Whiter Shade of Pale T4 or Hammond ?

Both versions are well done of this Iconic song but the Hammond has such a full richness in sound IMO...
and just for comparison third video is Procol Harem

Song History...

And lets throw in this kool International version....


And YES ladies & gentleman even Englebert ....!

Understand, this is MY opinion only. The first video (T4) sounds like it's being played by a trained but talentless music teacher. Smears are inappropriate (with amateur-sounding dynamics), triplets sound 'mechanical' and are overused; those, and other performance artifacts, all seem contrived (to me) to create a (false) sense of feeling (soul?) that's not really there. For me, how technically accurate a performance is has little to do with the quality of a performance, especially in 'pop' or non-classical music. In this video, the negatives have much more to do with the player than with the instrument. Again, JMO.

chas

Chad all good points....but for me the richness sound of the Hammond says it all...I posted more for the sound versus the playing...

Chas all good points....but for me the richness sound of the Hammond says it all...I posted more for the sound A/B versus the playing...

would be a great SZ experiment to have people post their short versions of this song here on SZ in whatever style they choose.

Yeah, and I understand and respect that. I was just pointing out that I'd rather hear a good performance on a student violin than a poor performance on a Stradivarius. Didn't mean to take the thread in a different direction. Sometimes a thread will trigger a parallel but different thought. But to your point, yes, the Hammond is always going to trump anything else for it's own sound. However, the T4 didn't sound that bad and might not even be noticed by the average Joe Blow non-musician in the audience (look at how many people LIKED his performance in the Youtube comments section). AND, who (other than me) is to say I'm right in my observations. Anyhoo, bottom line; the Hammond sounds better.

chas

Also Chas.....this is a perfect example of to show that many times older instruments can still hold their weight and sound Amazing...the fact that NEW isn't always better holds true eg: Hammond B3, Suitcase Rhodes, etc, etc.....

I was never really enthralled about the song itself, therefore, I just listened to the individual instrument sounds, and agree that the Hammond sounded fuller and less tinny than the T4, but that is what I would have expected.

All the best,

Gary

Right, even a 'juice harp' is going to sound better than a synth IMITATING a juice harp. Heck, even Gary is going to sound better than Sinatra IMITATING Gary.......well maybe not .

chas

Dont worry Chas there is a few jazz versions also....
just sayin'





also a latin version for Paul Blood..



and all you Piano instrumental lovers

Here's a nice sounding Roland VR09 cover

and just when you think you've heard em all.............

And of the harmonica version......wow

A few years back I saw Peter Green and John Mayall's bands on the same bill. Peter Green's hammond played used a Hammond, and John Mayall's hammond player played a top-end Roland clonewheel. The clonehweel sounded Ok on it's own as "that sounds quite like a Hammond" but otherwise no contest, Hammond wins by a one-note knockout.

I didn't watch the video comparing a B3, C3, and A100 but as everyone knows they all have the same guts just different cabinets. Play them all thru a Leslie (don't use the A100 12" speakers ) and their identical sounding. Big differences in prices though. That B3 cabinet can cost thousands more just for "that look" .
Tony Monaco records and travels with an A100.
The Hammond has imperfections and variations in its sound due to a number of factors and thats the thing that makes them all different and almost like an acoustic instrument.
The clones, even the ones using vacuum tubes in their output like the XK3c, are getting close but have not yet gotten that variation in tone that makes the Hammond unique.
An SK2 thru a 3300 Leslie is surly a great modern rig with less weight and matienance.

Thanks Donny, loved the history of the hammond video..

Your very welcome I enjoyed it myself very interesting....