"Mistakes" that were left in...

[TheGoodTexan]

xx

[reverbbb]

I have heard several mistakes on Led Zeplin songs.

There was that old Rod Stewart song "Every Picture Tells A Story". In the bridge, the song drops down and he is singing with the female singer. Rod clearly jumps the gun on his female singer counterpart - almost like a stutter. I have always loved that flub up.

Then there are several recordings with Todd Rundgrun that he intentionally leaves the count in. And that "Hello It's Me" with the false start.

The most famous one was John Lennon's "Day Tripper" where he accidently bumped his Casino and caused it to feedback at the start of the song. John used to proudly boast that was the first recorded song to intentionally leave the feedback on the final mix. He loved the effect.

It seems that Ray Davies of the Kinks was frequent with his mistakes as well.

There is a mixdown error on that old Triumph song at the bridge. I think the name of the song was "Hold On". He sings 'Can you feel the magic . . .' There is another punch in of the word 'magic'. It almost sounds like an intended delay effect, but it sounds to me like a retake punch in problem at the console.

[twangee]

On the Oasis b-side "Talk Tonight" you clearly hear a chair pop during the intro.

[Scotland]

Maggie May, listen to the bass...most of the way through

[Skully]

The most famous one was John Lennon's "Day Tripper" where he accidently bumped his Casino and caused it to feedback at the start of the song. John used to proudly boast that was the first recorded song to intentionally leave the feedback on the final mix. He loved the effect.

The song is "I Feel Fine," and although the idea to put it in in the song came as the result of an accidental leaning of an acoustic-electric (not a Casino, IIRC), what you hear on the record was put their intentionally. The accident was restaged and recorded and the resulting feedback was spliced on to the front of the song.

[Joel Terry]

The entire guitar solo in Lou Christie's "Lightnin' Strikes" sounds like a mistake. :?

For years, my older brother and I have had a ongoing, heated debate about Verdine White's bassline in Earth, Wind, and Fire's "September." Brother Jack claims Verdine muffs a particular bass note a few bars into the tune before the vocals start; I maintain that it's simply a syncopated note.

Then, there's that strange string-break/overdub a few notes into Stevie Ray's solo on "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)." He bends that high G up until you can hear the string break, with a mismatched overdub of the "continued" bend placed over it. Stevie doesn't match the original bend with the overdub, so it has a peculiar doubled sound, complete with the string "pop" in the middle of it all.

On Elvis' gospel recording of Jerry Reed's "A Thing Called Love," Elvis is doubling the vocals with The Imperials' legendary bass singer, Armand Morales. When they get to the verse, "Men like me they worry and doubt/Trouble their minds day in and day out," Elvis muffs "Trouble their minds"; instead he says something like "Twirdle a mind."

In Jimi's "Purple Haze," you can hear him clearing his throat and coughing right before he begins his vocals. In "May This Be Love," you can hear Jimi turning the lyrics page in a silent break in the middle of the song. (I don't know if these qualify as mistakes, per se, but they are noticeably left in the mix.)

I can't think of any others at this moment, but I'll try to think of more. Great thread!

Joel

[Iain]

I was listening to the radio, in my car, last night. Caught a wee bit of a programme wherein Tony Visconti was being interviewed about Bowie. He (TV) was saying he wished he'd sorted "Young Americans", in that the section where it drops to Carlos Alomar's guitar slows down (due, apparently, to the - later scrubbed - hi-hat slowing) and Alomar's guitar's out of tune.

Haven't heard the song in ages, so can't say if what he's niggled by is dead noticeable in reality, or not.

[Big John]

Isn't Charlie's drum part at the intro of 'Start me up' a mistake ?, mind you, it's still a KILLER intro !

[TheGoodTexan]

xx

[skiraly017]

Zep flubs of the top of my head -

Botched note by John Paul Jones during the keyboard solo in "All My Love".

Page saying "Stop" after the second verse in "Out On The Tiles".

Telephone ringing in the studio during "The Ocean".

Bonham's bass drum pedal squeaking in many songs.

[InstituteOfNoise]

On Bowie's Gene Genie, Mick Ronson jumps the first pre chorus by a bar and Bowie clearly says "Get back on it". Not sure if the early guitar part or Bowie saying that, attracted more attention than the early chord.

[Stan Martin]

Jealous Again piano solo 2 distinct "clams". Great groove and tone. I'm glad they left it in.

[RockinCarl]

Originally Posted by skiraly017

Zep flubs of the top of my head -

Botched note by John Paul Jones during the keyboard solo in "All My Love".

Page saying "Stop" after the second verse in "Out On The Tiles".

Telephone ringing in the studio during "The Ocean".

Bonham's bass drum pedal squeaking in many songs.

And Jimmy hit a clunker in the original studio version of "I Can't Quit You Baby,"(the last solo?) from Led Zeppelin I. :)

[reverbbb]

Originally Posted by Skully

The song is "I Feel Fine," and although the idea to put it in in the song came as the result of an accidental leaning of an acoustic-electric (not a Casino, IIRC), what you hear on the record was put their intentionally. The accident was restaged and recorded and the resulting feedback was spliced on to the front of the song.

Well, I was close.

[Honga Man]

I love those Zeppelin mistakes.

Not really a mistake, but a cool tidbit of recording that made it one one of their albums (Physical Graffiti, maybe? I'm at work or I'd check) is when a plane flies over at the beginning of a song. Someone asks about it and Jimmy (I assume) says "nah, leave it in".

[hekawi]

you're not completely wrong, reverbbb..."day tripper" does have a flub. there is one instance in the song where a note is missed in that great guitar riff. i believe it happens right after the "she took me half the way there" verse. hear it once, and you'll listen for it forever.

also in jackson browne's "you love the thunder", at one point is sounds like a drum stick snaps or hits the rim of the drum. i'm sure somebody here knows exactly what happened. again with this one, i always listen for that moment. not because it's a horrible mistake, but 'cause it's cool that they left it in.

[J-man]

How about Zep's - In My Time Of Dying, at the end of the song someone coughs so Plant goes with it and adds it into the lyrics.

[TheGoodTexan]

xx

[Seanycaster]

During the intro to Roxanne someone sits on a piano and laughs. A complete mistake but I can't imagine the song without it.

[teletin]

Originally Posted by Big John

Isn't Charlie's drum part at the intro of 'Start me up' a mistake ?

I've read in an interview with CW that it was Keef that skipped a beat and Charlie adjusted.

[teletin]

[quote=To me, it seems unnatural to leave in the queues, and other wise non-music goings on in a recording. Coughing? Erase over that. Turning the lyric sheet? Erase over that. Etc.

I can totally understand the attitude of, "Hey, we're a band. That's what we sound like. Leave it alone." I like that. But what is it that makes these folks either, (1) not hear the coughs, etc, or (2) hear it, and decide to leave it in....even though it is not musical per se.
[/quote]

Well, (cough), how 'bout George Martin and Sergeant Pepper. There's a site dedicated to the anomalies on that album. Still a great album.
It may also have something to do with the fact that in 'those' days much recording was done on 4-track recorders. Difficult to correct a single mistake from 1 of the players.

[dented]

I was listening to al oldies station yesterday (Memorial Day) and they were having an all-time 500 countdown.
I heard Louie Louie, and I heard the singer chirp in early.

40 years listening or playing that song and I was laughing to myself at a BBQ, "I never heard that"!

[Fred Garvin]

I have an Eric Clapton video tape he left a mistake on.It was a one time gig I think with Phil Collins,Nathan East and Greg Phillangaines.In the first note of the solo on Sunshine of Your Love EC blows it,looks around and just smiles.Somebody added one of those cartoon ballons that said 'Oops' and they keep on playing.
Warren Haynes sings the same verse twice on one of the Deepest End tunes,I want to say Sweet Leaf but that may be wrong.

[Joel Terry]

Originally Posted by TheGoodTexan

Talk to me on this one Joel....

While I'm not doubting that Stevie made mistakes (I've got 3 cds full of various flubbs and out-takes from him)....I'm not sure that I ready to agree with your assment on this one just yet.

The reason for my hesitance at this point is that I've seen live footage of him doing this solo, and heard many other bootlegs of it, and that total "tonal change" seems to be a flip of the pickup selector switch....from bridge to neck pup. I think the flip of the switch may be the "pop" that you're hearing.

Unless we're talking about different points in the song. Can you reference the time clock where you're referencing?

Again, I'm totally open to being wrong on this. :)


Did I just say that I could be wrong about something? Please.....no one tell my wife.

Bruce, at 1:48 of the Couldn't Stand The Weather version of "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), Stevie starts bending both the original and overdub G (15th fret; thin [bottom] E string) up to A through 1:49, producing a distinct "doubled" or chorused sound; at 1:50, you'll hear a brief, but distinctive whistle/harmonic/feedback(?) in the key of A# and then a faint, reverbed "chink"--the string breaking--a couple of milliseconds before Stevie begins that cascading, rapid-fire barrage of pentatonic pull-offs, hammer-ons, and bends around the 12th and 15th frets.

It's an overdub over a still-audible string break, I tells ya.

I know the thing where Stevie bends the A (second fret; G string) up to B and switches either his pickup selector switch or his Vox wah pedal's on-off switch (I've seen him use either/or) in a syncopated rhythm while slowly letting the B glissando back down to A. This is not that effect, nor is it one of Stevie's otherwise obsessive-compulsive pickup selections. :P

I wish I had the interview of Stevie where he references the string break and the not-quite-clean overdub in "VC(SR)."

Joel

[TheGoodTexan]

xx

[David Barnett]

Originally Posted by Skully

The song is "I Feel Fine," and although the idea to put it in in the song came as the result of an accidental leaning of an acoustic-electric (not a Casino, IIRC), what you hear on the record was put their intentionally. The accident was restaged and recorded and the resulting feedback was spliced on to the front of the song.

Right, it was the Gibson J-160E that fed back so easily. If you listen closely, you can hear McCartney play a muted A on his bass to set off the whole oscillation thing.

[skiraly017]

Originally Posted by Honga Man

I love those Zeppelin mistakes.

Not really a mistake, but a cool tidbit of recording that made it one one of their albums (Physical Graffiti, maybe? I'm at work or I'd check) is when a plane flies over at the beginning of a song. Someone asks about it and Jimmy (I assume) says "nah, leave it in".

Zep were recording outside in the garden at Bron-Yr-Aur when the plan flew overhead. The engineer asked if they should stop rolling and it was Plant who said leave it.

[Johnny Caster]

EVERY single Germs song! But I guess we shouldn't count punk or else there would be way too many to mention.

Also, on Louie, Louie about 50sec in "Oh Louie Louie we gotta go" then someone yells out what sounds like "F-ck!".

[lobotomyactivist]

Dylan flubs up the lyrics to "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again" at around 2:41. He goes "I knew he lost control, when ah spe-built a fire up on Main Street and shot it full of holes." Can't imagine what he had been going to say.

As for modern, the Libertines albums are laced with them-because they were always wasted and Mick Jones thought the noises added character. In fact, during one song that's just Pete Doherty playing and singing you can hear one of the other members run into the drum set while stumbling drunk around the studio.

[Eric Karonen]

The Band's version of Mystery Train on Moondog Matinee begins with a false start. I'm not sure if it was intended or if it's a flub.

[moondoggie999]

Stary Cats on "Rock this Town": There is an echo of a not-quite-completely-erased-track of the first verse vocals coming in early.

Then after that the same words are heard as the first verse really begins.

Or am I hearing things?

[Volvoguy]

In the original version on Layla, one of the last time he screams LAAAAAAYLA, it's actually just AAAAAYLA. The L is clearly cut off somewhere on the cutting room floor.......

[WickedGTR]

There's a line or two on 'Please Please Me' (Beatles) where the lead and harmony vocal are singing different lyrics.

[Billy Claire]

T. Rex: 20th Century Boy

After the first chorus, the guitars go to the A. The bass does not right away....

Our bass player nails that. Unintentionally....

On the Jesse Malin Live CD which features his song "Wendy" with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at a Christmas benefit in Asbury Park, Jesse starts off the song- Bruce counts "1-2-3-4" and comes in with the band- Jesse's opening chord is B- Bruce's chord is B except that Jesse tunes down half a step. Oops. Springsteen slides into the right key and all is well for the rest of the song. He hit it loud and hit it proud!

Of course the most famous flub that isn't a flub is Eric Clapton losing the beat in the second solo of Crossroads and playing that riff until the beat comes around and he can recognise where he is in the song...

Billy

[Billy Claire]

John A. swears that the opening intro to She Loves You is:

she loves you, yeah yeah yeah
she'd love to, yeah yeah yeah
she loves you, yeah yeah yeah yeah

I'm not sure but he might be right. Damn these CD's and their clear sound....

[cowboytwang]

I the artist, the players, the engineer, and producers know of those parts and leave them in the recordings, then is it still considered a mistake?

[WickedGTR]

In my old band, there was a bass mistake in one of our songs (forget which) and we used to reproduce it live too.

always fun.

[Oster]

A few that I've noticed over the years but have always accepted if not cherished as part of the magic are:

Squeaky kick in Bowie's 'Five Years'.
Coughing in the V.U.'s 'Who Loves The Sun'.

There's tons of talking and random noise on most Beach Boys albums too, eg. 'Here Today' (instrumental bridge; you can hear Brian directing the musicians). I also love their helpless laughter on 'Little Pad'.

There's also what sounds like a 'studio patch-up' to me on The Grateful Dead's 'High Time' where Jerry attempts a high note that doesn't quite get there and there's a sudden overdub of a double-tracked voice getting it right, or at least filling it out a little.

I love that kind of thing because it shows you these records were real things being captured in a specific way with limited means (compared to today). Very human.

[TG]

Originally Posted by hekawi

you're not completely wrong, reverbbb..."day tripper" does have a flub. there is one instance in the song where a note is missed in that great guitar riff. i believe it happens right after the "she took me half the way there" verse. hear it once, and you'll listen for it forever.

It's just after the solo.

There are loads of mistakes in Beatle songs. Listen carefully to Hey Jude at 2:58. Hear what Lennon says in the background.

[woodman]

when i opened this thread, i was on fire to peg the Memphis Blues Again glitch, but you beat me to it!

my theory: Dylan rewrote the verse and it was a clumsy punch-in ... they were probably so stoned, they said, what the hell let's go with it! some of the early electric stuff (e.g. Queen Jane) was so out-of-tune that i, in my youthful innocence, actually thought they were in experimental tunings ... everybody must get stoned!