Mistakes on recordings

[btomcik]

Question - when recording, do the pros ever make mistakes that actually end up on the recording itself? Flubbed notes, etc. I was just wondering. I wasn't sure if there was a limited amount of time in the recording studio and maybe there wasn't an opportunity to do another take on a song.

Thinking out loud...for example, what about a scenario like recording trumpet and organ music. The recording equipment is set up in a church, maybe there's only 8 hours available to record, and they have a certain number of songs to get through. If a song isn't perfect, I wonder if they have to say it is what it is and move on to the next one. And that's a unique sound that can't be replicated in a recording studio and dubbed in later, no?
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[Jeff_Purtle]

Of course that happens. Can’t you hear errors in pitch, time, attack, and sound? It would probably be best for others to point out their own flaws instead of people here to start pointing fingers. I have a longtime friend that started with Claude Gordon around the same time I did back in 1984. Prior to studying with Claude he took with William Vacchiano, who was a legendary player. When I started college I was listening to a recording of Pictures at an Exhibition and I told him I didn’t care for the NY Phil recording of Vacchiano. He told me that Vacchiano hated that recording too because they had been doing multiple takes and the one they took was because they liked the strings or something not to do with the trumpet.

There is an incredible video of Harry Kim playing with Jennifer Lopez live in Puerto Rico. I told him I thought it was pretty cool. He told me that they recorded that show twice over two days and on the second day Harry had a the flu and bad fever and felt like crap. When JLO reviewed the two concerts she didn’t pick the first one to use for TV.

The lesson learned is that you never know what will happen and who will be listening. We all have to practice for consistency and not accept any flaws in our practice and then on the gig just “Hit It Hard and Wish It Well” like Clyde often admonished.

I once did a show with Dionne Warwick and she was very sick and I didn’t know how she would do the concert which featured her for a couple hours. She started the concert and told the audience that she was sick and would try her best but if something goes wrong just “Walk on Bye” and then she started that song and she was amazing and flawless. Pros have so much experience and even if something isn’t ideal that can often pull it off and makeup for what’s not ideal.

Watch that video of Harry Kim and you can see his forehead is a little sweaty but he sure played great. The difference between pros and others is that they know the show must go on and you can’t make excuses and just have to go for it.

Jeff
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[Tony Scodwell]

Not exactly a mistake, but just the same on a recording I was on with Harry James called "The Golden Trumpet of Harry James", because it was the road band and very tight, we did one take on everything except "A-Train" which Harry asked for another take as he wanted a second take on his solo. He had lead over the section on the out chorus but due to having his entire lower teeth implanted four days before the date, he laid out on the out chorus having played it well on the first take. Guess which take they used...the second take with me on second trumpet instead of Harry's lead being the top voice.

Stupid things kids will say was when I went out with the Tonight Show Big Band led by Doc Severinsen, Snooky Young was in the section and I asked him if the tee-ah on "Blues In Hosses' Flat with Basie was a slight clam or intentional. "It was on purpose" was his response and of course every lead player since has played it that way. Like I said, you can't fix stupid.

Tony Scodwell
www.scodwellusa.com

[abontrumpet]

Phil Smith - Orchestral Excerpt CD:
Everybody knows he plays the same note twice in the Infernal Dance (reh 5 in the 1919 reorch). He mentioned 2 more mistakes on that CD: one I can't remember and one he cheekily didn't share. (He also has a honegger with Rigid Containers Brass Band with a wrong note in the opening, not sure if it's still available or not...that example might be the closest to your inquiry).

But solo "classical" recordings you're hard pressed to find an outright mistake; perhaps something that the player would revise musically years later. Generally if you're going to make a solo recording you know whether or not you can lay down the tracks efficiently before the label spends the money. I've listened to a ton of solo albums and the above example is the only one that stands out to this day.

[mafields627]

There is a recording of Doc Severinsen playing picc for "Joy to the World" and, while there aren't really any flubs, it's just.....not good.
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[benlewis]

My favorite is on the title song on the Thunderball soundtrack; on the long sustained note at the end, you can hear a horn player lose it...

Ben

[kehaulani]

When I was at North Texas, I can remember sitting around with other players catching wrong notes or chords on Beboppers' records. It happens to the best.

To answer another of your implied questions, though, I don't think players usually accept recorded mistakes or mediocre performances because of time restraints. I don't think they would accept these performances recorded for posterity just because they were "good enough".
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[martin mc hale]

I seem to remember reading about a recording of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto that Heifetz did in the fifties. After the take for the third movement the producer said that one bar was a bit ‘blurry’ and would Mr Heifetz like to do it again. He replied- ‘ no leave it in- it will make somebody very happy’…

[Billy B]

I thought I made a mistake once, but I was wrong.
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[kehaulani]

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[Tpt_Guy]

I've got a few CDs with some interesting errors. One is on a rotary pic where a fast run of grace notes ends up smearing together into a gliss, on the the 1978 Superman soundtrack opening march is quite sharp, and I have an album of jazz ballads where on one of the tunes there is gurgling near the end of the piece - the poor guy had no place to empty his horn during an otherwise flawless and beautiful recording.

I have an album of cornet solos where, if I listen carefully, I can hear where the different takes are spliced together because it was done by crossfading different parts of the solos, usually on a sustained note, and it sounds kinda wonky.

If you want to listen to a piece that breaks from Chicago's reputation, listen to the Reiner recording of "Schwanda: Polka and Fugue." While the recording is exciting and musical, from a technical standpoint it's...interesting. Especially in the finale.
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[Jaw04]

[btomcik]

[btomcik]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF1VXro_fK4

Very brief solo at 2:45 I think.
_________________
Kanstul 1600 Bb
XO 1624 C
Getzen Renaissance 30 C
XO 1700 Bb/A picc
"Hit it hard, and wish it well." - CG