Les Paul: Chasing Sound! "Les and Mary"

[Rtmax45]

I have seen a video, but can't find it where Les has Mary singing, then he would throw a switch on his guitar and you would hear 2 Mary's. He did it again, and now you have 3 Mary's and so on. He was experimenting with overdubbing which today is no big deal, but back then-Wow. He helped deveoped the mixing board used in studios today. Richard Carpenter listened to him and Richard and Karen would overdub the backup singing to Karen's single singing.

[damnbigfish]

Les was a genius, to be sure. But to put things in perspective, when they talk about how fast he was playing....the tape was slowed down to record those super fast parts, when you speed the tape up it sounds faster. At 1:40 on the tape he is clearly not playig what you are hearing, which is a sped up guitar part. That he thought to DO that, was indeed genius, and fooled a generation of early TV watchers into thinking he could actually play that fast.

[BuddLightbrain]

Smokin!

[happyface4444]

les paul is the most important man in modern music.

[TheRebasMom]

I think they also recorded Seven Lonely Days, but don't see it here. Anyone has a copy he/she can post?

Thanks to everyone for sharing these great videos with us.

[sharrer2]

Anyone but me notice that Les Paul had a broken string on the black and white video parts?

[The2010SnowDay]

@sharrer2 I do see that, but it is there because when he was on tv, he would mime playing to his studio recording.

[sharrer2]

@The2010SnowDay :o Well thats understandable. With all the overdubbing and layering.

[SuperDuperSexySam]

R.I.P., Les. Where would modern music be without this man?

[puchalaka]

@SuperDuperSexySam

probably leo fender whould come up with the first electric guitar

[Geepsterr]

@puchalaka Love Les grew up on his 45's. Leo Fender did come up with the first production solid body about '47 but Rickenbacker put magnetic pickups on a solid body back in the 20's (albeit slide ), so it was bound to happen . Also the Ampex 3 tracks were being made in the 50's. Now dig this: Disney had proprietary 9 track recording in the 1930's & noise reduction. Now listen to the munchkins sing and the song that plays as Dorothy arrives in the Emerald City, sounds like another planet too.

[Record208]

Les Paul était un génie et un chic type qu'on pouvait facilement approcher.

J'ai eu la chance de le renconter.

[TheRebasMom]

@Record208 Quelle bonne chance!

[navazguitar]

Mary was a very fine guitarist. Too bad she didn't get her guitar recorded much.

[ibstarmagic]

Great information! Thanks!

[daniel01az]

Maybe its my age, but I love these two. They made music like no others. Les Paul invented multi-track recording,which they did in their home, in the basement , the bathroom, the hall, wherever gave them the best sound.

[brabon1]

not age

look at vids of paul's concerts

all ages represented

good music is good music

[aarfeld]

@brabon1: And every Rock musician worth his salt takes his hat off to Les Paul and acknowledges his tremendous influence.

[alienhuman]

The love of magical talent is not restricted by age.

[PatrickSebastian]

You'll be missed.

[livepunx]

HANDS DOWN TO A LEGEND !!!

[redmustang03]

Rest in Piece Les. This man was the Leonardo DeVinci of Modern Music.

[WD40W]

Rest In Peace...Lester William Polfus...Vaya Con Dios...

[bobbeth6]

When I heard of Les's passing, I just had to look up this video. He was a legend that gave so much to the music world and music lovers both in terms of his artistic virtuosity and technical genius. I know that somewhere there's heaven, and that he and Mary are serenading the Saints tonight. How high the Moon?

[jimmymiata]

a tribute to a genius

[rockinredneck57]

RIP Les Paul. You may be gone but your sound will live on forever. Every time soneone records multitrack, there's Les. Any time a rocker screams lead with a cutaway guitar, there's Les Paul.

[stevenstreets3]

RIFF IN PEACE LES

Thats how a musician shops for an apartment . I'm a vocalist and I don't live anywhere until I check out the sound in the shower. cant believe this had only one star 5 stars from me on this day LES PAUL DAY. All great musicians are remembered from the day they leave lifes stage.

[newsnetuk]

Did you see those big smiles at the end of the song? They were thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was not just great - it was FUN!

[evelskunny]

why would he.

[angelcitynut]

Ive always wondered if Les owns an old Strat and Tele?

[minibikedude04]

yeah, he would really enjoy not getting the sound he invented.

Strats are twangy and loud,

the les paul is jazzy and mellow,

just what he needs for.. well haha

JAZZ

[callasexperience]

cant believe he use a late 30's EH150 Gibson amp

[hitdawg555]

i think its impossible 2 not like les paul

[fromthesidelines]

"Tiger Rag" was their first big hit of 1952...

[dburr13]

When Les Paul hit the scene it must have seemed like outer space music to those who had grown up with the big bands...Les Paul took music to a whole new dimension...

[milopeng1942]

Had an inkling of how Les and Mary did it but to see the process in motion is just mind boggling. Thanks for this posting. ANDY Singapore

[kboyzrock]

One of the original rock and roll duets, great videos I've never seen before, nostalgic to the max!

[OldDogNewTrick]

So good to see this.

Whe this first came out, I could only hear it on radio as we did not have TV until aboout 1955.

(no YouTube either :-)

[alvareza]

amazing

[trainweck]

This show should win a Emmy for editing. Great job.