# Mistakes in recorded songs you'e heard a million times **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 7, 2021, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547 "2021-04-07T14:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2021, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/61 "2021-04-23T20:46:47Z")
Tiny Dancer - Elton John This lyric: “The words she knows The tune she hums” Shouldn’t that be the other way around? She knows the tune and hums the words, right? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2021, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/62 "2021-04-23T22:49:17Z")
Someone knocks over their beer bottle at 0:56 in Pixies’ _Planet of Sound_. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzdxBYk5Bjk) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2021, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/63 "2021-04-23T22:52:55Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Squeaky drum pedal… What’s wrong with me? I’m not hearing it. I’ll try later on the ‘real’ music system, not Dollar Store headphones on a laptop. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/64 "2021-04-23T23:28:15Z")
It’s only noticable at the very beginning, and just barely. It kinda blends in with the cymbals. And since it’s caused by the bass drum pedal, it’s in time with everything else. Much ado… ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/65 "2021-04-23T23:28:54Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Squeaky drum pedal on [Led Zeppelin - Since I’ve Been Loving You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8R7zjJMIfU). I can’t unhear it. That’s funny. I heard “Needles And Pins” by the Searchers this afternoon on the car radio, one of the greatest early Merseybeat recordings other than the Beatles, and after coming home went to the wiki article for the song because I wanted to know who did the first recording (it was Jackie DeShannon). Anyway, the article mentioned the very audible squeak of the bass pedal in the Searchers’ version, and I had to listen again to notice it, and it’s there. I had always taken it for a deliberate percussion part. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S0oP8e02dpk/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGBMgRSh_MA8=&rs=AOn4CLCrLNiZBam-KULB_krFLaWo1Wdu9Q "Needles And Pins - The Searchers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0oP8e02dpk) > **[Needles and Pins (song)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needles_and_Pins_(song))** > > "Needles and Pins" is a rock song credited to American writers Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono. Jackie DeShannon recorded it in 1963 and other versions followed. The most successful ones were by the Searchers, whose version reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart in 1964, and Smokie, who had a worldwide hit in 1977. Others who recorded the song include the Ramones, Gene Clark, Petula Clark, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Stevie Nicks. > In his autobiography, Bono states that he sang along w... > [@wiki](#): > > Audible during The Searchers’ recording of “Needles and Pins” is a faulty bass drum pedal, which squeaks throughout the song. It is particularly noticeable during the opening of the number. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/66 "2021-04-23T23:45:38Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > It’s only noticable at the very beginning, and just barely. It kinda blends in with the cymbals. And since it’s caused by the bass drum pedal, it’s in time with everything else. Much ado… I’ve always been a huge Led Zeppelin fan and never heard it, but like you said, it’s in time and sounds like part of the music. And even now, knowing it’s there, I can really only hear during the first few seconds. I don’t think this has been mentioned yet, but at the very beginning of Tom Petty’s Even The Losers, you hear someone say ‘It’s just the normal noises in here’. From what I recall, Tom said they were recording at someone’s house (not in a studio, just like, in a living room). Someone was trying to get everything quiet and the girl yelling ‘it’s just the normal noises in here’ was talking about the regular sounds that were always present in the house. Traffic, washing machine, AC etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/67 "2021-04-23T23:50:52Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > In the Mamas and the Papas, “I Saw Her Again Last Night,” someone (Denny?) comes in too early on one verse, saying “I saw her” and falling silent until the voices are supposed to come in. They liked the sound and kept it on the record. I saw an interview with Sir Paul once and he said he was so blown away with that moment that he called them up and said, 'That’s too cool to be intentional, it’s a mistake, right?" That left the door open for the Beatles to leave some of their “mistakes” in. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/68 "2021-04-24T00:01:36Z")
The definitive cover recording of this song decided not to include this artifact: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/n6Z_erleTQ8/maxresdefault.jpg "Needles and Pins (2002 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Z_erleTQ8) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/69 "2021-04-24T00:11:45Z")
I’m always torn between the Searchers and the Ramones versions. The Ramones version is great, but I love the Searchers’ version for their proto-Byrds Rickenbacker jingle-jangle (another example of that sound of course being the “A Hard Day’s Night” soundtrack, but that came later in the year, and I ask myself if George Harrison was inspired by this recording to pick up the Rickenbacker). But also don’t dismiss the first recording by Jackie DeShannon which is quite charming and very different (also the lyrics). According to the wiki article, she was scammed by writers Sonny Bono and Jack Nitzsche out of a writing credit. Those were the days… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SSbM_Zmx9kA/hqdefault.jpg "JACKIE DE SHANNON - Needles and Pins (1963)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbM_Zmx9kA) ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/70 "2021-04-24T00:45:07Z")
I don’t feel like I have particularly good ears, but it really jumps out at me, starting as a little “squeak squeak” at :03 and it keeps going every second or two until :48. It comes back at 1:17. It sounds a little like a distant bird tweeting and of course is harder to hear in the nosier parts of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/71 "2021-04-24T02:04:41Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I don’t feel like I have particularly good ears, but it really jumps out at me Okay, had to go snag a copy online somewhere, because for some reason, That song is NOT in the Box set I have??? Anyway… Got it on the ‘real system’ and **Hell Yeah** that stands out! All kinda funny actually. I’m gonna go check my pedals later on… ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/72 "2021-04-24T04:44:10Z")
Hehehe, I actually never noticed that one. But yeah, it’s certainly there. I heard the same thing in Lonnie Mack’s “Why?”, but it never stops. It’s there the whole time. I’ve actually refused to tell people about the thing that bugs me about this otherwise beautiful recording, and I’m a little sad to be mentioning it here, because it does rule. At the same time, that kick pedal does squeak the whole way through. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GJgoZV0qiLE/hqdefault.jpg "Lonnie Mack - Why? - 1963") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJgoZV0qiLE) As to how that sort of thing happens: when you’ve listened to the song a hundred thousand times when you’re practicing it, you’re not really hearing the recording the hundred and tenth thousandth time you hear it on mixdown (and yeah. that’s probably the first ten times you’re really heard it recorded). You’re comparing it to how it sounds in your head, and really only making sure your performance is what you think it is. Even the producer is really just thinking about how the whole thing works. So, little things fall through the cracks (or are sometimes embraced). I’ve had this happen on a recording of my own. We listened hard on mix-down, ran the rough mixes through the wringer, and had two more mix down sessions before we were happy with the recording. Even then, we missed an obvious mistake. I didn’t notice it until we had the final pressings in our hands. The other members didn’t notice it until I actually pointed it out. The mistake is: Either everyone else is half a phrase early coming out of the bridge/break or the drums are late. Still, it’s a pretty good take of the song, despite the fact we’d played it better (and to be honest, sometimes worse). [Caught Inside | The Apehangars | Dreamy Soundz Records](https://dreamysoundz.bandcamp.com/track/caught-inside) Oh, and if anyone has a record player and want’s a bitchin’ 10" record from a defunct instrumental surf rock band, PM me. I’ll send ya one. ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/73 "2021-04-24T05:44:10Z")
I don’t know if it’s a mistake, but the Scissor Sisters’ “Take Your Mama” has some sound in only the left speaker that’s somewhere between a beep and a bongo. If you treat the song as about 77 bpm with the snare drum at 2 and 4, the noise is roughly 19/32 of a note into each measure. (0:12, 0:15, 0:18, 0:21, 0:25, etc.) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/od7-fyGa9DQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od7-fyGa9DQ) Any ideas what’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/75 "2021-04-24T05:48:57Z")
Yep, I was coming to say that. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/76 "2021-04-24T14:07:16Z")
In the live version of “30,000 Pounds of Bananas” Chapin stumbles on a line, saying that the man on the bus “Shrugged his head, and shrugged his shoulders” (instead of “shook his head and shrugged his shoulders”) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/q8I-zPmTPzM/maxresdefault.jpg "30,000 Pounds of Bananas (Live) (1975)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8I-zPmTPzM) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/77 "2021-04-24T15:40:47Z")
I’ve listened to this song a ton (love love love this album) and never heard that boop. Now I will never listen to this song the same again. It is oddly off lagging the beat. It’s like a scaled back click track that made it into the song. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/78 "2021-04-24T15:45:23Z")
Idle web browsing brought me to Percy Sledge’s “When a man loves a woman”, a great soul song from the 60s. Seems they recorded it, and one of the big wigs had it rerecorded because he thought the horns were out of tune. They mixed up the tapes, and the original out of tune horns were on it. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/79 "2021-04-24T19:43:54Z")
Has anyone mentioned the Hot Tuna glass breaking? (“Uncle Sam Blues” first album) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/80 "2021-04-24T20:27:50Z")
From [Richard Hung Himself](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQDQV9ChJ40) by [D.I.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.I._(band)), "Your answer is nonseglitur.’ (Also, it should be ‘Richard Hanged Himself’.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547/81 "2021-04-24T20:40:12Z")
I don’t really notice it in the Zep song but, man, now I’ll never be able to unhear the one in Needles & Pins. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistakes-in-recorded-songs-youe-heard-a-million-times/939547.md?page=5)