Tamborine in 60's pop music

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 27 Jun 2003 5:21 am

I recently caught the great documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown", about the "Funk Brothers" - the studio musicans responsible for the Motwon sound and feel. It made me aware just how important the tamborine was to the Motown sound - absolutely integral.

And on the car radio this moring comes the Beatles "Ticket to Ride" with wall-to-wall tamborine. Two weeks ago, if you asked me whether "Ticket to Ride" had a tamborine I would have said no. It seems this mighty little percussion instrument had as big a role as the electric guitar in a lot of 60's pop.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Jun 2003 5:27 am

<i>"Hey, Mister Tambourine Man, play a song for me..."

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 27 Jun 2003 6:51 am

As some know,I began my career as a recording engineer back in the late 60s/early 70s and I recorded many a tamborine.They have a strident piercing attack and are difficult to record without distortion.Besides that problem,you were often short on tracks. One trick that was employed back in the day when 8 track 1" Ampex,3M and Scully machines were state of the art was to put the high hat on a fringe track(1 or 8)and then disconnect the erase head on that track and overdub the tamborine on top of the hat.You did a lot of dry runs with a good player(usually the drummer)and then you had one shot - of course in those days cats could actually play their instruments.... -MJ-

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 27 Jun 2003 4:05 pm

Good story, MJ.

"Now listen while I play - play - play - play - play.........."

Derek Duplessie · Post by **Derek Duplessie** » 28 Jun 2003 10:24 pm

"In the jinge djangle morning i'll come following
you." -Derek

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 29 Jun 2003 12:31 pm

Do Green Tamborines have the best tone?

Randy Pettit · Post by **Randy Pettit** » 30 Jun 2003 7:04 am

Sorry, Joey.
Contrary to the song, only the black mica tambourine has "that sound".

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 30 Jun 2003 8:07 am

"Make Your Own Tamborine Instructions"
<OL>
[*]Start with one banjo.
[*]Remove Strings and Bridge
[*]Remove Neck
[*]Remove Resonator (in any)
[*]Add metal jangles to the side brackets
[/list]

<I>b0b may be interested<I>

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 30 Jun 2003 8:08 am

...Then in the '70's, that sweet sweet tamborine was inexplicably replaced by the nasty (gulp) cowbell.

Christopher Walken on SNL: "I need more of that COWbell!"

On the serious side, is that a PBS documentary? I have a book about (motown bass-moster) James Jamerson called "Standing in the Shadows of Motown"...is that documentary some sort of offshoot of that book?

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 30 Jun 2003 4:27 pm

Yes. It came about as a result of the author's research on the book and took a long time to get funded and made. the wait was worth it. It's a good film.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 30 Jun 2003 6:49 pm

I like the banjo. It was in swing songs and ragtime [vaudville] way before the steel.

4-string plectrum, and 5-string, of course.

Sorry, but I grew up in Longmeadow, and was heavily influenced by the Kingston Trio
and the Chad Mitchell Trio, and, UH, the
Four-Preps.