"Musically ... it's just a shuffle"

Ghost_Tracker · #1 04-27-2006, 01:11 AM

Hiya, had a "music" question for the musicians in the room -
in the "Rumours Documentary," Mick is talking about one of Christine's songs
(Songbird, I believe), and says something like,

"... musically and rhythmically, it wasn't just a shuffle! [any more]."

. . . . What did he mean by this???

HomerMcvie · #2 04-27-2006, 01:32 AM

He HAS to mean Don't Stop. DS IS a shuffle, which IS very rare in pop music, IMO.

Jyqm · #3 04-27-2006, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

He HAS to mean Don't Stop. DS IS a shuffle, which IS very rare in pop music, IMO.

No, Mick must be referring to the long lost "Songbird Shuffle" remix. This version of the song was so beautiful and heartbreaking that it caused everyone in the studio to weep uncontrollably for several weeks. (This is the real reason the Rumours recording sessions lasted so long.) In the end, the band decided to lock the recording away in the vault, never to be played again. A song with that kind of power is just too dangerous.

HomerMcvie · #4 04-27-2006, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jyqm

No, Mick must be referring to the long lost "Songbird Shuffle" remix. This version of the song was so beautiful and heartbreaking that it caused everyone in the studio to weep uncontrollably for several weeks. (This is the real reason the Rumours recording sessions lasted so long.) In the end, the band decided to lock the recording away in the vault, never to be played again. A song with that kind of power is just too dangerous.

Gee whiz, thanks. My bad.

elie · #5 04-27-2006, 03:09 AM

Forgive my ignorance, but I didn't really get it..
What is a "shuffle" (I know what it does on a mp3 player, but other than that I didn't get it- please keep in mind I 'm not a native english speaker!!

)

(And Jyqm, your post was a joke?

)

Jyqm · #6 04-27-2006, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elie

Forgive my ignorance, but I didn't really get it..
What is a "shuffle" (I know what it does on a mp3 player, but other than that I didn't get it- please keep in mind I 'm not a native english speaker!!

)

A "shuffle" is a type of dance (and, by extension, a type of music). I'm not really sure how to describe it other than to tell you to just listen to the rhythm of "Don't Stop." And I do believe Lindsey's "Shuffle Riff" is also a shuffle, or a variation on it (the chorus, that is).

Quote:

(And Jyqm, your post was a joke?

)

Oh my yes.

elie · #7 04-27-2006, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jyqm

A "shuffle" is a type of dance (and, by extension, a type of music). I'm not really sure how to describe it other than to tell you to just listen to the rhythm of "Don't Stop." And I do believe Lindsey's "Shuffle Riff" is also a shuffle, or a variation on it (the chorus, that is).

Thank you. I think I know what you mean. I was just a bit confused because Homer said that it is very rare in pop music. But then again I 'm completely uneducated "musicwise" lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jyqm

Oh my yes.

Thanks! At least that I got!

chiliD · #8 04-27-2006, 08:44 AM

A quick "chiliD list" of Fleetwood Mac "shuffles":

Got To Move
Stop Messin' Round
Talk With You
Watch Out ("Blues Jam @ Chess" version)
The end jam of Black Magic Woman
Searching & Fighting For Madge
Get Like You Used To Be
Dissatisfied
Don't Stop

HomerMcvie · #9 04-27-2006, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiliD

A quick "chiliD list" of Fleetwood Mac "shuffles":

Got To Move
Stop Messin' Round
Talk With You
Watch Out ("Blues Jam @ Chess" version)
The end jam of Black Magic Woman
Searching & Fighting For Madge
Get Like You Used To Be
Dissatisfied
Don't Stop

By RARE, I meant as HITS.

David · #10 04-27-2006, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elie

Forgive my ignorance, but I didn't really get it..
What is a "shuffle" (I know what it does on a mp3 player, but other than that I didn't get it- please keep in mind I 'm not a native english speaker!!

"Shuffle" refers to the rhythmic characteristics of a song. It's a mostly up-tempo employment of what in meter & time signature is known as the dotted eighth. Shuffles are in duple meter, often found in blues & blues rock, which means they usually employ a blues or blues-derived chord progression. A shuffle gives a syncopated "swing" to the rhythm.

So, no, Songbird is not a shuffle, but Don't Stop is.

edit: The dotted-eighth pattern is key to the shuffle. It's hard to grasp unless you can look at the actual notation on paper. But I just recorded this MP3 to try to clarify it at least in aural terms. The first brief snippet indicates how the "shuffle" is actually notated on paper--eighth notes are played in a straight-ahead manner with no syncopation. The second snippet indicates how the shuffle is played--eighth notes are syncopated or "swung," as if the first eight note in the pair were a quarter note & the second were an eighth note & the two were played as if part of a triplet.

http://download.yousendit.com/A720E52E7F308F25

If it still isn't clear, I don't know how to clarify it & you'll just have to study a bit.

amber · #11 04-27-2006, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jyqm

No, Mick must be referring to the long lost "Songbird Shuffle" remix. This version of the song was so beautiful and heartbreaking that it caused everyone in the studio to weep uncontrollably for several weeks. (This is the real reason the Rumours recording sessions lasted so long.) In the end, the band decided to lock the recording away in the vault, never to be played again. A song with that kind of power is just too dangerous.

okay, just had to stop and laugh. BTW, I think the same thing occurred with the Polka version of GDW.

I have a question: Are the drums in Second Hand News called anything special? I love that.
And while I'm at it, you know in the song Rebel Yell by Billy Idol? You know during the band soloing part - there's that noise that sounds like a video game gun? What is that?

chiliD · #12 04-27-2006, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

- there's that noise that sounds like a video game gun? What is that?

It's Steve Stevens' guitar through FX pedals (which ones, I have no idea).

amber · #13 04-27-2006, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiliD

It's Steve Stevens' guitar through FX pedals (which ones, I have no idea).

aww, that's it? I was hoping some people were playing laser tag or something to get that noise!

JK -
That effect makes me really happy. It should be in more songs.
Thanks, C.D.

So what about Second Hand News?

elie · #14 04-27-2006, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

If it still isn't clear, I don't know how to clarify it & you'll just have to study a bit.

David, thank you very much
It's much clearer now. You 're (as always) very kind

BTW (since I 'm listening to it right now), what would you call "You make loving fun" musically? Why do I always think of "funky" when I hear that song?

SteveMacD · #15 04-27-2006, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiliD

A quick "chiliD list" of Fleetwood Mac "shuffles":

Got To Move
Stop Messin' Round
Talk With You
Watch Out ("Blues Jam @ Chess" version)
The end jam of Black Magic Woman
Searching & Fighting For Madge
Get Like You Used To Be
Dissatisfied
Don't Stop

Like Crying (a song that would have been a great Billy-Rick duet, btw)