Robert Johnson-Terraplane Blues-85% Speed

[Pandemonium44]

This slowed down version can't be right, he sounds like 80 when he actually was 20-something. I don' even understand why people want to "get the right speed" when it already sounds wonderful the way it is.

[ramisabongui]

thanks. i find his voice more natural here. it puts the guitar at down one semitone, which makes sense. its amazing how different it sounds.

[tacitus2244]

slowed down to much try slowing it 95% speed

[MrDaugharty]

I need to find a job in this industry.

[TopppieJopppie]

lol, he sounds like he had been smoking for 200 years like this. Don't be all conspiracy on his ass and leave it at normal speed ^^

[ihaveallseeingeyes]

O my god, the voice of devil

[MrWadestar]

No that could not be the right speed, his voice was said to haunting that is not, and his guitar work would cut heads on the corner this would not.

[MichaelSeanHarrell]

i don't give a shit what speed you play his music.he is still one of the greatest musicians to walk the face of the earth PERIOD!.i love his style and have since i first heard his recordings.and i love what FOGHAT did with it also!.its great music !plain and simple.get off the damn computer every once in a while ,stop analyzing it to death and JUST ENJOY IT.chew on that .

[CoonMike]

His voice sounds more real here...I would know...I was a voice major for three years.

[TheMottSlutz]

@CoonMike 0:08-0:14

[jplent]

Doesn't sound right.

[UncleErnie71]

This sounds terrible. People and their crazy theories.

[Claptonisgod1991]

This definitely too slow. Sounds even more "unnatural" than the original version to me. The voice sounds like it's coming from like a 50 year old, not a 26 year old. Just my opinion

[vinylrecordcollector]

This sounds right to me. The guitar actually sounds like a guitar here. In the official release, it doesn't sound natural. It sounds like a friggin' ukulele. Also, his voice here doesn't sound unnatural like it's been slowed down too much. It still sounds human.

[AndrewP222]

No. No,no,no, no...and no!

[MrSoulman26]

@blueflame2 As far you being able to hear the lyrics, I think that falls into the same category as everyone wanting him to sound like a "traditional blues player", when actually he's a young 27 year old coming towards the end of acoustic blues and just bringing younger perspective to it..no different than Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix etc...

[MrSoulman26]

@blueflame2 Still not enough evidence to support that they sped it up...only 11 records were released while he was alive, so your to say they sped up all thirty some takes...I highly doubt that, there's also been a new release where you can hear him practicing a guitar piece, sounds the same to me

[caesarcerf]

no way is this the right speed

[1voyher1]

nice idea maybe 93% would sound better - a true classic of the genre

[mloaks]

Vocalion always sped up 78s.

[MrSoulman26]

There's too many facts to list to support that this is NOT how he sounded,but friends and people who knew him have said he sounded the same on record as he did in person, and being only 26 and somewhat small that's a big bass voice coming out of him, and let's not forget that the guitar playing is not natural either...Thank you for playing, please try again

[SuPPaSkoT]

Ok.... NOW it sounds natural. The original always sounded speeded up. The guitar has more depth to it.

[MrSoulman26]

Theres no way this is normal speed, his singing sounds unnatural...I think people like it for the fact that it's probably easier for them to play along with this than at original speed.

[blueflame2]

@MrSoulman26 Nah I heard some parts of the lyrics that I had been gettin wrong for decades. So I think what you hear on vinyl is the result of the limits of the technology that they had at the time.....Making a digital recording of a guitar player can be a nightmare cause the sound is so clean. So clean that any nuance or flaws in the dudes technique stand out......I mean you keep hearing this clicking noise...Is it the PC or the equipment...No its the musician making wasted motions and such

[karpopper]

nothing is lost

he's still great

guitar sounds more natural

can you buy box set at 85%

[OfficialArmonist]

@karpopper There's a website that offers a CD at 95% or 90% I believe, but it's only available from the UK. There is no current offer of the box set at 85% or any other speed besides the standard.

[IgorTerrible]

Get a life you guys...what next, String Quartet/Salsa/Electronic versions of his songs, a Gibson 'RJ' Limited Edition Guitar, perhaps an 'undiscovered' auto-biography? You are slowly turning a wonderful musician's legacy into a meaningless cult show for the ignorant masses- how about a "Robert Johnson uses 'Hellhound whiskey' bottlenecks" endorsement? Robert Johnson Sights Guided Tours, the possibilities are endless. Yeh, it's a real shame he didn't make digital holograms of himself either!

[TheBarryNoVa]

the label Johnson was recording for had a history of speeding up the tracks they recorded to make them more exciting.so this probably isnt to far of.for some reason i think it sounds to deep but thats just me probably.its such a pity that theres no raw footage of Mr Johnson playing on film.but hay atleast we got his songs and his legend.

[blardosplats]

@TheBarryNoVa

The label he was recording for had a history of speeding up tracks? What label would that be?

[TheBarryNoVa]

@blardosplats "the common consensus among musicologists is that we been listening to Johnson at least 20% too fast;" i.e. "the recordings were accidentally sped up when first committed to 78 [rpm] or else were sped up to make them more exciting."Cohn, who won a Grammy for the labels reissue of Johnsons work "acknowledges a possibility Johnsons 36-37 recordings were sped up since the OKeh/Vocalion family of labels, which originally issued them was notorious for altering the speed of its releases.

[TheBarryNoVa]

@blardosplats also whats up with not being able to see your channel?

[w0rdisbond]

did johnson really play a 12 string? explains he fuller sound i suppose

[rokarolla]

I think you're on to something but I can't get out from under the subjectivity of it. No science behind it. Without checking my guitar I am playing it in the key of G as you have it here, pitched down by 15%.

[TheOneartist]

I'd say the remastered Centennial Collection pretty much disproves this, where you can hear his voice very clearly and it sounds natural. They even found the original metal parts for a few of his songs.

[fatschlamp1]

...this slowed-down theory and the devil tuning thesis are what you get from white males with too much time on their hands and a computer...

...i also suspect that a lot of it has to do with a desire to deny the skill of robert johnson - as though it must be the speeding up that makes him so good...

...the secret of robert johnson is, however, no secret - it's simply practise and hard work and, unfortunately, you cant download that...

[OfficialArmonist]

@fatschlamp1

I in now way deny Robert Johnson's skill. He was a master, a genius. He could hear a song once and play it back to you. My primary reason for slowing the songs down was to make his VOICE deeper, not his playing slower, and that's what the article that led me to do this experiment was talking about. I also do not believe that he sold his soul. He practiced with Ike Zimmerman until he got good, then he blew his friends away.

[w0rdisbond]

@fatschlamp1 yeah, i know, too bad your a racist cunt, tho, like every white dude thinks the same.. your moms a whore

[BlueNumberBlues]

@fatschlamp1 , way to bring racism into it. You prly think OJ was innocent.

[DocFrobnitz]

@fatschlamp1 People are still trying to figure out why Stradivari violins sound so good. Do they seek to deny the amount of genius and hard work that went into each violin? No, they recognize and respect that genius and hard work. Some even work hard to develop genius of their own, and they *still* don't know why the greats are so great.

The "white males with too much time on their hands" theory lets people feel better about themselves without them having to actually *do* anything.

[tony1234872]

I found out that records were played at 78% speed in the 30's, so if someone could edit this please do. The sound sounds a bit iffy too on this one.

[TheOneartist]

@tony1234872 You're thinking of 78rpm. That's different. All of Johnson's recordings were transferred from vinyl (or metal parts, depending on the songs) played at 78rpm.

Currently, vinyl plays at either 45 rpm for singles or 33 1/3 rpm for albums.

This video has it wrong and the new remastered collection I'd say disproves the theory that his songs were sped-up.

[XKAHAN1]

Happy Hundreth Birthday, Mr. Johnson - 8 May 2011

You inspired so many.....Clapton, Keith, and so many more to chop wood with their axes. But mostly, you inspired me cause I know you didn't make a deal but rather worked your ass off.......no shortcuts. Thanx Pops.

[voxampcraigslist]

I think this can't be true. There's a video somewhere on here where a guy finds one of robert's old girlfriends, and plays her a song robert recorded for her. Don't you think that she would recognize the voice of the man she was in love with?

[steinsteel]

HE DID NOT play at this tempo.You can hear in the sound of the guitar and the voice that its TOO slow.The original recording might have been a little to fast but not this slow.I been slowing down records for years to play by ear and you can hear when a record is too slow or too fast.It has to do with natural sounds.Roberts Voice dont sound Natural at all on this slowed down version

[w0rdisbond]

@steinsteel i agree that at times it is pretty obviously demon-sounding but the rest is pretty convincing aswell.

at the very least, the man sounded great even slowed down or sped up =P

[Calumsmusic]

@steinsteel you took the words right out of my mouth. i had never heard this theory before, but i have to say Robert Johnson slowed down just sounds like Robert Johnson slowed down, it's not the actual speed at all, primarily you can hear it in his voice, but yes, also his playing.

[blardosplats]

This is how Leadbelly sang his way out of prison.

[OfficialArmonist]

@blardosplats Great artist. He's one of the best 12 string players ever, in my opinion.

[blardosplats]

@OfficialArmonist Amen about Leadbelly. I'm not sure about the Robert Johnson sped up / Robert Johnson slowed down thing.

I guess in some ways, this sounded to me a litle like Leadbelly. Maybe it's not the tempo, it's the feeling, which is where I and a lot of shred-happy fellow guitarists part ways.

I'm just sayin'.

[OfficialArmonist]

@blardosplats Oh I know what you mean, I got a friend who is great at fast riffs and stuff, but it doesn't matter how fast it is if there's emotion in it.

[PennsyltuckyBucky]

This can give you some cool sounds. Try slowing down Doc Watson until he sounds like Lightnin...love it!

[OfficialArmonist]

@PennsyltuckyBucky Sounds good! Might have to try that!

Thanks for the comment. :)

[deltabluesdavidraye]

Come on people ,this whole business is bullshit, i think some would like it if this were true but anyone with ears can tell this is way to slow the guitar has to much sustain . Besides johnny shines would have noticed the difference.Ask david honeyboy edwards,he can straighten this horsecrap out.,If it was slower it would make it easier for all the rest to play at speed,wishful thinkin but not true.

[fragfoo]

too slow -_-

[Odin029]

I just can't buy the slowed down business. Muddy Waters and others had heard RJ in person and they never remarked that the recorded voice didn't sound like him or that he played slower. They would have known. Plus you wouldn't speed up old Son House recordings to compare. You'd have to SLOW them down too. Slowed down RJ isn't even a good blues man let alone an influential one. Trust your ears and not your fingers. I'd like to slow down Django Reinhardt too, but there's film of him playing. Darn

[Pakanahymni]

Someone said they were recorded at 74 rpm and played at 78 rpm. According to that, they should be played at 95% speed.

[PrecisionTieDye]

I like it slower better, as old as it is this may well have been how he really did the music.

[DeltaDregs]

A 440 was not agreed upon until the mid 30's.

A once was abut 435.

So how does that add in?

Look it up.

[Natsukir]

ZEPのTrampled Underfootの元ネタ

[BrunoJazzmanLeicht]

Yep, that's definitely too low.

[outlawcountryman]

its amazing to step further back and listen to those who influnced the greats.

[OfficialArmonist]

@outlawcountryman Yep!

[Hoopermazing]

@outlawcountryman I disagree with your implication that those who ripped off Robert Johnson, rather than Robert Johnson himself, were/are "the greats." ...not to mention your spelling.

[outlawcountryman]

@Hoopermazing Dude if you're going to be a grammar nazi fuck you, but i respect you're opinion musically.

[SavantSvant]

Thanks for this!

[johnnymccrowe]

i hope this wasnt the speed of the original recording, the guitar sounds fine but the vocal sounds laboured and dragging, the vocal inflections dont sound right, the "whoo" at around 2:09 dont have enough pep, also remember he was only about 27 or so when he died, he sounds 20 years older then that on these slowed down versions, im not saying this is right, who knows? but the rereleased double cd sounds like a party, this all sounds like a drag imho

[Hoopermazing]

@johnnymccrowe A guitarist, or pianist for that matter, with Marfan syndrome doesn't need to speed up anything. Their health problems are unfortunate, but their hands give them an unfair musical advantage.

[johnnymccrowe]

@Hoopermazing i have 2 family members suffering from marfan, they are shit on the guitar

[Hoopermazing]

@johnnymccrowe Having Marfan syndrome doesn't magically make you a good musician. But, if you are a musician, having those super long ridiculously flexible fingers is definitely (or as they say on the Internet, definately) an advantage.

[johnnymccrowe]

@Hoopermazing not sure what any of this has to do with my original post saying that i think these slowed down versions of robert johnson are horseshit

[Hoopermazing]

@johnnymccrowe You said that you hope this wasn't the actual recording speed. I was asserting that it probably wasn't and offering the observation that someone with hands like Robert Johnson's would have no problem playing very nimbly whilst fingering chords that might seem humanly impossible.

[badsquirrel987]

Inspiration for Zep's "Trampled Underfoot"

[OfficialArmonist]

@badsquirrel987 Good song.

[KLthebig]

yes

[multisonus]

Well done, sounds about right.

[Billinois78]

I'd like to hear this at 90. That might be more like it.

Thanks for doing this though.

[OfficialArmonist]

@Billinois78 No problem.

[app1frl]

@OfficialArmonist how about 100???

[thestarrover79]

@OfficialArmonist I'm a musician (like everyone on here probably) and listening to the way he rolls the strings and tapping the guitar, I agree 90 sounds pretty close to ...

[nzoneaffe]

But he wrote the songs perfectly for the shellac, and so the songs must be shorter then 3min

[Ackkie]

Thank you for your post. I agree that LPs' and CDs' sound of most pre-war blues have been distorted by wrongly too fast playing of the original SP discs .

Well, I have two questions :

1) Is it your instinct that gave you an idea to slow down the conventional versions, did other YouTube posts hint you or did you read any article on this issue?

2) How did you decide the playing speed of your versions? Depend on your intuition or did you use any specific method?

Regards from Japan,

[OfficialArmonist]

@Ackkie

1. I read an article. I listened to a few of their samples, but to me it was not slowed down enough, so I got Transcribe! and played with it. I later found Winamp and installed a plug-in that allows you to change speed and pitch.

2. I just listened to it at different speeds until it sounded right to me. I use around 85 %, which may or may not be close to the original speed, but it sounds more natural to me, especially when the guitar gets fast.

Thank you.

[jakevilletramp]

I like this too. It is like a new version. ha ha......

[sirkickbutt1]

This is absolutely awesome! I've been a fan since I first laid ears on him in 1986...Now I want to hear all 29 songs this way! Re: for example, the comment that "records were often sped up" with the idea that they would sell more, can anyone give a source for that info? There is also a great slow version on Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings' "Slidewinder" CD (J. L. Hooker, lead vocals).

[OfficialArmonist]

@sirkickbutt1 If you want to hear them slower, there's a music player you can download called Winamp, then you can download a patch that allows you to change the pitch and speed. Thanks for the info man!

[AMERICANBUS]

a little too slow....redo it at 90.....good effort though

[supernaut342]

I think the vocals are more proving of this being closer to the "actual" speed.  To my ears, something always bugged me about his vocals, and this seems WAY more natural. I think it's particularly clear when he reaches for the high notes in this version- much more dynamic than in the allegedly "sped up" version that are predominant.

[washtubjohn]

I wonder if Robert's guitar was tuned standard, on the original recordings? Hopefully he, or someone else, used a tuning fork or some other method to get it right. If so, the slowed down version, if it is now being played at the correct speed should conform to some standard tuning method.

[OfficialArmonist]

@washtubjohn There are a lot of different theories on that one. One is that Robert tuned with his harmonica.. most tablature out there has him playing in various open or drop tunings, but there's a man named Gene Roebuck who invented the CrossGuitar System and developed a tuning called 'devil tuning' which allows you to play all of Robert's songs without tuning to six different open tunings and only returning one or two strings. I guess we'll never know for sure.

[harpman1876]

@OfficialArmonist Can you tell me the source for the comment by the alleged girlfriend, please? I haven't heard or read that before. Thank you.

[OfficialArmonist]

@harpman1876 Wait, scratch that statement. I've been looking for the source and I must have misread it. It says she DIDN'T mention his voice sounding unnatural. I don't know how I made that connection. I'm sorry.

[OfficialArmonist]

@OfficialArmonist So I guess now there is no evidence. Just what you like I guess. Oh well.

[cuvtixo]

I like it better at slow speed, and the music more clearly fits the Delta Blues tradition this way. Maybe the Devil was in the recording studio? ;)

[OfficialArmonist]

@cuvtixo You never know..

[harpman1876]

Way too slow. Also, one would think that Robert Lockwood Jr., Johnny Shines, or Honeyboy Edwards would have said something along the way about this.

[Trapar137]

Cool, much bluesier and better sounding. Thanks for posting.

[OfficialArmonist]

@Trapar137 No problem.

[willwelsh816]

@Trapar137 well....it's not like the original wasnt bluesy or anything...

[weevil3582]

slower means 30 additional seconds of robert johnson, and there's nothin wrong with that.

[OfficialArmonist]

@weevil3582 I like the way you think.

[Richayy63]

though this does sound real johnson could have had a high voice as he was a pretty small guy so the faster version is probably real

[OfficialArmonist]

There's really no way to know, but I don't think he was a small guy, that's why I use the photo he took in the booth as opposed to the publicity shot; the photos may have been tampered with, as he looks unnaturally thin in the publicity shot, but much more broad here.

[diamondbackseye]

If this is the real speed, then you have to consider that maybe all of Johnson's music is sped up. It very well could be...His meter is all over the place sometimes (in some of his songs)...being sped up would make that all the more obvious. I always wondered why his voice seemed so much higher than other bluesman...listening to Terraplane at this speed, his voice kind of sounds like Muddy Waters.

[OfficialArmonist]

I think you can understand him alot better at a slower speed and with the pitch lowered. His high voice sounds unnatural after you listen to it played like this. The guitar also sounds more realistic.

[idiotequeiceage]

No matter the speed, Robert Johnson was the greatest.

[maxzaxe217]

I understand what your saying, but to me it just sounds more real at 85% but I too also like the record version and thats the way I learned to play the song,all I do know is that when they transfered that the song very rarely came out the way it was played only Robert and recording engineers know for sure that I know of.

[Garret00074]

I've heard the theory...but it sounds a bit flat...

but more like Charley Patton for sure...

[psychoman50]

i think this is pretty cool...do his eyes look sorta red in this picture or is it just my computer?

[OfficialArmonist]

Hmm I dunno. They do look sorta red don't they?

[maxzaxe217]

I think your right it sounds more real than the record, even his voice sounds better.

[OfficialArmonist]

I think so too. More feeling.

[Garret00074]

Naw...his voice is much better on the faster version...and it's much more a frenetic experience..

This sounds much more like Charley Patton...

I think the faster recording is right...

[ddgregoryy]

thought it was just me then i found out JohnPeel used to do it too !

[OfficialArmonist]

Cool!

[ddgregoryy]

Try ''Teenage Kicks'' at 33 & 3rd R.P.M. it's great !

[mybaracudda]

It is a bit slow but a lot of those recordings of early blues were recorded and then sped up to make them more "lively" in order to sell them.

[MrMudneck]

oh hell ya baby give me fire.

[DVDA007]

nah too slow

[RagtimeDorianHenry]

85 °/° no I don't think,

but 94 °/° yes maybe .