Those odd little bits that you mull over

1st Official Post

    Treat this thread as a cupboard under the stairs in which to put little odds and ends that you've maybe always puzzled over and wonder if anyone else has.


    An example might be this thread


    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". It was suggested it was a bit of PC backing vocal, though it sounds like PG to me, and it has the intonation and cadence of words rather than scatting. And it seems to have been made more distinct in the 08 remaster, but still unintelligible. And just before that, right at the end of the word 'tunnel' ("I can see the corner of the tunnel") there is a single syllable again mixed quite far back, making it sound like "tunnel-(ah)".


    In the second percussive breakdown in Keep It Dark, before the line "Oh keep it dark" there's what's always sounded to me like a low vocal 'grunting' in time with the percussion, a sort of "uh-uh uh-uh UH-uh" but might be a chance effect of the combination of percussion sounds. Is it?


    And why on Man On The Corner does he pronounce 'for you' as "faow you"?


    And in the Cage medleys on the 'holding still, pinned for kill' line, what does PC sing instead? I wondered if it was some in-joke as it sounds a bit like "[something] Phil, Chester [something]"


    And also, wh - oh never mind I'll shut up now.

    Abandon all reason

    Like 2
    Quote from Backdrifter

    And in the Cage medleys on the 'holding still, pinned for kill' line, what does PC sing instead? I wondered if it was some in-joke as it sounds a bit like "[something] Phil, Chester [something]"

    Blooming good question! I've wondered the same myself and I've never worked out what he's singing.

    If you refer to the Three Sides Live version of In The Cage, I always thought, that Phil just messed up the lyrics as he has to sing a lot of words per second on there.

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

    Quote from Backdrifter

    in the Cage medleys on the 'holding still, pinned for kill' line, what does PC sing instead? I wondered if it was some in-joke as it sounds a bit like "[something] Phil, Chester [something]"

    I clearly hear "Feel the fear, dressed to kill." I get the impression he was just modifying the lyrics a little.

    In the outro of A Trick of the Tail, a few bars after "hello friend, welcome home," there's a little grunt or "hmph" sound, like a little creature or something just crossed their arms and pouted. I don't know what it is or why it's there but I always find it funny. Sadly, it's slightly lost in the box set stereo remix, hmph!

    Quote from foxtwin

    In the outro of A Trick of the Tail, a few bars after "hello friend, welcome home," there's a little grunt or "hmph" sound, like a little creature or something just crossed their arms and pouted. I don't know what it is or why it's there but I always find it funny.

    I'm pretty sure it's a guitar sound by Steve.

    Quote from foxtwin

    In the outro of A Trick of the Tail, a few bars after "hello friend, welcome home," there's a little grunt or "hmph" sound, like a little creature or something just crossed their arms and pouted. I don't know what it is or why it's there but I always find it funny. Sadly, it's slightly lost in the box set stereo remix, hmph!

    It's preceded by 2 or 3 upwardly inflected ones. I never liked it as it always irritated me and seemed in line with the coy tweeness that started creeping in on that album and hung around for the next 2. Yes I too noticed it's buried in the 07 remix but I was pleased!

    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.

    On the R-Kive set, Back In NYC fades out quickly, obviously as it had quite a tight segue into Hairless Heart on the original album. If you listen closely, you can still hear a smidgen of the opening guitar of HH just before the fade ends. Does that mean there weren't any master tapes with separate tracks for the end of NYC and start of HH?

    Abandon all reason

    Quote from Backdrifter

    about the indistinct bit of vocal far back in the mix in Lilywhite Lilith, just after the line "by whatever's coming here". It was suggested it was a bit of PC backing vocal, though it sounds like PG to me, and it has the intonation and cadence of words rather than scatting. And it seems to have been made more distinct in the 08 remaster, but still unintelligible.

    Since mentioning this I further noticed the indistinct vocal line continues under "Two golden globes come into the room". It definitely sounds like a line of lyric to me.

    Abandon all reason

    Like 1

    Here's an odd bit: In "Congo" there are the sampled voices (also heard in live versions) singing "Congo Hey Congo." After that phrase they also say something I've never been able to understand; it sounds kind of like "we hear it."


    Does anyone know what that's saying? (I also wonder who the voices are, but that's another story.)

    Coming off the recent "things you just noticed" thread I thought I'd resurrect this one as there must be loads more odd little bits about which we've often frowned and sucked thoughtfully on a tooth.

    Abandon all reason