Comments on: Steve Levine’s talk about Wood Beez http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/ the Scritti Politti source Thu, 10 May 2012 20:32:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tom Stickland http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/comment-page-1/#comment-190235 Tom Stickland Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:20:32 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/#comment-190235 I'm still a massive fan of C&S 85 after 25 years of listening to it. I recently decided to unpick some of the songs so I could try playing them on piano. The reference to the "different sound for each chord" thing just caught my attention. On Wood Beez (version) there's a nice instrumental bit where the keyboard chord fills are brought to the front and I spent hours trying to work out the chords. In the key I'm working in it's something like E maj, D maj, A maj, G maj. I've looped it round and round in Audacity to try and work out what's going in. In some cases it sounds like extra chords are being used, but then on another listen it sounds like they're not. Either way, I've spent a few hours solid listening to bits of Wood Beez and the song is still a gem. Does anyone have any idea what the 3 jangling guitar chords are that make the song? I’m still a massive fan of C&S 85 after 25 years of listening to it.
I recently decided to unpick some of the songs so I could try playing them on piano. The reference to the “different sound for each chord” thing just caught my attention. On Wood Beez (version) there’s a nice instrumental bit where the keyboard chord fills are brought to the front and I spent hours trying to work out the chords. In the key I’m working in it’s something like E maj, D maj, A maj, G maj. I’ve looped it round and round in Audacity to try and work out what’s going in. In some cases it sounds like extra chords are being used, but then on another listen it sounds like they’re not.

Either way, I’ve spent a few hours solid listening to bits of Wood Beez and the song is still a gem.

Does anyone have any idea what the 3 jangling guitar chords are that make the song?

]]> By: Bob http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/comment-page-1/#comment-1181 Bob Tue, 19 Sep 2006 02:58:40 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/#comment-1181 Cool%21..+Nice+work... Cool%21..+Nice+work…

]]> By: Artie http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/comment-page-1/#comment-1060 Artie Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:23:07 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/#comment-1060 Musician and writer Anthony Reynolds just posted this on his blog : "A more contemporary musical obsession is Green Gartides Scritti Politti. I was blown away by his new album, White bread, Black Beer and Ive since gone back to 1985s Cupid and psyche. This album is a classic case of production (and arrangement) being as important as the Songs - perhaps more important - Style BECOMING content? When the songs are strong, they hold their own, Absolute, Wood Beez, Word Girl...but phaff like Small talk needs more attention and intoxicant to appreciate. This record also makes me want to eat huge bars of white choclate. But what an interesting life this Mr Green fellows had -the kind of interesting life that resonates with my own aspirations-from Cardiff to Miles Davis to the River usk to Hackney." Musician and writer Anthony Reynolds just posted this on his blog :

“A more contemporary musical obsession is Green Gartides Scritti Politti.

I was blown away by his new album, White bread, Black Beer and Ive since gone back to 1985s Cupid and psyche. This album is a classic case of production (and arrangement) being as important as the Songs – perhaps more important – Style BECOMING content? When the songs are strong, they hold their own, Absolute, Wood Beez, Word Girl…but phaff like Small talk needs more attention and intoxicant to appreciate.

This record also makes me want to eat huge bars of white choclate.

But what an interesting life this Mr Green fellows had -the kind of interesting life that resonates with my own aspirations-from Cardiff to Miles Davis to the River usk to Hackney.”

]]> By: Marco Raaphorst http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/comment-page-1/#comment-78 Marco Raaphorst Fri, 05 May 2006 20:32:20 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/#comment-78 I am a songwriter so I prefer a song over sound, but sure Gramson would be the guy to meet! Without any doubt! I have not heard anything done by Tony Lemans, but I did like the things Gramson did for Me'Shell NdegéOcello. I love that stuff, was highly impressed by his production for Anomie & Bonhomie as well. I am a songwriter so I prefer a song over sound, but sure Gramson would be the guy to meet! Without any doubt!

I have not heard anything done by Tony Lemans, but I did like the things Gramson did for Me’Shell NdegéOcello. I love that stuff, was highly impressed by his production for Anomie & Bonhomie as well.

]]> By: Dan Ced http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Dan Ced Fri, 05 May 2006 11:38:46 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/#comment-76 Well, I first must say that I think that you have to meet David Gamson instead of Green, it was David who made the trick with changing sounds. Maybe you have heard Tony Lemans and some other of his productions fomr the late 80's? Well, if not you have to check them out. I emailed David today and wonder if there is gonna be any remaster of Cupid... and Provision. Some extra tracks would have been nice included he perfect scritti song of all time, "World come back to life", from the B-side of Lovesick and the US 12'' of "Boom there she was". It's really crazy that it wasn't released on Provision. Well, I first must say that I think that you have to meet David Gamson instead of Green, it was David who made the trick with changing sounds.

Maybe you have heard Tony Lemans and some other of his productions fomr the late 80′s? Well, if not you have to check them out. I emailed David today and wonder if there is gonna be any remaster of Cupid… and Provision. Some extra tracks would have been nice included he perfect scritti song of all time, “World come back to life”, from the B-side of Lovesick and the US 12” of “Boom there she was”. It’s really crazy that it wasn’t released on Provision.

]]> By: Marco Raaphorst http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Marco Raaphorst Wed, 03 May 2006 22:14:15 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/#comment-59 Yes, the sound of the 80's. People used the same equipment and used the same sounds. Thesedays we have a lot more sounds available. But sure Mardin was an influence, no doubt! One of the cool things Cupid has - and also Provision has a lot of these 'tricks' - is quickly changing between a lot of sounds for just a few chords. Scritti used that a lot. You have a totally different sound for each chord. The simple reason must be: never before this was possible, so Scritti used those ideas. Thanks to MIDI. I remember those days. Atari days. We stacked sounds on top of each other and found out that there was a huge timing difference between MIDI-channel 1 and 16. Getting everything in sync with the tape was hell! We only got 25 frames per second. If you're doing stuff like Scritti you needed higher resolution. So man... Scritti was so 'one the money', 'in the pocket'... Miles totally understood that too. I hope I will met Green one day and be able to really dig deep into his thoughts about music. I see a connection between him and me, but I am probably not the only one :) Yes, the sound of the 80′s. People used the same equipment and used the same sounds. Thesedays we have a lot more sounds available.

But sure Mardin was an influence, no doubt!

One of the cool things Cupid has – and also Provision has a lot of these ‘tricks’ – is quickly changing between a lot of sounds for just a few chords. Scritti used that a lot. You have a totally different sound for each chord. The simple reason must be: never before this was possible, so Scritti used those ideas. Thanks to MIDI.

I remember those days. Atari days. We stacked sounds on top of each other and found out that there was a huge timing difference between MIDI-channel 1 and 16. Getting everything in sync with the tape was hell! We only got 25 frames per second. If you’re doing stuff like Scritti you needed higher resolution. So man… Scritti was so ‘one the money’, ‘in the pocket’… Miles totally understood that too.

I hope I will met Green one day and be able to really dig deep into his thoughts about music. I see a connection between him and me, but I am probably not the only one :)

]]> By: Richard http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Richard Wed, 03 May 2006 21:50:45 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/#comment-58 Thanks, Marco. Mind you, there are lots of similarities between the Mardin-produced 'I Feel For You' in 1984 and Scritti's stuff from the same year. I wonder how much Mardin was influenced by Green and Gamson or was it the other way around? Thanks, Marco. Mind you, there are lots of similarities between the Mardin-produced ‘I Feel For You’ in 1984 and Scritti’s stuff from the same year. I wonder how much Mardin was influenced by Green and Gamson or was it the other way around?

]]> By: Marco Raaphorst http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/comment-page-1/#comment-50 Marco Raaphorst Wed, 03 May 2006 17:45:57 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/#comment-50 Thanks Richard for sharing that. I didn't know. Thanks Richard for sharing that. I didn’t know.

]]> By: Richard http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/comment-page-1/#comment-49 Richard Wed, 03 May 2006 16:25:41 +0000 http://bibbly-o-tek.com/2006/05/03/steve-levines-talk-about-wood-beez/#comment-49 I thought this was interesting from a 1988 interview in 'The Face' : Green bridles at the suggestion that the Scritti Politti sound was in debt to Mardin. "He did none of the arrangements," he says. "all those songs existed in demos in exactly that form before Arif got involved. He didn't add or change anything and was totally surplus to requirements as it transpired -- as wonderful a man as he is and as useful as he was to have around for just having an avuncular figure in the room who could calm me down at moments when I was panicking. Musically, he didn't do diddly, which was as he wanted it. I'm not trying to be arrogant. I just think it's worth setting the record straight." I thought this was interesting from a 1988 interview in ‘The Face’ :

Green bridles at the suggestion that the Scritti Politti sound was in debt to Mardin. “He did none of the arrangements,” he says. “all those songs existed in demos in exactly that form before Arif got involved. He didn’t add or change anything and was totally surplus to requirements as it transpired — as wonderful a man as he is and as useful as he was to have around for just having an avuncular figure in the room who could calm me down at moments when I was panicking. Musically, he didn’t do diddly, which was as he wanted it. I’m not trying to be arrogant. I just think it’s worth setting the record straight.”

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