Get a peek into the heart of some classic tunes
by listening to the teased-out isolated vocal tracks. The first multitrack
recorder was invented in the 1950s and was quickly embraced by the music
industry as an indispensable tool in the recording studio.
Musicians could use
multitrack recorders to separate and stack different channels of sound, free to
tweak and massage the sounds however they liked. Want to hear more guitar?
Turn
up the levels on the guitar track. Are the snares too sharp? Turn down their
levels. Need to boost the lead singer's vocals?
Stack up multiple versions of her singing the
same lines on top of one another.
A typical pop song
these days can have dozens and even hundreds of layers, all blended into one
another in the final product. Guitars on top of guitars. Drums running over
drums running over more drums. Vocals stacked up all over the place.
It works,
but once you blend it all together in the final mix (the one that comes in over
the radio/Internet), like a birthday cake, you can't get a feel for the
individual ingredients. Unless, of course, you find those ingredients all by
themselves somewhere!
Thankfully, YouTube has a healthy collection of
isolated vocal tracks, the single audio tracks from famous songs that give you a
glimpse into the magic behind any given pop song. It's a window into the power
and raw energy that the vocalists commanded (Freddy Mercury could sing)
and a refreshingly intimate review of a song that you might have heard a
thousand times — but not like this.(an extra Beatles song too!)
We waded through the videos and pulled out our
favorites. Enjoy these 11 isolated vocal tracks from famous songs.
Cheers!
We'd be remiss if we neglected to list something
from the Rolling Stones, the band where MNN co-founder Chuck Leavell has
most famously tickled the ivories for the past 30-plus years. Even though this
song was recorded just before Chuck joined the band, it's too good not to
share.
By Shea Gunther
Related:
George Harrison and The Bee Gees To Receive Recording Academy Honors
Sir Paul McCartney To Induct Ringo Starr Into Hall Of Fame
The Rolling Stones: New Tour Announced - Zip Code Updated: Releases from The Vault And A New Album for Keith Richards
Lost Beatles US Concert Movie Blocked From Release
The Three Lennon-McCartney Hits That Went to No. 1 Without Lennon or McCartney
Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood’s - "How Can It Be? A Rock & Roll Diary"
Rolling Stones Rehearse Rare Songs For Their South American Tour
Beatles’ First Recording Contract to Be Auctioned For An Estimated $150,000
Bob Dylan Named Greatest Songwriter Ahead Of Lennon and McCartney According To Rolling Stone
Keith Richards ‘Under The Influence’
The Beatles 1 To Be Reissued With 50 Videos
John Lennon Born 75 Years Ago Today
George Harrison's Catalogue Is Now Streaming
Keith Richards Says Jagger’s Ego Sent Him Solo
The Rolling Stones’ 'Satisfaction' Was The Result Of A Faulty Amp
John Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll Album - Update: Vale Sir George Martin
Unseen Beatles Footage Released
George Harrison Makes Guest Appearance On Eric Clapton's New Album
The Rolling Stones Reveal ‘Totally Stripped’
Celebrating The Beatles' Revolver 50 Years On
The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years
The Beatles 'Love' And Cirque du Soleil
Rollings Stones’ Keith Richards Is Evolving, Not Ageing
Celebrating George Harrison
