[Don P.]

brassplyer scribbled:

On Marvin Gaye's cut "Mercy Mercy Me" there's this repetitive echoing
"ponk" that sort of sounds like a sonar ping or something. Anyone know
how that sound was created? Seems I may have heard it on other songs
as well.


I just happen to have a copy of the 16-track. Let's take a look (Listen?).
There's 4 tracks of drums/percussion. Track 1 is the kick, track 2 is the
rest of the kit, track 3 is congas, track 4 is woodblock (with some
alternate celeste in it).

Track 3 has a nice hi conga slap in it that corresponds to the snare. Stick
that thru a plate and there's your sound.

Incidentally, there's lots of electric guitar bleed, some bass bleed, and a
little bit of piano bleed on the conga track. Interesting stuff.