Reverse tape effects are special effects created by recording sound onto magnetic tape and then physically reversing the tape so that when the tape is played back, the sounds recorded on it are literally heard in reverse. Compact audio cassette Magnetic tape is a non-volatile storage medium consisting of a magnetic coating on a thin plastic strip. ...

History

Although the ability to reverse the playback of recorded sounds had been known since the early days of gramophone records and can be achieved by simply placing the needle on the record and spinning it counter-clockwise^[1], reverse effects were regarded largely as a curiosity and were little used until the 1950s. In the 1950s, the development of the experimental music genre known as musique concrète and a simultaneous spread of the use of tape recorders in recording studios led to tape music compositions, in which music was composed on tape using techniques including reverse tape effects.^[2] Manufacturers put records inside protective and decorative cardboard jackets and an inner paper sleeve to protect the grooves from dust and scratches. ... Musique concrète (French; literally, concrete music), is the name given to a class of electronic music produced from editing together fragments of natural and industrial sounds. ... Sony reel-to-reel tape recorder. ... A recording studio is a facility for sound recording. ...

The reverse tape technique became especially popular during the psychedelic music era of the mid-to-late 1960s, when musicians and producers exploited a vast range of special audio effects in an attempt to simulate the auditory effects of the LSD experience. Psychedelic music may refer to: Psychedelic rock, a subgenre of rock Psychedelic trance, a subgenre of trance Psychedelic folk, a subgenre of folk Psychedelic pop, a subgenre of pop Psychedelic soul, a subgenre of soul See also Acid breaks Acid house Acid jazz Acid punk Acid rap Acid rock Acid... Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called LSD, LSD-25, or acid. ...

Examples

An good example of the use of reverse tape effects is the song "Roundabout" (1972) by the British progressive rock group Yes. The song begins with a sound which gradually fades in, and then ends suddenly, changing abruptly into guitar music, performed by guitarist Steve Howe. For the unrelated Swedish music movement, see progg. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Yes guitarist Steve Howe in 2004 Stephen James Howe (b. ...

The 'fade-in' sound is a minor chord (played on a grand piano by keyboardist Rick Wakeman) which was sounded and allowed to fade to silence. The tape of this piano chord was then reversed by producer Eddie Offord and carefully edited into the track. With the fading piano sound is thus reversed, it slowly builds up in volume before ending suddenly, at which point Offord edited it seamlessly into the first notes of Howe's guitar introduction. This distinctive effect is heard several times during the introduction and its reprise. Richard Christopher Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 in Perivale, London, United Kingdom) is a British keyboard player best known as the keyboardist for progressive rock group Yes. ... Eddie Offord is a noted record producer and engineer, who worked in his ADVISION Studio in London on some of the most famous albums in the 1970s. ...

One of the best known examples of music featuring reverse tape effects is the Doctor Who theme (1963), composed by Ron Grainer and realised electronically by Delia Derbyshire of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC about the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space with his companions, solving problems and righting wrongs. ... Ron Grainer (August 11, 1922 - February 21, 1981) was an Australian-born composer who worked for most of his professional career in the United Kingdom. ... Delia Derbyshire (May 5, 1937 - July 3, 2001) was a British musician and composer who was a pioneer of electronic music. ... The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effects units of the BBC, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio, and was closed in March 1998, although much of its traditional work had already been outsourced by 1995. ...

Another famous example of the use of reverse tape effects is The Beatles' 1967 single "Strawberry Fields Forever, written by John Lennon and produced by George Martin. During the verses, Lennon's voice is accompanied by a series of rapid 'swooshing' sounds; these are actually the sounds of Ringo Starr's drum and cymbal accompaniment. These patterns were carefully pre-recorded, the tape reversed and the reversed percussion effects meticulously edited into the master tape to synchronise with the music. The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool, composed of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. ... Strawberry Fields Forever is a 1967 song recorded by The Beatles. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Richard Starkey, MBE (born 7 July 1940 in Liverpool), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer and actor, best known as the drummer of the Beatles. ...

Several other Beatles songs of the period — including Revolver (1966) tracks "I'm Only Sleeping" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" — also feature recordings of electric guitars which have been reversed. rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... Im Only Sleeping is a song by The Beatles that appeared on their studio album Revolver. ... Tomorrow Never Knows is the final track of The Beatles 1966 studio album Revolver, but it was the first to be recorded for the album. ...

References

1. ^ Kittler, Friedrick. The Gramaphone. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
2. ^ Peters, Michael. The Birth of Loop:A Short History of Looping Music.

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ...

See also

• Tape loop
• Backmasking