Posted on 09/16/2014 6:46:53 PM PDT by Squawk 8888
Back in the days before recordings were made on magnetic tape, all songs on record had to have a defined and definite ending. But around 1950, recording engineers using new reel-to-reel recorders realized that could just fade out a song. The concept was simple: play the hook/chorus of the song over and over again as it got softer and softer before disappearing entirely. This technique (a) eliminated the need to write an ending for the song; (b) helped the hook become more memorable for the listener; and (c) supposedly gave the listener that the emotional promises made by the song went on forever. Think “Hey Jude” or “Smoke on the Water.” The effects could be rather dramatic.
Song fade-outs became standard practice for decades in many different genres. Not all subscribed to the same thinking, though. When I first became involved in alternative radio back in the 80s, I distinctly remember thinking it odd how so many songs in the genre actually had endings. They either ended cold (i.e. abruptly on the beat) or with a last chord that naturally faded out. I became a fan.
Today, though, the fade-out seems to be endangered. Slate.com published this chart showing how Top 10 hits came to conclusions over the decade. The trend is obvious.
Interesting, no? I wonder why this is happening? Thoughts?
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I played in a cover band some years ago and the keyboard player said something to the effect. “We may be doing covers but we can get creative with the endings.”
Yeah I tend to like a definite ending.
ping
Yep, and “alice’s restaurant” is a bathroom break.
CC
HA! Played in a cover band, too, years ago. That’s hilarious! So true!
I’d like to be on the ping list. Thank you!
Never see cover bands here because in this city only the dives book them. Bars that are actually civilized only book acts that do original work.
Welcome to the Dark Side ;)
Nothing more annoying than a song that you know is longer on the album being faded out on the single version.
Tommy Dowd, who worked on the Manhattan project, just couldn’t get back into teaching physics at Columbia after the war. Most of his knowledge was still classified, and he felt stupid teaching “old” physics when he knew there was more!
he got involved in Radio, and help promote Jazz and blues artists who might not otherwise get a chance. He worked very closely with Ray Charles, and was mentioned very obliquely in the movie “Ray” (”Hey Tommy, what do you think of this?”)
Tommy invented the fader, which was a strip potentiometer instead of cumbersome knobs that had been in use up til his innovation.
He ended up being the engineer for LAYLA!
There is a wonderful movie about this unsung hero of modern music, called “Tommy Dowd, the man behind the music”. I highly recommend it
Please put me on the ping list, FRiend.
Thanks, if I can find it on YouTube I’ll post it.
Definite endings are the way to go. Think The Doors’ “Stronger than Dirt” ending to “Touch Me.”
I’m a singer/songwriter. I play guitar and front a band. When I write a song, I put as much attention to the ending as I do the beginning and the rest of the song. I try to find different ways to end a song so that it’s memorable unto itself. Can’t say I’m always successful, but I try.
We went to hear a local band who boasted about their originals. Besides the fact that it was way too loud and had way too many effects for my taste, the endings of the songs just kind of trailed off. The band would get to the end of the song and kind of look at each other, like they didn’t know what to do. After the third song, I was really annoyed at the whole thing.
If you’re going to write a song WRITE IT with courage and conviction from start to finish! Fade outs may be cop outs, but might work great in a particular song, but not every one.
Done :)
That’s good. I was in one in the mid to late 80’s.
I have it in my Netflix Queue, and there is a long wait.
people have caught on!
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