The handclap used to be an essential percussive element in Pop music. It is a very human sound, whose pitch and texture isn’t entirely predictable. It depends on a well functioning, but inevitably flawed, human brain and the presence of two hands. Its rhythm isn’t always accurate. It invariably adds energy, excitement and risk to a song’s performance. Because humans are involved, things can so easily go wrong. That’s why it is becoming increasingly scarce. It’s a sound, more often these days, replaced by a machine.
My record buying began at peak Glam. Almost all Glam records featured handclaps. T.Rex’s Get It On has everything, a great guitar riff, honking sax, wailing backing vocals, strings, even a Rick Wakeman glissando, but without the handclaps it would be nothing.
The prize for best handclapping stamina must go to The Stooges. No Fun lasts nearly five minutes. The handclaps drive it relentlessly on without pause, without hesitation and without missing a single beat. They remain resolutely undistracted throughout all the chaos, including the wild fuzz guitar solo in the last two minutes which thrashes all over Iggy’s vocal.
For off-beat smatterings that decorate rather than drive a song, you will go a long way before you find a better example than Take The Money And Run by The Steve Miller Band.
I’m very fond of the strategically placed clap. You have to wait until 1:44 for three pairs of the sexiest claps you will ever hear, halfway through the lustful guitar solo on Prince’s The Question Of U. He was so pleased he repeated the trick a minute later.
My absolute favourite clap of all time is the second one on Use Me by Bill Withers. It is deployed earlier than you’d expect given the timing of the first clap and the pace of the rhythm. The effect is a cranking up of tension that increases the heart rate, giving the impression of an acceleration in impetus in the song. It is a single stroke of genius. It occurs at 2:43.
My question of you, Afterworders, is which is your favourite clap?
My Best Friends Girl has the clap I remember with most fondness:
(Bet it isn’t even for real, being no doubt some studio trickery, but I still love it.)
That was my first thought too. I always clap along with it. Even when driving.
‘My best friend’s girl has the clap…’
Pretty much all over after 30 seconds. To be fair, they do set the song up nicely.
Rose Royce – Car Wash, as written and produced by Norman Whitfield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eZoiYoFxU0
Greased Lightning contains my favourite handclap solo at 2:13 or so:
Norman Whitfield was the master of handclaps. For Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, he had available to him the five different voices of The Temptations, a three note bass line, a tapping hi-hat, strings, harp, wah-wah guitar and an echo drenched trumpet, but what did he turn to add drama and energy? Handclapping, of course.
Also, loving the flamenco style clapping on Greased Lightning.
This is definitely up there, particularly as it’s a great karaoke tune and you can get the whole room doing the big handclaps from about 3’30 in.
I’m really enjoying this. The handclapping is as basic as it can get, yet, it’s incredibly effective. However, a part of me suspects a drum machine on a clap setting.
Featured prominently in the video
The handclaps on Here Comes The Sun
Good call. They only appear for twenty seconds at the two thirds Mark but they add another dimension to the song, effectively a middle eight.
The Beatles have form clapping hands. Off the top of me head:
I Saw Her Standing There
Hold Me Tight
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Roll Over Beethoven
Please Mr Postman
Eight Days A Week
Words Of Love
I’m Looking Through You
It’s All Too Much
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
Come Together
I only mention HCTS cos when I went to see Robyn Hitchcock (& Heavy Friends) play Abbey Road in its entirety we practiced doing the handclaps on the way in the car
Is ‘Cecelia’ allowed or is that slapping rather than clapping? Same with Buddy Holly’s ‘Everyday’
If it’s flesh on flesh it counts.
Ohhhh yeah.
Tsk Tsk ☝️
“A mind is a terrible thing to waste” that was the slogan
But now it’s ninety-five and it’s “Don’t forget the Trojan”
Explained it to her momma, before somebody get her
Gotta hip her to the game of those smooth talkin niggaz
Love is the word, seldom meant but often heard
Latex safe sex you better learn
Or get hip to the facts before you react or end up in a box on your back
Sometimes you ask for what you want and, get what you got
Don’t get caught up in the plot, it’s too damn hot
– The mighty poet Coolio.
No Reply is a great example. No clip available. The hand claps come in as the music switches from moody and dramatic to a faster, more urgent section, giving it added momentum. What a great song that is.
Here you go.
https://youtu.be/fl9NI_q1WBM
Ian Matthews Da Doo Ron Ron
Don’t get much better than this – try not dancing around!!
I was so impressed with his work on Young Americans, I bought an LP of his when I was still a teenager. It was on offer.
Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.
Is it possible to have a cooler middle name than Cougar? Pity the song is no good.
So much of that there your post is plain wrong, Tiggs, that I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover you are really Ivanka Trump, or thereabouts. It’s a great song.
Only four steps of seperation.
Still pining for this band….
(Kenickie -Come Out 2Nite)
Grand. I enjoyed that, thank you. Just that the clapping is all over in a matter of seconds.
Peak clapping was achieved in 1962. It’s all been downhill from there. Features one Scott Walker on bass.
I regularly hear this kind of clapping at football matches.
That record is where it all started.
Also from 1962, Dave Brubeck. Advisory: contains prancing.
Ah. The Miro album, in which each track has a different time sequence according to its order on the LP. Mini told me this on her recent radio show. You should give it a listen, mike.
I really should, keep meaning to.
https://youtu.be/zjgweO5fP38
The guy on hand drums looks the worse for wear. You’re fond of Joan, aren’t you, Bamber?
Love her. Odd but adorable. Great live act.
Oh for god’s sake! All this way down and no…. this???
Lovely. Have you bought his new album released today? No, not Bowie. James Murphy as LCD Soundsystem. It’s a corker, apparently.
You’re such a joker. As we’re in a time later than 1999, my permanent answer is that I have not bought anyone’s new album released today.
You should make an exception. Bowie told him to make it.
Slade were into clapping big style. It’s all over many of their big hits; I’m particularly fond of the echoey, stompey clapping on Look Wot U Dun.
Glam, you see.
I like this video of Sweet performing Ballroom Blitz because the audience can’t get the clapping right.
The drumstick twiddle at 1.28 is quite something too.
Sorry to keep punting the old, but Dion has form in this area.
https://youtu.be/y4NUZJMCJ20
The snare drum sound on that song is terrific. Solid!
The clapping on this is rather ragged, but they stuck some reverb on it and it really adds to the groove, I think.
(Bob & Earl – Harlem Shuffle)
Indeed. The handclaps help to shift the shuffle into a groove.
It’s always good to shift your shuffle.
The Belle Stars – none more clappy. It was kind of OK to like the Belle Stars even though this song and video could have easily been by Black Lace.
https://youtu.be/8A2u5vMBcEo
Handclaps were The Belle Stars lead instrument!
Here’s a couple of my favourites, the ‘Somehow, Someday’ section at the end of Todd Rundgren’s Just One Victory, and this, the soul at the beginning of DB’s Soul Love:
My favourite Bowie handclaps are on The Secret Life Of Arabia, the strange finale to “Heroes”. Strange because it sounds part Eastern, part English and part German. The handclaps are in the German part and seem to be drafted in from another song. Best dance track on the album.
https://youtu.be/TI_aBgcLHZE
Love that track. Gets a bit disco when the handclaps come, not far removed from this hand enhanced beauty:
Hand enhanced beauty…. hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
CBWGTFWM Frank Zappa (unless we have).
I listened to that the whole way through. Twice. At no point did I hear a handclap, not even during the percussive breakdown after six minutes. Frank drums like me.
What’s going on, Saucey?
It’s called The Clap, Tig! Ha ha ha! It’s my favourite rock clap. Frank also uses some great cheerleader-style claps in Joe’s Garage (at 2:28):
Ahh. That’s more like it. Brief and pithy.
I think his other song must be about sexually transmitted disease, though it’s an instrumental.
There are plenty of latin soul songs which feature clapping quite heavily. Here are two of the best known:
Pete Rodriguez – I Like It Like That
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIJfdVPACyw
Joe Bataan – Subway Joe
For half a minute, there, I thought Joe Bataan was going for the stamina award.
Shirley, it has to be this classic…..
Mick Karn @2:25
Of course! The most sophisticated clap in Pop.
Of course our very own Disappointment Choir had a good clapper in “I Heard You’re In Love” on their previous album thingy.
Heard Queen’s We Will Rock You on the radio today and, although not a favourite of mine, thought it would be a natural for this thread. As songs go, it depends on handclaps more than most – in fact, remove the claps and you’re not left with much of a song.
(No Youtube link needed – you all know how it goes)
Yeah, why don’t bands write football chants anymore? See also Judas Priest’s United.
(Brummies they – one of the few of the larger English cities – Liverpool, I suppose – without a “United”)
Can’t believe no-one has posted this yet….the clap track to end all clap tracks
Oakay Geordie, stoart the clap macheene….