Does anybody know if a version of the song exists that doesn't have Freddie's voice distorted? I always thought the song would be better if it didn't have the weird ogre voice-overlay, Just Freddie's sweet voice. If you do know of one that exists and have link to the location, please post of-course!
There has to be a regular vocal take, I'm guessing it was distorted from an original vocal take. Now THAT would have been a gem on the deluxe version of SHA!
The tape was sped up during the recording of the vocals. And when you play it back the normal way the voice sounds lower. That's what they did on Lap of the Gods. And that also means that there isn't a version of the 'normal' vocals. Unless they tried recording it with normal vocals too.
I simply love the intro to that song. All the Queen-elements are there i think. But i remember when i first heard it i thought something was wrong whit my record og my recordplayer when the verse came. I always wondered why the did it that way. But the intro is superb!
I simply love the intro to that song. All the Queen-elements are there i think. But i remember when i first heard it i thought something was wrong whit my record or my recordplayer when the verse came. I always wondered why they did it that way. But the intro is superb!
Yeah, agree on the intro and the verse vocals. Would of preferred without the effects on Freddie's voice. It would of been great if there was a non-altered version.
If you listen to Good Old Fashioned Loverboy live from the 1977 tour, they use something similar in the "I live my life for you..." part. Almost sounds like some kind of harmonizer.
Always heard it was recorded sped up like the story above.
It seemed like it was all in good fun to sound like some old 78 rpm's
Or an old fashioned radio broadcast
A simple glance through Freddie reveals that he was gay, and well...probably enamoured with those old fashioned love songs + show tunes.
To me the whole schtick is hilarious: Seaside Rendezvous, lazing on a sunday afternoon etc
Fireplace wrote:
If you listen to Good Old Fashioned Loverboy live from the 1977 tour, they use something similar in the "I live my life for you..." part. Almost sounds like some kind of harmonizer.
You mean The Millionaire Waltz .. ?
It is similar, but not identical. We need to separate speed from pitch. When slowing down a piece of tape (like on In The Lap Of The Gods), both the speed and pitch are altered.
But when done live like Mercury did in 1977, it was a harmonizer, and only the pitch is altered. It would add other notes in addition to the one you're singing live. The same effect was used for Mercury's improvisations in The Prophet's Song in 1977/78.
Robert Plant also used the effect live between 1977-80, on Sick Again, Ten Years Gone, Kashmir and Hot Dog.
Dang, mixed up my medley titles AND lyrics! Of course I meant the "My fine friend" part in The Millionaire Waltz.
I understand what you're saying, but wouldn't muting the dry signal leave you with just the altered pitch?
I wonder how they they figured out the amount of slowing down without all the modern digital bpm -calculators?
Biggzy10 wrote:
Does anybody know if a version of the song exists that doesn't have Freddie's voice distorted?
of course, you're referring to the lesser known
"In The lap of The Gods - [take 3] unphased vocal - shit, hated by band, version"
and
"In the Lap of The Gods - [take 7] straight vocal mix [rock out] pile of cack, version"
John S Stuart could probably confirm this ;-)