Production of How Soon is Now

tekbow

Interesting article on its production and guitar sound.

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-secrets-behind-johnny-marrs-tone-on-the-smiths-how-soon-is-now

How do you even decide to come up with a sound like that? Do you have something in your head and try to recreate it, or do you mess around until create something you like?

I find it mind boggling.

mudslide73

Having read that piece I think they were trying to fill the sound out after they'd completed the basic tracks. Maybe Johnny had a bit of an idea but it sounds like they just kept going until it was how they wanted it.

He does it live now without three Twins so it's doable with another guitarist and some judiciously chosen effects. We've attempted to cover it and two guitars with different speed tremolos gets pretty close imo - delay muddies it up too much.

tekbow

mudslide73 said:

Having read that piece I think they were trying to fill the sound out after they'd completed the basic tracks. Maybe Johnny had a bit of an idea but it sounds like they just kept going until it was how they wanted it.

He does it live now without three Twins so it's doable with another guitarist and some judiciously chosen effects. We've attempted to cover it and two guitars with different speed tremolos gets pretty close imo - delay muddies it up too much.

Yeah, I've seen him do it on a GT100(?).

What's mind boggling to me is the process by which they get to 4 twins, 2 on each side, with different Tremolo speeds etc etc in the first place. The conception of it.

Once it's done I can see how you'd Replicate that on an MFX unit.

Wazmeister

Great bands, at The Smiths were, know about soul, feeling, intensity.

I seem to remember they recorded the song in the studio, all lights off, except one lamp covered with a red or purple cloth; i think.

A haunting, atmospherical song.

thermionic

The tremolo parts are well-documented, including in Johnny’s autobiography, but John Porter always has his own version of that night! Interesting to read about the other parts in that article though.