Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Alice Cooper co-founder and Hall Of Fame inductee Dennis Dunaway answers your questions!

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Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Babysquid » Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:02 am

Hi Dennis I’ve just started reading this book and whilst I’m enjoying it there’s a couple of things in the section about Killer which I think either I or the author might have gotten wrong. The book states that the Strings on Halo of Flies, Be My Lover and the brass on Dead Babies was Bob Ezrin on the Minimoog synth. I have a Minimoog myself and I’ve always assumed that these parts were real strings and brass because that’s what they sound like. I’ve certainly never been able to create such realistic imitations of real instruments on the mini. Also Bob is credited with String and Brass arrangements on the Lp as well as Minimoog.
It’s always fascinating to learn something new about the band especially as I never got the chance to experience you guys while you were together (you’d split years before I was born).

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Dreary » Fri Apr 02, 2021 6:20 pm

Babysquid wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:02 am
Hi Dennis I’ve just started reading this book and whilst I’m enjoying it there’s a couple of things in the section about Killer which I think either I or the author might have gotten wrong. The book states that the Strings on Halo of Flies, Be My Lover and the brass on Dead Babies was Bob Ezrin on the Minimoog synth. I have a Minimoog myself and I’ve always assumed that these parts were real strings and brass because that’s what they sound like. I’ve certainly never been able to create such realistic imitations of real instruments on the mini. Also Bob is credited with String and Brass arrangements on the Lp as well as Minimoog.
It’s always fascinating to learn something new about the band especially as I never got the chance to experience you guys while you were together (you’d split years before I was born).
The strings and the horns are real. Bob played Minimoog on "Halo of Flies."

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Daggers & Contracts » Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:45 pm

Dreary wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 6:20 pm
Babysquid wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:02 am
Hi Dennis I’ve just started reading this book and whilst I’m enjoying it there’s a couple of things in the section about Killer which I think either I or the author might have gotten wrong. The book states that the Strings on Halo of Flies, Be My Lover and the brass on Dead Babies was Bob Ezrin on the Minimoog synth. I have a Minimoog myself and I’ve always assumed that these parts were real strings and brass because that’s what they sound like. I’ve certainly never been able to create such realistic imitations of real instruments on the mini. Also Bob is credited with String and Brass arrangements on the Lp as well as Minimoog.
It’s always fascinating to learn something new about the band especially as I never got the chance to experience you guys while you were together (you’d split years before I was born).
The strings and the horns are real. Bob played Minimoog on "Halo of Flies."
Was the Minimoog the one note that kept reverberating ?
Thanks, Dr. D
I've Got The Answers To All Of Your Questions...

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Dreary » Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:35 am

Daggers & Contracts wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:45 pm
Dreary wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 6:20 pm
Babysquid wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:02 am
Hi Dennis I’ve just started reading this book and whilst I’m enjoying it there’s a couple of things in the section about Killer which I think either I or the author might have gotten wrong. The book states that the Strings on Halo of Flies, Be My Lover and the brass on Dead Babies was Bob Ezrin on the Minimoog synth. I have a Minimoog myself and I’ve always assumed that these parts were real strings and brass because that’s what they sound like. I’ve certainly never been able to create such realistic imitations of real instruments on the mini. Also Bob is credited with String and Brass arrangements on the Lp as well as Minimoog.
It’s always fascinating to learn something new about the band especially as I never got the chance to experience you guys while you were together (you’d split years before I was born).
The strings and the horns are real. Bob played Minimoog on "Halo of Flies."
Was the Minimoog the one note that kept reverberating ?
Thanks, Dr. D
Yes, during the intro.

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by steven_crayn » Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:33 pm

Babysquid wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:02 am
I have a Minimoog myself and I’ve always assumed that these parts were real strings and brass because that’s what they sound like. I’ve certainly never been able to create such realistic imitations of real instruments on the mini. Also Bob is credited with String and Brass arrangements on the Lp as well as Minimoog.
Dennis Dunaway on the minimoog on ‘Halo of Flies’, “We were working in the studio when the MiniMoog arrived in a box. Bob Ezrin opened it and I saw all the dials and thought, we don't have time to figure this out. Bob plugged it in and started messing around and found the sounds pretty fast. We also used it on the very end of Killer.”
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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Dreary » Tue Apr 06, 2021 4:29 pm

steven_crayn wrote:
Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:33 pm
Babysquid wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:02 am
I have a Minimoog myself and I’ve always assumed that these parts were real strings and brass because that’s what they sound like. I’ve certainly never been able to create such realistic imitations of real instruments on the mini. Also Bob is credited with String and Brass arrangements on the Lp as well as Minimoog.
Dennis Dunaway on the minimoog on ‘Halo of Flies’, “We were working in the studio when the MiniMoog arrived in a box. Bob Ezrin opened it and I saw all the dials and thought, we don't have time to figure this out. Bob plugged it in and started messing around and found the sounds pretty fast. We also used it on the very end of Killer.”
Hmm, I have to agree with myself. Thanks, Steven.

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by steven_crayn » Tue Apr 06, 2021 6:08 pm

Dreary wrote:
Tue Apr 06, 2021 4:29 pm
steven_crayn wrote:
Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:33 pm
Babysquid wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:02 am
I have a Minimoog myself and I’ve always assumed that these parts were real strings and brass because that’s what they sound like. I’ve certainly never been able to create such realistic imitations of real instruments on the mini. Also Bob is credited with String and Brass arrangements on the Lp as well as Minimoog.
Dennis Dunaway on the minimoog on ‘Halo of Flies’, “We were working in the studio when the MiniMoog arrived in a box. Bob Ezrin opened it and I saw all the dials and thought, we don't have time to figure this out. Bob plugged it in and started messing around and found the sounds pretty fast. We also used it on the very end of Killer.”
Hmm, I have to agree with myself. Thanks, Steven.
:laugh:
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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by While Heaven Wept » Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:35 pm

Am I right in thinking that the choral sound that happens at about 5:11 is a Melotron?

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Dreary » Thu Apr 08, 2021 2:41 pm

While Heaven Wept wrote:
Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:35 pm
Am I right in thinking that the choral sound that happens at about 5:11 is a Melotron?
It's hard to remember everything from 50 years ago, especially since those sessions were a race to the finish. I think there was a Melotron in that studio, but I tend to think that the Minimoog was already set up so Bob used that rather than move everything over to the Melotron just for that section. Plus Melotron wasn't listed in Bob's playing credits.

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Babysquid » Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:24 pm

steven_crayn wrote:
Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:33 pm
Babysquid wrote:
Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:02 am
I have a Minimoog myself and I’ve always assumed that these parts were real strings and brass because that’s what they sound like. I’ve certainly never been able to create such realistic imitations of real instruments on the mini. Also Bob is credited with String and Brass arrangements on the Lp as well as Minimoog.


Dennis Dunaway on the minimoog on ‘Halo of Flies’, “We were working in the studio when the MiniMoog arrived in a box. Bob Ezrin opened it and I saw all the dials and thought, we don't have time to figure this out. Bob plugged it in and started messing around and found the sounds pretty fast. We also used it on the very end of Killer.”
Thank you Steven

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Babysquid » Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:30 pm

While Heaven Wept wrote:
Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:35 pm
Am I right in thinking that the choral sound that happens at about 5:11 is a Melotron?
Is that the strings? I think that’s real strings, I actually have a real Mellotron as well and I used to think it might be before but I’m pretty sure it’s not. I’m trying to think of a word to describe how the mellotron sounds compared to real instruments and the only thing that comes to mind is “platey” which is probably nonsense to anyone but me! There were different string sounds available for the M400 mellotron but this sounds more real to me.

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by steven_crayn » Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:46 am

Babysquid wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:30 pm
While Heaven Wept wrote:
Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:35 pm
Am I right in thinking that the choral sound that happens at about 5:11 is a Melotron?
Is that the strings? I think that’s real strings, I actually have a real Mellotron as well and I used to think it might be before but I’m pretty sure it’s not. I’m trying to think of a word to describe how the mellotron sounds compared to real instruments and the only thing that comes to mind is “platey” which is probably nonsense to anyone but me! There were different string sounds available for the M400 mellotron but this sounds more real to me.
Hello Hooray is a good example a hired-in M400 was used.

I love the sound of a Mellotron they have a unique sound sort of a poor mans strings but with a charm about it.
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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Dreary » Sun Apr 11, 2021 5:19 pm

steven_crayn wrote:
Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:46 am
Babysquid wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:30 pm
While Heaven Wept wrote:
Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:35 pm
Am I right in thinking that the choral sound that happens at about 5:11 is a Melotron?
Is that the strings? I think that’s real strings, I actually have a real Mellotron as well and I used to think it might be before but I’m pretty sure it’s not. I’m trying to think of a word to describe how the mellotron sounds compared to real instruments and the only thing that comes to mind is “platey” which is probably nonsense to anyone but me! There were different string sounds available for the M400 mellotron but this sounds more real to me.
Hello Hooray is a good example a hired-in M400 was used.

I love the sound of a Mellotron they have a unique sound sort of a poor mans strings but with a charm about it.
As you guys know, the Mellotron used tape recordings of strings playing each note. The tapes weren't in loops and so each note only lasted about 8 seconds. When the tape came to it's end, the note stopped abruptly. The Moody Blues Days of Future Past album is a great example of Mellotron use with notes extending as long as they could without running out of tape.

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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by steven_crayn » Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:15 am

Dreary wrote:
Sun Apr 11, 2021 5:19 pm
steven_crayn wrote:
Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:46 am
Babysquid wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:30 pm


Is that the strings? I think that’s real strings, I actually have a real Mellotron as well and I used to think it might be before but I’m pretty sure it’s not. I’m trying to think of a word to describe how the mellotron sounds compared to real instruments and the only thing that comes to mind is “platey” which is probably nonsense to anyone but me! There were different string sounds available for the M400 mellotron but this sounds more real to me.
Hello Hooray is a good example a hired-in M400 was used.

I love the sound of a Mellotron they have a unique sound sort of a poor mans strings but with a charm about it.
As you guys know, the Mellotron used tape recordings of strings playing each note. The tapes weren't in loops and so each note only lasted about 8 seconds. When the tape came to it's end, the note stopped abruptly. The Moody Blues Days of Future Past album is a great example of Mellotron use with notes extending as long as they could without running out of tape.
I love the Moody Blues.

I really liked how Genesis used the Mellotron on Watcher of the Skies. Tony Banks apparently used the knob half way between strings and brass to get both sounds on the right hand and bass accordion on the left hand. Foxtrot what an album that and Selling England by the Pound are masterpieces.
https://youtu.be/2agWXrNJGjg
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Re: Alice Cooper in the 70’s Book

Post by Dreary » Mon Apr 12, 2021 4:59 pm

steven_crayn wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:15 am
Dreary wrote:
Sun Apr 11, 2021 5:19 pm
steven_crayn wrote:
Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:46 am


Hello Hooray is a good example a hired-in M400 was used.

I love the sound of a Mellotron they have a unique sound sort of a poor mans strings but with a charm about it.
As you guys know, the Mellotron used tape recordings of strings playing each note. The tapes weren't in loops and so each note only lasted about 8 seconds. When the tape came to it's end, the note stopped abruptly. The Moody Blues Days of Future Past album is a great example of Mellotron use with notes extending as long as they could without running out of tape.
I love the Moody Blues.

I really liked how Genesis used the Mellotron on Watcher of the Skies. Tony Banks apparently used the knob half way between strings and brass to get both sounds on the right hand and bass accordion on the left hand. Foxtrot what an album that and Selling England by the Pound are masterpieces.
https://youtu.be/2agWXrNJGjg
Mellotron is the perfect name for the instrument because of the sound it produces.

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