New Wave Outpost Forum

I noticed this from time to time. There must have been some synth preset named "helicopter" since it sounds like blades-a-whirlin'.

Off my head I can think
Player One - "Space Suite"(also has that "heavenly synth" sound)
Lene Lovich - "Big Bird"
Gary Numan - ?? I think he has one that has it
The Buggles - maybe one track? Could be wrong here, but they do have the heavenly sound

Curious what other songs have that fun sound to it.

Aldo Nova - Fantasy

Add to the list 'Agent Orange' by Depeche Mode. Probably others too. As for how they got that sound, it was probably the same as any other-- turn the ol' knobs one way and the machine makes one sound; turn 'em another way and it makes another sound. At least in the days of analog synthesizers there weren't presets; it was up to the users to figure out how to get any sound at all out of them. See the Vince Clarke Analogue Monologues (seen in another thread on this board) for a primer on getting sounds out of synths.

XTC-Helicopter

Lords Of The New Church - Russian Roulette

Also used as a train David Bowie's Station to Station.

Helicopter Helicopter [:D] by The Associates
From "Perhaps" album.

Fun thread. This is not a helicopter sound, but it is helicopter-like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgVTpnYGl2g

I'm not sure how you'd describe the sound; it's almost like a synthesized jaw harp.

Duran Duran - Planet Earth (the beginning of the song, the drums sound like a helicopter)

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"Photography with a Vision"
http://www.cooganphoto.com

"Exploding Bullets" by Real Life has that sound throughout.

Still looking for my girl with auburn hair and tawny eyes...

'Friends Of Mine' by Duran Duran