compasspnt wrote on Sun, 27 February 2005 14:36 |
Oh my God, here it all comes again... First, I wasn't directly involved in the (released) recording of "Stairway," but I can assure you that there was NO intent for anything to sound like it was "saying anything backwards." The whole backwards thing I have always found to be totally ridiculous. Here are some websites which give "information" about it: http://www.reversespeech.com/music_reversals.htm http://www.wootang.net/backmask/classicrock.html http://skepdic.com/backward.html http://skepdic.com/backmess.html Here, there are "Satanic Messages" supplied by everyone from Britney Spears to Mary Poppins! In fact, it has become a whole "backmasking" industry, and actually provides a living for a few people! When I first noticed that some Beatles recordings had backwards sounds on them, I decided to experiment with the whole thing. I thought someone was saying (forgive me for this!) "Paul's a Queer" on "Yellow Submarine" (now I think it was probably "All's clear," or something more appropriate to the meaning of the song, but hey, it was a long time ago!) I thought that this "saying" might have been performed in a backwards manner. So, for some strange reason, I recorded that same saying forwards, turned that around backwards, and worked a long time learning phonetically, and as "correctly" as possible, to say the backwards sounds FORWARDS. In other words, I was soon speaking "backwards." Then I recorded that backwards speech, and turned THAT recording around to play in reverse. The result was the saying "Paul's a Queer" being phonetically rendered forwards, but with an out-of-this-worldly, almost mutant sounding speech pattern. ("Ray-oook'---nyeh-sssssslop'" for those who want to learn this august phrase in 'backwards-speak.') All that this experiment showed was that I was not to be trusted with any spare time. On another occasion, years later, I was producing a band which was somewhat heavy, and we had an instrumental track which was almost demonic sounding, musically. So for fun, I recorded the lead singer speaking phrases like "Eat all your vegetables!" and "Don't forget to brush your teeth!" and other excellent, non-Satanic things. We turned those around backwards, and put them loudly throughout the song. No one at the label, at radio, or from any Christian tolerance group ever said a word! But it sure sounded "Satanic!" I think it may be the mud shark... Terry |
mr. moon wrote on Sun, 27 February 2005 20:51 |
.... ...Great story!! Here's another site that tries to explain backwards masking techniques and their use in popular music: http://www.triplo.com/ev/reversal/ |
Quote: |
...So, according to him, we're all subconsciously using backwards masking at all times in all forms of verbal and audable communication forms... yup.... |
Ryan Moore wrote on Sun, 27 February 2005 20:20 |
FWIW I find the regular 'forward' version more of a possible 'Satanic message'... |
Barry Hufker wrote on Sun, 27 February 2005 14:47 |
Well one thing's for sure -- they don't get much credit for understanding the lyrics in the "forward" version. The word is "sprinkling" not spring clean. The idea being that if there's a bustle (what women wore at one time) in your hedge row, then two people are having sex there and one shouldn't be upset -- just consider it as what people do in spring time. The lyric is pretty interesting backwards and makes some degree of sense, BUT! If people can't figure out the lyrics when they are "forward" then who the hell cares what it says backwards? No one I know listens backwards. In fact, many people couldn't even tell you what their favorite song was about "forwards" or not. Just be inspired by Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" and "count the 'head lice' on the highway." Barry |
Barry Hufker wrote on Mon, 28 February 2005 14:49 |
No, I'm *not* kidding. A bustle was a framework women wore to add fullness to their skirts. Check here for the definition. http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn?stage=1&wo rd=bustle And I still stand by my explanation of that line. It's amazing maxdimario that you have figured out what none of the rest of us could. If I have read you incorrectly, then I apologize. Otherwise, I don't appreciate the sarcasm. And "sprinkling" is a sort of pun. Just as one "waters" the lawn, there's a sprinkling happening from the sex in the hedgerow. When it comes to words, it's not smart to f**k with English majors! ;>) Barry |
mr. moon wrote on Mon, 28 February 2005 11:02 |
Terry: Are there any hidden messages in any of the Zep tunes you worked on? Did Jimmy or Robert ever talk to you using their backwards-masking vocal technique ()? -mr moon |
compasspnt wrote on Sun, 27 February 2005 12:36 |
So for fun, I recorded the lead singer speaking phrases like "Eat all your vegetables!" and "Don't forget to brush your teeth!" and other excellent, non-Satanic things |
compasspnt wrote on Mon, 28 February 2005 10:23 | ||
On what I did, there was ABSOLUTELY NEVER any mention of any backwards masking. Of course, I only worked on a small portion of their total recorded output. And Jimmy was definitely into the Aleister Crowley "Black Magick" situation (which was NOT satanic, by the way!) But, being a friend of Jimmy's for many years, both before I worked on 3, and after, I think he would certainly have mentioned it. We corresponded quite regularly, by phone or by letter (remember those?). If he had been "up to" something like that, I know he would have said something about it. |
compasspnt wrote on Mon, 28 February 2005 09:23 |
And Jimmy was definitely into the Aleister Crowley "Black Magick" situation (which was NOT satanic, by the way!) |
compasspnt wrote on Sun, 27 February 2005 20:36 |
I thought that this "saying" might have been performed in a backwards manner. So, for some strange reason, I recorded that same saying forwards, turned that around backwards, and worked a long time learning phonetically, and as "correctly" as possible, to say the backwards sounds FORWARDS. In other words, I was soon speaking "backwards." Then I recorded that backwards speech, and turned THAT recording around to play in reverse. The result was the saying "Paul's a Queer" being phonetically rendered forwards, but with an out-of-this-worldly, almost mutant sounding speech pattern. ("Ray-oook'---nyeh-sssssslop'" for those who want to learn this august phrase in 'backwards-speak.') All that this experiment showed was that I was not to be trusted with any spare time. |
thesoundguy wrote on Mon, 28 February 2005 17:37 |
If there are any twin peaks fans in the house, this is exactly how all the dialogue for "the arm" (the short guy) was done. They did a reading, played it backwards, the actor learned it phonetically backwards, and it was played forwards while the film for the scene was run backwards (yes, the scenes were essentially performed in reverse). dave |
J.J. wrote on Sun, 27 February 2005 15:33 |
I remember when I was a kid hearing on WMET in Chicago that somebody had discovered a backwards hidden message on The Wall. I googled it and sure enough found it. At the end of Goodbye Blue Sky", if you reverse it, it says, "Congratulations. You have just discovered the secret message. Please send your answer to Old Pink, care of the Funny Farm". |