Silence in song

Prolly not what you're looking for, but I always felt the total silence--pure audio silence as opposed to just not playing--about 40 seconds in NIN's "Wish" was pretty dramatic and cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68KxXeeHXHk

Beach Boys' Party! was meant as a fun album created without a single, because Wilson was readying "The Little Girl I Once Knew" for single release concurrently with the album.

The new single's inventive use of silence was disliked by radio programmers, causing "The Little Girl I Once Knew" to stop at US #20. The last track of Party!, a cover of The Regents's "Barbara Ann" was promptly issued as a single, and became a #2 smash in early 1966.

if you're just talking about songs that have a break of silence in them, there's the breeders 'cannonball', beastie boys 'sabotage' and stone roses 'i am the resurrection'.. but i suspect this is not what you actually mean?

haha electricsound, i'm not even sure i know what i'm looking for...
i do this class called 'CFI' (centre for ideas), and it's the biggest load of shit- everything's so vague and frustrating!

i shall check all those suggestions out, thanks heaps guys.

"Oh stars come out tonight. And shine so very bright. I love someone. (most elegant pause in popular music history) Thank god I love someone."

From Chic's "When You Love Someone."

And gawd, practically every song off X's Wild Gift.

One of my favourite uses of silence is "One more tug on the heartstrings" by Butterfly Child. The song is a happy love song and goes on for about three minutes, then goes down to the singer arpeggioing on an acoustic guitar and it slows to a stop. And you think "Well, that was a good song", silence for about five seconds. And then BANG the whole band come crashing back in, happier and more joyous than ever, leading to a sort of communal "Hey Jude" style fade out.

Might be tricky to find at such short notice, but that dramatic silent pause is everything.

In "What?" by A Tribe Called Quest, increasingly long silent breaks (one measure, two measures, etc.) build up to a long break called for by the line: "Chill for a minute, Doug E. Fresh said, 'Silence.'"

"Sofa Head" the Bonzo Dog Band.

Holds a silence, then Viv Stanshall speaks: "Silence.. is appropriate, and it will remain..... appropriate"

It sounds like it was made for this.

i've always thought the pause in inxs never tear us apart was veery cool though i'm no fan . note the third anticipated third pause filled in with strings (to minimal effect)

i've always thought the pause in inxs never tear us apart was veery cool though i'm no fan . note the third anticipated third pause filled in with strings (to minimal effect)

The pause in INXS' New Sensation is much better. And I'm no fan.

A fair bit of Dubstep uses split seconds of silence very effectively, this for example.

Not really a 'song' you can perform, though.

Check out "One Step Inside Doesn't Mean You'll Understand" by The Notwist. The intro uses silence to wonderful effect.

what no John Cage

I thought there was a split-second silent gap in The Pilot, by The Notwist, that I was going to mention. Very dramatic use of space. I think there's some stray soung that ripples through the silence, tho.

(sort of xp)

Urg. "Sound," not "soung."

There's a perfect pause in R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts."

Course, Radiohead's Just has a great empty bar (almost) at 2.23, just before the guitar solo. For excellent micro-silences, I'd recommend the opening beats (actually around 1.50, after a long sound-collage intro) of Vit from Lifeforms by The Future Sound of London.

Speaking of Radiohead, Nude has two wonderfully deployed silences.

Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) has got a great pause.

Graham Fellows (as Brian Appleton) has a fantastic explanation for that one.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/brian_appleton/2007/10/would_johnny_be_good.html

"Automatic" by the Go-Go's

I don't know if the L.L. Cool J version does this, but the Too Much Joy cover of "That's a Lie" has a break.

"That's the last lie, cuz now this song is done. (long pause) That's a lie!"

Fugazi Smallpox Champion

Like, half of all Fugazi songs.

Art ensemble of Chicago.

Not very contemporary tho.

My favorite: the extended pause in Spiritualized's "Let it Flow" right before the big bass surge comes in. Chills every time..

( ) and you're a prima ballerina on a spring .... aft-er-noon....

what no John Cage

-- Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 8 April 2008 18:19 (5 days ago)

haha apparently that was 'too obvious'...

thanks again everyone, your suggestions have really helped!

The Pet Shop Boys - 'Heart'

That's got a great silence/false ending in it, innit.