub another piano part, with masking tape (or some other kind of tape, like gaffer's tape) applied to the strings - for that overdub, he seems to have played in a higher octave. But the essential, funky "Darlin'" piano sound we all know and love was created mostly by Brian playing a piano that had been "doctored" in some way before its sound ever hit the recording tape. 
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