Bowie's "All the Young Dudes" WHY IS IT SO OUT OF TUNE?

[dbbubba]

Who can shed some light on why David Bowie's "All the Young Dudes" is so out of tune?
It is not only out of tune, but the sax arrangement seems to contain some out of scale notes. SEEMS?

My friend was listening to it and said, "I guess Davis was going for something. I don't know what it was, but he was going for it... whatever it was."

Danny Brown

[Jan Folkson]

I guess it just goes to show that perfect and great are independent of one another.

[dbbubba]

No, it is REALLY out of tune!
It isn't even in the universe where the word or term "perfect" exhists!
If it was his first single he would have never been heard from again.

I wish I knew the story on the recording.

Everytime I hear that song I think, "What WAS the deal whe they recorded that?"

Maybe they were thinking, "Let's make it sound like an out of tune recording."
They succeded.

Danny Brown

[thewelfareline]

do you mean mott the hoople's all the young dudes? or did bowie record it also?

[Crash]

Originally Posted by thewelfareline

do you mean mott the hoople's all the young dudes? or did bowie record it also?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_The...%28song%29)

[thewelfareline]

Originally Posted by Crash

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_Young_Dudes_(song)

didnt really help me there but oh well.

[thewelfareline]

figured it out.

[JFK Chopper]

This track sounds like the result of an artist loaded up on Alcohol and Cocaine, surrounded by "yes" men.

Don't get me wrong I love Bowie.

J

[marchhare]

I prefer the Mott version. Mick Ralphs was really great in that band, not that
I don't love Ronson.

[alnico]

Bowie wrote it for Mott The Hoople. I don't think it was meant to be perfect. It's more about the attitude and the meaning of the lyrics done in a kind of reckless way, and laced with booze or whatever. Who cares. I actually did see Bowie perform it live on an HD concert recently.

[joeq]

David Bowie's own studio version from 1972 went unreleased until 1995 when it appeared on RarestOneBowie

He probably knew it was out of tune and didn't originally intend to release it.

I would consider Mott the Hoople to have the definitive version anyway.

[creegstor]

Ok. I'm confused. Is bubba actually talking about Bowie's version or Mott's?

[BeerHunter]

I always thought that Bowie sang on Mott The Hooples - All the Young Dudes
Isn't there just one version of the song?

[max cooper]

Ian Hunter and Mick Ralphs were tremendous on that one.

Also love Bowie's version from "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (The Motion Picture Soundtrack)"

have listened to both versions thousands of times and have not once thought of either as "out of tune".

have often thought of Mott's version as "close to perfect".

Ozzy's version is "out of gas", though.

What's kinda funny is the Mick Ralphs version of "Ready for Love" from the Mott record.

That one was waiting for Paul Kossoff to flip out.

Gawd, I know way too much classic rock bullchit.

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by BeerHunter

I always thought that Bowie sang on Mott The Hooples - All the Young Dudes
Isn't there just one version of the song?

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...41&i=122654507

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...441&i=78026139

[Crash]

Originally Posted by thewelfareline

didnt really help me there but oh well.

OK that was odd. I fixed the link. It just gave all the pertinent info. on who wrote what and recorded what. Not sure why the link didn't work the first time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_The...%28song%29

[Sqye]

Originally Posted by JFK Chopper

This track sounds like the result of an artist loaded up on Alcohol and Cocaine, surrounded by "yes" men.

Don't get me wrong I love Bowie.

J

lol, or surrounded by loaded and high yes men
(more likely the reality).

that is a GREAT example of out of tune.

or ANYTHING by the stones, or half of the motown crowd
(hate to say it, but it's true - i think the excuse THERE is that
that stuff was done so quickly).

[marchhare]

Since we've veered off into Mott the Hoople, I always loved Mick Ralph's
lead stuff on "Roll Away the Stone". One of the best shows I've ever
seen was Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson at the Palace in 1989. For the record,
I was fifteen then, just in case anyone asks.

[Sounds Great]

Great song. Out of tune? I never thought much about it. Whatever it is, it works.

How about the out of tune acoustic guitars on 'Band on the Run'? Very noticable, but it wouldn't be the same song any other way.

[kingofthecrate]

Originally Posted by thewelfareline

do you mean mott the hoople's all the young dudes? or did bowie record it also?

i know bowie wrote the song.. but I doubt he had anything to do with recording it. possible sitting in the sessions wearing glittered boots with ziggy stardust on a mirror dreaming about spiders from mars..



all in all bowie is amazing.



anyguy that can get a lollypop stuck in his eye and still perform is ok in my book..



ive seen my share of slayer pits.. nothing as dangerous and the flying lollypop

[Musiclab]

my wife got me an Edgar Winter's greatest hits record where some of the tracks are just killing, but then there are some things on this record where tuning was DEFINetly optional

[Winey]

Originally Posted by Sounds Great

How about the out of tune acoustic guitars on 'Band on the Run'? Very noticable, but it wouldn't be the same song any other way.

Oh man! that one kills me when it comes on the radio.
I always thought it was the bass. maybe it's everything.

Love the Mott version of ATYD, you can hear bowie's dubbed bgv's even on the live version.

The bowie versions never really worked for me. The live lounge versions are downright criminal. Should've been more like "All you pretty things" IMO.
I heard Bowie do "Life on Mars" live recently... I didn't think you could make that song sound like sh*t, but he did it.
So talented and yet so clueless. oh well.

[GearBit]

Dont wanna hijack the thread here but............
Has anyone else noticed someone whispering "quit screaming" at the end of mott the hooples version of "all the young dudes"?
If not...have a listen. I was a BIG Mott fan as a teen and I heard it then as now. There are about 4 times you can hear it. Most audible at the end after Ians "HEY YALL"

[84K]

Originally Posted by Sounds Great

Great song. Out of tune? I never thought much about it. Whatever it is, it works.

Hey, I am a HUGE Iggy Pop and Perry Ferrell fan, so I could give a sh!t about tuning if the vibe is there. That is also why I don't like much of what's going on now. there is a major lack of acceptance of vibe... Most people seem to prefer slickness ,

but not to go too off topic...

P.S. Bowie and Mott Rock. Bowie's "Hunky Dory" is one of my all-time favs.

[d. gauss]

Originally Posted by marchhare

Since we've veered off into Mott the Hoople, I always loved Mick Ralph's lead stuff on "Roll Away the Stone".

sorry, but mick don't play on that one. that's um, ariel bender. otherwise known as Luther Grosvenor from spooky tooth...

-d. gauss

p.s. hey, buy a Christmas CD it helps save new orleans


http://cdbaby.com/cd/kingfamchristmas

[marchhare]

sorry, but mick don't play on that one. that's um, ariel bender. otherwise known as Luther Grosvenor from spooky tooth...

I stand humbly corrected. I remember Ariel Bender, tobacco sunburst les paul
junior, right? I have to go out and get those records again. Those and the
first two Generation X albums, and "Hunky Dory"... and Todd Rundgren, "Hermit
of Mink Hollow" and...

[3rd world order]

OUT OF TUNE? slow day in the news i guess...

OUT OF TUNE?!? you're too old... someone's social security check must've shown up late...

what's next, jimi hendrix & the stones out of tune?

DAMN THIS DRUG WAR

[bcgood]

Originally Posted by max cooper

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...41&i=122654507

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...441&i=78026139

Just listened to the two short clips on iTunes Max. I have a good ear tone wise and nothing jumped out at me as being off tune either... Oh, I should mention that I speak Mandarin fluently and have perfect pitch.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1114235846.htm

bcgood

[Barish]

Originally Posted by dbbubba

Who can shed some light on why David Bowie's "All the Young Dudes" is so out of tune?
It is not only out of tune, but the sax arrangement seems to contain some out of scale notes. SEEMS?

My friend was listening to it and said, "I guess Davis was going for something. I don't know what it was, but he was going for it... whatever it was."

Danny Brown

So you completely missed David Bowie's point then. Your friend was getting close.

The man says "if you make it once, it's a mistake. But repeat it three times, it's an arrangement."

He cherishes every single accidental mistake that happens in his music. That's what he builds his music on. And I've never seen anyone doing it better than him so far.

Watch "Black Tie White Noise" DVD if you can find it.

B.

[Ruudman]

Originally Posted by Barish

The man says "if you make it once, it's a mistake. But repeat it three times, it's an arrangement."

Amen!

ruudman