One of my all-time faves - Cal's divine vocals and a wonderfully understated Norman Whitfield production.

BUT what is that instrument producing the chords at the beginning and 0.37 +1.14 + 2.09?

I just can't my head round it.

MB

Yeah nice track - I'd say the instrument is an electric guitar - but could be wrong.

A twelve string guitar.

Just a plain old electric guitar (It goes slightly out of tune by the end of the song). Sounds like a solid with single coil pick ups, so I'd guess it's a Fender, probably a Telecaster. It also sounds completely 'dry', which suggests that it was plugged directly into the board rather than running through an amplifier first.

Just a plain old electric guitar (It goes slightly out of tune by the end of the song). Sounds like a solid with single coil pick ups, so I'd guess it's a Fender, probably a Telecaster...

What colour?

Red. Absolutely red. All guitars were red in those days.

Actually that last bit's not true.

And to be honest, the first bit's probably not true either.

In fact listening again, it sounds like a plain wood finish.

Sorry, that's bullshirt too.

I'll stop now.

Its definitely an electric guitar with a less harsh version of the sound found on many Detroit records. In conversation with Ronnie McNeir a few years ago, he called the sound "the chinks"... and thats exactly what that Detroit sound is all about, be it mild (you can hear alll the strings albeit very quickly in succession) or in the harshest form where all the strings are struck with such force that they seem as just one complete sound. Good ole Ronnie, he's the only one to ever have made sense of the sound of Detroit!!!!

I think it's a guitar and piano playing in unison.

Delroy Egg Mason often used cut-down piano strings on his guitar.

perhaps this practice had wider use than just Delroy Egg Mason.

Its definitely an electric guitar with a less harsh version of the sound found on many Detroit records. In conversation with Ronnie McNeir a few years ago, he called the sound "the chinks"... and thats exactly what that Detroit sound is all about, be it mild (you can hear alll the strings albeit very quickly in succession) or in the harshest form where all the strings are struck with such force that they seem as just one complete sound. Good ole Ronnie, he's the only one to ever have made sense of the sound of Detroit!!!!

great insight, always wondered what those detriot guitar stabs were called

Electric Banjo

mandolin?

what about a melodica, which has a keyboard, but you produce the sound by blowing into it,

so it also sounds a bit like a harmonica.

sure I saw something on here about it.

kev

Hiya..yeah, the guitar's a bit out of tune, think the chords are G and Cmaj7 though...

Lots of sharps, flats and maj7 chord shapes involved if you strum 6Ts soul sounds on a guitar..a capo helps as well, if you're a poor guitarist, like me.

If anyone has cracked the chord progressions to their fave records, please let me know :-)

That lick in The Ethics' 'I Want My Baby Back'......it's bloody awesome that is!

Heh. The basic chords are simple enough, but I'm danged if I can work out what inversions he's using. This could take a little time...