Crowd/party noises on Disco songs-How?

[srg]

I know we had a thread going on here before (can't locate it, though) and, on average, I do NOT like them, but does someone know HOW those party/crowd noises were added to disco productions?? You've heard them: people laughing, whooping it up, clinking of glasses, etc...Would a party be held in the studio and someone would press "Record"? Would they be recorded at a real nightclub then added as a separate track?
Just curious...

[Cdnbob]

Generally these sort of crowd scenes can be found on special sound effect records, and I would assumed the producer in question would just mix this into the song in the overall mix. Perhaps someone like Stephen F can verify this correctly.

[drlove]

When I saw the thread topic, srg . . . .I knew I couldn't answer your question, but suddenly I couldn't get Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" and the Trammps' "Disco Party" outta my head, with their fun opening crowd noise. Another classic party-in-the-background that actually gets silenced first in order to start the (non-disco) tune was . . . the Temptations' "I Can't Get Next To You" from 1969.

[keefelc]

Hey SRG, didn't Ray Martinez talk about the party noises in his discussion about "Lady Of The Night"?

[markydefad]

Several Maurice White produced tracks for Earth, Wind & Fire ("Saturday Nite" where one of the guys starts talking in an affected cultivated voice and then cracks the group up with an offhand "I smell something" followed by "eww...I smell something else"... laughter and crowd noise end the track ) and The Emotions ("I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love") has clapping and studio musician noise at the end, also.

I have to be careful not to overuse the word "also"---the dreaded Sarah Palin Syndrome, you betcha. Wink. Wink.

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

During the dialogue intro for "Love In C-Minor", you can hear the champagne pouring from one glass, into the other. I LIVE for that kind of attention-to-detail!

"Is there any more champagne left?
(laughter)
It's gone!
Is it, already?
You're kidding!
Here, you can have some of mine.
(glass clinks, and the sound of a glass filling-up)
Cheers!
Susie... He's looking at you.
Susie! He's looking at you.
Is he? Aww..great.
Well, you're on for tonight.
Yeah, sure looks that way...
(kick-drum starts)
Oh, wow! Look at it!! LOOK AT IT!!!
(bass-line comes in)

[JussiK]

I've been checking out all sorts of sound library records but never found any with party noises. Boring nature sounds abound, and there are scenes from gas stations, modern kitchens equipped with dishwashers, as well as from early 70's sex clubs "recorded in Denmark", with stuff much like the goings-on on the Love In C Minor lp. On the other hand all the library stuff I have is of european origin, never saw any american ones. Were there any realesed in the US?

[KBallenger53]

Originally Posted by drlove

When I saw the thread topic, srg . . . .I knew I couldn't answer your question, but suddenly I couldn't get Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" and the Trammps' "Disco Party" outta my head, with their fun opening crowd noise. Another classic party-in-the-background that actually gets silenced first in order to start the (non-disco) tune was . . . the Temptations' "I Can't Get Next To You" from 1969.

I'm glad you've mentioned "Got to give it up" drlove. If you really pay attention to the crowd noise, it's actually a sample that is looped over and over again. Check it out next time you play it!!!

'NUFF SAID

[BrunoRepublic]

Originally Posted by srg

I know we had a thread going on here before (can't locate it, though) and, on average, I do NOT like them, but does someone know HOW those party/crowd noises were added to disco productions??

The easiest way would be to invite a bunch of friends into the studio, tell them to make some noise, and hit "record"...

Originally Posted by srg

Would they be recorded at a real nightclub then added as a separate track?

I doubt it; the acoustics at a nightclub would be terrible.

[Disco Funk]

I was listening to this song today and I remembered this thread. It definitely sounds like the partying was done in the studio, just for the better acoustics. Depending on the producer, it could be live as the musicians are playing or done as overdubs later as the backing track is played back. I think with James Brown, it was all done spontaneously as the musicians played

You'll recognize this as another tune, but James took it and called it 'Hustling'.



Disco Funk