vibes and harp

[Les]

Neil posted the Mirage press kit on his site. I was reading through and saw:

"As always, the instrumentation features Buckingham's guitars and Christine McVie's keyboards backed by the rock solid rhythm section of Fleetwood and bassist John McVie. Some slightly more exotic instruments were used as well, including vibes and harp, both played by Buckingham. Meanwhile, the vocals of Lindsey, Stevie and Christine have never sounded so lush, lovely and completely together as they do on Mirage."

First of all, is there an instrument called a vibe? What sort of instrument is it? I'm guessing a stringed one of some sort.

Second, which song(s) on Mirage contain Lindsey's harp playing? I hear the harp on D.W. Suite but maybe I just haven't listened to Mirage in a while, because I don't think I ever noticed harp on Mirage before. Ohhhh, wait, perhaps that's the plink plink sound on Empire State....

[CarneVaca]

Les, I'm going to help you out on this one, cuz I'm a hell of a bovine, but don't get used to it:

Vibe is short for vibraphone, which is a more sophisticated version of a xylophone. Take a look: http://community.webshots.com/photo/2371289/2371298reBniSvzFc

I'm pretty sure this is the instrument used on the ping-ping riff on "Can't Go Back." It might have been used elswhere, but I can't remember now. I'd have to listen to the whole album. By golly, I think I will do that, maybe on the way home. I've been hearing stuff in songs that I never noticed before since I got my iPod for Christmas. What amazing sound!

For the life of me, I can't think of where the harp was used on Mirage songs. Maybe on "Oh Diane" or "Hold Me?" I know it was used on "You and I, Part 1," the omission of which on Tango I always thought was a crime. A crime!

[Les]

Originally posted by CarneVaca
Les, I'm going to help you out on this one, cuz I'm a hell of a bovine, but don't get used to it:

LOL!

Vibe is short for vibraphone, which is a more sophisticated version of a xylophone.

A-ha. Okay, I've seen pictures of Lindsey sitting in front of what I thought was a xylophone before, but it must have been one of these. Interesting. Thanks.

http://www.buckinghamnicks.net/lbphotos/LBuckXylo.html

I'd have to listen to the whole album. By golly, I think I will do that, maybe on the way home. I've been hearing stuff in songs that I never noticed before since I got my iPod for Christmas. What amazing sound!

Congratulations! Yes, just merely getting better computer and stereo speakers a while ago was a wonderful thing in terms of hearing new sounds.

I know it was used on "You and I, Part 1," the omission of which on Tango I always thought was a crime. A crime!

Hehe. I'm rather fond of it too. Very atmospheric. Sparse lyrically, but that contributes to its dreaminess.

[CarneVaca]

Les, that is a great picture. Cool expression. I realized on the way home that I hadn't loaded Mirage into the iPod yet. Guess what I'm doing now? This thing can carry more than 2,000 songs, and I'm at about the halfway mark.

[wondergirl9847]

Wow, I didn't know he could play the HARP!!?? What CAN'T he do is the better question I guess.

I need to re-visit Mirage..haven't listened to it in awhile...perhaps this Friday at work for radio day, I can blow the dust off of it and spin it a few times! :nod:

Oh, yeah, I am with you on the You and I, Part I being excluded from Tango...it's GREAT....dreamy is a good word for it! :thumbsup:

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
Wow, I didn't know he could play the HARP!!?? What CAN'T he do is the better question I guess.

I would bet we still don't know how many instrumens that man can play. I bet you anything with keys strings or sticks he can tackle. Don't know about wind instruments, but he's probably at least tried one or two already, which raises the question of who's playing the trumpet on "Someone's Gotta Change Your Mind." Of course, he can always get his USC Marching Band pals to take care of that.

[clooney]

Wow, harp too! As he takes care of his kids, I can imagine him playing with new musical tools and sounds and learning new instruments. What a genius!

Some of you were mentioning Mirage and listening to a new....what was it....iPod or something. Is this a new technology? I am falling behind on the times I guess. Are you referring to DVD audio or something? I just heard about that technology yesterday. Sorry for my uneducated-ness.

Also, has anyone out there seen a copy of the Mirage Tour video?

[CarneVaca]

Clooney, don't apologize. You should be happy you're not up on the technology. You'll spend less money that way.

An iPod is an MP3 player. It's very small -- about the size of one of those old-fashioned boxes of wooden matches that you would use for the stove. It has 10 gigabytes of storage (or 5 or 15, depending on the model.) MP3s, as you probably know, are digital versions of songs that you can play on your computer. Think of the iPod as a tiny computer primarily designed and built for you to play music. Much like a walkman, it has ear phones so you can take it with you.

I hope that helps.

By the way, I would wager that most people around here have seen the Mirage tour video. If you're nice (unlike me), someone who has a copy might even make one for you.

Good luck.

[Skylark]

Interesting Buckingham #4...looks like a baseball shirt!!!

Vibraphones are great fun... our local orchestra has one !!!
Lindsey explained how you can perform "magic"to make a
guitar sound like a violin or woodwinds etc. etc. etc.!:D
The man IS a musical genius for sure!:cool:I DO admire HIM!
New Technology = $$$! Bye, Sky :)

[seteca]

I still remember how amazed I was the first time I saw him playing "Angel" on the piano so effortlessly (whilst singing it with Stevie) on the Tusk Tour Documentary. Sure, it wasn't exactly a very technically tough piece to be playing, but it demonstrated perfectly just how incredibly musical the man is.

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

[David]

Originally posted by seteca
I still remember how amazed I was the first time I saw him playing "Angel" on the piano so effortlessly (whilst singing it with Stevie) on the Tusk Tour Documentary. Sure, it wasn't exactly a very technically tough piece to be playing, but it demonstrated perfectly just how incredibly musical the man is.His piano playing is better than ... I mean, it's the second best in the band.

Did you ever hear his interesting piano work on "September Song"? That's kind of unusual; it has a lot of heart & humor.

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by David
His piano playing is better than ... I mean, it's the second best in the band.

:lol: :lol: :] :laugh: :] :lol:

[Mac Fan]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
Wow, I didn't know he could play the HARP!!?? What CAN'T he do is the better question I guess.

I need to re-visit Mirage..haven't listened to it in awhile...perhaps this Friday at work for radio day, I can blow the dust off of it and spin it a few times! :nod:

Oh, yeah, I am with you on the You and I, Part I being excluded from Tango...it's GREAT....dreamy is a good word for it! :thumbsup:

I had no idea he could play the harp, either. Haven't heard You and Part 1yet, might see if I can download it from Kazaa.

[Les]

I remember reading an interview where he said Mick had given him a really beautiful harp for his birthday one year, or maybe it was Christmas, so he was determined to figure out how he could use it on the albums.

[wondergirl9847]

Originally posted by Les
Ohhhh, wait, perhaps that's the plink plink sound on Empire State....

I was listening to Mirage and Empire State today and it really does kinda sound like a plink plink of a harp...I always thought he used his guitar to plink plink...but maybe...hmmm....COOL!!!! :nod:
I would love to see him play the harp!!! :D:D

[seteca]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
...I always thought he used his guitar to plink plink...

To plink plink, or not to plink plink?...THAT...is the question!:nod:

:laugh:;)

Christy have you mastered plink plinking on your Liddy Buck yet? Remember, frets 7 and 12!:)

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

[clooney]

Wait...could that be a harp on Make me a Mask?

[clooney]

Carnevaca,
Thank you very much for the techno update. True, I have saved a bundle!

I have been looking for that Mirage Tour video for such a long time. Yes, if anyone on here has it, I would love a copy. I could send a blank tape and money for shipping if anyone would be willing to copy it for me.

Thanks.

[CarneVaca]

Wondergirl, I believe you're right. That is the harp on Empire State, though I've often thought it was a piano, which could have been made to sound that way.

Another place where I think the harp might be in use is a few plucked notes on Only Over You and even the recurring riff in Gypsy. But I'm not sure. After all, Lindsey made his guitars sound like cellos and violins in some of these songs.

By the way, the vibraphone was also used on Empire State. Of that I am sure.