does anyone know the record holder?

i was reading an old IORR thread [www.iorr.org]
and it was mentioned that they've over dubbed guitars since the beginning, including 4 guitar parts being on "spider and the fly"

i'm certain there are songs on Crosseyed Heart that have 5 different guitar parts at least.

what's the record for a Stones song? what are some candidates?

I think there's five on One Hit (To the Body)? according to timeisonourside.com...

"I hope you didn't record any of this""No I didn't"

JJF has 5 or more.

Highwire has many as well.Honky Tonk Woman too. As to how many that is the question. Interesting....

i think some of the tracks on exile might be contenders for the record... have to find time to go back and listen to them though... always good to have an excuse to listen to exile again.

Perhaps there are only five or six individual tracks are used on a record at any one time, but many of the songs were put together with multiple takes of those tracks and the best parts from each take used at different times in the mix, sometimes both takes used at the same time sometimes other parts and overdubs and doubled tracks flown in.

As the track count became much less of an issue in the 70's and totally out of control in the 80's and beyond, the impulse to just keep adding tracks and fix it later in the mix dominated many recording sessions. I've seen studio multitracks that had 20 or more individual guitar tracks although like I said maybe only 6 at a time were every used in the final mix. To put it in perspective I once helped record an Elton John Live show once and we used 120 separate tracks to record just him and his band! It's not unusual to see 72 or more tracks used to record a major artist these days.

I personally always loved the approach of bands like The Squirrel Nut Zippers who spent a lot of time getting everything set up and the mics placed just right and the instruments mixed just right during the recording session and then recorded live straight to 2-inch 2-track! Done! All that's left is the mastering.

It's hard to tell with Stones music, in general they don't seem so track happy with the number of guitar tracks used on the final mix, but I guess it's how you define tracks. If once track was pieced together from four takes is that one track or four?

Love Is Strong has 8 guitars on it from the sounds of things.

Naturalust, did the big deal about drums having their own multi-track recorder of whatever it was, I can't recall if there was ever a set amount of tracks, really become what they had hoped for it to become or is it back to the way it's always been done ie on the same tape as everything else?

Because I've seen that set up but I've not heard it personally. I think Metallica did it for one album. I think I saw the set up in Nashville somewhere.

'Steet Fighting Man' has 7...(+ 5 only dogs is able to hear)

2 1 2 0

Soul Survivor got a few.

You Don't Move Me has a lot, and doesn't Eileen have nine or something?

A tab book by Hal Leanord, has IORR with 6 guitars.

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GasLightStreet
Love Is Strong has 8 guitars on it from the sounds of things.

Naturalust, did the big deal about drums having their own multi-track recorder of whatever it was, I can't recall if there was ever a set amount of tracks, really become what they had hoped for it to become or is it back to the way it's always been done ie on the same tape as everything else?

Because I've seen that set up but I've not heard it personally. I think Metallica did it for one album. I think I saw the set up in Nashville somewhere.

No set rules of course but a couple of the reasons drums might be recorded on their own recorder is because some people just use a lot of tracks for the drums. Most hardware based recorders were 24 track machines and it might have been easy to just throw them on their own machine. They do have some of the highest attacks of any instrument and things like bleed to other tracks is an issue with some recorders and tape formats. Also some people might want to record drums (and bass) on analog tape to get that warmer analog sound while recording other parts on a digital recorder. I'm not aware of Metallica's methods or that particular instance.

In any case, I've seen lots of combinations done, not particularly aware of anybody specifically giving the drums their own recorder as a general rule or a standard number of tracks. Most people these days are recording everything to hard disc using platforms like ProTools and Logic, unlimited tracks available, every instrument and vocal for one song in one recorder file. Lots of pop acts are actually using the plug ins and samples to get their drum sounds, some actually playing the parts on a computer keyboard and tweaking the sounds and the rhythm after the fact. The tools for producing drum sounds these days are pretty amazing! Really hard to tell how stuff was done just listening to the final mixes.

Three on the guitar solo alone on Keith's TROUBLE (not Stones, I know) not including the acoustic in the back. Maybe a guitar "triple."

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Naturalust

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GasLightStreet
Love Is Strong has 8 guitars on it from the sounds of things.

Naturalust, did the big deal about drums having their own multi-track recorder of whatever it was, I can't recall if there was ever a set amount of tracks, really become what they had hoped for it to become or is it back to the way it's always been done ie on the same tape as everything else?

Because I've seen that set up but I've not heard it personally. I think Metallica did it for one album. I think I saw the set up in Nashville somewhere.

No set rules of course but a couple of the reasons drums might be recorded on their own recorder is because some people just use a lot of tracks for the drums. Most hardware based recorders were 24 track machines and it might have been easy to just throw them on their own machine. They do have some of the highest attacks of any instrument and things like bleed to other tracks is an issue with some recorders and tape formats. Also some people might want to record drums (and bass) on analog tape to get that warmer analog sound while recording other parts on a digital recorder. I'm not aware of Metallica's methods or that particular instance.

In any case, I've seen lots of combinations done, not particularly aware of anybody specifically giving the drums their own recorder as a general rule or a standard number of tracks. Most people these days are recording everything to hard disc using platforms like ProTools and Logic, unlimited tracks available, every instrument and vocal for one song in one recorder file. Lots of pop acts are actually using the plug ins and samples to get their drum sounds, some actually playing the parts on a computer keyboard and tweaking the sounds and the rhythm after the fact. The tools for producing drum sounds these days are pretty amazing! Really hard to tell how stuff was done just listening to the final mixes.

I wish I could remember when I heard about it, the one multi-track recorder just for drums. Some different thing that was going on for a year or so. I think it was recorded at the highest speed possible and the basis for it was to get a better sound. I've Googled it and can't find anything. It probably cost too much considering how reels of tape are now $350 a piece or so.

I find it disorienting once we've got the weave introduced.

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GasLightStreet
I wish I could remember when I heard about it, the one multi-track recorder just for drums. Some different thing that was going on for a year or so. I think it was recorded at the highest speed possible and the basis for it was to get a better sound. I've Googled it and can't find anything. It probably cost too much considering how reels of tape are now $350 a piece or so.

I don't think tape cost is much of an issue for top tier artists but your memories make me think the reason the drums were recorded on a separate recorder is because they decided to record them on an analog format. Yes you are right the higher speed the tape, the better the fidelity. There was a period of time in the 80's and even 90's where it was fashionable to specifically record instruments like bass and drums on analog while recording other stuff digitally.

These days it still happens occasionally but more likely artists choose to record all analog (like Keith dd for CH) or all digital. But even artists recording all analog still transfer the tracks to a digital platform to do all the editing and sequencing at some point. I used to have an old 24 track analog recorder but got rid of it because it became impossible to maintain. Most pro studios still keep at least one on hand for people who want to go old school.

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Come On
'Steet Fighting Man' has 7.

Just 2.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that Neighbors has a lot of guitar tracks on it.