Those odd little bits that you mull over

  • This isn't a 'bit' as such but I was mulling over it just now so: what is officially the last ever use of acoustic 12-string on a Genesis album?


    As for mellotron, I'm guessing Duke.

    Abandon all reason

  • This isn't a 'bit' as such but I was mulling over it just now so: what is officially the last ever use of acoustic 12-string on a Genesis album?


    As for mellotron, I'm guessing Duke.

    Not sure. Mike used a bit of 12 string on Congo at least, but it sounds like electric 12 string. There's also electric 12 string on the We Can't Dance album. I'm pretty sure there is no 12 string on any material from Shapes and Invisible Touch, including the B-sides. Have to think about this more.

  • Not sure. Mike used a bit of 12 string on Congo at least, but it sounds like electric 12 string. There's also electric 12 string on the We Can't Dance album. I'm pretty sure there is no 12 string on any material from Shapes and Invisible Touch, including the B-sides. Have to think about this more.

    I'm fairly sure there's none on Abacab either.

    Abandon all reason

  • Me and Virgil has a little 12-string solo but it's electric. Also if I recall correctly an electric 12-string seems to appear in Naminanu but I'm not entirely sure.

    Acoustic 12-string must be last on Duke if we count studio recordings only; if I'm not wrong Mike used it live still for the unplugged songs on the CAS tour.

  • Two lyrics things.


    In Firth, after the line "...his symphony" do both PG on the original and PC on Seconds Out sing "No, not now, not now" or is it a generalised "na-na-na-na" vocalising (as one lyric site suggests)? On SO it sounds like a very definite "not now". Other live versions sound like this too, while Sylvan reverts to a softer less obvious naa-naa-naa sound on a couple of Hackett gig videos I've seen.


    One thing is for sure - the album lyric sheet shows nothing there, going straight from 'symphony' to 'undinal'. If it is a definite "not now" why isn't it stated? My guess is PG 'naa-naaed' it and PC turned it into "no not now" (and Sylvan then re-naa-naaed).


    And in Willow Farm, while it's very clear what the spoken bits are either side of 'Haven't you heard?' the album lyric sheet has never stated them (though lyric sites do tend to, usually in brackets). Why?

    Abandon all reason

  • I couldn't tell for sure on the studio recording, but I cross-referenced with a live recording from 74 (Montreal) and to my ears it clearly sounds like Peter sings "No, not now, not now. Na-aaa-uah."

  • I couldn't tell for sure on the studio recording, but I cross-referenced with a live recording from 74 (Montreal) and to my ears it clearly sounds like Peter sings "No, not now, not now. Na-aaa-uah."

    In addition I've re-listened to the famous Rainbow 1973 recording and PG is annoyingly vague on that too, still a more undefined "naaa-naaa". But that's interesting about the 74 one, so it seems he was already turning it into "not now" by then.


    I remembered they did it on the Abacab tour so I found two recordings from then. In one from Cologne not only does PC clearly sing "not now" but the very vocal audience enunciate it too. A footnote to that one - at the end of FoF there are loads of shouts for Supper's Ready. Collins says "Oh, you want to hear that do you? SORRY!" then says something along the lines of "OK I'll do a quick summary of it for you" and gabbles a load of words very quickly in the middle of which he shouts "ALL CHANGE!" then as the crowd cheers he says "It is a good song isn't it".


    The other 81 recording was from (I think) Frankfurt and is a much better recording. When it gets to "...his symphony" PC then doesn't sing anything! But does do the "not now, now, NOW!" bit as it builds back to the verse.


    One thing to emerge from these bits of noodling around is how damn good FoF was on that 81 tour, for me way better than on Seconds Out.

    Abandon all reason

  • Yeah, I listened to Paperlate through headphones the other day when I again thought "what the hell was going on just before the intro drum break?". No thoughts at all?

    I'd forgotten about this one. I'm definitely going to give it a close listen soon as this is exactly the sort of detail I enjoy ferreting around trying to work out!


    By the way, going to the other end of the song, I heard on YouTube a version with a definite ending rather than the fade-out. I preferred it, I wish they hadn't relied so much on fade-out endings.

    Abandon all reason

    Edited once, last by Backdrifter ().

  • I've been wondering about that "naat naaow" part too.


    When it comes to "the siren's cry" bit, there's this howling wind sound. In all live versions Steve or Daryl would always do a slide on the guitar. What is that wind sound in the studio version, did Steve do it with some effects unit or is it Tony's synth?

  • I never doubted it was "no, not now, not nooo-waooo-oh-woah".


    Now I do! Gonna go back and listen to a few versions for the fun of it.


    Also agree about fade outs. Except maybe Mama. They were good at ending songs when they put their minds to it!

    • Official Post

    In Germany, we have (or had) radio shows about that.


    One was called "Agathe Bauer Songs" (which came from "I've Got The Power" from Snap - sounds like the German name "Agathe Bauer").


    Plenty of funny examples available, but of course that's something for Germans mainly.


    When I heard No Jacket Required for the first time, I always thought Phil sings "Doesn't anybody stay to get her any more", which didn't make much sense ...

    cheers

    Christian


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  • well you have me mulling now. I first heard FOF on SO all to those years ago and have never questioned that it was never "not now" So never also questioned that PG also sung it. Is this a classic misheard lyrics on my part? I'll listen tomorrow and get back.

  • ^ The SO one has always sounded to me as: "Ohhh, not now, not now.... not now, now, NOW!"


    By the way no-one has yet had any thoughts on the Willow Farm "missing" lyrics thing.

    Abandon all reason