Im once again trying to gather songs for a particular theme. In this case it;s “Vivaldi” style choppy strings backup – most famously heard on Eleanor Rigby. The only other song I’ve come up with in the 10 mins thinking I’ve done is John Cale’s Paris 1919 (and that might be piano and “keyboard” strings) – but there must be loads. Any others spring to mind?
Eleanor Rigby style “choppy” strings
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Gah ! Wrong link :
Is the intro to this what you’re thinking of?
Though here it is dominant throughout, except where it wonderfully switches to glissando and sweeping at 1:15
I will now be singing this all the way to work. Residents of Altrincham beware.
Kate has form; see also
George Martin was apparently inspired by the string arrangements used by Bernard Herrmann in “Psycho”…
PS Probably best not listened to while taking a shower.
He also worked along similar lines in “Fahrenheit 451”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9iyKI2pJbE
Unexpected perhaps but it was the first one that came to mind
https://youtu.be/JpGDKzLaYlc
Goldfrapp’s wonderful ‘Clay’, from Tales Of Us. Starts off all softly arpeggioed guitar, strings come in gently bowed, but they get all ‘choppy’ in the last third and it finishes on one big ‘chop’. Middle bit sounds like it could be used happily in an ‘On White Horses’ reboot. Think it might be in 6/8?
The choppy goes poppy on ELO’s inaugural LP
Radiohead’s Burn The Witch comes to mind with it’s stabbing, rhythmic and sawing style string arrangement by Jonny which is very well done.
Eleanor Rigby is my favourite string arrangement. I rarely like them, smearing kitsch “lushness” all over everything. They can be effective, but not often.
One of Bruce Foxton’s finest – Smithers Jones.
Originally “standard” guitar and drum b side of When You’re Young, and then stringed up for Setting Sons
This is the first one that came to mind.
Cliff? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnwdLxcLSp8
My Life Story anyone?
My Life Story every time … great use of strings
“There were martyrs on the street in every shape and size…”
The Auteurs – Lenny Valentino.
the version on ‘Das Capital’ is even choppier
and maybe this one:
Briefly on this, but it is a short song anyway:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcUT7f1S9EQ
Were the Dan deliberately trying to copy the HJH’s on this album – there’s also Barrytown which sounds like Tell Me What You See?
Something more contemporary and my favourite track of 2017…