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Verdine White in concert 1981

Fire-Starter

Fire-Starter

Aug 11, 2002
2,221
150
MINNESOTA
#1
I was watching this dvd of a 1981 concert in California of EWF, the sound of the bass was nice and thick, it really stood out, it looked to be a Fender Jazz 4 string with block inlays, at any rate, the only disapointing thing to me was that several times I noticed that Verdine seemed to be playing something different than what I was actually hearing, I would here a slap line, but his fingers were not even on the strings :eek: were they using things like PROTOOLS, or something back in the early 80's or some other software program to play along with live acts. I keep telling myself that maybe it was just a bad camera angle and my eyes are playing tricks on me, but I watched it again and I am seeing even more of the same. Verdine can play his tale off we know, but was EWF using tracks in addition to the real act???

anyone?????
 
#2
Fire-Starter said:
I was watching this dvd of a 1981 concert in California of EWF, the sound of the bass was nice and thick, it really stood out, it looked to be a Fender Jazz 4 string with block inlays, at any rate, the only disapointing thing to me was that several times I noticed that Verdine seemed to be playing something different than what I was actually hearing, I would here a slap line, but his fingers were not even on the strings :eek: were they using things like PROTOOLS, or something back in the early 80's or some other software program to play along with live acts. I keep telling myself that maybe it was just a bad camera angle and my eyes are playing tricks on me, but I watched it again and I am seeing even more of the same. Verdine can play his tale off we know, but was EWF using tracks in addition to the real act???

anyone?????
Click to expand...
It was the video editors. Sometimes they want a particular shot when they don't have a real-time one, so they'll borrow one from another time in the performance. A favorite of mine is when you see a drummer apparently hiting the snare on 1 & 3 even though you're hearing the traditional 2 & 4.

Van Halen's "Live:Right Here, Right Now" video, because it was shot over two nights and then combined, is full of these little inconsistancies where you hear one thing (from one night) but see another (from the other night or a different place in the song).
 
#4
jerry said:
These days Verdine playe to tracks a lot :(
Click to expand...
I didn't want to bring that up, but EW&F have been using (suplemental) backing tracks since 1990 at least. No way those three horns are playing all that. Plus, there are parts of the show that you hear real bass, no one is playing one, and Verdine is doing some dance steps out front.
 
#5
E, W & F have made big use of backing tracks and even ghost players behind the scenes for years! As good as Verdine is, he is not a huge slapper so it may have been someone behind stage or most likely, a track. In addition, I agree that sometimes Verdine dances around so much, there's no way he can play that accurately [espescially when his hand rarely leaves the top of the neck]. :eyebrow:
 
#7
Fire-Starter said:
its just kind of disapointing to see a live concert on dvd and knowing the bass player is sometimes playing/sometimes not :scowl:
Click to expand...
It depends on how it's presented for me. Rush makes no bones about their extensive use of sequencers, now (for many years now actually) also incorporating digital audio into the tracks (the extra guitar tracks, Geddy's backup vocals, Aimee Mann on "Time Stand's Still, etc.). It's when a group tries to pass it off as "this is how we really sound" that it's irritating (Ashley Simpson anyone?:spit: ).
 
#8
PhatBasstard said:
It depends on how it's presented for me. Rush makes no bones about their extensive use of sequencers, now (for many years now actually) also incorporating digital audio into the tracks (the extra guitar tracks, Geddy's backup vocals, Aimee Mann on "Time Stand's Still, etc.). It's when a group tries to pass it off as "this is how we really sound" that it's irritating (Ashley Simpson anyone?:spit: ).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I feel ya on that one.
 

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