Those odd little bits that you mull over

  • It's written by Mellotron enthusiasts, so hardy surprising if it takes a pro-tron stance. It's a pretty good site, if you take it at face value.


    As for the Genesis tron coming from KC, the site repeats that story, but finds it unlikely.

    Incidentally, apparently the site owners own mellotron has been used at ReGenesis (Tribute Band) gigs.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • It's written by Mellotron enthusiasts, so hardy surprising if it takes a pro-tron stance. It's a pretty good site, if you take it at face value.


    As for the Genesis tron coming from KC, the site repeats that story, but finds it unlikely.

    Oh I absolutely get that it's written by "tron" enthusiasts and all power to them. I was merely amused by their practically going into mourning over Banks ditching their beloved instrument.


    As for the KC story, unless the Banks quote has been fabricated or distorted I'll take his version of it over Captain Tron's.

    Abandon all reason

  • A few nerd questions about some little bits:


    - During the ambient ending section of Moonlit Knight, Mike keeps playing the same guitar riff throughout. Along with it there's a constant "pluck pluck pluck" pizzicato loop - what instrument is that and who plays it? All other band members are busy with their respective instruments.


    - In the marching band intro of Epping Forest there's a constant heavy drum like sound that keeps on pulsing throughout, it does not sound like a real drum though. Any ideas what that is? I've been wondering for decades about this.


    - In the beginning of Grand Parade there's that 'blowing on two bottles' sound. How did they make it? Brian Eno blowing on two bottles? Pete playing a pan flute?... (Both seems quite likely imho)


    And as I'm at it I feel inclined to repeat my previous yet unanswered question for the siren's cry wind howl in Firth, I haven't figured out yet what source it came from... ARP preset?

  • - In the marching band intro of Epping Forest there's a constant heavy drum like sound that keeps on pulsing throughout, it does not sound like a real drum though. Any ideas what that is? I've been wondering for decades about this.


    And as I'm at it I feel inclined to repeat my previous yet unanswered question for the siren's cry wind howl in Firth, I haven't figured out yet what source it came from... ARP preset?

    Epping Forest: Do you mean the "marching feet" sound? I believe I read that this was made with a guitar.


    Firth: Just my opinion, but I think this is a guitar sound as well.

    Little known fact: Before the crowbar was invented...


    ...crows simply drank at home.

  • Brian Eno blowing on two bottles?

    😂


    Please let it be this. Banks is quoted as saying he was against Eno being credited for doing very little. I wonder if he'd feel it was more justified for the soon-to-be ambient pioneer, innovator and in-demand producer blowing on two bottles!

    Epping Forest: Do you mean the "marching feet" sound? I believe I read that this was made with a guitar.


    Firth: Just my opinion, but I think this is a guitar sound as well.

    I agree with both. I hadn't thought about the Battle marching feet in terms of guitar but yes it could well be that "dead" note effect. The Firth "howl" definitely has that Hacketty effect to it, with that one I've always assumed it's guitar.

    Abandon all reason

  • Yes as I said earlier, in every live version they replaced it with a guitar slide so it likely is a Steve with some guitar effect. Hmm, the marching sound in Epping Forest is a guitar too? Weird, I wonder how Steve did this.

  • Hmm, the marching sound in Epping Forest is a guitar too? Weird, I wonder how Steve did this.

    I think it's similar to his machine-gun effect in Tigermoth and the "crunch" effect in Radiohead's Creep and U2's Where The Streets Have No Name with the strings held tight on the fretboard, but others here who know way more about it than I do can hopefully explain or correct.

    Abandon all reason

  • Probably by sliding his right forearm against the strings, like this :


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    Or maybe like Rutherford above, strumming with a pick while muting the strings...

  • Yes as I said earlier, in every live version they replaced it with a guitar slide so it likely is a Steve with some guitar effect. Hmm, the marching sound in Epping Forest is a guitar too? Weird, I wonder how Steve did this.

    If you listen to some of the better shows from the 1977 tour during the A in 9/8 section of Supper’s Ready Hackett is able to make this marching feet/army sound. It’s mind-blowing.

  • Fairly impressive but I guess "it was done with a guitar" is gonna turn into a running gag for me now. 8o

    Mike's bum notes in the end of Supper's Ready? It was done with a guitar.

    The keyboard intro of It's Gonna Get Better? It was done with a guitar.

    An explanation why Steve called his book "A Genesis in my bed"? You know, he did it with a guitar...

  • Another would be a thing I've pondered since I was about 12, and which I've mentioned elsewhere on this board (but I can't remember where), which is about the indistinct bit of vocal far back in the mix in Lilywhite Lilith, just after the line "by whatever's coming here".

    I was curious about this, too! On the 5.1 mix this faint vocal is a bit clearer if you can isolate the track it's on. Sounds to me like "two golden globes hover above the ground".

  • This isn't an odd little bit as such but I recalled it thanks to the Duke/Henry Hentschell thread by OneForTheVine and it got me thinking. I wondered if you knew anything about this.


    I used to live near Sutton in SW London. Around 1987/88 I saw an ad in a local paper saying a band was playing at the Secombe Centre theatre in Sutton, "including members of [it listed 2 or 3 bands] and Genesis". Sceptical yet mildly excited, I called the theatre and asked for more details. I can't recall who else was involved but on keyboards was Genesis "member" David Hentschel. The woman on the phone struggled to say it - "David Hen... Hents... Hesh... Hesh... Heshall or something."


    I've no idea what this band was and can't recall who else was in it. I know he played synths for Andy Summers's band but it wasn't that band in this case. Anyone have any ideas?

    Abandon all reason

  • During the bridge section of Illegal Alien (every fan's favourite song), amongst the trumpet and the car horns, Phil can be heard improvising various bits of dialogue. I've never known what he's saying, though.

    He is saying some sentences in Spanish.

    From what I gathered:

    "Y ahora nos vamos a ir hacia América" Trans: "And now we are going to go to America"

    "Y por qué nos ibamos a ir a Australia?" Trans: "And why should we have gone to Australia?"

    "Nos vamos a América" Trans: "We are going to America"

    English interjection: "Fuck"

    "Quiero ir a los "USA"" Trans: "I want to go to the USA"

    "Qué sí! Qué sí!" Trans: "YES, indeed! YES, indeed!"

    Then turning back to English:

    "If we are going to America, what the FUCK! Fuck! Fuck!"

  • This isn't an odd little bit as such but I recalled it thanks to the Duke/Henry Hentschell thread by OneForTheVine and it got me thinking. I wondered if you knew anything about this.

    I used to live near Sutton in SW London. Around 1987/88 I saw an ad in a local paper saying a band was playing at the Secombe Centre theatre in Sutton, "including members of [it listed 2 or 3 bands] and Genesis". Sceptical yet mildly excited, I called the theatre and asked for more details. I can't recall who else was involved but on keyboards was Genesis "member" David Hentschel. The woman on the phone struggled to say it - "David Hen... Hents... Hesh... Hesh... Heshall or something."


    I've no idea what this band was and can't recall who else was in it. I know he played synths for Andy Summers's band but it wasn't that band in this case. Anyone have any ideas?

    Could it have been Robben Ford? He had Colaiuta and some other big names with him on tour during those years. Maybe Hentschel filled in on some UK/Europe dates.

    If it wasn't Robben Ford, giving what he produced during those years, I feel it probably was a sort of short-lived jazz fusion supergroup.