Question re double tracked vocals

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

I was just wondering about something. I was listening to a Jo-Dee Messina cut on the car radio the other day and it really stood out when the double tracked vocals kicked in and I was thinking about how often we hear this sound but don't even realize it. I know Patti Page was a pioneer of this approach in her 50's hits & the Carpenters had a string of gooey hits in the 70's double tracking all the way. I wonder what the specific production technique is these days in Nashville. Do they usually track a unison vocal? Harmony in thirds? If you do three part harmony are getting too close too Manhattan Transfer or Four Freshman territory? Do steelers ever double track their solos?

[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 10 July 2001 at 07:02 PM.]

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

Les Paul was the real pioneer of multitrack (with vocals and guitar). He and Mary Ford had a string of huge hits in the 50's using this technique. Les claims that the major companies copied his overdub techniques starting with the Patti Page records.

On these early records the singer would record the same parts twice... unison. This technique really fattens up the lead vocal and gives it a eerie kind of sound. I believe that Patti Page's Tennessee Waltz was recorded this way.

Les Paul would create a "choir" of voices by having Mary Ford sing unisons and harmonies. And he used the same doubling technique for his guitar parts, some unisions and a lot of tape speed variation i.e. slow the machine down to half speed, record the part in "slow motion" and then bring the tape back up to normal speed to get a wacky sounding guitar part. He would play "bass parts" on guitar and then overdub a lot of other parts.

Today a lot of the doubling is done with effects... delays and various effects that add motion to a track. But there is nothing as fat and eerie sounding as recording the same part twice on your steel guitar. It sounds as big as a mountain. I don't think I'd want to hear an entire song played that way, but doubling sections here and there is very effective, especially when the two parts are panned left and right in the mix. Jimmy Crawford and Russ Hicks recorded some twin steel stuff (playing the exact same thing) back in the early 80s. Jerry Byrd has been known to double (and harmonize) some of his parts in the studio too... not that he needs to!

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www.dougbsteel.com

[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 10 July 2001 at 08:16 AM.]

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

Thanks, Doug. I'm a big fan of Les Paul (actually, his pre multi-track work) and am very familiar with his methods but I never heard the stories about Crawford & Byrd before - very interesting. Yes, there is something strange and unnatural about the double tracked sound. As an aside, there's a fantastic 2 CD of Les Paul's early work out: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000003N4Q/qid=994792763/sr=1-6/ref=sc_m_6/107-6317467-1170112
It includes his earliest work as "Rubharb Red" (check out his jazzy work behind gut-bucket blues singers) and the astonishing Trio instrumentals as well as some great guitar playing behind a slew of crooners.

Michael Holland · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

I was fortunate enough to work with Sonny Garrish on a few projects. After a keeper track, when everyone went in to listen, Sonny would stay out and roll another track precisely doubling the track he just laid. Amazing! He was the one that inspired me to take up the PSG.

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Emmons Push Pull S10 | Peavey Session 400 | '52 Fender Lap Steel | Goodrich L120 & Matchbox

ajm · From: Los Angeles

Listen to some of the older Beatles stuff. John and Paul used to sing in unison a lot.

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