Date:         Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:16:33 -0400
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         "Richard L. Hess" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: Les Paul (second try)
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Hello, Doug,

I would like to suggest that the intimacy/immediacy/tension of having 
to "get it right" on each and every pass had something to do with the 
final product. Perhaps this is one reason why good live performances 
are sometimes (often?) more interesting than over-worked 
multi-tracked studio creations. While both pathways can create 
excellent work, there is a difference.

My understanding was that Les never had a mega hit after he obtained 
the 8-track machine, which is too bad.

I also understand that Les is still around and living in New Jersey. 
You might be able to go and ask him. Please bring a recorder and do 
an oral history <smile>.

Cheers,

Richard

At 04:43 PM 2008-09-19, Doug Pomeroy wrote:
>After making ten successful sound on sound passes, a mistake during the
>eleventh pass would effectively erase all ten previous passes, and it
>must have occurred to Les that a way to avoid this disaster would be 
>to make a
>safety dub of the tenth pass.
>
>But how could he make a dub if he had only one tape recorder?  He
>could have made a disc dub, since he had a lathe.  Or, he could have 
>taken his
>tapes to Capitol to have dubs made.  But presumably he did 
>neither.  I sure would
>like to ask him about this.
>
>It is interesting to me that after he got the eight-track (octopus)
>from Ampex, he never again (in my opinion) made the kind of 
>brilliant recordings
>which he'd made with his modified mono deck.  (Like the centipede 
>which, asked
>how it could coordinate the motion of all those legs, could never walk
>thereafter?)
>
>As for tape delay, check out his brilliant "I'm Forever Blowing
>Bubbles", where the repetition rate of the delay fits perfectly the 
>tempo of that song.
>
>Doug Pomeroy
>POMEROY AUDIO
>Audio Restoration & Mastering Services
>193 Baltic St
>Brooklyn, NY 11201-6173
>(718) 855-2650
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>=============================================================

Richard L. Hess                   email: [log in to unmask]
Aurora, Ontario, Canada       (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX
Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.