West End Girls instrumental - The most accurate cover in the world (so far)
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
- June '23 update: v2 preview link - • West End Girls - Versi...
There are many attempts on RUclips to recreate this song. EstuaryMists 10" version was the closest. There is no successful attempt at the album version where the end result sounds like the original. Until now.
This is a note-by-note and sound by sound complete recreation from the ground up. None of the original recording is present here. Instead, the exact same equipment and techniques used on the original are recreated virtually. Authenticity to the original is prioritized above everything else. You can sync the original to this and it will play in lock step.
sounds great!
Thanks Claudio! If you don't love Doctor Mix, you don't love music production.
Hey Doctor !
Yo Doctor Mix!
It's the original version, isn't it? 😅
If you don't love Doctor Mix are you even alive? 😅😅
The thing about 80's synth music is that knowing the notes isn't enough. You have to have THAT synth to get THAT sound.
@adamgh0 I disagree, I was playing in a band a good number of years ago and we had to drop a song as the keyboard player who was using an old Moog keyboard could not recreate the sound he used when we wrote the song. As the electronics age the sound of the synth changes. So to be clear I agree with the first part of what you say but having That synth may also not be enough to recreate the sound.
That’s all music dude, not just 80s music
Listening to this is like having a warm hug from the 80s
FWIW, from Wikipedia:
"Stephen Hague version
An entire week had been spent re-recording and rearranging "West End Girls" with producer Stephen Hague at Advision Studios,[13] using Studio Two housed with an Otari 24-track tape machine and an SSL console.[14]
The song, according to engineer David Jacob, was musically "constructed with only four basic rhythmical patterns throughout", with no 'real' instruments production-wise except for one cymbal.[14] The rhythmic foundations were laid down with an Oberheim DMX drum machine.[14] In addition to that, the synthesizer strings that run throughout the song were created using a blend of string sounds from an E-mu Emulator I and an Emulator II.[14]
The bass part is a composite of different sounds from an Emulator II, a Yamaha DX7 and a Roland Jupiter-6, all of which were connected by MIDI. It had been played by hand to "lend more fluidity to the track", although initially there was a bit of difficulty in keeping the part in time with the drum machine.[14]
The song features a cowbell-like sound, which is in fact a combination of a cowbell and an Emulator II choir sound recorded into a Roland MSQ-700 sequencer, and spun in manually at appropriate places in the song.[14]
The trumpet solo in this version was played by Hague on the Emulator. According to Jacob, "it took about six hours to get the trumpet to sound genuine, purposely playing wrong notes to make it sound more 'jazz'".[14]
For the traffic noise that runs in the beginning, Hague recorded it using a Sony Professional Walkman out on Gosfield Street outside Advision.[14]
In addition to the rap verses and choruses sung by Tennant (each using different microphones - one for verse and another for choruses), singer Helena Springs was brought in to sing background vocals - parts of these were sampled into the Emulator to be used wherever wanted in the track.[14]"
What does she sing? I can never work it out.
@@discodave6153Ahah, eeeeeew! 🤣👍
I love these 'story behind the song' stories. Even though sometimes I don't fully understand the machines they use I still like to hear it. In the mid 80's I had a Casio MT70 and I thought I was bloody Jean Michel Jarre or something.
Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to post this. Fascinating stuff!
Doubling up FM bass & analog bass is a secret weapon. I really miss my Casio CZ-101.
The instrumental sounds so good. It’s always amazing how “simple” so many massive hit songs are. Less is more and genius is pure.
Hear Hear!
It is when you do it right. At the time no one else who used synth strings did it so smoothly for example. And they weren't as musical as this tune it. Perfectly produced.
I remember when this came out in 1984/85 & my friend & I heard it on the radio in his car & thought it was a new song by a London-based outfit called The Art Of Noise, because AON are very well known at the time for adding strings, emulators, fairlights, electro vocals to there music,…so we were like, coooool, this Art Of Noise song is the shiiiiit😂😂😂😂, until out of nowhere a man’s starts rapping/singing & I never forget my friend saying….ART OF NOISE IS AN INSTRUMENTAL GROUP, THEY HAVE A LEAD SINGER NOW, THEY SOLD OUT MAN😂😂😂😂😂😂 he was so pissed that day😂….ofcourse we both love the PSB’s all these years later & laugh at this moment from the past😂😂😂😂😂…..BTW, my fav PSB track is Suburbia (Extended Horror Mix)….just incredible arrangement & remix…great video here, thanks for the memories…this track is just timeless🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾
@@popnfresh2928 good story. I liked art of noise too but this track came out and it was so smooth in comparison. I also like panianaro.
@pdjhh very true indeed...the build up of the track alone before Neil finally sings was just incredible 2 my ears in those days....Stephen Hague aka: Shep Pettibone, reproduction of the track must be mentioned aswell, talking about giving this track an entire new life is a major triumph for PSB & early 80's emulator technology....
You clearly chose the hard option... and hit it out of the park!!! What a pleasure to listen to! Thank you sir!
lol - cheers!
Awesome recreation! The 80's was a period of exceptional musical creativity, the likes of which will probably never be heard again (in any form of groundbreaking new music). It was like a window of raw talent and creativity was open for those 10 years, and now it is nailed shut.
Great job on this song that I think defined the 80's. Sounds amazing.
This is the best recreation of 'West End Girls' by far! You nailed it! Very impressive.
No he DIDN't ! the bass is WAY off !
The producer of the band just released a large sample library of his hit productions incl ones from the Pet Shop Boys. He's called Trevor Horn.
The choir pad solo - always a place in my heart.
Yes , this rendition is the closet to the original version that I've ever heard, fantastic job!
This is criminally underviewed. What a fantastic job! So good, so accurate, in fact that listening to this it evoked 80s memories and sensations. THAT tells you the sound hit those neurons long formed in the brain at the time the song originally embedded itself. Please take a bow, Alex. Amazing recreation. Absolute perfection!
Couldn't agree more. The second I saw the title I thought this is going to be either OK but not that great, or it's going to be really good. It was neither, it far exceeded my expectations. Just had the best 8 and a bit minutes. I know most of the words so I was singing along. You mention it bringing back memories, I had a picture in my head of them on Top Of The Pops. Neil, his over sized suit with massive shoulder pads, and Chris in contrast with his trademark baseball cap and shades. Add in dry ice and a rubbish backdrop and it's pretty much how it was back then.
Absolutely!! I felt the rush of nostalgia after the first few notes. I could have sworn I had been transported back to '86 when this dropped!😊❤❤
I was transcended back in time when I listened to this. Excellently recreated. Thank you.
maybe the original is still out there and this adds nothing new
"criminally underviewed," huh?......what a viciously criminal, hyperbolic phrase....can I use that one?
I love how you made this and showed it. It's fantastic. Just shows how Neil and Chris are geniuses.
It sounds so accurate to the real thing that it’s amazing you didn’t receive an Email regarding copyright infringement or some shit. Well done!
He did, the original is linked in the description, an automatic link when the system detects copyright music... Nice that the publishers allowed it to stay up...
Bravo! Great work. One of those rare tracks that still sounds as good as the first day I heard it 40 years ago.
That 5.25 floppy disk drive reminds me just how old i am.😂 Awesome remake.
When computers where a wonder.
I don't know how The Pet Shop Boys work, but if Chris came to me with this and said write some words it would not have been a hit single. Back then the duo were working magic together.
Love that 80’s music.
I was expecting the trumpet to not be accurate, but damn that sounds very close and good.
My partner listening in the room thought this was the original! Awesome job!
Maaaaan, that Bass always slaps hard, great Cover👌
I remember hearing the original while having a pie and a pint lunch in a local pub when working in the shipyard back in 1986... was ground breaking back then.. still sounds wonderful now... I remember producer Stephen Hague talking about bringing back major 7th chords into pop music and I guess that hit me at that time... all these instruments were so out of reach and it was jaw dropping to see the prices of all this gear at Syco Systems and Soho Soundhouse and the like...
I remember going to Soho as a student. Great fun!
I admire this kind of very precise work. I hope you will create other Instrumental tracks like that!
Much appreciated - it was a lot of work though, but it was a labor of love. I started on it in Jan and worked on it on and off until the end of March. I was considering (if there's interest) going through some of the PSB original studio (multitrack) tapes I have and dissecting them in great detail. Much less work. In the meantime, check out EstuaryMists channel, as he has some interesting stuff too.
@@Alex-bc7qi Looking forward to this...
You mentioned the trumpet was the hardest part to fully recreate faithfully, but it sounds pretty doggone good to me :) As a child of the 80s, I have probably heard the original hundreds of times over the years, but if I heard this instrumental I would likely never know it wasn't actually from the original. Great job!
Thanks! That trumpet part is an incredible performance to try and reproduce. It's so much more than just the notes. They're doing micro pitch bends and vibrato. Every trick in the book to keep it from stagnating and sounding robotic.
@@Alex-bc7qi I thought the original trumpet was played by a live musician?
Absolute masterpiece, you madlad. No one ever did it like this, you're the first in the world. Hats off to you, the accuracy is unbelievable.
Astonishingly accurate recreation. I cannot imagine how painstaking this must have been. Bravo Sir !
Dude, you nailed it. I love tinkering around with this stuff, but I can't imagine the sheer amount of work that went into this. It's waaaaayyy more complex than it sounds!
Impressive! One of my life long favorite songs that I never get tired of.
FANTASTIC re-creation! Well done!!
Great pleasure listening to this recreation and the rundown of the instrumentation! You hit it right on!
This is stunningly authentic.
I won't go into long stories but the instrumental version has emotional memories for me, and this recreation hits it, all the way! Now I need a moment to gather my thoughts.
Alex, that is absolutely phenomenal-this could be the “go to version” if somebody wanted to a vocal on top!!!
Amazing stuff
Fantastic job. I never get tired of this track. Of all the possible 80s tracks, this is the one which snaps me back to those happy times the instant I hear those Emulator strings
Absolutely FANTASTIC attention to nuance and detail. The real key to getting the song done so well. 👌
You have my respect. The dedication to recreate this one to one is amazing, it is almost indistinguishable from the original.
This is astonishingly faithful to the original. I love this song. It has this beautifully melancholy film score feel to it. It was revolutionary when it was released in my teens.
Incredible job. Respect.
to this day, these sounds are mind-blowing
Wow! Very impressive. The very first song I tried to re-create when I bought my first sequencer (Alesis MMT-8) as a teenager was “West End Girls”. All I had was a Yamaha TG-33 and a Roland S-10, so I didn’t get anywhere near as close as you, but it was great fun.
I had always assumed the trumpet was a real session trumpet player, not played on a synth/sampler. Very impressive playing.
Phenomenal man. spot on ! You did an amazing work here, big respect 👍
Was going to say, “Nice vocal removal app”, but clearly provides proof with stems at the end. Great work, man!
Outstanding work, Alex. This is note-perfect and just as crisp and smooth sounding as the original, even down to the little details. :D
This is freakin’ awesome 👏🏻 😎 you deserve a medal for this, utterly amazing, incredible and brilliant. Thank you. ❤❤❤
This really is the most accurate cover I’ve ever heard!
Fantastic sound - I really appreciate the effort you put into this and all the information you provided. Excellent work
Beautiful.. This is timeless.
It is so true to the original that it was identified exactly and caused the attribution to be flagged. Bravo!
Yeah, this is it! Well done and I like the details re: equipment etc. Hope work like this leads you a job in the industry.
A stupendous effort. Fantastic!
Greatest and wonderful re-creation!👍👏
Great work !!
I really enjoyed your version....... I can hear the background singers in my head as the stems scroll thru!!! Cheers
I love this cover. The most accurate recreation I've heard.
So accurate I was waiting for Neil Tennant's vocal to kick in.
That is outstanding production work. Spot on. Keep up the great work, I would love to hear some more from the 80’s Thanks!
Beyond first class! Absolutely fantastic! Well done, seriously awesome!
In this world of Rot, People like you are a blessing.
This track simply put is: FANTASTIC!
Bless you dear Sir. The duo would be proud to listen to this.
Looking forward to more ....
This is perfect 🤩 i think all the compliments possible fit here! Bravissimo! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Excellent, I can tell a lot of work has gone into this. But you have nailed it. You are obviously a Master of your Craft...
Every note, sound, sample is accurate! Amazing job!
This is frigging awesome
This is by far the best instrumental cover i've heard here on youtube, Much respect for your efforts. It needs a good ear as well. Well done, Alex.
You should and hopefully do feel proud of what you've accomplished. This sounds great!
It seemed good enough to share where others would enjoy listening and critiquing. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Awesome I was singing the lyrics as you played. Great work.
I never fully appreciated it at the time but what an awsome song, superbly created. Im a guitarist but I find it soo creative the sounds that they got, this and Peter Gabriel superb
Hard, hard work! Incredible! Many thanx for the background information (e.g. shaker) and this journey back.
Was waiting for that trumpet 🎺 👍
Fantastic, loving recreation of an an amazing song. Still get chills when I hear that intro, one of my all-time favourite songs, ever. Cracking job on this!
So brilliant version! Thumbs up!
I used to listen to the Pet shop Boys in London in 1984 when i was 12. Your sound is excellent!
Beautiful.
Very nice recreation mate! The trumpet is oh so close to the original. Crazy to think PSB's created the whole track pretty much with just an Emulator II and its factory sounds.
Wait - that trumpet wasn't a live musician??
Yeah. It was sampled straight into the emu possible. I don’t recall that trumpet being on the factory samples disk but I could be wrong. Either way, that trumpet still came out of the emu. Cheers.
Wow this must have taken some effort. That cowbell, trumpet, and just everything are spot on.
Wow!
Congrats!
Just simply perfect! Like the original!
Well done! Man, I was so in love with this song back in the day.
Excellent work
awesome stuff mate , and theres no other era like the 80s for music
I am blown away!
I would happily pay like $100 for a sample pack for TAL Sampler or Arturia Emulator II V just to play around for hours. I come back to this video all the time (thanks, o great RUclips algorithm)
This is sooooooo good!!!
Amazingly close to the original , very interesting to hear it split up like that as only ever hear it with the vocals
Excellent recreation my man! Flawless!
Beautiful. What a great job!!!
It's SO hard to precisely replicate the bass sound in West End Girls on any of my 20+ hardware vintage synthesizers. But you have managed to do it brilliantly. It's such a punchy, funky sound with a nice round tone and a bit of resonant schelch to make it more distinctive. You also did an amazing job with the sampled trumpet part. This adds so much organic beauty to the song. It really does sound remarkably close to a real trumpet player. And both the strings and choir sounds are absolutely classic in a sort of charming lo-fi way. I really want to get an Emulator E-II hardware sampler because it was used on so many classic 80s albums that I love from Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, and even ABC. But I just don't have space for another keyboard. And I'm now so accustomed to using multi-gigabyte software sampler instruments that it would be really hard to go back to the limited memory and unreliable and painfully slow floppy disc storage on the E-II. I'm better off using the TAL Sampler plugin in its E-II sampling mode than trying to get the real thing as much as I'd like to own an influential piece of hardware history.
Thanks for the kind words. I do still think I can get even closer than I have so far. I really want to nail the iconic chorus bass riff. There's a square wave component in there too. I've been playing around with a Jupiter 6 emulation (even though I have a real MKS-80 in the rack). We'll see how it goes. I'll take another crack at the trumpet part too, since I have a version where it's better isolated than before. I think it's fascinating to reverse engineer what they did.
That was awesome, congrats.
This is the best keyboard rendition of this song! 🔥🔥
Way beyond exceptional!!! Thank you for the listening experience.
Wow. I had to listen to that one twice.
Except for the 10.000 dollar production budget this is 100% spot on, nice one!
Great job 🎉! Recreating or at least finding the sounds of your favorite artist is both a rewarding pleasure as well as an extremly time consuming if not lifelong task. Ive been doing it myself with my fav 90 artist. So I know what it takes and have imho nailed lots of the sounds as well where none other comes close…but im not ready to share yet 😆
80s. Music. Like a fine wine. Just gets. Better. With. Age. 💫💥💫💥💫💥💥💫💥💫💥💫💫💥💫💥💫💫💥💫💥
When the algorithms put information about song under the description you know it's good job af
thanks for adding the choir preset stabs with the cowbell, most ppl just use the cowbell alone and it doesnt sound right
Such a good reproduction, the YT algorithm actually did a copyright strike!
Impressive.
👍🏻😎🇬🇧
This is the revival of the 80s.
Fantastic job! Thanks for the stems. Brilliant!
Excellent recreation. Congratulations...!!!
this is mad. bravo.
Wow superb
Hello Alex This sounds fabulous 🙂 To my ears and hearing this song since in my 20s in the 80s I feel you nailed it. Nice work!