Surfabilly
Joined: Apr 21, 2006
Posts: 852
Connersville, Indiana, USA
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Posted on Jun 01 2006 08:29 PM
In Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra's original recording of "A Swingin' Safari," I do believe they had an actual singer (soprano voice) at the end of the choruses, prior to going back into the verses. In my case of wanting to record my own surf guitar arrangement, I'm wanting to recreate the part, but of course (and especially having a baritone/bass singing voice) there's no way in hades I can do it, other than by mechanical (instrumental) means.
I've toyed with doing the part on guitar, but find myself wanting it to sound more fluid, as with a singing voice. Although I'm fairly certain I could pull it off with a lap steel, once I add one to my collection, I got to thinking about how The Beach Boys used a Theremin for "Good Vibrations." Without having either instrument, currently, I can only imagine that using a lap steel would yield a more Hawaiian sound, while using a Theremin would yield a sound more closer to the original vocal.
Any thoughts or opinions, here? How far off might I be, in thinking how the sound would be, from each instrument?
Matt
— Fast Cars & Loud Guitars!
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jun 01 2006 08:33 PM
Lap steel. When I think of a theremin I can only think of a band like the Flaming Lips.
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spskins
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3776
tn
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Posted on Jun 01 2006 10:46 PM
I'm a big fan of the theremin, but would recommend the tannerin for what you want to do. The Tannerin, or Electro-Theremin as it was originally named, was what was actually used on Good Vibrations and Wild Honey by the BBs. It lets you hit actual notes by using the slide keyboard.
Check out more here:
http://www.electrotheremin.com/tannerin.html
Take it from me, unless you have perfect pitch and a lifetime to dedicate to practicing the theremin, you will be disappointed and end up sounding like the Flaming Lips. 
Oh yeah, it might be a lot easier (and cheaper) to get your hands on a lap steel.
PS Kaempfert is cool. Great bass sounds. Can't wait to hear your version.
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Surfabilly
Joined: Apr 21, 2006
Posts: 852
Connersville, Indiana, USA
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Posted on Jun 01 2006 11:28 PM
spskins
PS Kaempfert is cool. Great bass sounds. Can't wait to hear your version.
Okay...so I'll go with a lap steel, although also being interested in paranormal investigation (such as Ghost Hunters), I figure for the price of a Moog Etherwave Theremin, it'd make for an interesting "ghost detector." Set it up, and if it sounds (some sort of energy around the antennae), it could be a ghost around it. 
Otherwise, if I could ever manage to get ahold of a tannerin, it'd have some potential for some surfadelic music. I suspect that the folks scoring for the Scooby Doo cartoons also used a tannerin. I'm also planning for a clavioline, in future surfadelic efforts, but I'll resolve myself that I'll more likely need to find that sound through software, and a MIDI keystation.
As far as the great bass sounds, I've yet to pick out the bass line for "A Swingin' Safari," as I've yet to be able to hear it well enough. Perhaps I need another copy (different recording) of "A Swingin' Safari," or I'll have to RIP it to disk, so I can use software to bring up the bass line. That, or try to find sheet music for "A Swingin' Safari," and transcribe it to blank bass tab. Otherwise, I've got a good lead and rhythm guitar picked out, have picked out the up-tuned bass part on my bass (but I'll use a baritone), so all that's left is for me to get the bass line.
Matt
— Fast Cars & Loud Guitars!
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RobbieReverb
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2349
San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on Jun 01 2006 11:43 PM
Definitely lap steel. I'm not a big fan of theramins. I have an old
Magnatone lap steel that sustains like nothing else. Killer tone! I
Haven't yet tried it for surf. I mostly use it for blues.
Bob S.
— Bob
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jun 02 2006 03:56 AM
spskins
Take it from me, unless you have perfect pitch and a lifetime to dedicate to practicing the theremin, you will be disappointed and end up sounding like the Flaming Lips.
Not a Flaming Lips fan. I don't like their music but I am terrible drawn in by their live show. I saw them on Austin City Limits and they rocked the place like I've never seen before. My friends like the music and go to see them play live. I've never seen them in person, I wouldn't want to though.
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spskins
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3776
tn
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Posted on Jun 02 2006 05:26 AM
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spskins
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3776
tn
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Posted on Jun 02 2006 05:33 AM
JakeDobner
spskins
Take it from me, unless you have perfect pitch and a lifetime to dedicate to practicing the theremin, you will be disappointed and end up sounding like the Flaming Lips.
Not a Flaming Lips fan. I don't like their music but I am terrible drawn in by their live show. I saw them on Austin City Limits and they rocked the place like I've never seen before. My friends like the music and go to see them play live. I've never seen them in person, I wouldn't want to though.
I wouldn't know a Flaming Lips song if you hit me over the head with it, but it sounds like you're conflicted, Jake. I was just referencing your ealier post-I meant that it can end up sounding like cacaphony, which I had a feeling would describe the use of the instrument by the Flaming Lips. There are some amazing theremin records out there played by folks with the perfect pitch and the lifetime to dedicate to it, plus a great documentary film, which I believe, is called "Theremin".
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kick_the_reverb
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 1337
Escondido, CA
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Posted on Jun 02 2006 09:39 AM
I'm a big Theremin fan, but I second Ted's suggestion to not try and use a real Theremin, but an Electro Theremin/Tannerin/Slide Theremin instead (or real female vocals).
Plus the Moog Theremin doesn't really sound like female vocals. Neither does the PAiA (first hand experience). I don't think there's a cheap theremin that sounds as good as the old RCA tube theremins.
I was on a waiting list of a Candian guy called Mike Bouchamp who was building a few slide theremins, but I think he stopped making them.
BTW, the video Ted was talking about was:
Theremin , an electronic Odyssy.
Very interesting.
Ran
— The Scimitars
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PolloGuitar
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 5095
San Francisco
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Posted on Jun 02 2006 10:20 AM
I get a theramin/female vocal like effect using a volume pedal, a big muff, a delay and lots of steady vibrato arm movement. A guitar generated alternative to excellent suggestions already posted.
--ferenc
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spskins
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3776
tn
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Posted on Jun 02 2006 11:31 AM
indianasurfguitar_
spskins
PS Kaempfert is cool. Great bass sounds. Can't wait to hear your version.
As far as the great bass sounds, I've yet to pick out the bass line for "A Swingin' Safari," as I've yet to be able to hear it well enough. Perhaps I need another copy (different recording) of "A Swingin' Safari," or I'll have to RIP it to disk, so I can use software to bring up the bass line.
Maybe. I was just listening to the crappy sample on Amazon to double check and it is like all bass. I think it's a stand up bass with a picked electric bass (with maybe even a little reverb on it) doubling the same bass line. Very effective and borrowed by B. Wilson from time to time, even on (gasp) Good Vibrations! Whoa.8O
To really hear the bass really well, it needs to be heard on the AM radio (with the bass cranked) of your grandfather's smoke-filled Buick, while you stand on the front seat (no seatbelt, of course) drinking a Coke out of the old glass bottle. It's amazing I still have all my teeth.
Good luck with it all!
Ted
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DougForbes
Joined: Mar 07, 2006
Posts: 62
La Crescenta CA.
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Posted on Jun 03 2006 09:57 AM
I worked with Tom Polk on the Tannerin design and would like to suggest that you can make a reasonable instrument from an old Heathkit or Eico audio signal generator and an old printer. See the pictures. Paul Tanner did just that for the Good Vibrations sessions.
Doug Forbes
Paul Tanner
image
Prototype
image
Made from printer
image
image
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Wraydar
Joined: Apr 21, 2006
Posts: 265
San Antonio, TX
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Posted on Jun 03 2006 10:13 AM
Wow, that's cool! Anymore details on how to get that to work?
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Redd_Tyde
Joined: Apr 23, 2006
Posts: 260
Oceanside, CA
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Posted on Jun 03 2006 01:26 PM
Our singer built a theremin from a mail order kit that sounds pretty good. It isn't tube, but it is compact in size. About the size of the old cigar boxes. I will have to ask him where he got the kit from.
Redd Tdye
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drumuitar
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 813
Boise, ID
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Posted on Jun 03 2006 04:07 PM
Billy Vaughn also had a version of A Swingin Safari, right after Bert Kaempfert's. I've always loved Kaempfert. The interplay between the bass lines and the drummer, with his brushes and bass drum bombs, were very cool.
— Shawn Martin
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25560
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Jun 03 2006 05:46 PM
sorry to kinda hijack the thread, but for those who haven't heard of this band. you might wanna check them out.
Loungy, exotica type stuff with Therimen and Female vocals.
http://www.projectpimento.com/
Jeff(bigtikidude)
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
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drumuitar
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 813
Boise, ID
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Posted on Jun 03 2006 06:23 PM
spskins
What about staying with the high female voice? It might be fun holding auditions...
Yeah, unfortunately Minnie Ripperton is dead so you couldn't get someone that'd break lightbulbs:-)
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kick_the_reverb
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 1337
Escondido, CA
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Posted on Jun 04 2006 02:12 AM
Wow, this thread is going everywhere...
Doug:
Great tip about the Tannerin.
Redd tyde:
That's probably the PAiA Theremax kit that I mentioned before.
It actually sounds better than the Moog Etherwave Theremin, but is much less stable (the oscilators keep drifting). My ex-bandmate Lee-Or (username Shylock here), had to stop using it becuase of that.
drumuitar:
You never know who you might recruit for recording...try going to music academies, most people will turn you down, but you might find a couple that will sing for the exprience. Or someone will know someone else who will. We found voaclists, percussionst/vibe/xylophone player, trombone, tuba and trumpet this way (in my old band).
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25560
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Jun 05 2006 04:12 PM
sorry to really hi-jack the thread Ran( I know you hate it when I do this)
But how do the Astroglides tryout/hire their lp cover models ?
Jeff(bigtikidude)
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
Last edited: Jun 06, 2006 22:13:50
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kick_the_reverb
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 1337
Escondido, CA
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Posted on Jun 06 2006 08:45 AM
Ask this in the shallow end, and I'll answer there.
Stay on topic 
Ran
— The Scimitars
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