15 Studio Accidents That Helped Make Huge Hits
By Frank Donovan
The quest for perfection in the recording studio is a noble, but often futile effort. Especially in the pre-digital era of music, it was nearly impossible to erase all the inevitable slip ups that happen when laying down a track. But some artists (or producers) had the foresight and good sense of humor to let the accidents remain, leaving listeners with a sense of being in the studio with the band, not to mention thousands of audio easter eggs to find. Forgotten lyrics, dropped drum sticks, resultant expletives–here are 15 bloopers, oddities, and other unintended sounds that made it on the track, and make it all the better.
“Roxanne” by The Police (1978)
When to listen: 0:04
Sting was feeling tired in the studio the day The Police were recording “Roxanne.” He decided to take a load off on an upright piano next to the mic, thinking the lid was closed. It wasn’t. You can hear the discordant sound at the very beginning of the track, followed by laughter. The good-humored fellas left it in.
“Creep” by Radiohead (1992)
When to listen: 0:58 and 2:00
It’s now well-known that Radiohead pretty much hates their smash hit “Creep” (they hardly ever play it live anymore.) The first to express a distaste for the song was guitarist Jonny Greenwood. In a 1993 Chicago Sun-Times article (which advertises $8 tickets to see the band), Greenwood says he strummed those three dead chords that introduce the chorus because he thought the song was too quiet. Other sources go on to say he was trying to outright sabotage the song. In any case, they made it in, and they make the song.
“Mack the Knife” by Ella Fitzgerald (1960)
When to listen: 1:41
Ella Fitzgerald was a pro. Who else could win two Grammys for a live performance in which she forgot the lyrics to most of the song? At 1:41 Ella completely loses track of the words for the three whole remaining minutes of “Mack the Knife.” But she doesn’t miss a beat, improvising flawlessly and with good humor. She even scats and does a dead-on Louis Armstrong impersonation. The crowd goes wild at the end. We tip our hat to whomever decided to release the track as is.
“Black Country Woman” by Led Zeppelin (1975)
When to listen: 0:01
There’s a price to pay for recording in the great outdoors (Mick Jagger’s backyard, to be specific.) The track opens with the unplanned sound of an overhead airplane. Engineer Eddie Kramer says, “don’t want to get this airplane on,” to which Robert Plant quickly responds, “nah, leave it” just as the acoustic guitars come in.
“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day (1997)
When to listen: 0:04
Those familiar with the album version will know that Billie Joe Armstrong has two false starts on the song before letting out a frustrated “fuck!” at 0:04.
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