After hearing fantastic "Funny How Love Is..." take5 I have some questions to musicians and Queen lovers. Especially FriedChicken and Sebastian could know much.
I thought they always recorded each instrument SEPARETLY. Beatles - yes, they recorded all instruments together for a song - it was 60's. I thought Queen could do it this way but only for a trying of the song - for a jam.
The second question - from which instruments they started - what was the order of instruments?
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Some of your questions may be answered in The Making Of Bohemian Rhapsody and the Making of A Night At The Opera.
Drums are usually recorded first. Then bass is next. Then guitar. Then vocals.
Thats how my band did it anyway, but drums first would just make a lot more sense.
Thats how my band did it anyway, but drums first would just make a lot more sense.
It depends, with my band we record drums and bass together, but I think that it's different every time (but most of the time drums+bass or drums alone I think)
Thank you. I didn't get these making's yet. I only have GVH I extras when Brian talks about Bohemian Rhapsody - does Bohemian Rhapsody documentary have this part?
Yeah, we do almost the same way - drums-bass-rhythm guitar(that will be deleted - just lead chords)-piano... But FriedChicken said about "Funny How Love Is..." take5 that all instruments WERE RECORDED together. Did they record the songs on Queen II this way or it was just "a jam"?
Yeah, we do almost the same way - drums-bass-rhythm guitar(that will be deleted - just lead chords)-piano... But FriedChicken said about "Funny How Love Is..." take5 that all instruments WERE RECORDED together. Did they record the songs on Queen II this way or it was just "a jam"?
Basic track was laid down live. It was more often than not piano + bass + drums (eg Flick Of The Wrist), or guitar + bass + drums (eg Tie Your Mother Down). There are of course some exceptions, for instance:
- Sail Away Sweet Sister (piano, bass, drums and rhythm guitar)
- You're My Best Friend (piano & drums, educated guess)
- Sheer Heart Attack (guitar, educated guess)
Some tracks in the later days (Hot Space onwards) could have been originated by a drum-machine loop and then the creator of the song laid down synth-bass and/or some guitar.
As far as I know, they returned to the live backing tracks for The Miracle and especially Innuendo, again with exceptions (Headlong's guide track was programmed).
Vocals (especially lead) weren't always the last thing recorded, since they didn't always know how would the song eventually evolve. For instance, if they found out certain vocal line was weak they could double it or cover it with instruments or backing harmonies. You And I acoustic guitars were added up after Freddie recorded the vocal parts, same goes for Rock It synths and Rog's voice.
- Sail Away Sweet Sister (piano, bass, drums and rhythm guitar)
- You're My Best Friend (piano & drums, educated guess)
- Sheer Heart Attack (guitar, educated guess)
Some tracks in the later days (Hot Space onwards) could have been originated by a drum-machine loop and then the creator of the song laid down synth-bass and/or some guitar.
As far as I know, they returned to the live backing tracks for The Miracle and especially Innuendo, again with exceptions (Headlong's guide track was programmed).
Vocals (especially lead) weren't always the last thing recorded, since they didn't always know how would the song eventually evolve. For instance, if they found out certain vocal line was weak they could double it or cover it with instruments or backing harmonies. You And I acoustic guitars were added up after Freddie recorded the vocal parts, same goes for Rock It synths and Rog's voice.
Laying a guitar line first is very unlogical. Since it's a really hard task to record drums to a guitar part. Especially in those days when you didn't have stuff like Pro Tools
But Sebastian is right. They used to play a couple of instruments at the same time.
Some bands do it all seperately. But for Queen music this would be very hard. Because their songs are so dynamic, there are lots of gaps where there aren't drums. Or strange drum bits which are off beat and so on. It would be really hard playing drums to such a weird song when you don't hear the rest.
Also the Opera bit from Borhap was done live.
They also used to record in segments. For example Black Queen was recorded in pieces. The first part for example was intro to the 'voice from behind me' part. Also Borhap was done in pieces. (some people say it's not but it would be the most logical thing)
Also Prophets Song was done in pieces, in the end Brian was still shoving around the various bits and making it in a complete song.
Some bands do it all seperately. But for Queen music this would be very hard. Because their songs are so dynamic, there are lots of gaps where there aren't drums. Or strange drum bits which are off beat and so on. It would be really hard playing drums to such a weird song when you don't hear the rest.
Also the Opera bit from Borhap was done live.
They also used to record in segments. For example Black Queen was recorded in pieces. The first part for example was intro to the 'voice from behind me' part. Also Borhap was done in pieces. (some people say it's not but it would be the most logical thing)
Also Prophets Song was done in pieces, in the end Brian was still shoving around the various bits and making it in a complete song.
Oh and the order of recording would be like this
Bed tracks (the backing track) is lain down first. In most cases it's piano/bass/drums or drums/bass/guitar.
Overdubs, instrumental overdubs like extra guitar rythm tracks, guitar solo's, piano (and later keyboards) extra drums. Sometimes stuff like the snare or cymbals gets overdubbed to make it sound even bigger. and sometimes entire solo's were overdubbed onto the rhythm drums (Dragon Attack, One vision)
Vocals. First the backing vocals were recorded by Freddie, Brian and Roger.
Then in the end when everything else was recorded Freddie (or brian or Roger) would come in to record the backing vocals.
Ofcourse not all members had to be there the whole time. It could be that Freddie was singing Play the Game in one studio, and Brian was recording piano demo's for Save Me in the other studio.
And then it needs some mixing, some mastering and it's send to the pressing plant
Bed tracks (the backing track) is lain down first. In most cases it's piano/bass/drums or drums/bass/guitar.
Overdubs, instrumental overdubs like extra guitar rythm tracks, guitar solo's, piano (and later keyboards) extra drums. Sometimes stuff like the snare or cymbals gets overdubbed to make it sound even bigger. and sometimes entire solo's were overdubbed onto the rhythm drums (Dragon Attack, One vision)
Vocals. First the backing vocals were recorded by Freddie, Brian and Roger.
Then in the end when everything else was recorded Freddie (or brian or Roger) would come in to record the backing vocals.
Ofcourse not all members had to be there the whole time. It could be that Freddie was singing Play the Game in one studio, and Brian was recording piano demo's for Save Me in the other studio.
And then it needs some mixing, some mastering and it's send to the pressing plant
Thank you so much, guys! Sebastian and FriedChicken, I very appreciate you're saying. Great information about how Queen was in the studio.
Uhhhhh :-) So, of course, it was different all the time. I thought when they record a song they play live only for a GUIDE track. And then - only single recordings or maximum 2 instruments at once. I was wrong. It is still very strange for me because there is no bigger music perfectionists as Queen. On the contrary to Queen, a part of Strawberry Fields even was transposed from A to Bb!
Uhhhhh :-) So, of course, it was different all the time. I thought when they record a song they play live only for a GUIDE track. And then - only single recordings or maximum 2 instruments at once. I was wrong. It is still very strange for me because there is no bigger music perfectionists as Queen. On the contrary to Queen, a part of Strawberry Fields even was transposed from A to Bb!
The Sheer Heart Attack thing, as I said, is an educated guess, since I guess (sounds redundant but...) it'd be hard for Roger to record drums first if he didn't know where to stop etc. Keep in mind that for SHA Roger recorded almost everything himself. Another option is that he did a click or something as a guide to the actual recordings.
Relatively few songs feature piano overdubs. More often than not the songs with piano had piano as main instrument, therefore it was recorded first (with bass and drums).
And I disagree with Niek in one point: backing vocals were done after the lead vocal, not before. The reason being, lead vocal dictates the punctuation for backing vocals (source, Roy Thomas Baker). An exception is the "oh yeah" bit of Bo Rhap, and probably some of the song where harmonies did chordal backing (Dreamer's Ball, Dear Friends).
Another possible case would be that Fred (or Roger or Brian) did a lead vocal take, then Fred (and/or Roger and/or Brian) did the backing harmonies, and then the lead singer re-recorded the lead vocal. It's always a cycle since there could be many things replaced in the post-production phase (e.g. guitar solos), and remember Queen were extremely meticulous.
Relatively few songs feature piano overdubs. More often than not the songs with piano had piano as main instrument, therefore it was recorded first (with bass and drums).
And I disagree with Niek in one point: backing vocals were done after the lead vocal, not before. The reason being, lead vocal dictates the punctuation for backing vocals (source, Roy Thomas Baker). An exception is the "oh yeah" bit of Bo Rhap, and probably some of the song where harmonies did chordal backing (Dreamer's Ball, Dear Friends).
Another possible case would be that Fred (or Roger or Brian) did a lead vocal take, then Fred (and/or Roger and/or Brian) did the backing harmonies, and then the lead singer re-recorded the lead vocal. It's always a cycle since there could be many things replaced in the post-production phase (e.g. guitar solos), and remember Queen were extremely meticulous.
So Sebastian, what mainly was first - lead or backing vocals?
I could say there are two opposite things - lead vocal dectates backing vocals but backing vocals create "backing chords" and it is a support for a lead vocal, it could grow/change a melody line (also as an emotional support). But of cours it doesn't dectate what needs to be recorded first - when you finish creating a song you know every note and it doesn't matter already what to record first - lead or backing vocals... :-)
I could say there are two opposite things - lead vocal dectates backing vocals but backing vocals create "backing chords" and it is a support for a lead vocal, it could grow/change a melody line (also as an emotional support). But of cours it doesn't dectate what needs to be recorded first - when you finish creating a song you know every note and it doesn't matter already what to record first - lead or backing vocals... :-)
Just saw your last paragraph :-)
Yeah guide lead vocal. Remember One Vission documentary on GVH II - I guess it is first time when we listen to Freddie's guide vocal. Very interesting and wonderful.
About "Funny How..." take5 - if it was played by four together - was it a guide track?
Yeah guide lead vocal. Remember One Vission documentary on GVH II - I guess it is first time when we listen to Freddie's guide vocal. Very interesting and wonderful.
About "Funny How..." take5 - if it was played by four together - was it a guide track?
it depends, in my case, we record all at the same time, except voice, i think that when you record the entire band, you can catch better the feelin of the song, thats my point of view
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Seven_Seas_Of_Rhye II wrote: [/QUOTENAME]So Sebastian, what mainly was first - lead or backing vocals?
I could say there are two opposite things - lead vocal dectates backing vocals but backing vocals create "backing chords" and it is a support for a lead vocal, it could grow/change a melody line (also as an emotional support). But of cours it doesn't dectate what needs to be recorded first - when you finish creating a song you know every note and it doesn't matter already what to record first - lead or backing vocals... :-)[/QUOTE]
There would be very few exceptions to recording the lead vocal first, it is the most important part of the song and you would not want to be restricted by having to work around the backing vocal unless you were creating a choral piece.
Over the years I have worked in many studios with lots of musicians and with out exception I have laid down a backing track, bass, drums, guitar etc first then gone back with other instruments and vocal, sometimes I have played with the whole band live just to capture the spirit of a rock song, but most often it gets done with a backing of the main lead instrument plus bass and drums, I always like to play with a bass live, that way we are playing together and working with eachother rather than a more cold approach after the first take.
I could say there are two opposite things - lead vocal dectates backing vocals but backing vocals create "backing chords" and it is a support for a lead vocal, it could grow/change a melody line (also as an emotional support). But of cours it doesn't dectate what needs to be recorded first - when you finish creating a song you know every note and it doesn't matter already what to record first - lead or backing vocals... :-)[/QUOTE]
There would be very few exceptions to recording the lead vocal first, it is the most important part of the song and you would not want to be restricted by having to work around the backing vocal unless you were creating a choral piece.
Over the years I have worked in many studios with lots of musicians and with out exception I have laid down a backing track, bass, drums, guitar etc first then gone back with other instruments and vocal, sometimes I have played with the whole band live just to capture the spirit of a rock song, but most often it gets done with a backing of the main lead instrument plus bass and drums, I always like to play with a bass live, that way we are playing together and working with eachother rather than a more cold approach after the first take.