(The System of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether
Encyclopedia
"The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" is a 1976 single by The Alan Parsons Project
which first appeared on their album Tales of Mystery and Imagination
. The single reached number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100
and number 62 in Canada. Like the other songs on the album, it is based on a story by American author Edgar Allan Poe
, in this case "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
".
riff and then, the organ
, piano
, bass, and drums kick in. Then Jack Harris
chants the line, "Just what you need to make you feel better," in a deep voice while John Miles
sings the lead vocals
. The first half of the song is played in C minor. The coda
of the song shifts from C minor to D minor. It starts with a riff and applauding sounds, and then the overlaying riff from "The Raven
" is played. Then, the overlaying riff from "A Dream Within a Dream" is played on a cathedral organ by Alan Parsons and also by keyboardist Eric Woolfson. However, "A Dream Within a Dream" and "The Raven" are actually played in A minor
. As the song fades out, a guitar lick
is played amongst the rest of the instrumentation. The riff from "The Raven" is performed on a Wurlitzer electric piano
and has sort of a "wah" sound. The chorus in this song sounds very similar to the chorus of "The Raven". The guitar lick played during the fadeout echoes the melody of "The Tell-Tale Heart".
Coming as it does at the end of side one on the original Tales of Mystery and Imagination album, the song provides an upbeat interlude between the dark and macabre songs preceding it, and the brooding "Fall of the House of Usher" on side two.
The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project was a British progressive rock band, active between 1975 and 1990, consisting of singer Eric Woolfson and keyboardist Alan Parsons surrounded by a varying number of session musicians....
which first appeared on their album Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Tales of Mystery and Imagination is the debut album by the progressive rock group The Alan Parsons Project, released in 1976. The album's avant-garde soundscapes kept it from being a blockbuster, but the interesting lyrical and musical themes — retellings of horror stories and poetry by...
. The single reached number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and number 62 in Canada. Like the other songs on the album, it is based on a story by American author Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, in this case "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
"The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" is a comedic short story written by American author Edgar Allan Poe.-Plot summary:The story follows an unnamed narrator who visits a mental institution in southern France known for a revolutionary new method of treating mental illnesses called the...
".
Song information
It begins with crowd noises, followed by an electric guitarElectric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
riff and then, the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, bass, and drums kick in. Then Jack Harris
Jack Harris (musician)
Jack Harris was an English vocalist for the British progressive rock band, The Alan Parsons Project. He sang lead vocals on "Day After Day " on the album, I Robot , and the single "Pyramania" taken from the Grammy nominated Pyramid...
chants the line, "Just what you need to make you feel better," in a deep voice while John Miles
John Miles (musician)
John Miles is an English rock music vocalist, songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player, best known for his 1976 Top 3 UK hit single, "Music".-Career:...
sings the lead vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. The first half of the song is played in C minor. The coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
of the song shifts from C minor to D minor. It starts with a riff and applauding sounds, and then the overlaying riff from "The Raven
The Raven (song)
"The Raven" is a 1976 song by the Alan Parsons Project from their album Tales of Mystery and Imagination. The song is based on the Edgar Allan Poe poem of the same name. It is well-known as being one of the first rock songs to use a vocoder, developed by EMI, to distort vocals. It is also one of...
" is played. Then, the overlaying riff from "A Dream Within a Dream" is played on a cathedral organ by Alan Parsons and also by keyboardist Eric Woolfson. However, "A Dream Within a Dream" and "The Raven" are actually played in A minor
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
. As the song fades out, a guitar lick
Lick (music)
In popular music genres such as rock or jazz music, a lick is "a stock pattern or phrase" consisting of a short series of notes that is used in solos and melodic lines...
is played amongst the rest of the instrumentation. The riff from "The Raven" is performed on a Wurlitzer electric piano
Wurlitzer electric piano
Wurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
and has sort of a "wah" sound. The chorus in this song sounds very similar to the chorus of "The Raven". The guitar lick played during the fadeout echoes the melody of "The Tell-Tale Heart".
Coming as it does at the end of side one on the original Tales of Mystery and Imagination album, the song provides an upbeat interlude between the dark and macabre songs preceding it, and the brooding "Fall of the House of Usher" on side two.
Tempo
Musically, this song is kind of funky and somewhat upbeat but is accompanied by a slow plodding rhythm, and "A Dream Within a Dream" and "The Raven" also have that same plodding rhythm.Personnel
- John MilesJohn Miles (musician)John Miles is an English rock music vocalist, songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player, best known for his 1976 Top 3 UK hit single, "Music".-Career:...
-Lead Vocals, Guitar - Ian Baimson-Guitar
- David PatonDavid PatonDavid Paton is a Scottish bass and guitar player, most notably with three different bands: Pilot, The Alan Parsons Project, and Camel. He has also worked as a solo artist, session musician, and sometime vocalist...
-Bass - Eric WoolfsonEric WoolfsonEric Norman Woolfson was a Scottish songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, executive producer, pianist, and creator of The Alan Parsons Project. He has sold over 50 million albums world-wide....
-Keyboard - Alan ParsonsAlan ParsonsAlan Parsons is a British audio engineer, musician, and record producer. He was involved with the production of several significant albums, including The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon for which Pink Floyd credit him as an important contributor...
-Cathedral Organ - Billy LyallBilly LyallBilly Lyall was a Scottish musician.Born William Lyall in Edinburgh, Scotland, Lyall was a keyboard player and vocalist with Pilot, and an early member of the Bay City Rollers. He also contributed to The Alan Parsons Project with fellow Pilot members, and released a solo album, Solo Casting in 1976...
-Piano - Stuart ToshStuart ToshStuart MacIntosh is a drummer, songwriter and vocalist.Also known as Stuart Tosh, MacIntosh recorded and toured with a succession of well-known and respected bands during the 1970s and 1980s, including Pilot, The Alan Parsons Project, 10cc and Camel. Stuart now lives in the Bridge of Don area of...
-Drums, Percussion - Jack HarrisJack Harris (musician)Jack Harris was an English vocalist for the British progressive rock band, The Alan Parsons Project. He sang lead vocals on "Day After Day " on the album, I Robot , and the single "Pyramania" taken from the Grammy nominated Pyramid...
-Backing Vocals - Abbey Road Effects Library-Crowd Noises