JC's Godlike Genius #2

[Bent Fabric]

For whatever reason (and, yes, fucking "Tears of a Clown" absofuckinglutely God yes!), listening on headphones as I watch right now, this may be the first time I've really focused on the backing vocals in the pre-chorus: those chords they sing/form are quite modern and advanced (Brian Wilson would have killed for them!). As is often the magic of Motown, so much glorious detailing occurs NOT in the foreground of the picture, not drawing attention to itself, but giving these records such a majestic depth ("Grapevine" is another one where you finally really hear the backing vocals and kind of lose your mind with joy and awe).

[naughty boy]

That's it, yeah. Like a secret pact between listener and producer, almost.

When I was a teen my mates used to take the piss 'cos I was a Motown fan - they regarded it as throwaway pop no better than SAW (or so they said at the time - I can't believe they themselves really thought that). But it's all really high-level art, everybody involved a master.



I was reading somewhere (maybe Wiki) that this song features a calliope - which I had to look up...



something like this?

and I guess it's the tuba-like sound you hear the accompanies the bass at the start of each bar...?

[Bent Fabric]

That's it, yeah. Like a secret pact between listener and producer, almost.

Right, like..."I don't need you to explicitly notice it, but I do need you to feel it and react to it."

[Rayge]

I was reading somewhere (maybe Wiki) that this song features a calliope - which I had to look up...

and I guess it's the tuba-like sound you hear the accompanies the bass at the start of each bar...?

A calliope is a fairground organ. I think that it's what's playing the introductory refrain at the beginning.

[Diamond Dog]

That's it, yeah. Like a secret pact between listener and producer, almost.

That really is it though - that is Motown. When you actually dive behind the obvious, as JSJ says, loads of tracks are absolutely stacked with subtle detail that never grabs your attention but were it not there, the tune would lose masses of impact. It's the majestic way so much of that detail is beautifully understated that makes it so sublime.

There was a reason we never saw a label produce that amount of high class product, and never will again - it's because I don't believe a set of writers, engineers, producers, musicians and artists ever bought into the 'label' ethic quite the same way. They all knew each part was absolutely essential - but the mystique of not knowing exactly how those parts all fitted together was very much the major reason it continued to work. They were all in awe of eachother for entirely different reasons.

[Rorschach]

Great song but I can't get past Ronald White's hair arrangement.

I did, of course, know who Pagliacci is...

[Rorschach]

and I guess it's the tuba-like sound you hear the accompanies the bass at the start of each bar...?

I always thought that was a bassoon.

[naughty boy]

oh OK!

the Wiki entry says it (calliope) emits a powerful, low-frequency sound