Notes and Quotes: "Telstar"
The core of this recording is in modified song form. That is, the principal theme is played twice, the half length chorus is played twice, followed by a repeat of the verse. The chorus is half the length of the verse so that, in effect, the two statements have the effect of two halves of a whole. Thus, the form of the core is A A B A, where B consists of two identical halves.
As we have seen already, a common way to cap this is to repeat the chorus and verse section. In this case, Meek and the Tornados have modified the cap. They play half of the chorus and then chromatically bridge to a verse in a higher key.
Indeed, the harmonic and melodic organization of entire performance gives the feeling of ascent. The United States had launched the Telstar I communications satellite the previous month and the United Kingdom had orbited its first satellite, Ariele, in April.
Beginning with the introduction — the imitation the sound of a rocket lifting off and an ascending chromatic line — Meek employs rising figures. The principal theme features large-intervalled upward leaps with gentle intervening descents. And the key of the last verse of the song is attained by a staccato upward modulation from A to D.
Drummer, Clem Cattini observes that the band put much of the music together themselves.
All we had was a melody on a tape, with him singing on a backing a track that had nothing to do with the melody that he was singing. Seriously. The melody that he was singing had nothing to do with the actual chord structure that was on the backing track.... (Interview 22 January 2001)
Like other producers, Meek helps to maintain the listener's interest by playing with the instrumentation. Most sections of the performance have something different in the way the instruments are used from their preceding sections. For example, the last statement of the verse is doubled by the human voice (probably that of Heinz Burt). The melody is probably played by Meek's friend and collaborator, Geoff Goddard on a Clavioline, a small battery-powered keyboard. Meek achieved other sound effects by putting tacks on the hammers of the piano and recording it at a slower tape speed.
Schedule
31 January, 2012