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Backmasking (also known incorrectly as '' Backward Masking '')Backward(s) masking has two other meanings; see Backward Masking . See also 1 is a Recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backwards onto a track that is meant to be played forwards. Backmasking is a deliberate process, whereas a message found through Phonetic Reversal may be unintentional. Backmasking was popularized by The Beatles , who used backward vocals and instrumentation on their 1966 album '' Revolver ''.2 Artists have since used backmasking for artistic, comedic, and satiric effect, on both analog and digital recordings. The technique has also been used to censor words or phrases for "clean" releases of songs. Backmasking has been a controversial topic in the United States since the 1980s, when allegations from Christian groups of its use for Satanic purposes were made against prominent Rock Music ians, leading to record-burning protests and proposed anti-backmasking legislation by state and federal governments. Whether backmasked messages exist and whether backmasking has been employed to enlist the aid of the supernatural are in debate, as is whether backmasking can be used subliminally to affect listeners. HISTORY Development In 1877 Thomas Edison invented the Phonograph , a device that allowed Sound to be Recorded And Reproduced on a rotating cylinder with a Stylus (or "needle") attached to a diaphragm mounted at the narrow end of a horn. Emile Berliner invented the familiar lateral-cut disc Phonograph Record in 1888. His design overtook the Edison phonograph in the 1920s, since Berliner's patent expired in 1918, and others were then free to exploit his invention. In addition to recreating recorded sounds by placing the stylus on the cylinder or disc and rotating it in the same direction as during the recording, one could hear different sounds by rotating the cylinder or disc backwards.3 In 1878 Edison noted that, when played backwards, "the song is still melodious in many cases, and some of the strains are sweet and novel, but altogether different from the song reproduced in the right way".Blecha, 48 The backwards playing of records was advised as training for magicians by occultist Aleister Crowley , who suggested in his 1913 book '' Magick (Book 4) '' that an Adept "train himself to think backwards by external means", one of which was to "listen to phonograph records, reversed."4 s allowed backward recording in Recording Studio s.]] The 1950s saw the development of '' Musique Concrète '', an Avant-garde form of Electronic Music which involves Editing together fragments of natural and industrial sounds, and the concurrent spread of the use of Tape Recorder s in Recording Studio s.5 These two trends led to Tape Music Composition s, composed on Tape using techniques including Reverse Tape Effects .6 The Beatles , who incorporated the techniques of ''concrète'' into their recordings, were responsible for popularizing the concept of backmasking. Singer John Lennon and producer George Martin both claim they discovered the backward recording technique during the recording of 1966's '' Revolver ''; specifically the album tracks " Tomorrow Never Knows " and " I'm Only Sleeping ," and the single " Rain ".7 Lennon stated that, while under the influence of Marijuana , he accidentally played the tapes for "Rain" in reverse, and enjoyed the sound. The following day he shared the results with the other Beatles, and the effect was used first in the Guitar Solo for "Tomorrow Never Knows", and later in the coda of "Rain".89 According to Martin, the band had been experimenting with changing the speeds of and reversing the "Tomorrow Never Knows" tapes, and Martin got the idea of reversing Lennon's vocals and guitar, which he did with a clip from "Rain". Lennon then liked the effect and kept it.1011 Regardless, "Rain" was the first song to feature a backmasked message: "Sunshine … Rain … When the rain comes, they run and hide their heads" (; the last line is the reversed first verse of the song).12 Rumors The Beatles were involved in the spread of backmasking both as a recording technique and as the center of a ". The " Paul Is Dead " rumor popularized the idea of backmasking in Popular Music . Following Gibb's show, many more songs were found to contain audible phrases when reversed. Initially, the search was done mostly by fans of Rock Music , but in the late 1970s,Blecha, 49 during the rise of the Christian Right in the United States,15 Fundamentalist Christian groups began to claim that backmasked messages could bypass the Conscious Mind and reach the Subconscious , where they would be unknowingly accepted by the listener.Poundstone (1986), 227–232 In 1981, Christian DJ Michael Mills began stating on Christian radio programs that Led Zeppelin 's " Stairway To Heaven " contained hidden messages that were heard by the subconscious.16 In early 1982, the Praise The Lord Network's Paul Crouch hosted a show with self-described neuroscientist William Yarroll , who argued that rock stars were cooperating with the Church Of Satan to place hidden subliminal messages on records.Denisoff, 289 Also in 1982, fundamentalist Christian pastor Gary Greenwald held public lectures on dangers of backmasking, along with at least one mass record-smashing.17 During the same year, thirty North Carolina teenagers, led by their pastor, claimed that singers had been possessed by Satan, who used their voices to create backward messages, and held a record-burning at their church.18 Allegations of demonic backmasking were also made by Social Psychologists , parents, and critics of rock music,19 as well as the Parents Music Resource Center (formed in 1985),20 which accused Led Zeppelin of using backmasking to promote Satanism.21 On 1982-04-28 's CBS Evening News , Dan Rather discussed the finding of possible backmasked messages, and played reversed sections of songs by Led Zeppelin, Electric Light Orchestra and Styx .Patterson, 173 Legislation One result of the furor was the firing of five radio DJs who had encouraged listeners to search for backward messages in their record collections.Blecha, 49 A more serious consequence was legislation by the state governments of and defeated. House Resolution 6363, introduced in 1982 by Representative Bob Dornan , proposed mandating a similar label;Poundstone (1983), 200–214 the bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism and was never passed. from THOMAS Government action was also called for in the legislatures of Texas and Canada. made finding backward messages difficult, causing interest in backmasking to decline.]] With the advent of Compact Disc s in the 1980s, but prior to the advent of sound editing technology for Personal Computer s in the 1990s, it became more difficult to listen to recordings backwards, and the controversy died down. Resurgence Though the backmasking controversy peaked in the 1980s, the general belief in subliminal manipulation became more widespread in the United States during the following decade, with belief in Satanic backmasking on records persisting into the 1990s.22 At the same time, the development of Sound Editing Software with audio reversal features simplified the process of reversing audio, which previously could only be done with full fidelity using a professional tape recorder. The Sound Recorder utility, included with all versions of Microsoft Windows following the introduction of Windows 95 , allows one-click audio reversal,23 as does popular Open Source sound editing software Audacity .24 Following the growth of the Internet , backmasked message searchers used such software to create websites featuring backward music samples, which became a widely-used method of exploring backmasking in popular music. USE See Also: List of backmasked messages made recording backmasked messages quicker and easier.]] Backmasking has been used as a Recording technique since the 1960s. In the era of Magnetic Tape Sound Recording , backmasking required that the source Reel-to-reel tape actually be played backwards, which was achieved by first being wound onto the original takeup reel, then reversing the reels so as to use that reel as the source (this would reverse the stereo channels as well). Digital Audio recording has greatly simplified the process. Backmasked words are unintelligible noise when played forward, but when played backwards are clear speech. Listening to backmasked audio with most Turntables requires disengaging the drive and rotating the album by hand in reverse (though some can play records backwards). With Magnetic Tape , the tape must be reversed and spliced back in to the cassette. Compact Disc s were difficult to reverse when first introduced, but Digital Audio Editor s, which were first introduced in the late 1980s and became popular during the next decade,25 allow easy reversal of audio from digital sources. Satanic backmasking Although the Satanic backmasking controversy involved mainly states that the band's use of Satanic imagery was "solely for effect".29 Cradle Of Filth , another band that has employed Satanic imagery, released a song entitled " Dinner At Deviant's Palace ", consisting almost entirely of ambient sounds and a reversed reading of the Lord's Prayer 30 (a backwards reading of the Lord's Prayer is reportedly a major part of the Black Mass ).31 Aesthetic use Backmasking is often used for aesthetic purposes, i.e., to enhance the meaning or sound of a track.Blecha, 49 During the Judas Priest subliminal message trial, lead singer Rob Halford admitted to recording the words "In the dead of the night, love bites" backwards into the track "Love Bites", from the 1984 album '' Defenders Of The Faith ''. Asked why he recorded the message, Halford stated that "When you're composing songs, you're always looking for new ideas, new sounds."32 A well-known example of a hidden message is recorded backwards into , Chalfont ." (voice in background) "Roger! Carolyn is on the phone!"Patterson, 186 This line may refer to former lead singer Syd Barrett , who is thought to have suffered a Nervous Breakdown years earlier.Patterson, 186 One backmasking technique is to reverse an earlier part of a song. Missy Elliott used this technique in one of her songs, " Work It ",33 as did Jay Chou (" You Can Hear ", from '' Ye Hui Mei ''),34 At The Drive-In (" 300 MHz ", from '' Vaya ''),35 and Lacuna Coil (" Self Deception ", from '' Comalies '').36 A related technique is to reverse an entire instrumental track. John Lennon originally wanted to do so with " Rain ", but objections by producer George Martin and bandmate Paul McCartney cut the backward section to 30 seconds. The Stone Roses have made heavy use of this technique in songs including " Don't Stop ",37 " Guernica ", and " Simone ",38 which are all backwards versions of other Stone Roses tracks, sometimes overdubbed with new vocals. Artists often use backmasking of sounds or instrumental audio to produce interesting sound effects.3940 One such sound effect is the Reverse Echo . When done on tape, such use of backmasking is known as '' Reverse Tape Effects ''. One example is Matthew Sweet 's 1999 album '' In Reverse '', which includes reversed guitar parts which were played directly onto a tape running in reverse.41 For live concerts, the guitar parts were played live on stage using a backward emulator.42 Humorous and parody messages pokes fun at subliminal messages. The description of the "reverse" option says "Included for finding Satanic subliminals."]] A common use of backmasking is hiding a comedic or parodical message backwards in a song. The B-side of the 1966 Napoleon XIV single " They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Haaa! " is a reversed version of the entire forwards record, entitled "!aaaH-aH ,yawA eM ekaT oT gnimoC er'yehT". It reached #3 in the US charts, and #4 in the UK.43 track " No Anchovies, Please ", from 1980s album '' Love Stinks ''. The message, disguised as a foreign-sounding language spoken under the narration, is, "It doesn't take a genius to tell the difference between chicken shit and chicken salad." , after being accused of Satanic backmasking, included an actual backmasked message in '', Novus Ordo Seclorum ''".]] '', which deals with an allegorical group called the "Majority for Musical Morality" that outlaws rock music. A sticker on the album cover contains the message, "By order of the Majority for Musical Morality, this album contains secret backward messages", and the song "Heavy Metal Poisoning" does in fact contain the backmasked Latin words "'' Annuit Cœptis , Novus Ordo Seclorum ''" ("God has favored our undertakings; a new order for the ages")—part of the Great Seal which encircles the pyramid on the back of the American Dollar Bill . .47 Some messages chastise or poke fun at the listener who is playing the song backwards. One such message was included by "Weird Al" Yankovic in " song " Detour Through Your Mind ", from the 1986 LP '' Bouncing Off The Satellites '', contains the message, "I buried my parakeet in the backyard. Oh no, you're playing the record backwards. Watch out, you might ruin your needle."Patterson, 174 Meanwhile, Christian Rock group Petra included in their song " Judas Kiss ", from 1982s '' More Power To Ya '', the message, "What are you looking for the devil for, when you ought to be looking for the Lord?" Critical or explicit messages used backmasking to avoid censorship.]] Backmasking has also been used to record statements perhaps too critical or explicit to be used forwards. Frank Zappa used backmasking to avoid censorship of the track "''.50 The message appears in the song " Perfect Sense Part 1 ", in which Waters' backmasked voice says, "Julia, however, in light and visions of the issues of Stanley, we have changed our minds. We have decided to include a backward message, Stanley, for you and all the other book burners."51 Censorship A further use of backmasking is to " became a Euphemism for "shit".54 ACCUSATIONS Artists who have been accused of backmasking include Led Zeppelin , The Beatles , Pink Floyd , Electric Light Orchestra , Queen , Styx , AC/DC , Judas Priest , The Eagles ,Blecha, 50 The Rolling Stones , Jefferson Starship , Black Oak Arkansas , Rush ,55 Britney Spears ,56 and Eminem . Electric Light Orchestra was accused of hiding a backward Satanic message in their 1974 album '' Eldorado ''. The title track, " Eldorado ", was said to contain the message "He is the nasty one / Christ, you're infernal / It is said we're dead men / Everyone who has the mark will live." ELO singer and songwriter Jeff Lynne responded by calling this accusation (and the related charge of being "devil-worshippers") " Skcollob ",57 and stating that the message "is absolutely manufactured by whoever said, 'That's what it said.' It doesn't say anything of the sort."Patterson, 174 The group included several backward messages in later albums in response to the accusations. In 1981, ", from '' Paradise Theatre ''. Guitarist James Young called these charges "rubbish",58 and responded, "If we want to make a statement, we'll do it in a way that people can understand us and not in a way where you have to go out and buy a $400 tape player to understand us."59 In 1983, the band released a concept album, '' Kilroy Was Here '', satirizing the Moral Majority . A well-known alleged message is found in rock group song " Another One Bites The Dust ", is similarly disclaimed by the group's spokesperson. Subliminal persuasion Accusations have been made by various groups that backmasking can be used to create Subliminal Message s. Fundamentalist Christian groups Various . Some Christian websites have claimed that backmasking is widely used for Satanic purposes. The web page for Alabama group Dial-the-Truth Ministries argues for the existence of Satanic backmasking in " Stairway To Heaven ", saying that the song contains the backward message, "It's my sweet Satan … Oh I will sing because I live with Satan." The website of Australian group Bible Believers quotes from Jacob Aranza's ''Backward Masking Unmasked'' regarding William Yarroll's proposed physiology of the mechanism by which messages in music reach the subconscious:
The Bible Believers website also quotes from a 1983 ''Psychology Today'' issue in which a Dr. Silverman writes that "the perception of stimuli too weak to be consciously recognized … is a real phenomenon that has been demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt."62 PMRC In 1985, Dr. Joe Stuessy testified to the United States Congress at the Parents Music Resource Center hearings that:
Stuessy's written testimony stated that:
Court cases Serial killer . AC/DC's Angus Young responded that "you didn't need to play album backwards, because we never hid messages . We'd call an album ''Highway To Hell'', there it was right in front of them."64 In 1990, British Heavy Metal band Judas Priest was sued over a Suicide Pact made by two Nevada schoolboys. The lawsuit by their families claimed that the 1978 Judas Priest album '' Stained Class '' contained hidden messages, including the forward subliminal words "Do it" in the song " Better By You, Better Than Me " , and various backward subliminal messages. The case was dismissed by the judge for insufficient evidence of Judas Priest's placement of subliminal messages on the record,Vokey, 250 and the judge's ruling stated that "The scientific research presented does not establish that subliminal stimuli, even if perceived, may precipitate conduct of this magnitude. There exist other factors which explain the conduct of the deceased independent of the subliminal stimuli."65 Judas Priest members commented that if they wanted to insert subliminal commands in their music, messages leading to the deaths of their fans would be counterproductive, and they would prefer to insert the command "Buy more of our records."Van Taylor, David. KNPB Channel 5 Public Broadcasting, 1982: ''Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance Vs. Judas Priest''. Skepticism . states that "Mathematically, if you listen long enough, eventually you'll find a pattern", while Jeff Milner of popular backmasking site jeffmilner.com recounts, "Most people, when I show them the site, say that they’re not able to hear anything, until, of course, I show them the reverse lyrics."68 Audio engineer Evan Olcott claims that messages by artists including Queen and Led Zeppelin are coincidental Phonetic Reversal s, in which the spoken or sung Phoneme s form new combinations of words when listened to backwards. Olcott states that "Actually engineering or planning a phonetic reversal is next to impossible, and even more difficult when trying to design it with words that fit into a song." In 1985, psychologists John Vokey and J. Don Read conducted a study using Psalm 23 from the Bible , Queen's " Another One Bites The Dust ", and other sound passages made up for the experiment. Vokey and Read concluded that if backmasking does exist, it is ineffective. Participants had trouble noticing backmasked phrases when the samples were played forwards, were unable to judge the types of messages (Christian, Satanic, or commercial), and were not led to behave in a certain way as a result of being exposed to the backmasked phrases. Vokey concluded that "we could find no effect of the meaning of engineered, backward messages on listeners’ behaviour, either consciously or unconsciously."Vokey, 249 Similar results to Vokey and Read's were obtained by D. Averill in 1982.69 Cited in Zusne, 79 A 1988 experiment by T.E. Moore found "no evidence that listeners were influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by the content of the backward messages."Brannon, Laura A., and Timothy C. Brock. "The Subliminal Persuasion Controversy: Reality, Enduring Fable, and Polonius’s Weasel". In 70 Available at http://courses.umass.edu/psyc392a/pdf/brannon&brock.1994.pdf In 1992, an experiment found that exposure to backward messages did not lead to significant changes in attitude.71 Psychology professor Mark D. Allen says that "delivering subliminal messages via backward masking is totally and ridiculously impossible".72 The finding of backward Satanic messages has been explained as caused by the Observer-expectancy Effect . The '' Skeptic's Dictionary '' states that "you probably won't hear messages until somebody first points them out to you. Perception is influenced by expectation and expectation is affected by what others prime you for."73 In 1984, S. B. Thorne and P. Himelstein found that "when vague and unfamiliar stimuli are presented, [test subjects are highly likely to accept suggestions, particularly when the suggestions are presented by someone with prestige and authority."74 Cited in 75 Vokey and Read concluded from their 1985 experiment that "the apparent presence of backward messages in popular music is a function more of active construction on the part of the perceiver than of the existence of the messages themselves." SEE ALSO REFERENCES Notes Bibliography EXTERNAL LINKS
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