Gillian on Temptation

I've seen a bunch of live vids (including one with Phil) and heard countless versions of the song, but I can't for the life of me actually figure out what she's playing and what's pre-sequenced.

Anyone know?

She plays the notes.

Left hand plays C and F Right hand plays E F E E D

The rhythm is played using "accent trigger" from a DR55 beat box.[1]

In later days the bass part (C and F) is machine or tape played, and Phil plays the same top part as Gills did, except the Rhythm is induced using a drawmer noise gate.

[1]On each step where there is an accent set, the Drum machine outputs a V-trig (or S-trig) pulse. The synth at the other end of the lead then triggers it envelope generator in the manner it would when a key was pressed. The pitch is set by the last key pressed on the synth.

Sometimes there are little flourishes to be heard-at somepoint a change in rhythm at very least is noticeable on the 7". On a couple of recent live versions posted on the web, some descending pattern is triggered once or twice that's reminiscent of Face Up. In 511, it looks like the keyboard isn't working properly for Phil, as the melody line seems pre-programmed with the bass keyboard.

On the 7", the Rhythm remains the same, it's just that the note holds on the E for a while. Likewise, live, young Philler just plays a run down the keyboard onto the E, the Rhythm stays the same.

It'd be a bollox to change the pattern, "song mode" is to be avoided at all costs, doubly so where a band are involved who are sketchy on arrangements and song forms.

Doctor? wrote: On the 7", the Rhythm remains the same, it's just that the note holds on the E for a while. Likewise, live, young Philler just plays a run down the keyboard onto the E, the Rhythm stays the same.

It'd be a bollox to change the pattern, "song mode" is to be avoided at all costs, doubly so where a band are involved who are sketchy on arrangements and song forms.

But what's that point after the first major instrumental strum along...before the Oh you've got blue eyes bit? You know when the synth makes that little extra noise that's a bit squeaky?

JV wrote:

Doctor? wrote: On the 7", the Rhythm remains the same, it's just that the note holds on the E for a while. Likewise, live, young Philler just plays a run down the keyboard onto the E, the Rhythm stays the same.

It'd be a bollox to change the pattern, "song mode" is to be avoided at all costs, doubly so where a band are involved who are sketchy on arrangements and song forms.

But what's that point after the first major instrumental strum along...before the Oh you've got blue eyes bit? You know when the synth makes that little extra noise that's a bit squeaky?

Know the bit you mean, I think it's a change in the synth patch just. From quite a tonal sound to a very beepy one ( I cannae find the original 7" floating around my hard drive just now, but there's a bit on the 12" that does the same).Either way, the pattern is nailed down for sure.

Looks like this....

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 BD X X X X HH X X X X X X X X SD X X AC X X X X X X X X X X

...ish

EDIT: or it WOULD if this fucking website didn't delete all the spaces I used to make it work...bastard. If I find a drum machine grid I can use online I will do it on it and post it. Instead I will type it. Bass drum on 1 5 9 and 13 hat closed on the quavers Snare (the quiet electronic one before Steve kicks in) on 5 and 13 Accents on 1,2,4,5,7,9,10,12,13,15

Where AC is the accent setting, and where a trigger pulse is sent. And the bass part looks like this.....

AC X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Wow.

Real thorough, thanks a lot man.

I've dabbed with some programming but have a shit ear for anything besides guitar and bass (since I'm used to them) and my ear for them sucks too.

Here is someone who, like myself, got into drum programming on a DR-55! I seem to remember from long ago that the original gear for Temptation (or at least the synth side of it) featured their ARP Quartet being triggered by the 55. Hooky was quoted as saying that it enabled them to get a 'sequencer-type effect and we could mix the strings in over the top' as the Quartet featured four different sections. Hannett and the band used to state that the rhythm parts on Everything's Gone Green were the Quartet being triggered by a VU metre on the desk but this is bollocks because you can clearly hear the 55 on the intro and just before the end as some turns it up! They would've needed to been able to reproduce it live too and so it makes sense that they used it when recording and live as well. They said they then stuck the Quartet through a 'Marshall time modulator' to "give it that 78 record speeding up and slowing down feel". Make of that what you will!

Temptation received its live debut at the infamous (New York) National Ukranian Home gig, the one which became known as Taras Shevchenko as its his portrait hanging above the stage. Apparently they played there because there was a dispute going on between the Danceteria and The Paradise Garage and the band didn't want to appear to take sides. A friend once pointed out to me that Gillian stops playing when the camera points at her or her hands on that video. Nerves I suppose. She had very little to do on that song and it must have become tedious as it's long as well.

The 55 itself features on about three songs overall: Truth, Everything's Gone Green and Temptation (although its sounds aren't heard on Temptation). Slightly later it ran the home-made sequencer Barney built, the infamously unreliable one which caused the synths to go out of tune. Steve described this setup as 'Mickey Mouse' and it was eventually dumped totally in favour of the Prophet 5/Polysequencer setup which featured on P,C & L and Low Life.

The 55 didn't feature highly on many well-known records but it's all over a lot of the first two Human League albums and even features on Uncle Elton's Song For Guy! It was battery-powered and had just three programmable sounds and one output. No matter how you effected the thing it sounded the same!

Chemical wrote:

Temptation received its live debut at the infamous (New York) National Ukranian Home gig, the one which became known as Taras Shevchenko as its his portrait hanging above the stage. Apparently they played there because there was a dispute going on between the Danceteria and The Paradise Garage and the band didn't want to appear to take sides. A friend once pointed out to me that Gillian stops playing when the camera points at her or her hands on that video. Nerves I suppose. She had very little to do on that song and it must have become tedious as it's long as well.

Not quite, that Taras Shevchenko performance was at least the 7th time they'd played it. It made its debut at Helsinki that September.

Also heard that they played Taras rather than the other clubs because they were offered more money up front, but that may be a different story!

I didn`t understand a fucking word of any of that...

steveone wrote: I didn`t understand a fucking word of any of that...

....oh.....you've got GREEN eyes

The 55 itself features on about three songs overall: Truth, Everything's Gone Green and Temptation (although its sounds aren't heard on Temptation).

add to that 'Doubts Even Here'.

here's a little online version to mess with...

http://www.keyboardmuseum.org/d_machines/virdr55full.html

steveone wrote: I didn`t understand a fucking word of any of that...

Me neither. Some people round here are very good at destroying the magic.

I vote Steve Campbell as NOOL's very own Toto! Leave that fucking curtain alone, you bastard!!!!

(The Good Doctor) Martin Fradley wrote:

steveone wrote: I didn`t understand a fucking word of any of that...

Me neither. Some people round here are very good at destroying the magic.

I vote Steve Campbell as NOOL's very own Toto! Leave that fucking curtain alone, you bastard!!!!

the wizard OF BIZ

Pah - Temptation is shite. I only like the old stuff

Sigh - if I could only be a proper techy fan like you lot.

No one would ever again accuse me of being in it for the sex appeal of Bernard and such other trivialities.

Here is someone who, like myself, got into drum programming on a DR-55! I seem to remember from long ago that the original gear for Temptation (or at least the synth side of it) featured their ARP Quartet being triggered by the 55. Hooky was quoted as saying that it enabled them to get a 'sequencer-type effect and we could mix the strings in over the top' as the Quartet featured four different sections. Hannett and the band used to state that the rhythm parts on Everything's Gone Green were the Quartet being triggered by a VU metre on the desk but this is bollocks because you can clearly hear the 55 on the intro and just before the end as some turns it up! They would've needed to been able to reproduce it live too and so it makes sense that they used it when recording and live as well. They said they then stuck the Quartet through a 'Marshall time modulator' to "give it that 78 record speeding up and slowing down feel". Make of that what you will!

You had me at hello.