Playing songs at the wrong speed

[nrgbeat]

This question is going out to current or former club dj's.



Was it common to play songs at the wrong speed to create a different vibe?



I once heard a tape from The Saint where they played "Got To Get To You" by Charade at the wrong speed. It was different to say the least.

[markydefad]

Are you talking literally about playing a 45 RPM record at 331/3 RPM or vice versa?



Or just adjusting the pitch control +5 or -5 on the Technics 1200's?



I don't think I ever heard the former at a club, but the latter did happen. It is sometimes interesting to hear songs sped up or slowed down on old tapes because in the clubs they didn't sound so off--but if I do the same thing at home on my system, it sounds either like chipmunks or the living dead.

[BrunoRepublic]

I can only think of two examples of this, both long after disco. Some instrumental electronic "bleep" track from the early 90s, and a fairly recent one: Babylon Zoo's "Spaceman", which became a hit after DJs started playing it on 45. Interestingly enough, this was a vocal track, so it sounded like a chipmunks production when heard in this manner. I seem to recall the CD single had a version of it recorded this way so that the vinyl-less masses could experience it this way as well. I can already see the one-line summary in some pop music encyclopedia 20 years from now: "One-hit-wonder from late 1990s; known for having their biggest song played at the wrong speed."



There are a few electronica records that are designed to be played at either 33 or 45...



and personally, although I don't care for drum 'n bass, I love hearing Wax Doctor's "Heat" at 33... the irony is that all the drum sounds were pitch-shifted up, so they sound almost normal at 33... mind you, the bass line tends to drop right out of the audio range.

[Henri]

One song we used to pitch up at least 7% is Albert One - Secrets.

That song really lives up at a slightly higher speed.



Henri

[Giovanni]

In the early 80s, in Italy everybody used to play Pigbag's "Momma's got a brand new Pigbag" 33 instead of 45.

[e,r]

dj Assault from Detroit does a lot of 33on45

stuff(if you like "booty" check some

of his mixes) from the 2 i've got i could pick:

ring my bell - A Ward

funkanova - Wood,Brass&Steel

this time baby - J Moore

clear - Cybotron

going back to Cali - L L K J

all sound realy strange on 45, he does this

with house too(No Way Back,This is Muthafu**r,

Plastic Dreams etc)



e,r

[Masdefi]

Of course in the clubs disco is played mostly with changed speed. I normally mix with Technics Sl1200 with pitch adjusting. And I think also that some tracks are more intriguing if played slower (more power at the bass...): one for all: Musique's "Summer love theme", the slower is, more beautiful is. But I never played something 33 at 45 speed

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Masdefi on 2001-12-27 17:20 ]</font>

[sempaug]

Here is the expert in Cerrone's music. The Cerrone's release titled "la nuit pour nuit" (included in the maxi singol "Crystal, Phonic") printed in 1978 can be played at different speed. Cerrone wouldn't write the rpm on the label. In fact you can play the the maxi singole at 33 or 45 rpm having a special effect. Morover Cerrone was used to work on the pich control to find the right speed after the recording of the songs. This one, can be played slower or faster.

[PhyllisHyman]

[quote]

On 2001-12-19 20:02, nrgbeat wrote:

This question is going out to current or former club dj's.



Was it common to play songs at the wrong speed to create a different vibe?



I once heard a tape from The Saint where they played "Got To Get To You" by Charade at the wrong speed. It was different to say the least.

[ I'm sure I've heard Hills of Katmandu at 33 but pitched up +8 at the Saint. Other ones were Voyage and quite a few Yello tracks (not necessarily at the Saint). There is a sleaze tape from the Saint which uses the drum intro from At Midnight at 33 and it repeats over all the tracks which are about 94bpm]. Speaking of the Saint does anyone have any Roy Thode mix tapes? I had 2 round about 1980 but have long since lost them.

[Funky Dude]

Playing songs at the wrong speed, I personally think the best songs to play at different speeds are the instrumentals because you don't have to put up with the awful chipmunk voices like you do with songs involving vocals. I remember a few months back I played Herbie Hancock's 12" Side B "Doin' It" at 45 RPM instead of 33 1/3 and because it was instrumental it sounded great at both speeds.



Also I've upped the speed on Johnny Pate's 1973 classic "You Can't Even Walk In The Park" so I could make it sound similar to the movie version. When I made the speed too fast it sounded a bit like a mid 70's disco song. I personally like the movie version of this song better because it is a bit faster and has more guitar wah wah in it.



Hmm. I wonder what it be like to alter the speed of the Commodores intrumental hit "Machine Gun"?

[DJ Jimmy M]

Well, I like slowing down tracks more than pitching up. Some classic disco I like to slow down:The Break - Kat Mandu(which I did in a mix I sent Bernie that might be on the future here)



Tender Is The Night - THP (don't pitch this beyond -6 on my Numark because it sounds like they got the flu if you do. But at a -6 it's much more beautiful and almost romantic if you have that right one with you. However it ruins it when I mix into Five Special's "Why Leave Us Alone"(lol)

Jimmy M

[NickNack]

Playing songs (mostly instrumentals) at the wrong speed(33 at 45 and vice-versa) was a staple gimmick back in the day at NY clubs. As was said, it gives them a different vibe. "At Midnight" was the most over-worked, culminating with Disconet's two "Midnight" mixes. I've heard everything from "Shakey Ground" by The Temptations at 45rpm to "Maniac" by Mike Sembello at 33. Fun stuff if you're in the right head.

[DJ Jimmy M]

I've never heard of playing things at the wrong speed cut and dry. Pitching down or up quite a ways is one thing, but the other I dont get. I'm only 26, maybe thats why. However I have played the 45rpm 12 inch for "At Midnight" by T Connection on 33 for the 3 min beat break intro to turn a few sappy love songs into something with a disco beat and it worked for that. But when the vocals and even music comes in, it don't sound right. As I said, the slowest I ever pitched any disco down was Kat Mandu's "The Break" at a -10 and it sounds cool and groovin' as hell.

[NickNack]

However I have played the 45rpm 12 inch for "At Midnight" by T Connection on 33 for the 3 min beat break intro to turn a few sappy love songs into something with a disco beat and it worked for that. But when the vocals and even music comes in, it don't sound right.

Jimmy M.



You're on the money. The intro is the only bit that could be fooled around with in this way. I don't know of anyone who let it go into the vocals at 33. As for a reason why you might "not get it"... Take this title hit from Chad --- "Fast Music, Love and Promises", add a little sex, a lot of drugs and hundreds of a people in a space and place having the time of their lives. DJ's could do wild things to blow your head away.

[DJ Jimmy M]

Well Nicky,

I know DJ's can do wild things. I am always trying things that are new to me and things I concider bizzare. Like taking Cerrone's "Supernature" and during the instrumental breaks in this 10+min. track, having another copy of the record on the other turntable and playing the same instrumental part backwards over the other while keeping the beats perfectly in link. It has a very different,strange but cool sound that adds an extra vibe to the track.