Songs with "studio as instrument" background hooks, one after another?

[rlm297]

Can anyone recommend any albums/songs with meticulously tracked/produced studio layering, ghost notes, sum of all parts tracks to make a quick one second hook, etc.?

 

"Jaded" by Aerosmith does this a bit and "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince. They're pop songs, but if you isolate a 15 second clip, if you listen on the left or right channel... there are several multi-tracked/mixed studio hooks embedded inside a single bar or two of a song... not even as the featured instrument, but as quick background "hits" or textures.

 

Some bands space out the recorded hooks, 2 to 3 big clear cut "recording studio as musical instrument" hooks per song, mainly to keep songs sounding fresh. But other bands, they do this nearly every moment they can throughout the song to keep adrenaline or vibe going.

 

Can anyone recommend examples of the latter? Who pioneered this and who was the master at this kind of "so much is going on at one time" production?

[Phil O'Keefe]

I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're after.

 

How about 10cc's I'm Not In Love? That's a "studio production" if ever there was one. You couldn't really do it "live" back then, although with modern samplers, I suppose it would be relatively easy to do today.

 

The song:

 

[video=youtube;Y2BavhwpIJg]

 

The story behind how it was produced, in print:

 

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun05/articles/classictracks.htm

 

The story of how they did it, on video:

 

[video=youtube;Qq7oGenbp2I]

[Texas Noise Factory]

 

 

 

Very cool, Phil! I've often wondered about the production on this song. Thanks for the link!

[Flogger59]

As for a pop tune, I'd nominate Tomorrow Never Knows as a pioneering effort.