Members Chordite Posted August 17, 2019 Members Share Posted August 17, 2019 Here we have what is in my opinion one of the most perfectly delivered love songs. Minimal orchestration, it's like she is with you. Then at 2:17 it starts, the god awful saxophone arrives totally trashing everything like a cheap movie. Not just a riff but half the freaking record! I don't know who produced this but it is a bloody travesty, it ruins the song like cheap elevator music. [video=youtube_share;Tf1d65OHYXo] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted August 17, 2019 CMS Author Share Posted August 17, 2019 Don't hate the saxophone - it's the first instrument of rock 'n' roll. It's OK if you hate bad arrangements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 Here we have what is in my opinion one of the most perfectly delivered love songs. Minimal orchestration, it's like she is with you. Then at 2:17 it starts, the god awful saxophone arrives totally trashing everything like a cheap movie. Not just a riff but half the freaking record! I don't know who produced this but it is a bloody travesty, it ruins the song like cheap elevator music. [video=youtube_share;Tf1d65OHYXo] There are two versions of Dusty doing this song. The second was recorded in London with arranger Reg Guest... that’s the one with the long sax solo at the end. The original version, for the Casino Royale soundtrack, was recorded by the late, great Phil Ramone. Sax solo or not, I still consider this to be one of the greatest female vocal performances of all time. YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted August 17, 2019 Moderators Share Posted August 17, 2019 Don't hate the saxophone - it's the first instrument of rock 'n' roll. It's OK if you hate bad arrangements. it isn't so much the arrangement, but the producer's selection and decision making...and what is with the fart-y brass arrangement at the very end?? Much worse than the smoky sax part. To the OP, had it been a tasty guitar solo instead of the saxophone, would you have objected? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted August 17, 2019 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2019 To the OP, had it been a tasty guitar solo instead of the saxophone, would you have objected? Yes, daddymack, the song is over at 2:17. Just gentle outro and fade there and you have something perfect. Anything else is hitching a trailer to a Rolls Royce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted August 17, 2019 Members Share Posted August 17, 2019 I love the saxophone, it's my primary instrument. But whoever did this solo IMHO did not play with appropriate expression to compliment either Dusty or the arrangement. I've heard inappropriate sax, guitar, piano, synth, organ, trumpet and just about anything else solos. If it were me, I would have played it on tenor so as not to compete with Dusty's excellent vocals, I would have not used those inappropriate pitch bends (scoops), I would have matched Dusty's expression to start the solo and then perhaps gently drifted off to slightly different phrasing. Or else, I might have started with Dusty's phrasing on the melody and then drifted off to what I hope would be appropriate, minimalist, improvisations with a lot of air space. When you aren't the "star" of the record or song, your job is to do your best to support the star, and too many musicians would rather compete, disregard or outshine. But, every performance can't be our best one. Insights and incites by Notes Why I love the saxophone, here is another bossa nova [video=youtube;0-vlX8uRLMQ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted August 17, 2019 Members Share Posted August 17, 2019 Trumpet then... [video=youtube;BALcbAiwhZY] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff Leites Posted August 18, 2019 Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 That was my wife's and my wedding song, probably the arrangement without the sax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockViolin Posted August 18, 2019 Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 I agree with Notes. In addition I'd add that the sax gives me the impression it's trying to do something that's difficult for the instrument to do. Maybe it's the player, I dunno. I know nothing about playing the saxophone. But it seems that by the time the instrument speaks it's quite loud. So the scoops really don't work and neither does the attempt at smooth breathiness. So it comes across as clumsy attempt to parrot Dusty. It might have even been better to turn the sax loose and let it lay into it and sing it out more legato... not going crazy, but not trying to be like Dusty. Or put some, maybe quite a bit of reverb/delay on it and put it around the corner and down the street, hauntingly. The trumpets should have been tossed altogether. Ouch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted August 18, 2019 Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 I like the tune. The horns sound alright. To me there's more of a nagging concern Dusty's a guy or what lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted August 18, 2019 Author Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 I like the tune. The horns sound alright. To me there's more of a nagging concern Dusty's a guy or what lol. It seems pretty much agreed that she was bisexual but never got seriously involved with a man. She died from breast cancer so that should allay your "concerns." If you like the horns they are in my offcut bin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted August 18, 2019 Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 It seems pretty much agreed that she was bisexual but never got seriously involved with a man. She died from breast cancer so that should allay your "concerns." If you like the horns they are in my offcut bin I didn't know breast cancer is gender specific. Take your word for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted August 18, 2019 Author Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 I didn't know breast cancer is gender specific. Take your word for it. The female to male case ratio is 100 to 1 so you can pretty much take that to the bookies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff Leites Posted August 18, 2019 Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 The female to male case ratio is 100 to 1 so you can pretty much take that to the bookies. I was told it took my grandfather when my father was a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted August 18, 2019 Author Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 The literature: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer-in-men/about/key-statistics.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted August 18, 2019 Moderators Share Posted August 18, 2019 Yes, daddymack, the song is over at 2:17. Just gentle outro and fade there and you have something perfect. Anything else is hitching a trailer to a Rolls Royce. Agreed that they should have just cut the song at 2:17, but they would have struggled for airplay back in the day of '3 minute hits' [2:30 was usually the minimum length]. They could have faded the song off over the sax part for 13 seconds, but no... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted August 18, 2019 Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 I care not about Dusty's sexual orientation, but I think she was an excellent singer with good control and taste. Some songs just work better with a sax, others with guitar, others with trumpet. Here is an example of an Elvis Presley song that my older sister had on an album that I dearly love. The sax solo is by Boots Randolph and IMHO is one of the all-time best Rock/Blues sax solos on record. I don't care for Boots Randolph on his own albums, but I understand you have to do what pays the mortgage. As a session player for something like this it's superb. The recording was obviously done live with all players playing at the same time, and you can hear them musically interacting with each other. Everybody's performance on this track is excellent. The sax comes in at about 1:32 I play sax, wind synth, flute, guitar, bass, drums, keys and vocals, so I am not saying a guitar couldn't do this better because I'm biased, it's because the vox humana of the sax is exactly what is needed in this cut. When I was a little kid, this is one song that made me want to play sax. This is why I love saxophone #1. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockViolin Posted August 18, 2019 Members Share Posted August 18, 2019 Seems to me from what I've seen and heard that Elvis always had some serious crew. Well oiled from the flicks and Vegas gigs I'd suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted August 19, 2019 Members Share Posted August 19, 2019 I love sax. I wouldn't have an idea at all how to play one. They look complex as hell. I can think of a million different songs that just would not be special without sax in them. To each his own OP, but I don't want to live in a world without sax and sax players. I can understand your argument with the Dusty song though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted August 19, 2019 Members Share Posted August 19, 2019 I like the trailer analogy but I don't find the sax objectionable. I suppose I just like the metaphor of jazz lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted August 21, 2019 Members Share Posted August 21, 2019 On 8/18/2019 at 8:26 PM, AlamoJoe said: I love sax. I wouldn't have an idea at all how to play one. They look complex as hell. I can think of a million different songs that just would not be special without sax in them. To each his own OP, but I don't want to live in a world without sax and sax players. I can understand your argument with the Dusty song though. There are things on the sax that are easier than the guitar, and other things on the sax that are harder than the guitar. It seems every instrument I've learned has it's easier and harder than other features. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockViolin Posted August 21, 2019 Members Share Posted August 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Notes_Norton said: There are things on the sax that are easier than the guitar, and other things on the sax that are harder than the guitar. It seems every instrument I've learned has it's easier and harder than other features. Notes I was going to say something similar. Doesn't every instrument have that which it lends itself to more easily, and conversely that which it doesn't? That said I think the sax could have worked. It just should have been the side of applesauce to Dusty's pork chop, not a pork chop shaped pancake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.