Great Gig in the Sky pitch change

[Parrot of Doom]

I've never managed to find a satisfactory answer. Why does the pitch rise momentarily right at the fade-out of The Great Gig in the Sky?

[The Gunner's Dream]

What's a parrot of doom? Is that like a zombie parrot?

[Keith Jordan]

What's a parrot of doom? Is that like a zombie parrot?

What does your post mean?

[nosaj]

I've never managed to find a satisfactory answer. Why does the pitch rise momentarily right at the fade-out of The Great Gig in the Sky?

I suspect it was just a little fun thing they did to try to lift up such an intense song before the side ended...a subliminal uplifting...and to get people to ask the question you asked.

[The Gunner's Dream]

What does your post mean?

It is a civilized question about the lad's username.
As far as the question about "Great gig in the sky", I didn't especially remember there being a pitch change at the end of that song. I went back and listened to it. It really is insignificant. My best guess is that they simply tacked it on as an added effect. There is of course the not very likely possibility that it was an accident. Especially with it being on magnetic tape and all. Rather unpredictable. I find that unlikely, though.

[MeanMrKetchup]

I've always assumed it was an accident - it's not the only song it happened on and in this example (Queen) the band weren't so, for want of a better word... 'sound-effectsy?'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk9g9HIbZdc

[mosespa]

Probably just a technical glitch.

[oz1701]

i thought it was deliberate - i would be dissapointed to discover that it was an accident considering the rep of the sound engineer. the song would not be the same without it.

[danielcaux]

Either a common glitch or a 70s production fad.


Nah! it was an artistic musical choice, it sounds like "On The Run (reprise)" is about to begin there You know, that ascending sound fx that make you think of an airplane taking off? Since GGITS is about death, and well "The Sky", it makes sense to evoke that rising feeling, the soul going to higher places, I guess.

[The Gunner's Dream]

Either a common glitch or a 70s production fad.

In the Gentle Giant song, it sounds like an analogue synthesizer with a "glide" setting activated. It is turned off after the first couple seconds. What follows is still unlistenably dissonant.

[Creek]

I don't know why they did it, I just know it wasn't a mistake. Everything else on the album was right on. I noticed it way back when I got my first copy of DSOTM, I remember thinking, that's cool.

[Hudini]

i would be dissapointed to discover that it was an accident considering the rep of the sound engineer.

But you must be aware that the sound engineer in question made his reputation on "Dark Side". Before that, he was practically unknown. In the "Making of DSOTM" documentary, he states that it was his first proper engineering job.

Back on topic, I also believe that the pitch bend was a deliberate job. The record had a perfect production job for that time, and if there was a mistake of any kind in any part they would have re-recorded it. They produced the "Money" intro by cutting parts of tape and piecing them together, do you think it would have been a major problem for them to re-record a single piano chord? Or that they would not notice the pitch bend until the post production was already done?

[oz1701]

didnt alan parsons do atom heart mother?

[jtull]

didnt alan parsons do atom heart mother?

ATOM HEART MOTHER

Recorded at EMI Studios - Abbey Road, London, England
Engineer - Peter Bown, Alan Parsons

Produced by - Pink Floyd
Executive Producer - Norman Smith

[oz1701]

maybe he just assisted at that point then, if he doesn't consider that as a proper engineering job.