"Porno guitar" sound effect

[explorer76]

You know that classic "Bow-chicka-bow-wow" sound that people tend to mimic when describing background music in porno movies?

Did it come from an actual song? If so, does anyone know what the name of the tune is? Also, besides the obvious need for a wah pedal.....what else is key to re-creating that sound/tone?

No, I'm not making porno movies!

 

[shark_bite]

The key to this tone is very simple: you need to play the song while wearing a silk robe, slippers, and you must be smoking a pipe.

 

[Mike9]

As I recall the Dark Brothers had some great guitar playing in their movies. They also made some funny stuff - Porn Comedy almost.

 

[pickslide]

Get the album Porno-Sonic

http://www.amazon.com/Pornosonic-Un...=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1236193102&sr=8-8

 

[LPSlinger]

You know that classic "Bow-chicka-bow-wow" sound that people tend to mimic when describing background music in porno movies?

Did it come from an actual song? If so, does anyone know what the name of the tune is? Also, besides the obvious need for a wah pedal.....what else is key to re-creating that sound/tone?

No, I'm not making porno movies!

Wah Pedal
Guitar with Single Coil pickups
Fat clean amplifier (Fender Blackface/Silverface for instance)

That seems to be about it from what I can tell. Maybe a compressor to really bring out the "chikka" in your bow-chikka-wow-wow. Also obviously listening to Curtis Mayfield or Isaac Hayes' 70s work for chord voicings and funky-smooth stylings.

 

[itkindaworks]

Get the album Porno-Sonic

http://www.amazon.com/Pornosonic-Un...=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1236193102&sr=8-8

Haha, that has to be the worst cd ever.

 

[marcher5877]

soul

 

[TreyD0g]

a few of my band mates think my RMC pic wah sounds like a 70's porno. i tend to disagree.

 

[cvansickle]

I've heard 70s porno soundtracks that have wah, envelope filters, phasers and flangers. The most common sound seems to be the wah played clean.

I don't think the more recent spate of filth films even bother to use music, do they?

 

[Drifting]

I think a song that unintentionally set the bar for Porno guitar was Tales of Brave Ulysses, one of my favorite Cream tracks. The riff is as heavy as John Goodman. Funny to think the lyrics were originally written on a napkin, or most of them at least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8hLc_nqx8g

 

[chaddy45123]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAa5rP64YbQ&feature=related

this is what i think of when i here someone say that. but for the sound id go with a natural strat, a vox wah, a very light dallas fuzz, a fender twin, and a way huge.........swollen pickle

 

[Dave Wakely]

And not a single person has said 'Shaft', which shows admirable restraint ...

Clean Strat, wah and a little flanger delicately applied seem the obvious way to go. But I think we should be allowed to say 'why?'

 

[daddyo]

What bothers me is that the porn guys took elements of 70s funk and co-opted it for their own stuff. So now if I'm listening to some old Isaac Hayes on the computer at work, my coworkers think I'm watching porn

 

[LPSlinger]

What bothers me is that the porn guys took elements of 70s funk and co-opted it for their own stuff. So now if I'm listening to some old Isaac Hayes on the computer at work, my coworkers think I'm watching porn

To me it is equivalent to the generic rock music that is in most commercials. A band writes a great song and a company wants to use it to advertise their product. But since they don't want to actually pay for the rights to the song, they hire someone to make a generic sounding ripoff. That's kind of what the "porno funk" stuff is in my mind. Generic versions of Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, and Stevie Wonder tunes. I always wondered how you got the job of doing the music for pornos. I wonder if they take the work really seriously? I'm sure it isn't like scoring a hollywood film...but I imagine people would be putting some amount of effort into the creation of that music which is then being used as a backing track to porn. Heh.

 

[rwe333]

I always wondered how you got the job of doing the music for pornos. I wonder if they take the work really seriously? I'm sure it isn't like scoring a hollywood film...but I imagine people would be putting some amount of effort into the creation of that music which is then being used as a backing track to porn. Heh.

Well, the likes of Robben Ford and Mike Bloomfield have scored porn films...
Sure just a way to make ends meet (er, interest choice of words there) in tough times...
And didn't EVH do something recently?

 

[daddyo]

I'm pretty sure Robben's music was used without his knowledge that it was for a porn film.

 

[Lution]

This is a serious question.

How does one break in to the porn music writing business? I've always thought this would be a good side-gig.

 

[franksguitar]

I have a funny story. Years ago I was house hunting and one of the houses we went to this guy had an incredible recording setup with a couple video monitors & keyboards. I asked what he did with the real estate agent with me and said he wrote music for porn movies! I couldn't hold back the hysterical laughing! I guess he was a one handed player! We did NOT buy the house.

 

[geetarboy]

The key to copping that tone is a thick, luxurious mustache.

 

[rwe333]

I'm pretty sure Robben's music was used without his knowledge that it was for a porn film.

Could well be... Admittedly I don't know the story behind it...