Record is cut backwards?

[archibael]

Just getting into the hobby... bought some vinyl the other day, specifically a 12" single of The Bangles' cover of Hazy Shade of Winter.

The song's only three minutes long, so... what to do with all that extra vinyl?

There's an extra "dub" version that, to my ear, sounds just like the regular version.

There's a "Purple Haze" version that has some interesting effects on the vocals and is layered with bongo drums, of all things (it's weird but I find it oddly cool).

And...

There's a "Shady Haze" (get it?) version that is literally the whole song played backwards.

Was this common back in the 80s? Some kind of gimmick, or was there a purpose to the backwards version... maybe something DJs used...?

Just curious to get the take of folks who have been at this for awhile.

 

[savatage1973]

I don't have any that are recorded backwards, but I do have "The Wrong Sampler" by School of Fish (released 1991). It is a promotional EP on clear blue vinyl, and the grooves are cut so the album plays from the inside out. The "inner groove" is actually the starting point and it plays its way out to the outer edge of the disc. Never played it--not sure how it would work with A/S and stress on the cantilever.

 

[petemcfc]

Its a gimmick,as an example The Stone Roses did the same with Dont Stop off their debut album in 1989,its not new,when the ground breaking Krautrock band Neu! a duo formed by former members of Kraftwerk recorded their debut album Neu! 1 in 1972 they ran out of money for studio time so side 2 of the album is a remix and cut and paste of side 1.
Brian Eno sat up and took notice.

 

[SaSi]

There's a track in a Nina Hagen album that is twice as long as it should be with the normal song recorded backwards within the same track. No idea what they were thinking. There was a fad back then that some of the rock tracks, when played back backwards, contained obscene or satan related phrases.

 

[petemcfc]

As the court case against Judas Priest proved,I blame The Beatles for it.

 

[debianlinux]

Jack White has been known to do backwards tracks and grooves that play from inside to outside, also grooves cut under the label.

 

[4-2-7]

12" single of The Bangles' cover of Hazy Shade of Winter.

I have two copies of this

The song's only three minutes long, so... what to do with all that extra vinyl?

Sometimes nothing, it all depends on what the record was made for. This one is a 1987 pressing done on Def Jam label licensed by Columbia. At this time a lot of records where used in dance clubs and getting re-mixed goofy, the beat was all that mattered.

Was this common back in the 80s? Some kind of gimmick, or was there a purpose to the backwards version... maybe something DJs used...?

Just curious to get the take of folks who have been at this for awhile.

Dub, Re-mixed 12" records where bought by dance club DJs, some might also be promos from the label.

There is other 12" singles and Promos and I'll get into that in a minute.

 

[45rpmspinner]

One of the more famous examples is the flip side of "Yellow Balloon" by The Yellow Balloon [a studio effort] which did fairly well on the charts in early 1967.

B-side is titled, "Noollab Wolley".

Edit: I almost forgot "!aaah-ah, yawa em ekat ot gnimoc er'yeht", the flipside of "They're Coming To Take Me Away Ah-haaa!", from 1966.

 

[arts]

Jack White has been known to do backwards tracks and grooves that play from inside to outside, also grooves cut under the label.

He also did a dual-groove side once,where there are two versions recorded on the same side of the slice;which version you get depends on which lead-in groove your stylus catches first.If you don't read the liner notes,this can soon result in some serious questioning of your sanity,depending on how often you play that side

 

[4-2-7]

Ok for @archibael to understand what they are buying when it comes to 12" singles, 12" promos, 12" Dub singles, 12" Maxi Singles and all this size records.

12" singles, 12" promos
These are generally the album songs put out by the label/band to promote the sales of the album, mainly sent to radio stations. They might have one song and up to three or four of the main songs on the record. They could have information on a flyer for the DJ to used as introduction to songs and band and even warnings of airplay. They could be in 45 RPM, 33.3 RPM or both. Mostly sent out in generic covers with title stickers on them, some had printing.
Since these records are made to sell new albums they tend to master them better and use better vinyl. So while they are the same songs that are on the albums they are generally better all the way around.

12" Maxi Singles
Are generally like the above, and could have all the same things going for it in sound quality, or could be the same mastering as the album.
These where sold in the record stores with printed cover art, and thin paper covers, with a reduced price from the whole album. This let people buy the radio played songs and for the label got them to spend money they might not have buying the whole record.


12" Dub singles, Re-mix
These all tend to be unrelated to anything on the original album. Some times they might have a untouched LP or 7" version of the song. They where generally licensed out to a third party to mash up for dance club records. They sold these to independent DJ as well as promos they gave away free for the same reason as the major label, to sell more of them.

In summery I put these in order of demand IMHO.
Promos
I like the original label and bands songs but made for sound quality. The songs are the same but mastered better and on performance vinyl. This also might be the only way to get a 45rpm version also and or far far better than a 7" disc.

The maxi disc might not be better vinyl, but they do have less songs on the record and are able to fit the songs in the best area of the disc for playback. This is a performance edge opposed to a LP

Dubs
IMHO, unless they have a version of the song that was originally put out I don't really want them. But if they have a 45 rpm, LP, 7" original mix I might grab it.

 

[4-2-7]

Oh and as far as your title it doesn't match you questions in the OP.

This is why your getting comments that have nothing to do with the questions. The record your talking about was not "Cut" backwards, or needs to be played backwards. It was the tape played backwards and the record cut normally with that sound.

 

[Doug G.]

Turn me on, dead man.

 

[WaynerN]

Listen to the beginning of ELO's Fire on High. The start has vocals that are backwards. With my 1/2 track reel to reel (recorded this, then flipped the reels around so its backwards) it says "The music is reversible, but time is not. Turn back, Turn back. Turn Baaaaaaaaack..........

 

[archibael]

My favorite has to be Weird Al's hidden backwards message, "Satan eats Cheez-wiz..."

 

[Pio1980]

Monty Python's "previous record" is a three sides single disc. A bewildering first time experience to find side two randomly different.

 

[gadget73]

I was also going to mention the Monty Python multi-start record.

 

[ODS123]

As a few mentioned, Jack White has done this. I bought Jack White - Lazaretto on vinyl the day it was released. I went crazy trying to play it. ..No matter where I dropped the needle, it wouldn't find the lead in groove. ..Only after googling a day later did I find out that the album begins at the inside. Jeez. ..What a goofy character. But what an awesome album. People who say current rock music stinks need to delve into JW's music. He's an amazing talent.

 

[4-2-7]

I have heard nothing from Jack White that sounds good, including the gimmick records Third Man puts out. It's kinda sad that his production of records is all gimmick and nothing to do with real sound quality. It does nothing to get new people into spinning records for what they can sound like.

 

[Pio1980]

They are also a pain in the ass on semi-auto and auto/LT turntables.

 

[45rpmspinner]

"Monty Python's "previous record" is a three sides single disc."

That was "Matching Tie and Handkerchief"...and even then, just the first pressing.
"Previous Record" was supposed to have 4 separate grooves on the b-side...but that apparently didn't work out, so the tracks were amalgamated into a single groove for release.

I believe Mad Magazine's flexi-release "It's a Super Spectacular Day" with 8 different grooves is still the king of that genre.
I owned a copy at one time. I found it very difficult to get it play all 8.