Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - Do you compress Backing Vocals differently than Lead vocals?

deeper · 23rd September 2008

Thank you for your fine replies. Naturally, each song is different, and differing styles of music call for different treatment of background vocals. But we can learn a lot from each other's approach.

This morning I studied the vocal treatment of Eleanor Rigby. The background vocals are limited to the couplets "Ahhh, look at all the lonely people" sung at only three different places in the song. The group vocals here provide contrast so the lead vocal all by itself sounds sooooo lonely. (If they were singing along with the lead, it would be too warm and lovey.)

The backing "choir" here is three voices with no doubles. If they were doubled or tripled here, they would sound too big for this song. To my ears it sounds like John and Paul are singing the lead together in unison, with George singing a third lower. And the group choir only sings at the intro and after the second chorus (in which the choir part functions as a handy bridge)! I read that later, George Martin pointed out to Paul that this choir part could also occur at the end, over top of his regular lead ("All the lonely people, where do they all come from...", both parts simultaneously! That was an irresistable "cherry on top" for Paul, so he later dubbed in that choir part solo for the end. In all these years, I never noticed that it's only him singing (one voice) that final time. It adds to the loneliness! Besides, if the full trio had sang that part at the end, it would have over-powered the lead. Great choices, George Martin and Paul!

The "loneliness" in the lead vocal performance is brought out by the dry treatment -- little or no reverb. Electronic doubling is used only on the choruses ("All the lonely people, where do they all come from...") A true double, when done well, almost always sounds better than an electronic double -- but in this case it would have detracted from the loneliness, so here I prefer the ADT. And it is NOT used in the verses, but only in each chorus, as a way to fatten the vocal and step up the intensity. More great production choices!

I'm trying to limit my discussion here to the vocal treatment. Don't get me started describing all the strokes of genius apparent in the songwriting!

23rd September 2008	#18
deeper Lives for gear Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 570 Thread Starter	Thank you for your fine replies. Naturally, each song is different, and differing styles of music call for different treatment of background vocals. But we can learn a lot from each other's approach. This morning I studied the vocal treatment of Eleanor Rigby. The background vocals are limited to the couplets "Ahhh, look at all the lonely people" sung at only three different places in the song. The group vocals here provide contrast so the lead vocal all by itself sounds sooooo lonely. (If they were singing along with the lead, it would be too warm and lovey.) The backing "choir" here is three voices with no doubles. If they were doubled or tripled here, they would sound too big for this song. To my ears it sounds like John and Paul are singing the lead together in unison, with George singing a third lower. And the group choir only sings at the intro and after the second chorus (in which the choir part functions as a handy bridge)! I read that later, George Martin pointed out to Paul that this choir part could also occur at the end, over top of his regular lead ("All the lonely people, where do they all come from...", both parts simultaneously! That was an irresistable "cherry on top" for Paul, so he later dubbed in that choir part solo for the end. In all these years, I never noticed that it's only him singing (one voice) that final time. It adds to the loneliness! Besides, if the full trio had sang that part at the end, it would have over-powered the lead. Great choices, George Martin and Paul! The "loneliness" in the lead vocal performance is brought out by the dry treatment -- little or no reverb. Electronic doubling is used only on the choruses ("All the lonely people, where do they all come from...") A true double, when done well, almost always sounds better than an electronic double -- but in this case it would have detracted from the loneliness, so here I prefer the ADT. And it is NOT used in the verses, but only in each chorus, as a way to fatten the vocal and step up the intensity. More great production choices! I'm trying to limit my discussion here to the vocal treatment. Don't get me started describing all the strokes of genius apparent in the songwriting!