# Crimson & Clover - How?



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I've always been curious as to how TJ & the S's, got the echo in this song. Does anyone know how it was done and satisfy my curiosity?

[video=youtube;Cz8BCLNHREI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz8BCLNHREI&amp;feature=related[/video]


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I don't really hear any echo. Do you mean the tremolo on the voices near the end.

It sounds like a bias tremolo. You could do it with any decent tremolo pedal I think.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

The vocal at the end could be a Leslie effect too.

Stead are you speaking about the little three note guitar line? Is it just reverb?


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## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

I think he is referring to the vocal chorus near the end - "crimson and clover, over and over, crimson and clover, over and over…"
Sounds like trem was on the instruments for the most part of the song, but "tremulant" (tremolo, or leslie) was also added to the vocals during the ending chorus at 3:45. Actually, the final held vocal note of the song really sounds like leslie to me.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Sounds way too deep to be a Leslie to me. i stand next to one often. Leslies are a bit shallower and more subtle.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

T'was a tremolo. The "long" version on the album is just plain psych-a-ducci.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

J-75 said:


> I think he is_* referring to the vocal chorus near the end - "crimson and clover, over and over, crimson and clover, over and over…"*_
> Sounds like trem was on the instruments for the most part of the song, but "tremulant" (tremolo, or leslie) was also added to the vocals during the ending chorus at 3:45. Actually, the final held vocal note of the song really sounds like leslie to me.


Yes, this is what I was referring to. Sorry, I should have been more specific. I was told once it was done with a tape but I don't know how you would do that live so it didn't make sense to me.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

From the first time I heard it, I assumed it was just tremolo and reverb.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

bluzfish said:


> From the first time I heard it, I assumed it was just tremolo and reverb.


I'm pretty sure that's what it is.

There must be an interview about it somewhere.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

zontar said:


> I'm pretty sure that's what it is.
> 
> There must be an interview about it somewhere.


Tremolo is correct. I Googled it (and imagine that) there was the answer. There's an interesting interview as well as the answer on the link below.

_*When my pals at Spectropop and Forgotten Hits, the ‘60s and ‘70s music forums, heard I was interviewing Tommy they submitted six pages of questions. Two of those pages were filled with questions that basically asked, “How did you get that sound on “Crimson and Clover”?*_
_*Tommy said, “We had done the record with tremolo on the guitar. It’s just a built-in sound on guitar amplifiers. When I played the guitar, we recorded it with tremolo pretty much in synch with the music. In other words, we tried to make it so that it was vibrating at the same speed that the drums were playing. So we made the whole record that way. And then at the end, it was like one of those whimsical ideas, we said, “Why don’t we put it on the voice?” So that’s what we did, we ran the vocal mike through an Ampeg guitar amp, turned on the tremolo and miked it, and ran it back through the board. It was just that simple. What was so amazing, back then, if you wanted to make a sound wiggle, you had to basically do it yourself. There was no button you could push on a synthesizer, you basically had to build the circuits yourself and everything else. So that’s what we did, we just ran the vocal mike through the guitar amp, and then miked the amp and ran it back through the board.”*_

http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/201...-mob-and-the-music-and-of-course-morris-levy/


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Steadfastly;516121[COLOR=#555555 said:


> _* "There was no button you could push on a synthesizer, you basically had to build the circuits yourself and everything else.”*_[/COLOR]


That is the kind of rock 'n roll pioneering that is so missing in most current music. It's so easy to get what you want instantly in a studio with all the gadgets and special effects readily available on the spot, there is very little experimentation or true innovation.


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## Vox71 (Mar 25, 2008)

Sorry guys, this is a little off topic, but i just have to say it. 

I am 41. Born in 1971. So i clearly wasn't around when this song was released. However, Crimson & Clover is the very first song that "got to me", and turned me on to Rock'n'Roll, and music in general really. 

My parents had this on vinyl. I remember when I got old enough (still very young---7 or 8) my father saw that i showed an interest in music, and showed me how to work the family stereo, and record player. He let me have free reign over his record collection. 

It was then that I discovered Crimson & Clover. Something about that song just sounded so magical, and surreal to me. I literally wore that record out. I remember listening to it at full volume through the headphones and getting shivers which seemed to be in synch with the first 6 tremolo-laden guitar strums on the "and 3 and 4 and 1". So iconic. I am still blown away to this day every time i hear it. A great sounding record is a great sounding record, and Crimson & Clover is definitely that. Sorry for the rant, and derail. 

Cheers,
Alfie


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

You might enjoy this book: http://www.amazon.com/Me-Mob-Music-Helluva-Shondells/dp/1439172889

There is probably also a Q interview with Jian Gomeshi floating around somewhere on-line, in which James recounts some of the stuff in the book (he was interviewed as part of a book tour).


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Vox71 said:


> Sorry guys, this is a little off topic, but i just have to say it.
> 
> I am 41. Born in 1971. So i clearly wasn't around when this song was released. However, Crimson & Clover is the very first song that "got to me", and turned me on to Rock'n'Roll, and music in general really.
> 
> ...


I can't say it affected me quite that way (born in '54) but it is a song that always intrigued me and when I hear it or purposely listen to it, I listen all the way through.


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