Re: [Harp-L] Chaka Khan I Feel for You

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

I agree that Isn't She Lovely and For Once in my Life are original keys - they play very naturally and use the characteristic licks and slide movements of those keys.

I'll have to check Smoke Rings and Wine (it's been awhile) but as I recall Toots actually used a four-octave chromatic (he was playing a Super 64 for awhile during the early-to-mid 1970s). On one of the cuts from the album (maybe this one) you can hear him go down to some of the low notes below Middle C. I'm pretty sure he didn't use another key of chromatic. He did that for awhile in '57-'58 (on a few cuts on Man Bites Harmonica and Time Out for Toots), but then stuck to a C-harp after that.

Winslow

--- On Fri, 5/9/08, Rob Paparozzi <Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Rob Paparozzi <Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Chaka Khan I Feel for You
> To: "Joe and Cass Leone" <leone@xxxxxxxx>, winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx
> Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Friday, May 9, 2008, 12:30 PM
> Smo-Joe,
> 
> This is an interesting Thread...Us Chrom players often
> wonder such questions 
> ???
> 
>   But  what about his Classic Solo's in E
> "Isn't she Lovely" and  F# "For 
> Once in my Life"...to my ears these sound like the
> original keys??
> 
> My Fav solo is his Creepin' in Ebm starting on that
> funky bent down "A" 
> note..
> we'll have to hear from the transcription mavens!!!
> Winslow and Hunter,-)
> 
> Another one I've often wondered about was Toots'
> solo on Ralph MacDonalds 
> "Smoke Rings and Wine" on his THE PATH LP...I
> always forget to ask Toots 
> about this when I see him on occassion....The song is in E
> and what a smooth 
> Jazzy solo which leads me to be he used another key 270 at
> the time.......
> 
> all the best,
> 
> Rob P
> www.myspace.com/hudsonriverrats
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Joe and Cass Leone" <leone@xxxxxxxx>
> To: <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 2:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Chaka Khan I Feel for You
> 
> 
> >
> > On May 9, 2008, at 2:01 PM, Winslow Yerxa wrote:
> >
> >> It's definitely a chromatic harmonica (Stevie
> Wonder), with a  little 
> >> sound processing.
> >
> > Yes, it is definitely 'Millionized' (for lack
> of a better term)
> >
> >> By the way, there's an extended version of
> this record that came  out on 
> >> a 12" single with a longer harp solo.
> >>
> >> While the tune comes out in F#, Stevie didn't
> play it in F#.
> >
> > This is correct. While everyone seems to feel that
> Stevie is this  super 
> > human player who can play in any odd key and STILL
> sound  marvelous, the 
> > truth is that he picks normal keys just like everyone 
> else and the 
> > recordings or HIS tracks are either sped up or slowed 
> down to give the 
> > impression that he is in F#, Gb, B,  E, and other  not
> so easy keys. I 
> > always suspected that is was to disssuade other 
> players from trying to 
> > copy him. AND I don't think it's coming from 
> HIM. I have to admit though 
> > that it is less common these days. I have  had
> recordings which were 
> > BETWEEN  the keys. I thought it was my  player, but
> after checking several 
> > other players, I wound up with the  same deal.
> >
> >> The tape was either sped up or slowed down and he
> played it in  either F 
> >> or G (I'm not where I can check which it was).
> >
> > Because of the 'Chipmunks' timbre to the edges
> of the notes (which he  is 
> > VERY good at to begin with), I believe the track is a
> sped up F. 
> > Something about the combinations of notes and the way
> they are  'chipped', 
> > leads me to believe he is in a DRAW key. G isn't
> as fluid  as F.
> >
> > p.s. just my opinion       smokey-joe
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >


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