Right, Anne Dudley worked with Art of Noise as well (which had ties to Horn). He also produced the second most recent Pet Shop Boys album, Fundamental which mixed synths and strings (and at least one track, horns) much like the classic disco track he did for them in the 80s, Left To My Own Devices.

I think Anne & Nick were on Fundamental, too.

I'll prob get the Robby album though I've been mixed on the samples. I did love his work with Guy Chambers--songs like Feel

I just read one review, which was kind of positive, and one weird article about it possibly flopping badly.

I like Craig Armstrong's strings too though I know a few people think they're dated. The ones on the Ray of Light album are great, similar to the ones he did on the Pet Shop Boys Nightlife album (You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk being a classic example) and I like his arrnaging and scoring work on Moulin Rouge

Dated? Really? And who do this people find as modern, contemporary, state-of-the-art strings arranger?

BTW, some interesting trivia. If I got it right, when Anne first started working with Trevor, she did an album for Malcolm McLaren which featured a 30-piece string section. Then came Frankie Goes to Hollywood and it featured - a whopping 60-piece string section! That's like a late Romantic orchestra - 16/14/12/10/8!

I think Sidwell's work with Robbie on Sing When You're Winning had 35 violins, 15 violas, 11 celli and 8 double basses!

I absolutely love a massive section and detest with a passion what they call "delicate" strings! Bring on the bombast!

And I detest it then they do not list the players/orchestra, or at least the number.

So, Eric, since you've just stated you like Swedish pop - do you know any of their people? Like e.g. Janson & Janson (Britney Spears)?

Oh. Sorry! I had to clear it up myself in my head, too. Though, I still kind of think I didn't get it. E.g., 8.40 is equivalent to 17:47 because the first part of MacArthur Park Suite on Live and More is 8:40. Correct?

The we have several radio edits, the most common one is under 4 minutes and there is one above 5 minutes in length. Right?

Well, sure! It's confusing as hell!

So after the version on Live and More and radio edits, we get an edited out DJ version. And also a re-released version which couldn't fit on Live and More so it was put on Dance Collection?

Then, finally, we come to a remastered version on Bad Girls Deluxe Edition.

That makes... Like... 4 + several radio edits? If I counted correctly?

HAHA you actually did manage to basically make sense of it. Yes. This will make things both moreand less confusing--the actual Live and More one is 8:40 or so, but that's cuz it's the first part (and the final short reprise) of the whole suite. You could justplay it that way (at least on record, there are groove marks to show when each part of the Suite starts and ends) but I don't think that version was ever released seperately. The two most common versions of MacPark released was the 6:28 version (called the Promotional Single Version on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_(Donna_Summer_album) ) and the 3:54 version missing the bridge (my fave part of the song actually). The 6:28 version routinely shows up on any 2 disc best of Donna album (like Donna Summer Gold and the Donna Summer Anthology) and the 3:54 on any single disc best of (like Endless Summer, On the Radio and The Journey) The other radio edits of varying lengths are obscure ones for diff markets (Mexico has one with a few bonuses vocals from the Suite, for some reason)

Dated? Really? And who do this people find as modern, contemporary, state-of-the-art strings arranger?

HAHAH it was a discussion I had in a pop forum, I think the reason they said dated was particularly in England around 97-01 his strings were quite prevalent so it made them think of that time.

I absolutely love a massive section and detest with a passion what they call "delicate" strings! Bring on the bombast!

And I detest it then they do not list the players/orchestra, or at least the number.

So, Eric, since you've just stated you like Swedish pop - do you know any of their people? Like e.g. Janson & Janson (Britney Spears)?

Yeah, being a theatre fag I'm used to, and appreciate how most cast albums (at least since the mid 70s) list theorchestra and then list the "additional orchestra" for the recording--ie not used in the theatre. This often just meant a busload of more strings, particularly violin, added (I think the famous cast album producer Godard Lieberson first did this with Sondheim's A Little Night Music original cast album--Lloyd Webber of course has been known to add even more--his Phantom cast album I think doubles the orchestra, and oddly his Canadian cast album for Sunset Blvd has a 60+ orchestra--funny as he didn't add much to the earlier US and London cast albums for that).

My Swedish pop love is EXTREMELY "guilty pleasure". Umm the producer/writer I follow the most actively is Anders Hannson (http://tmbpop.blogspot.com/2009/06/thank-you-for-music-anders-hansson.html). He's been writing hits there since the 80s but most recently is best known for doing a lot of Alcazar's hits (like last year's shameless disco with strings We Keep on Rockin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akg_G247k1k ) being one of the main proeducers and writers for everything by bizarre cheesy art/pop band BWO (aka Bodies WIthout Organs) and masterminding and doing virtually everything on Agnes' new album--the Swedish pop idol winner who's liek a cross between disco and Leona Lewis (in looks and voice). Her hit from last year he did, Release Me was actually given a UK release in the Summer where it hit number 3 and I just heard it on an episode of Melrose Place so must be getting a US release

)

My Swedish pop love is EXTREMELY "guilty pleasure". Umm the producer/writer I follow the most actively is Anders Hannson (http://tmbpop.blogspot.com/2009/06/thank-you-for-music-anders-hansson.html). He's been writing hits there since the 80s but most recently is best known for doing a lot of Alcazar's hits (like last year's shameless disco with strings We Keep on Rockin http://www.youtube.c...h?v=akg_G247k1k ) being one of the main proeducers and writers for everything by bizarre cheesy art/pop band BWO (aka Bodies WIthout Organs) and masterminding and doing virtually everything on Agnes' new album--the Swedish pop idol winner who's liek a cross between disco and Leona Lewis (in looks and voice). Her hit from last year he did, Release Me was actually given a UK release in the Summer where it hit number 3 and I just heard it on an episode of Melrose Place so must be getting a US release http://www.youtube.c...h?v=LSb6e3grdL8 )

Love her! And the strings in that song, courtesy of Erik Arvinder (though Hansson is listed, too). It's 9 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos and a double bass.

HAHA is that in the booklet or how did you find the info? lol I have the Swedish edition of her CD but didn't even notice the strings listed lol

HAHA is that in the booklet or how did you find the info? lol I have the Swedish edition of her CD but didn't even notice the strings listed lol

I have the CD!

You might be interested in reading this (weirdly, loved his work on Sober and Rehab, even though I hate "one" string piece multi-tracked a billion times):

http://articles.lati...a-stevieblacke3

http://www.stevieblacke.com/

Edited October 28, 200916 yr by Sylph

I have the CD!

You might be interested in reading this (weirdly, loved his work on Sober and Rehab, even though I hate "one" string piece multi-tracked a billion times):

http://articles.lati...a-stevieblacke3

http://www.stevieblacke.com/

That's a great piece in the LA Times. It's so rare to find(as I know you know) articles about these people (often if I find something too, about a producer it's for an electronics magazine and is basically just a list fo their equipment, which is interesting, up to a point but doesn't help me too much)

Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic" is full of beautiful, lush arrangements, especially the AMAZING mid-section between the first chorus and second verse.

OOOOH, also, one of my absolutely FAVORITE disco songs: "The Player," by First Choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cxk4a_TZ7c

Edited October 28, 200916 yr by All My Shadows

Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic" is full of beautiful, lush arrangements, especially the AMAZING mid-section between the first chorus and second verse.

Shadows!!!

Are you a Manilow fan?

Give me some more Manilow suggestions!!!

Shadows!!!

Are you a Manilow fan?

Give me some more Manilow suggestions!!!

Most of Barry's stuff is full of big bombastic orchestral arrangements. For some reason, he and his producers decided that the best thing you can do to a song is effect a gargantuan key change. See: Mandy, Ready to Take a Chance Again, and Weekend in New England (all songs I'm sure you've heard before, but just the same...). The rest of the song could just feature piano and some of the usual soft rock accompaniment, but when the key change comes, it's an explosion of instrumentation...with Barry wailing his behind off over it all.

And YES, I'm a huge Fanilow. "Magic" and "Ready" are my faves.

Edited October 28, 200916 yr by All My Shadows

Vikki Carr has some songs with sweeping arrangements, particularly her biggest hit "It Must Be Him".

Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic" is full of beautiful, lush arrangements, especially the AMAZING mid-section between the first chorus and second verse.

OOOOH, also, one of my absolutely FAVORITE disco songs: "The Player," by First Choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cxk4a_TZ7c

Would it be stating the obvious to say I didn't really like Cold it Be Magic until Donna Summer's fantastic disco cover (which was her first disco cover actually--and one of her first singles after Love to Love You Baby which is why the record label insisted that she have a ridiculous "orgasm" moan bit in the bridge which has been cut from the single edits lol--the full album version is nearly 6 minutes but doesn't seem to be on youtube though this is close

). It was though the first time her label allowed her to do a disco song "full voice" (for a while they were trying to keep her in her breathy high register she used for Love to Love You Baby and later I Feel Love which frustrated her to no end) As with most of Moroder's disco recordings in the 70s, Thor Baldursson arranged and led the strings.

Manilow's own upbeat version in the 90s was based on Donna/Moroder's disco take--and Take That had a massive European success covering her version as well (Alcazar did a fairly flimsy but fun "redo" of the song called Singing to Heaven too) and of course Manilow's song is a hommage to Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C Minor--playing full sections.

You know which strings arrangement is another great one? Larry Gold's What Goes Around... / ...Comes Around. And it's only 4 violins, 1 viola and 1 cello.

Vikki Carr has some songs with sweeping arrangements, particularly her biggest hit "It Must Be Him".

Funny you should mention this... I have her twofer CD Love Story/Superstar... and it is GRAND. Big massive drama queen arrangements, just like I like em! And her vocals are in top form on these two album, she was right in her PRIME. This is one of the tracks from that CD:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS3vxo9-EY8

Speaking of Harris' original though--Jimmy Webb did some ghreat bombastic orchestral pop at the time--two full albums for Harris (where MacPark is from) a great 70s album for the Diana less Supremes, Mgaic Garden the concept album for Fifth Dimension

Yes, the Magic Garden is something every person should own. the blend of Florence and Marilyn is mind boggling. And of course... I LOVE LOVE LOVE any No-Ross Supremes album. The first 3 produced by Frank Wilson were incredible... the harps and violins in "Stoned Love" just give me goosebumps. And BTW... "Stoned Love" is the biggest selling Supremes song of all time, an little known fact:

and the Jimmy Webb album is an underrated treasure:

Edited November 1, 200916 yr by alphanguy74