This is brilliant. It was all hi-tech in those days; now it looks like a spoof. Having said that, Horn and Lipson did amazing things with Frankie Goes to Hollywood and ABC.
I have the CD Single of Snobbery & Decay and in fact this video clip from when it originally aired. For me, this is one of the most catchiest songs of the 80's, sincere thanks for uploading this clip Michthoo!
It's all about the 'sound' - any Lipson Trevor Horn production is distinguishable by it's attention to the sound - almost more so than the song itself. Just listen to the early Dollar stuff, ABC's Lexicon of Love, Yes' 90125, Frankie, Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm etc. They all SOUND fantastic.
I've seen a few of these clips about Sarm in the 80s and everyone seems to love smoking around the desk. Almost makes me want to start smoking Benson's again!
... back in the days when Brücken could just swan into Sarm West and have Lipson, Mendelsohn, Hague, Horn, the Kickhorns et al., and have unlimited studio-time and expensive videos...
Unlimited studio-time.... which is all being charged back to the artist (this is always the case)! I don't think much money was spent on the Act videos compared to other bands...
They both have a distinct sound. I prefer the NED myself (even though I will never be able to afford one-even used these days) it was the quintessential digital synth IMHO. So many great soundtracks were scored on these.
Oh Happy days - I remember that time very well , when it was hip to drink black coffee late at night in the clubs, Karl Lagerfeld had a new fragrance and a new drug called " Cadillac" hit the scene ( MDMA)
"more power in a decent soundcard". This comment shows just how little you know about the Synclavier, and why composers such as Mark Snow, Gary Chang, and Eddie Jobson still use it to this day.
The sound that trevor and steve made 20 yrs ago does still holds up today in quality but new tech' like Ableton and Apples Logic make it easy to produce high quality multi-trax in one package,even at home.The power is always in the producers hands,even today,look at timbaland,xeomania,dallas austin etc these producers do all the work/creativity and the "stars" reap the fame.ZTT shafted alot of bands like claudias with poor contracts that made no money for them.
When Steven demonstrated how to delay the snare drum, I laughed a little. He demonstrated the opposite of what you can do to speed up the drive, namely by bringing the snare/clap forward.
The Synclavier had the cleaner sound and more possabilities, which was wanted in thoses days, if you could afford one and also a tech who could kept it running. Today 8-bit the hottest s***
Sure, a new PC might be able to DO more, but not with the same detail and quality of sound or with the same build specs. Go back to smoking your hash, man. Show me an application, for a PC, (and I'm saying application NOT the something like the Kyma system) that can perform the additive resynthesis and timbre window functions - you can't.
This is brilliant. It was all hi-tech in those days; now it looks like a spoof. Having said that, Horn and Lipson did amazing things with Frankie Goes to Hollywood and ABC.
what an amazing stuff...and document of it´s time!!
I've got this on VHS somewhere. You legend for posting this up.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Excellent video! Snobbery & Decay is one of the best songs of all time, this video is highly interesting!!
Oh my word... How awesome is Claudia Brücken?
I have the CD Single of Snobbery & Decay and in fact this video clip from when it originally aired. For me, this is one of the most catchiest songs of the 80's, sincere thanks for uploading this clip Michthoo!
"Come back in a fortnight" so British 🎹🎶🇬🇧
This is incredible! Act are so brilliant yet obscure, I never imagined anything like this was out there. Can't thank you enough.
I've been looking for this for years
I just saw this guy on YT live interview that ended 5 mins ago and they brought up this interview
It's all about the 'sound' - any Lipson Trevor Horn production is distinguishable by it's attention to the sound - almost more so than the song itself. Just listen to the early Dollar stuff, ABC's Lexicon of Love, Yes' 90125, Frankie, Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm etc. They all SOUND fantastic.
You are right about the Sound, but all the acts you mention have great songs as well.....
heh heh... this is awesome - I love the voice samples.
Excellent! Thank you for uploading! :-)))
Stephen is Genius!
This is actually a clip from BBC's Tomorrow's World. I bought Act music on the back of it...
Propaganda, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones, Act, Annie Lennox... he produced many of my all Time favourite Artists.
I've seen a few of these clips about Sarm in the 80s and everyone seems to love smoking around the desk. Almost makes me want to start smoking Benson's again!
Act balance sheets: Recording/Production costs = £22,000, video production cost = £21,000, record sales and income = £45.60
but result was priceless
thanks for doing the math
... back in the days when Brücken could just swan into Sarm West and have Lipson, Mendelsohn, Hague, Horn, the Kickhorns et al., and have unlimited studio-time and expensive videos...
Unlimited studio-time.... which is all being charged back to the artist (this is always the case)!
I don't think much money was spent on the Act videos compared to other bands...
I was ready for Stephen to say "Time to Die"
Is it just me that he looks like Leon?
Oh, and what a legend producer.....
They both have a distinct sound. I prefer the NED myself (even though I will never be able to afford one-even used these days) it was the quintessential digital synth IMHO. So many great soundtracks were scored on these.
Oh Happy days - I remember that time very well , when it was hip to drink black coffee late at night in the clubs, Karl Lagerfeld had a new fragrance and a new drug called " Cadillac" hit the scene ( MDMA)
"more power in a decent soundcard".
This comment shows just how little you know about the Synclavier, and why composers such as Mark Snow, Gary Chang, and Eddie Jobson still use it to this day.
I've wondered what Stephen looked like since I saw his name on Annie Lennox's solo albums. :)
Yes - what's the synth in the background that Lipson refers to? i.e. not the Synclavier? It's footprint is really quite impressive... Anyone?!
Oberheim Matrix-12
Sorry being 3 years later ... It is an Oberheim Matrix 12
@@NeilVanceNeilVance Awesome, now eight years later I finally know and can sleep again : )
Anyone know what Buffalo Stance by Neneh Cherry was programmed on?
Quite likely using an Atari ST with a sampler
@@jaycee1980 Akai samplers I seem to recall.
Yeah, I can tell he doesn't like to blink that much.
One other thing - Steve Lipson seems to have a demonic stare in this interview.
The sound that trevor and steve made 20 yrs ago does still holds up today in quality but new tech' like Ableton and Apples Logic make it easy to produce high quality multi-trax in one package,even at home.The power is always in the producers hands,even today,look at timbaland,xeomania,dallas austin etc these producers do all the work/creativity and the "stars" reap the fame.ZTT shafted alot of bands like claudias with poor contracts that made no money for them.
Its a shady music business without no proper management
Anybody know what Synth that is?
+Darron Edwards Oberheim Matrix 12 - a beauty! :)
+scoobyben cheers man 👍
I was gonna give this a 9/10 but the ponytail gets a 1 - 10/10.
Mac is just a terminal for Synclavier. It has nothing to do with the creation of sound.
When Steven demonstrated how to delay the snare drum, I laughed a little. He demonstrated the opposite of what you can do to speed up the drive, namely by bringing the snare/clap forward.
Howard Stableford LOL!
I prefer the FAIRLIGHT CMI to the NED Synclavier and the FAIRLIGHT looks nicer!
The Synclavier had the cleaner sound and more possabilities, which was wanted in thoses days, if you could afford one and also a tech who could kept it running. Today 8-bit the hottest s***
Wrong. 250,000 dollar piece of equipment and this song sounds brilliant.
OMG Claudia on video singing what sounds to me not far off the take used on THAT record
absolutely true but you have to run a mac OS. my synclkavier is totally original
Sure, a new PC might be able to DO more, but not with the same detail and quality of sound or with the same build specs. Go back to smoking your hash, man.
Show me an application, for a PC, (and I'm saying application NOT the something like the Kyma system) that can perform the additive resynthesis and timbre window functions - you can't.
He was irritated in this interview.
my god so thats were the decline of good music started. pmsl i got more power in a decent soundcard these days than that syclavier.