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We Got It on Tape

Billy Beck [1] makes note of the latest lipsync scandal.

And I do tend to agree with Billy that for the most part there’s no reason for it, I can think of one such ‘scandal’ that had a bit more reason behind it, and so was a bit more of a borderline case;

Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orch a few years ago. Some bright guy figured out a few of the layers in that concert tour were on tape.

Lynne was a production genius; I’ve always said so. So complex were his recordings, though, that reproducing that complex sound in a live situation without a few layers being on tape were nigh on impossible.

Oh, sure, bands like Boston who had equally stringent demands on the recorded sound did a fair job of making those same sounds in concert.  And certainly the Beatles before that were multi-tracking, and ping-ponging tape tracks to get their sound. But Boston never did much that couldn’t be duplicated in a concert setting, and thus were their concerts easier to do.

The Beatles, neatly avoided this issue, when their recordings started getting more complex and layed, by simply not doing concerts. (I know, I doubt that was the reason too, but it certainly worked out for them. Imagine trying to accomplish a live performance of Sgt Pepper!)

Lynne’s problem was bigger. How, for example, could one cello, and one violin, come out soundling like a whole classical orchestra, even assuming harmonizers and doublers and whatnot?

Still, that doesn’t figure into the Simpson bit Billy’s talking about.

The other thing that occurrs to me is the demands of a stage show vs a recording session, and their respective effects on the singer’s voice. Are stage shows getting too aggressive for the ability of the singer?  Most pop singing acts of the day, particularly females, for some reason, tend to get into dance routines that would make even olymians wince.

If I’m singing, I can (almost) carry a tune. But if I’m doing rather heavy gymnastics, hang it up;l it ain’t happening. I can’t imagine that pop singers of today don’t run into at least some of that.

That’s not a reflection on the singer, as much as it is on the management and the showcrafting ability of those entrusted with it.

Sadly, whoever’s fault it is, it’s the talent ends up paying the price.