Acceptable errors

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So what was the last time a hit record included an actual mistake? (And the people making it decided it sounded cooler than ProToolsing it over would?)

This inspired by reading Alan Pollack's annotation of the Beatles' "Rain," which points out that they totally screw up the end of the second verse, recover immediately, and keep going anyway. (Count it out: there's like two and a half extra beats.) Then going out and hearing the Mamas and the Papas' "I Saw Her Again," where John Phillips famously comes in too soon after the bridge. And "Sex Machine," where the keyboard solo surely has a couple of notes that weren't supposed to be there.

Anything more recent?

― Douglas, Monday, 31 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

A less recent one, but also famous: John Coltrane's "Giant Steps," where pianist Tommy Flanagan (who had no idea it was supposed to be that fast) stumbles badly a few times before Coltrane swoops in mid- chorus and rescues him.

― Douglas, Monday, 31 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Stranglers, "Nice'n'Sleazy" - that sound at the beginning of the kybd solo (results from plugging it in with the power already 'on' and the volume all the way up - a sound loved by all teenage basement guitar players' parents)

― dave q, Monday, 31 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Clapton plays too fast on the solos for "Crossroads"

Also the Mamas & Papas gun jumping thing is one of the best moments in music history.

― JM, Monday, 31 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

And Temptation Inside Your Heart is one GIANT fuck up all the way through.

Aw... somebody close the door...

― JM, Monday, 31 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

But none of these are post-1970! Surely there has to be _something_, _sometime_ in the last 30 years...

― Douglas, Monday, 31 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Help Me Rhonda by The Beach Boys, "Tried Betty Sue, Tried Betty Sue,"...

― Sterling Clover, Monday, 31 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Nice'n'Sleazy" is late 70s

― dave q, Tuesday, 1 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Last note played by the horns in Teardrop Explodes' "Reward" is famously duff.

"When they're duff, they really are fuckin' duff" - VGR to SPM.

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 1 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm pretty sure one of the songs on Love And Theft has Dylan stumbling over some words. I'll play it and try to spot it again.

― Tom, Tuesday, 1 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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