Topic: Apropos of nothing: Video of You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

The piano isn't very loud, here, but this is a video of Carole King, about 20 years old, holding forth with a solo of her "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi3cOw5iJ10

Last edited by Jake Johnson (09-11-2009 13:54)

Re: Apropos of nothing: Video of You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

By the way, does anyone recognize the mics that were used in this video? Great responsiveness to her voice, whatever they were.

From what I can see, there are just two mics--the vocal mic and the one that's pointed to the upper treble of the piano. They may be the same make of mic--but I can't really see the head of the piano mic. The vocal mic, in any case, seems to be omnidirectional, a ball mic head, and when she moves her head, the sound stays full. But I wanted more bass in the piano.

Am I right in understanding the mic configuration-- she has a strong alto-lower soprano  voice, so the piano mic feed (upper soprano) is reduced in volume on the board? But why no mic on the bass piano strings? (Since the treble notes of a chord have more presence than lower notes, logic would encourage putting her voice over a fuller bass.) Just using as simple a live setup as possible? With compression on the vocal but not on the piano, so she can play loud without the piano overpowering the vocal?

Re: Apropos of nothing: Video of You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

Thanks so much for posting that -- what a great performance!

p.s. Carole was 29 in 1971 -- don't forget, by then she had been writing hit songs like this one for 10 years!

Re: Apropos of nothing: Video of You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

Yes, you're right. I should have checked the dates. But she looks so young.

Re: Apropos of nothing: Video of You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

From my vantage point, 29 IS "so young"

Re: Apropos of nothing: Video of You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

She almost reminds me of Janis Joplin at times here--more raw than the albums let her sound.

Re: Apropos of nothing: Video of You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

I don't think it's just the treble mic. There might be something else hiding beneath the piano. Were PZM's already invented back then?).

If you are looking for an interesting piano mic system (admittedly a bit off-topic here in a virtual piano forum ), check out the Earth Works "Piano Mic".

http://www.earthworksaudio.com/77.html

Listen to the audio files -- quite amazing for such an unobstrusive piece of gear. Sounds almost the same with lid closed which is great to reduce bleeding. And oh, it's cheap -- just some 4.000 bucks