Reverse tape effects
Encyclopedia
Reverse tape effects are special effects created by recording sound onto magnetic tape
and then physically reversing the tape so that when the tape is played back, the sounds recorded on it are literally heard in reverse. Backmasking
is a type of reverse tape effect.
and a simultaneous spread of the use of tape recorder
s in recording studio
s led to tape music compositions, in which music was composed on tape using techniques including reverse tape effects.
The reverse tape technique became especially popular during the psychedelic music
era of the mid-to-late 1960s, when musicians and producers exploited a vast range of special audio effects in an attempt to simulate the auditory effects of the LSD
experience.
group Yes
. The song begins with a sound which gradually fades in, and then ends suddenly, changing abruptly into guitar music, performed by guitarist Steve Howe
.
The 'fade-in' sound is a minor chord (played on a grand piano by keyboardist Rick Wakeman
) which was sounded and allowed to fade to silence. The tape of this piano chord was then reversed by producer Eddie Offord
and carefully edited into the track. With the fading piano sound is thus reversed, it slowly builds up in volume before ending suddenly, at which point Offord edited it seamlessly into the first notes of Howe's guitar introduction. This distinctive effect is heard several times during the introduction and its reprise.
One of the best known examples of music featuring reverse tape effects is the Doctor Who
theme (1963), composed by Ron Grainer
and realised electronically by Delia Derbyshire
of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
.
Another famous example of the use of reverse tape effects is The Beatles
' 1967 single "Strawberry Fields Forever
," written by John Lennon
and produced by George Martin
. During the verses, Lennon's voice is accompanied by a series of rapid 'swooshing' sounds; these are actually the sounds of Ringo Starr
's drum and cymbal accompaniment. These patterns were carefully pre-recorded, the tape reversed and the reversed percussion effects meticulously edited into the master tape to synchronise with the music. Around the same time, Jimi Hendrix recorded a backward guitar solo for 'Castles Made Of Sand' released 1967.
Several other Beatles songs of the period — including Revolver
(1966) tracks "I'm Only Sleeping
" and "Tomorrow Never Knows
" — also feature recordings of electric guitars which have been reversed. The 1966 B-side "Rain
" ends with a reversed vocal track.
Magnetic tape
Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders...
and then physically reversing the tape so that when the tape is played back, the sounds recorded on it are literally heard in reverse. Backmasking
Backmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
is a type of reverse tape effect.
History
Although the ability to reverse the playback of recorded sounds had been known since the early days of gramophone records and can be achieved by simply placing the needle on the record and spinning it counter-clockwise, reverse effects were regarded largely as a curiosity and were little used until the 1950s. In the 1950s, the development of the experimental music genre known as musique concrèteMusique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
and a simultaneous spread of the use of tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
s in recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
s led to tape music compositions, in which music was composed on tape using techniques including reverse tape effects.
The reverse tape technique became especially popular during the psychedelic music
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
era of the mid-to-late 1960s, when musicians and producers exploited a vast range of special audio effects in an attempt to simulate the auditory effects of the LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
experience.
Examples
A good example of the use of reverse tape effects is the song "Roundabout" (1972) by the British progressive rockProgressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
group Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
. The song begins with a sound which gradually fades in, and then ends suddenly, changing abruptly into guitar music, performed by guitarist Steve Howe
Steve Howe (guitarist)
Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...
.
The 'fade-in' sound is a minor chord (played on a grand piano by keyboardist Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
) which was sounded and allowed to fade to silence. The tape of this piano chord was then reversed by producer Eddie Offord
Eddie Offord
Eddy Offord is a former record producer and recording engineer, who worked on some of the most famous progressive rock albums of the 1970s, often at London's Advision Studios. He is especially well known for his work with the groups Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes. ELP wrote a tribute to Offord with...
and carefully edited into the track. With the fading piano sound is thus reversed, it slowly builds up in volume before ending suddenly, at which point Offord edited it seamlessly into the first notes of Howe's guitar introduction. This distinctive effect is heard several times during the introduction and its reprise.
One of the best known examples of music featuring reverse tape effects is the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
theme (1963), composed by Ron Grainer
Ron Grainer
Ronald Erle “Ron” Grainer was an Australian-born composer who worked for most of his professional career in the United Kingdom. He is mostly remembered for his film and television music.- Biography :...
and realised electronically by Delia Derbyshire
Delia Derbyshire
Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
BBC Radiophonic Workshop
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effects units of the BBC, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio, and was closed in March 1998, although much of its traditional work had already been outsourced by 1995. It was based in the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in Delaware...
.
Another famous example of the use of reverse tape effects is The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' 1967 single "Strawberry Fields Forever
Strawberry Fields Forever
"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and attributed to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. It was inspired by Lennon's memories of playing in the garden of a Salvation Army house named "Strawberry Field" near his childhood home."Strawberry Fields...
," written by John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and produced by George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
. During the verses, Lennon's voice is accompanied by a series of rapid 'swooshing' sounds; these are actually the sounds of Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
's drum and cymbal accompaniment. These patterns were carefully pre-recorded, the tape reversed and the reversed percussion effects meticulously edited into the master tape to synchronise with the music. Around the same time, Jimi Hendrix recorded a backward guitar solo for 'Castles Made Of Sand' released 1967.
Several other Beatles songs of the period — including Revolver
Revolver (album)
Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released on 5 August 1966 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin. Many of the tracks on Revolver are marked by an electric guitar-rock sound, in contrast with their previous LP, the folk rock inspired Rubber...
(1966) tracks "I'm Only Sleeping
I'm Only Sleeping
"I'm Only Sleeping" is a song by The Beatles from their 1966 studio album Revolver. It was released two months earlier in the United States on the album Yesterday And Today and did not feature on the original US version of Revolver...
" and "Tomorrow Never Knows
Tomorrow Never Knows
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is the final track of The Beatles' 1966 studio album Revolver but the first to be recorded. Credited as a Lennon–McCartney song, it was written primarily by John Lennon...
" — also feature recordings of electric guitars which have been reversed. The 1966 B-side "Rain
Rain (The Beatles song)
"Rain" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was first released in June 1966 as the B-side of the "Paperback Writer" single...
" ends with a reversed vocal track.