tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20271191821296534082024-03-14T03:34:11.627+11:00The Rowboat SyndicateMusings On The Beatles
The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-73062176732227440542019-08-12T03:07:00.002+10:002019-08-13T04:27:34.233+10:00Abbey Road Deluxe: What Should We Expect?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MOmvhlkgBTg/XU_rYlr22KI/AAAAAAAAA4s/Tg6CYMn8rasWDQ1f0C4WGCCa-40yKcYSgCLcBGAs/s1600/Giles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="597" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MOmvhlkgBTg/XU_rYlr22KI/AAAAAAAAA4s/Tg6CYMn8rasWDQ1f0C4WGCCa-40yKcYSgCLcBGAs/s200/Giles.jpg" width="195" /></a><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Following months of speculation from fans, Giles Martin tweeted the clue we had all been waiting for. Ringo then mentioned he'd be at <i>Abbey Road</i> in September for the launch, then later that he'd been listening to the new mixes. Finally, The Beatles website <span style="background-color: white;">announced</span> the Abbey Road remix and deluxe editions would be available in September.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">We have some idea what to sonically expect after <i>Pepper </i>and<i> the White Album</i> remixes. The original mix and production of <i>Abbey Road</i>, however, was always superior to that of its predecessors, so I'm not expecting the vast improvements I heard in the previous remixes.</span><br />
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><br /></span> <span style="mso-list: Ignore;">The Beatles have already published a couple of tracks on YouTube; the three versions of Something. I've only listened to it on my PC's speakers, but to these ears the Giles remix of the released track is warm, with more upfront vocals and organ, and clarity in bass and drum tone. Two thumbs up from me.</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MZ3Vh8jZFdE" width="480"></iframe> <span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">The 5.1 is a different matter. I suspect that will be a revelation after the amazing surround sound of <i>The White Album </i>last year. Will the guitars in <i>The End </i>swirl around the room? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">But what can we expect from the bonus tracks? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">My first thought was how unsurprised I was by the track-listing. Alternate takes, a couple of demos and instrumental/orchestral only versions. Following <i>the White Album</i> and <i>Get Back </i>sessions, these sessions were structured, much like during the recording or Pepper. As such I didn't expect too much in the way of jams or Chuck Berry covers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">I was also pleasantly surprised at how much was previously unreleased and hadn't been repeated from <i>Anthology 3</i>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">While we can't be certain, here's our thoughts on what's to come.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Disc 2: Sessions</span></b></i></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>1.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (Trident Recording Session & Reduction Mix)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recorded at Trident on February 22, takes 8, 20 and 32 from this session were edited into a single track, ready for later overdubs before inclusion on the original album. I presume this mix is what is being released here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>2. Goodbye (Home Demo)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve had this on bootleg since the early-90s. I’m looking forward to a pristine release. This could have worked really well as the coda on <i>Abbey Road</i>, had it not been for Her Majesty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>3. Something (Studio Demo)</b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />
The Beatles' YouTube channel has already published this one. A different mix to the <i>Anthology 3 </i>version, with a more prominent piano.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b><i>4. The Ballad Of John And Yoko (Take 7)</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul and John recorded this on acoustic guitar and drums in 11 takes, five of which broke down. Take 10 was the best, and then overdubbed with bass, piano, more guitar and percussion. I expect this will be a stripped back “unplugged version” of this fine single.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>5. Old Brown Shoe (Take 2)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As take 4 was the overdubbed and released version, this should be a raw, complete run through of this song. Only the earlier George demo was released on <i>Anthology 3</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>6. Oh! Darling (Take 4) </b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take 26 was heavily overdubbed for the final release. All takes were recorded in the one session, so hopefully this is a fun, complete run-through. The version on <i>Anthology 3</i> was from the earlier <i>Get Back</i> sessions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>7. Octopus’s Garden (Take 9)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is unlikely to be much different from the <i>Anthology 3 </i>version, which was an edit of takes 2 and 8. And considering they previously had to create a new version for <i>Anthology 3</i>, I suspect this is looser. Perhaps it’s more fun, although I suspect its inclusion is purely because they had to include Ringo somewhere.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><br /></b></i> <i><b>8. You Never Give Me Your Money (Take 36)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another basic track with an abrupt ending, ready to be inserted into the medley.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>9. Her Majesty (Takes 1-3)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Only two takes were complete, and take 3 was released. With only guitar and vocal, I’m not expecting much in the way of remix revelations. The song is only 23 seconds long, however, so there could be chatter, comments and laughs between takes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><br /></b></i> <i><b>10. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight (Takes 1-3 / Medley)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I presume this will be another basic-track version featuring only Paul, George and Ringo. (John was in hospital at the time.) As they’ve included all three takes, I suspect this will include the breakdowns. Take 15 was later overdubbed for release.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>11. Here Comes The Sun (Take 9)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
John was still missing, so this will probably be only drums, bass and guitar. I’m looking forward to this pre-overdub version.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
What happened to <i>Here Comes the Sun</i> with George’s unused guitar solo which was seen on the Harrison documentary? They may have dropped the solo into this take. If not, it should have been included.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>12. Maxwell’s Silver Hammer (Take 12)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They played this a lot during the <i>Get Back</i> sessions, and they ran through 15 takes of this in the one session. It was familiar, to say the least. I’m not sure how different this will be to Take 5 from <i>Anthology 3</i>.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h2>
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Disc 3: Sessions</span></b></i></h2>
<br />
<i><b>1</b></i><i><b>. Come Together (Take 5)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take 5 was released on <i>Anthology 3</i>, and while I’m always happy to see another unreleased track, I again wonder how different this take will be. We'd rather hear John's fast, Chuck Berry-style demo, if that exists on tape.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>2. The End (Take 3)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This track was well-rehearsed, so expect a tight, basic tracks run through. The point of interest here will be the drums, as Lewisohn claims the solo on each take was quite different. <i>Anthology 3</i> included a remix of the released version.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b> <i><b>3. Come And Get It (Studio Demo)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Previously released on <i>Anthology 3</i>, I hope Giles works his magic and brings more life to this wonderful track. Certainly one of the finest songs any of the Beatles gave away, this should have been on <i>Abbey Road</i>. I’d be happy for <i>Maxwell's Silver Hammer</i> to have been unreleased, or a single B-side in place of this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Is it the only track McCartney gave away that he has revisited live?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<i><b>4. Sun King (Take 20)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recorded in a single take with Mean Mr Mustard, expect a basic tracks version. I’m not sure how much of the lyrics were ad-libbed, so there could be new invented words to ponder.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><br /></b></i> <i><b>5. Mean Mr Mustard (Take 20)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See above. Shirley or Pam?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely it's Pam by this point. Another abrupt ending?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>6. Polythene Pam (Take 27)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a similar fashion to Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard, Polythene Pam and the following track were taped together. Again this should be a basic track – perhaps with some of John’s notorious fluffed lines in that thick Scouse accent he affected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>7. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window (Take 27)</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Basic tracks – see previous track.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><b>8. Because (Take 1 – Instrumental)</b></i><br />
<br /></div>
<i><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TmZw8BuqU10" width="480"></iframe></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i>Anthology 3 </i>included the vocals only mix of the released take 16. This version should simply be harpsichord, bass and guitar.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b><i>9. The Long One </i></b><b><i>(Medley: You Never Give Me Your Money, Sun King, Mean Mr Mustard, Her Majesty, Polythene Pam, She Came In Through The Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End) </i></b><b><i><b><i>(Trial Edit & Mix – 30 July 1969</i></b><i>)</i></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Constructed from rough, incomplete stereo mixes in order to test the medley's flow, this has been bootlegged in a heavily distorted version. Her Majesty is restored to its original place. Again, I’m looking forward to hearing this in its simpler form. Not expecting any surprises, just clarity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><br /></i></b> <b><i>11. Something (Take 39 – Instrumental – Strings Only)</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />
Another one the Beatles have already published on YouTube. It’s warm, luscious and full of surprises. A stunning arrangement with elements that were lost in the final mix.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While some have asked why Take 39 with the extended jam hasn’t been included, I don’t mind that it’s missing. This has been bootlegged extensively, and frankly it’s repetitive and dull. No great loss.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b> <b><i>12. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight (Take 17 – Instrumental – Strings & Brass Only)</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After not looking forward to these “strings only” releases, after none of the Beatles are on them, I’m surprised at how much I enjoy them. Maybe it’s simply to appreciate the amount of work that was put into the final product.</div>
The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-46903861674726956062018-10-04T04:57:00.000+10:002018-10-04T04:57:30.776+10:00Engineer Geoff Emerick's greatest Beatles recordings<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Geoff</b> <b>Emerick</b> died yesterday at age 72. He was one of the Beatles' engineers, arguably their most important, because he helped realized the sounds on the band's most innovative albums, <i>Revolver </i>and <i>Sgt. Pepper. </i>In a nutshell, producer <b>George</b> <b>Martin</b>'s role was to structure a song and decide what instruments to record in order to fulfill the vision of that song's chief composer. In turn, Emerick's duty was to make to create and record those sounds even though he was handcuffed by the primitive equipment and strict studio regulations at the time. Emerick and other engineers were the foot soldiers in the Beatles' legend. Though they went on to forge impressive careers, their contributions deserve more recognition. This post celebrates Geoff Emerick's finest achievements in recording The Beatles (drawn from his 2006 memoir, <i>Here, There and Everywhere, </i>an essential read).</div>
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<b>Tomorrow Never Knows</b><br />
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The first track recorded for <i>Revolver </i>was also the first Beatles session Emerick attended as their regular engineer (he worked them with sporadically before, such as on <i>Beatles For Sale</i>). During his first true session, Emerick had his work cut out for him. The main composer of this song, Lennon, wanted his voice to sound like "the Dalai Lama chanting from a mountain top, miles away." Emerick worked fast (Lennon was an impatient man) to place two mics right up to a revolving Leslie speaker which distorted and swirled Lennon's vocal. "This is bloody marvellous!" Lennon exclaimed after the first take. The revolving Leslie speaker would be trademark sound for The Beatles, and used extensively for the rest of their career<i>.</i><br />
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<b>Paperback Writer & Rain</b><br />
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<i>Revolver </i>was the album where The Beatles aimed to record new sounds, and McCartney wanted his new song, <b>Paperback Writer,</b> to sound as rich and deep as the American soul records he admired. "This song is really calling out for that deep Motown bass sound," the Beatles bassist told Emerick. British recordings at that time featured a thin bottom end, and the equipment at Abbey Road was stodgy and the studio's recording rules strict. No easy feat. As the Beatles rehearsed, Emerick reasoned that loudspeakers are simply microphones in reverse, so why not record Paul's bass with a loudspeaker? "Daft," replied a colleague, but sure enough after some rewiring, this experiment worked, and Paul's bass was forever liberated for all to hear in <i>Paperback Writer,</i> its flipside, <i>Rain</i>, and throughout <i>Sgt. Pepper </i>the following year.<br />
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<b>Eleanor Rigby</b><br />
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<b><br /></b>Martin and McCartney agreed that this song needed "biting" strings like Bernard Herman's theme to the Hitchcock film, <i>Psycho</i>. To fulfill McCartney's wish, Emerick broke several rules during the <i>Revolver </i>sessions, a chief one placing microphones literally next to the instruments. Traditionally, an engineered placed one or two mics high above a string quartet, but Emerick put his mics literally an inch from the stringed instruments. "You can't do that, you know," balked one of the session players. Well, he did, and today we can hear the results on one of the greatest Beatles songs <i>and </i>recordings.<br />
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<b>Got To Get You Into My Life</b><br />
Since close-micing the strings on<i> </i><b>Eleanor Rigby</b> worked, why not try the same approach with the brass on this song? But Emerick contributed something else to this quasi-soul number. McCartney wanted the "brass sound bigger," so Emerick dubbed the recorded horns onto a fresh two-track tape, then mixed it with the original horns just slightly out of sync. <i>Voila</i>.<br />
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<b>the bass on the <i>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band </i>album</b><br />
Technical innovation allows performance to flourish. A perfectionist, McCartney demanded more from his recorded bass during these sessions. Emerick boosted the force and presence of McCartney's bass in <i>Revolver, </i>but a new technique during <i>Pepper </i>enhanced its sound. The bass on <i>Pepper </i>is rich and smooth, but does not overpower the vocals and other instruments. Emerick achieved this by moving the bass amp out of the studio baffles and into the centre of the studio, then placed a mic six feet away to capture the ambiance of the room. (What's "ambiance"? Listen to the opening drums of Led Zeppelin's <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOEQTJV_3-w" target="_blank">When The Levee Breaks</a>s</b> which was recorded in the open hallway of a large country mansion.) Secondly, during mixing Emerick broke tradition by adding McCartney's bass line <i>last</i>, instead of <i>starting</i> off mixing bass and drums (the rhythm) then layering the vocals and other instruments. This approach "sculpt[ed] the bass sound around the other instruments so that you could hear every single nuance." That's especially evident in Giles Martin's brilliant 2017 stereo mix.<br />
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<b>Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite</b><br />
True, Lennon and especially McCartney were experimenting with tape loops in 1966-7, but Emerick claims he had the idea to cut up tapes of sound effects from the EMI library to create the brilliant circus wash that concludes this song. His inspiration was the few seconds of brass band tucked into <b>Yellow Submarine</b> that came directly from the EMI library. Lennon's original idea was to have a calliope play-out <b>Mr. Kite</b>, but locating this giant instrument quickly wasn't going to happen.<br />
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<b>Hey Jude</b><br />
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<b><br /></b>Here, Emerick was like a relief pitcher in baseball, called in at the last-minute to save a botched mix after The Beatles recorded this landmark song at Trident Studios. Possibly due to a technical fault at Trident, the equalization got botched with <b>Hey Jude </b>missing its high-end. By this time in mid-summer 1968, Emerick had quit the White Album sessions because he was (understandably) fed up with the bickering amongst the Beatles who in turn took it out on the studio staff, including him. (In particular, Lennon was nasty.) By chance, Emerick was at Abbey Road on other business when George Harrison spotted him and begged him to re-equalize the track Emerick did by adding massive amounts of treble.<br />
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Geoff Emerick went on to engineer to rest of the Beatles' records in which he employed his innovations in mic placement and mixing. Not him, George Martin or anyone else, but The Beatles pushed the envelope in recorded music during their creative peak of 1966-7, but Emerick was on the team that helped fulfill the band's vision. Emerick deserves credit for that. Generations will admire his studio innovations, which are all the more impressive given the primitive equipment of that period. Emerick himself enjoyed a wonderful career engineering for Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Jeff Beck and many others.<br />
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Thank you for the magic, Geoff.The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-86141596825817841802018-09-25T04:25:00.002+10:002018-09-25T05:02:06.455+10:00The White Album box set sneak preview<div style="text-align: center;">
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(Sept. 24, 2018) - Today is early Christmas for Beatles fans. Apple has released a few selected tracks to preview <i>The</i> <i>White Album</i> box set, set for release on <a href="https://thebeatles.lnk.to/WhiteAlbum" target="_blank">November 9</a>.</div>
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Those tracks are the Esher demo, the take 5 backing track and the brand-new 2018 stereo remix of <b>Back in the U.S.S.R. </b>Here's our verdict:<br />
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<b>The Esher demo</b></div>
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Each of Paul's double-tracked vocals is placed on a separate channel, with the lead on the left and the harmony on the right. Paul is literally harmonizing with himself, and the blend sounds seamless. Similarly, the main acoustic guitar (playing rhythm) is on the left, while a secondary acoustic strums on the right. Again, smooth.<br />
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Later in the song, other elements such as handclaps and slapping the guitar appear on the right channel, and a tambourine on the left. These elements are discreet, yet distinct. The detail in these secondary instruments, even buried in the mix, is startling.<br />
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All that hiss from the original 4-track reel-to-reel tape from May 1968 has been completely removed. A slight complaint may be the absence of a higher end, such as on the tambourine. But this version is a sonic upgrade that's light years from those raw tapes.<br />
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<b>Verdict</b>: <b>A</b><br />
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<b><br /></b> <b>Take 5 instrumental</b></div>
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The only surprise with this backing track is hearing George at the start sing a few bars during warm-up and comment that he's been "wonderful on the last two takes" presumably to Paul, the composer of <b>Back in the U.S.S.R.</b> After that, the band launches into a slow, bluesy instrumental run, starting with the guitar squeal (we hear in the released take at the end of the jet plane intro). The bass and drums are mixed up, giving this track a lot of muscle, while the guitars sound dirty and biting. This is a good rock band. Sure, it's a fun listen, but, honestly, how many times will you play this? Me, I consider instrumentals interesting at best, though this certainly is.</div>
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<b>Verdict: B</b><br />
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<b>2018 stereo mix</b></div>
<b><br /></b> The main attraction is Giles Martin's new stereo mix. After his stunning work on last year's<i> </i><a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.com/2017/05/review-new-remix-is-definitive-sgt.html" target="_blank"><i>Sgt. Pepper </i>remix</a>, expectations are high for his <i>White Album</i>. He does not disappoint.<br />
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Just like <i>Pepper</i>, the lead vocal and drums are placed squarely in the centre, making the song soar after the jet-engine intro. Those sound effects remain woven in the left channel while the barrel-house piano rolls along in the right. George's growling guitar stays in the right, as well. All elements are well-balanced and complement each other. No instrument awkwardly sticks out.<br />
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The song is clearer than ever before. The bottom end is warm and powerful. The high end sparkles with detail. This mix is a pleasure to listen to on headphones, and it shakes a room when played on a sound system.<br />
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Overall, this <b>Back in the U.S.S.R. </b>rocks. It packs a punch similar to the mono mix. Arguably that mono mix still delivers more force, but this 2018 mix is the best stereo one, hands-down. This track promises that the 2018 <i>White Album </i>will <i>rock. </i>Play loud.<br />
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<b>Verdict: A</b> </div>
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The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-30418496073889997922018-09-16T01:41:00.000+10:002018-09-16T16:58:01.474+10:009 things we want in the White Album box set<br />
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Paul answered the prayers of Beatles fans and <a href="http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/paul-mccartney-confirms-the-beatles-white-album-50th-anniversary-release/" target="_blank">confirmed</a> there'll be a box set of <b>The White Album</b> on its 50th anniversary this fall. Amazing!<br />
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Immediately, the internet crackled with speculation about what would be on it, or rather what fans WANT. Keep in mind that The Beatles set the bar high with last summer's stunning <i>Sgt</i>. <i>Pepper </i>super deluxe set that was bursting with outtakes, a dazzling new stereo mix and a stunning 5.1 surround sound mix. For The White Album (aka <i><b>The Beatles</b></i>) here's our wish list (in no particular order):<br />
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1) <b>The Esher demos</b><br />
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Sure, these 23 acoustic demos, recorded at George's Surrey home in May 1968 just before the band returned to Abbey Road, are widely bootlegged and easily available, but the sound quality varies. We'd like to see <u>every</u> <u>single demo </u>remastered and remixed to the quality of the handful found on 1997's <i>Anthology 2.</i> (Yes, that <b>includes What's The New Mary Jane?</b>) The demos were the blueprints of most of The White Album tracks, so are fascinating to compare and a pleasure to listen to. It's the Beatles unplugged.<br />
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2) <b>A new stereo remix. </b>Giles Martin forever banished the lousy wide-panning of the <i>Pepper </i>album (though I still prefer the original <b>A Day In The Life</b>), and he can apply the same formula to The White Album. This means vocals squarely in the center to anchor the mix, with the instruments placed in the left and right channels to create a balanced, yet exciting sonic picture. In particular, the rock songs, such as <b>Back in The U.S.S.R</b>. and <b>Yer Blues</b> would benefit. Studio equalization would punch up the drums and bass, add muscle to the tracks, and allow, say, the horns in <b>Savoy Truffle </b>to sparkle. All mixes of the album to date suffer from compression to some degree when played on today's audio equipment, which can reproduce sounds with higher highs and lower lows. Plus, add a touch of reverb here and there.<br />
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3) <b>A 5.1 surround sound mix.</b> If you play music on a home theatre system, then you know how immersive a proper 5.1 mix can be--it transports you into another world. Just listen to the extended instrumental break in 5.1 of <b>Within You, Without You</b> or the circus collage that ends <b>Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite</b>. True, the White Album is a simpler album, with fewer instruments and overdubs, but can you imagine Eric Clapton's sinewy guitar in <b>While My Guitar Gently Weeps </b>gripping your room in 5.1? Or the layers of vocals and instruments in <b>Happiness Is A Warm Gun</b>?<br />
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4) <b>Outtakes</b><br />
Is there a slower <b>Glass Onion</b>? A punk <b>Honey Pie</b>? What we do know from bootlegs is that there was an organ on <b>Happiness Is A Warm Gun</b><br />
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and Paul strumming <b>Helter Skelter</b> on acoustic<br />
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and that John wrote <b>Good Night </b>and sang it to George Martin who, alas, regrets he didn't record it. But is there a snippet of that somewhere?<br />
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5) <b>Sour Milk Sea</b> by George<br />
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This is a terrific <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCrJjCIeY-U" target="_blank">mash-up</a> of Jackie Lomax's released version married to George's Esher demo. Why the hell didn't this make the album? Is there a proper run-through by most or all of the band kicking around?<br />
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6)<b> Other unreleased songs</b><br />
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<b>Not Guilty</b> (<i>Anthology 2</i>), <b>Step Inside Love/Los Paranoias </b>(<i>Anthology 2</i>). Did the band ever run through <b>Circles</b>?<br />
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7) <b>Revolution, take 20</b><br />
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Essential. This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnHw-LgVeCY" target="_blank">version</a> includes the long montage that ends this version. Most of those sounds would form <b>Revolution 9</b>. The track bears a resemblance to<b> I Am The Walrus</b> which also featured an experimental, long fade-out. Listening to this, you hear John's original vision for <b>Revolution</b>, which was supposed to sound like a revolution.<br />
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8) And yes, <b>the full 25-minute version of Helter Skelter.</b> It'll probably sound boring and repetitive, but why not if we have the space of a box set. Plus, we want to hear it. At least once.<br />
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9) <b>Chatter</b>: These were the weird sessions, the ones where the lads were (purportedly) drug free and into TM. It's also the sessions where they seemed to tape everything. Absolutely everything. The original album release had snippets of chatter, and we've heard outtakes of Mother's Nature Son where John suggests the use of brass rather than strings. Any more conversations that might shed light on the recording and songwriting process?The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-78238341490621179812017-08-28T01:05:00.000+10:002017-08-28T04:22:17.676+10:00How well did Brian Epstein manage The Beatles?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Seest thou the man who is diligent in his business shall stand before kings.</i></div>
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These words from the Hebrew Book of Proverbs were spoken at the memorial service of Brian Epstein who died 50 years ago from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. Scores of books have praised and/or castigated the Beatles' manager who has been called the Fifth Beatle (along with George Martin, Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe). "Eppy" has been praised for ushering the group to stardom, but also cursed for losing them millions in bad deals. Stripping away the legend and hype, we ask, how good a manager was Brian Epstein? We look at Epstein's performance in areas including marketing, negotiating, concerts, records, music publishing and, yes, merchandising.<br />
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<b>Backgrounder: the music world in 1961</b><br />
First, let's remember there was no rock industry when Epstein started managing The Beatles in November 1961. There wasn't even rock. Instead, clean-cut, candyass pop singers and MOR crooners, not bands, ruled the airwaves. Singles sold, not albums. Careers lasted 18 months. Apart from Elvis (and only to a degree), musicians didn't merchandise themselves in dolls, lunchboxes and wigs. No act sold out football stadiums. Pop stars made shallow, low-budget movies to cash in on their fleeting stardom. And singers did not write their own songs; they were expected to sing someone else's, chosen by their label, producer and/or manager. This was the music industry that furniture and record retailer Brian Epstein dove into in 1961 that he and his band would revolutionize.<br />
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<b>Marketing</b><br />
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The Beatles were the first punks, swearing, eating and smoking onstage in leather jackets a full decade before the Ramones and Sex Pistols. But let's face it: In 1961 when Epstein signed the Beatles, no band--no matter how talented and especially from northern England--was going anywhere behaving and dressed like back-alley scruffs. Musicians wore suits and combed their hair. No exceptions. Epstein had no choice but to clean up the Beatles' presentation, and contrary to legend, Lennon, the most rebellious Beatle, went along with it. This repackaging worked. The suits made the Beatles presentable to all audiences around the world, most importantly middle America. It was also a canny move, because the Beatles ushered in the mid-60s Mod look with modern suits that boasted colour and expressive styles that still looks sharp today.<br />
<b><i>Grade: A</i></b><br />
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<b>Recording Contract</b><br />
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The Beatles ruled Merseyside clubs in 1961, but they couldn't break out nationally without a recording contract. Epstein knew that his role as manager depended on it and the pressure was heavy. Of anyone in Liverpool, Epstein had the best chance to score this prize because he ran the NEMS records department, the largest one in the area. Record labels already knew him and respected his power in selling their discs. That got Epstein into the door. Contrary to promoter Sam Leach (read <a href="https://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/sam-leach-was-sixth-beatle-bollocks.html" target="_blank"><i>Sam Leach was The Sixth Beatle? Bollocks</i></a> on this blog), Epstein's chutzpah landed the eventual recording contract with EMI. The labels didn't roll out the red carpet and hand it to him. (For the full, complicated story, read Mark Lewisohn's exceptional <i>Tune In</i>.) Also credit Epstein for another crucial act: he re-awakened John and Paul as songwriters. It's a little-known fact, but until Epstein signed the Beatles, John and Paul had stopped writing originals. Epstein saw their path to enduring success through original songs. Without those songs, we would have never known the Beatles.<br />
<b><i>Grade: A</i></b><br />
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<b>Music Publishing</b><br />
In 1961, there was no rock industry and bands didn't write their own songs. In fact, bands didn't chart; solo artists did. Elvis was the King, but the King didn't write his own songs. The Beatles and Epstein entered unknown waters when they released <b>Love Me Do </b>and <b>P.S. I Love You</b>. They didn't understand how music publishing worked. Essentially, in the early-60s, a music publisher plugged a new single to TV shows, scored radio airplay, printed the sheet music and convinced other singers to record it. All this generated revenue that Dick James split 50/50 with Lennon and McCartney. This sounds unfair today. Why would a song-plugger receive 50% of the money, especially when Beatles' songs needed no promoting? Remember, this split was standard in that era, and music publishers had overheads like their offices to pay and truly worked to promote a song. Further, when Dick James plugged <b>Please Please Me</b>, the Beatles were unknowns and nobody foresaw Lennon and McCartney turning into a songwriting juggernaut. Certainly, after 1963, Dick James didn't need to plug the Beatles' songs and was coasting on the band's success. But you can't fault Epstein for signing this deal.<br />
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However, the scenario is far more controversial with Northern Songs, the Beatles' publishing company that was established in February 1963 after Please Please Me topped the charts. Dick James and his accountant owned 51% of the company shares while Paul held 20%, John 19% or 20% and Epstein 10%. The point is, John, Paul and Epstein held no more than 49%, which meant that James held the voting advantage at 51%. Income from record sales, live and music publishing was split 50/50 between the two camps, though NEMS received only 10% of sheet music sales. James also received an administrative fee for running Northern Songs in the U.K. as well as abroad where John and Paul actually received a smaller cut of revenues after overseas companies took their cut. (For the full history of the Beatles' publishing, I recommend the excellent <i>Northern Songs </i>by Brian Southall with Rupert Perry.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photographed by David Bailey</td></tr>
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Back in the early-60s these were standard percentages but obviously exploited songwriters and enriched businessmen. This situation wouldn't change until the early-70s when rock matured into an industry. "John and I were taken for a ride," McCartney understandably complained to <i>Mojo </i>in 2005. "John and I didn't know you could own songs," Paul said in another interview. "We thought they just existed in the air."<br />
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Thankfully, Paul now owns his Beatles' songs due to a recent deal, but for most of his career and John's life, the songwriters were the poor men in their own publishing deal. Epstein didn't secure the best deal for his clients.<br />
<b><i>Grade: C</i></b><br />
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<b>Merchandising</b><br />
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It's no secret that Epstein's greatest debacle was merchandising. Untold millions were lost, though attorneys on both sides of the Atlantic reaped thousands in the lawsuits that followed. We're talking 100,000 units of wallpaper and 100,000 toy guitars selling overnight in 1964. The Beatles' British, American and international success happened overnight, and the sharks circled to mass-produce almost any product that bore the name "Beatles." Understandably, Epstein could not assess all the merchandising requests that flooded his office or police the companies that were making Beatles merch and ripping them off. So Eppy was relieved when his solicitor, David Jacobs, offered to oversee merchandising. In America, the Beatles' merch operation was called Seltaeb ("Beatles" backwards). For reasons that Jacobs took to his grave, he signed away 90% of the American revenues to a mysterious figure named Nicky Byrne and three partners, leaving the Beatles with only 10% to split amongst them. That's right: 10%. For America, Byrne assigned lawyer Walter Hofer to administer American merchandising licenses which compounded this fiasco. Geoffrey Ellis, who served Hofer in late 1964, recalls licensing Beatles watches to a U.K. company but also fab four jewellery to a different company to be sold worldwide. Deals like this led to lawsuits. Ellis also recalls that Epstein took the appalling 90/10 deal personally and blamed himself for letting his boys down. By fall 1965, NEMS sued Seltaeb, launching a long, expensive two-year legal battle that infuriated the Beatles. True, Epstein wasn't the sole person at fault. Many were, including Jacobs and Byrne, but Epstein's failure to oversee merchandising was his greatest failure and it haunted him until his early death.<br />
<b><i>Grade: F</i></b><br />
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<b>Negotiating</b><br />
Brian Epstein was the most honest manager in show business in the mid-60s, which was his greatest strength and his greatest flaw. He operated on handshake deals, such as his agreement with Sid Bernstein to book Carnegie Hall in 1964 and Shea Stadium in 1965. He also didn't push Ed Sullivan for a higher fee, but demanded top billing for The Beatles for three straight shows even though they were (at the time of signing in late 1963) complete unknowns in the States. In other words, Epstein valued long-term exposure over short-term profit. Shrewd. However, there were moments when he undersold the Beatles. An example was <i>A Hard Day's Night. </i>United Artists producer, Walter Shenson, was prepared to relinquish up to 25% of the profits to the Beatles, but were stunned when Epstein's opening demand was a low 7.5%. On these occasions, Epstein was naive and meek, two deadly qualities in a cutthroat business.<br />
<b><i>Grade: C</i></b><br />
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<b>Rapport with The Beatles</b><br />
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It's impossible to quantify the relationship between a musician and his manager. Managers are friends, business representatives, advocates, brothers, fathers and confessors to their clients. Sometimes they are true believers in their musicians. At worst, they are crooks (i.e. The Beatles, ahem, later management). Despite Epstein's shortcomings in business, he truly believed in the Beatles' talent and was a genuine fan. He identified their strengths: charisma, humour, performance and composing. Again, Epstein's encouragement of John and Paul to write original songs was crucial and, I argue, his greatest contribution to the band. At the height of Beatlemania, Epstein could have sold his stake and retired rich, but he remained loyal. Further, the Beatles were not easy masters to serve, not with the unpredictable John Lennon or demanding Paul McCartney.<br />
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Sadly, countless musicians were screwed by their managers: Elvis, Bob Dylan, the Stone Roses, New Order, the Rolling Stones and (after Epstein) the Beatles themselves. To his credit, Epstein let the Beatles do what they did best: make music. After<span class="_5yl5"><span> selecting the song list for the failed Decca audition of 1962 (mostly showtunes and standards), </span></span>he never interfered and he did his best to protect them from the sharks in the music business. He never robbed the Beatles. He treated them like artists with respect and even awe. He was never a Beatle, but he was part of their inner circle and essential to their existence. When he died 50 years ago, Lennon immediately (and secretly) knew, "We fuckin' had it," and history proves that the Beatles started slowly disintegrating: <i>Magical Mystery Tour, </i>Apple, Allen Klein, etc.<br />
<b><i>Grade: A</i></b><br />
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<b>Overall</b><br />
If the Beatles' story were to unfold again, then Brian Epstein would have hired a partner to manage the Beatles' business affairs to negotiate better music publishing, concert, record and especially merchandising deals. Likely, Apple would have never happened (that's an entirely different discussion). The Beatles, particularly John and Paul, would have been wealthier and the band probably would have lasted longer. Epstein was a master of packaging and presenting talent. I agree with Ray Coleman's assessment in his definite biography, <i>Brian Epstein</i>, that Eppy channeled his theatrical background and passion into launching the Beatles. I doubt that anyone else could have taken four scruffy rockers from the North and sold them to Middle America and the world. In short, Epstein was a flawed businessman--he could have done better for his boys--but he (and I Want To Hold Your Hand) was essential to breaking the Beatles worldwide. Brian Epstein was a <i>mensch.</i> No, he wasn't the Fifth Beatle (nobody was) and, no, he didn't "make" the Beatles as Ray Coleman insisted. The songs of John and Paul did. But without Brian Epstein, I doubt we would be speaking about the Beatles today.<br />
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Recommended viewing on Brain Epstein:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/apKqMVej1cw" width="480"></iframe>The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-49149247380796502772017-06-24T22:33:00.000+10:002017-06-26T00:44:33.009+10:0050 years later: Is love all you need?<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxPGB_nYlc4/WU5fyL-9YiI/AAAAAAAAA0A/vAUw0eFN2j4Lf-xV-stqzRFbOHVi4dLzACLcBGAs/s1600/1723046_1280x720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1239" height="185" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxPGB_nYlc4/WU5fyL-9YiI/AAAAAAAAA0A/vAUw0eFN2j4Lf-xV-stqzRFbOHVi4dLzACLcBGAs/s320/1723046_1280x720.jpg" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US">1967, the Summer of Love: LSD, pot, psychedelic
music, hippies, </span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">be-ins </span> and free love. It was the visible crest of an
underground movement that had been building for some time. Posters for a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Pageant_Rally" target="_blank"><i>Love Pageant Rally</i></a> in October
1966 called for participants to <i>“Bring the color gold... Bring photos of
personal saints and gurus and heroes of the underground... Bring children...
Flowers... Flutes... Drums... Feathers... Bands... Beads... Banners, flags,
incense, chimes, gongs, cymbals, symbols, costumes, joy."</i> By January the
first <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Be-In" target="_blank">Be-In</a> was held in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, the apparent epicentre of
hippiedom. On 13th May, 1967, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_McKenzie" target="_blank"><b>Scott MacKenzie</b></a> released his huge hit<b> </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9xVMjjjg0U" target="_blank"><i>San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)</i></a>. Selling some seven million copies, he set the tone for the coming
summer. And then on 1st June, the <i>Beatles</i> unleashed<a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2017/05/review-new-remix-is-definitive-sgt.html" target="_blank"> <i>Sgt. Pepper</i></a> on an
unsuspecting world.</span></span><br />
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We loved it. We were stunned by the aural experiment. We were yet to hear of Pepperland--that was to come in 1968's movie, <i>Yellow Submarine,</i> but<i> <a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2017/05/review-new-remix-is-definitive-sgt.html" target="_blank">Sgt Pepper</a></i> took us there, albeit through a haze of cannabis. The Beatles, meanwhile, had continued recording songs in the key of <i>Pepper.</i> <b>Baby You're a Rich Man, Hello Goodbye, Magical Mystery Tour</b> and, of course, <b>All You Need Is Love</b>, which was to become the anthem of the summer.<br />
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But looking back from the 21st century, is it as meaningful and as relevant as it seemed then?<span lang="EN-US"> </span>Let's look its history.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">The lads had been asked to contribute a
positive song to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbWMBiz2z7k&list=PLTnbwiCw-mMTMyud7eaLkzfQBN5gMwTIE" target="_blank">Our World,</a><b> </b>the world's first satellite link-up show. It was broadcast 50 years ago today, June 25, 1967, live around the globe </span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">with an estimated audience of 400 million.</span> Paul had apparently offered Your Mother Should Know, while some
suggest he also delivered <b>Hello, Goodbye.</b></span><b> </b>Did John write <b>All You Need Is Love </b>specially for the broadcast? George Martin
and Ringo seem to think he did, while Paul maintains the song was
already kicking around.<span lang="EN-US"> It matters not, for John’s contribution, which further explored the themes of <b>The Word</b> from <i>Rubber Soul</i>, was chosen. With a simple, repetitive chorus encapsulating the mood of the counter-culture, it was the perfect
sing-a-long hit for an international broadcast, a message and vocabulary that would cross borders and languages.</span><br />
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<b>All You Need Is Love</b> was released two weeks after the broadcast and went to number one around the world. <i>Rolling Stone</i> magazine places it at 370 in its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and at 21 in its list of 100 Greatest Beatles Songs<span lang="EN-US">. </span>While I agree it's a fine song, I can't help feeling <i>Rolling Stone </i>is being overly-generous.<br />
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Lyrically
it's naive. The message is pure and true, but it's hardly a manifesto.
It's a slogan, and the first of John's slogan songs like <b>Give Peace a Chance </b>and <b>Power to the People.</b> It's also the first of his political songs, superficial and passive compared to his call to action in <b>Revolution</b> a year later. When John offered the song to the Beatles, it's reported George Martin said to Paul,<span lang="EN-US"> "Well, it's certainly repetitive." Subtle, George.</span><br />
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For a fun song about love, it's actually limiting rather than empowering. Even the opening lines <i>"There's nothing you can do that can't be done/nothing you can sing that can't be sung"</i> can be read as an instruction to know your place and not push boundaries. And then we get into the quasi-hippie gobbledygook.<span lang="EN-US"> <i>"</i></span><i>Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time," </i>which sounds dangerously close to the modern "finding yourself" self-help mantra. There's also<span lang="EN-US"> a touch of fate and predestination thrown in with <i>"</i></span><i>nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be." </i>Deep ideas or shallow gibberish? A series of meaningless mantras thrown together because they sound philosophical? Read the lyrics and try to make sense of them.<br />
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What's that, John? <i>It's easy?</i><br />
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Paul certainly didn't think so. In <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_McCartney:_Many_Years_from_Now" target="_blank"><i>Many Years From Now</i></a><span lang="EN-US">,
he says, "The chorus 'All you need is love' is simple,
but the verse is quite complex. In fact, I never really understood it." </span><br />
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Of course Paul, <i>the movement you need is on your shoulder.</i><br />
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Don't
get me wrong. It's a great song. It captures the hope of the sixties.
You don't need to understand it all. Just sit back and let the vibe wash
over you, a bit like watching a David Lynch film but with
flowers, bright colours and acid. It is a good message, and one we still
need to learn. John, of course, never lived up to it. He pretty much
abandoned Julian, treated Cynthia badly, and despite being
with Yoko, continued his affairs. The glow of pot darkened as he delved
into heroin, and within two years he was singing about his pain in <b>Cold Turkey</b>.
I have no doubt John truly believed in his message of love, but
couldn't effect it. All this only goes to show he was not the demi-god
the world thought he was, but rather a human, imperfect and broken. It
was all a dream and according to John, by the seventies, the dream is over. In
his <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/lennons-last-interview-sixties-showed-us-possibility/">final interview in 1980</a>, John said, "Maybe in the sixties we were naive and like children, and later
everyone went back to their rooms and said, "We didn't get a wonderful
world of flowers and peace." … Crying for it wasn't enough. The thing
the sixties did was show us the possibility and the responsibility we
all had."<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Although well received at the time, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbWMBiz2z7k&list=PLTnbwiCw-mMTMyud7eaLkzfQBN5gMwTIE">the broadcast</a> is dull and dated. While Canada showed a rancher with a herd of cattle and Australia
included a segment on trams leaving their depot, London broadcast the Beatles live from Abbey Road studios. It was filmed in black-and-white, but following the
previous segments it seemed as bright and shiny as if it had been in colour. </span></span><span lang="EN-US">The Beatles' segment alone has ensured <i>Our
World</i> has remained in the public consciousness for fifty years.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0sGmInaQs5w/WU5hmD7_NOI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/eGirqkGhMbkqgJWT2WC1V37jy3wh8z2ngCLcBGAs/s1600/Beatles-All-You-Need-Is-Love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0sGmInaQs5w/WU5hmD7_NOI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/eGirqkGhMbkqgJWT2WC1V37jy3wh8z2ngCLcBGAs/s640/Beatles-All-You-Need-Is-Love.jpg" width="640" /></a><span lang="EN-US"> </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">In psychedelic garb and surrounded by
flowers, John, Paul, George and Ringo sat on thrones with their subjects at their feet, including<b> Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones</b> and <b>Keith Moon</b>. </span><span lang="EN-US">John was nervous and chewed
gum throughout.</span><span lang="EN-US"> <b>George Martin</b> and <b>Geoff Emerick </b>were stressed, fearing a
technical hitch, and when the broadcast commenced 40 seconds earlier than
expected, they had to scramble to hide their scotch.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wqu5SwBBcyA/WU5htdhPKKI/AAAAAAAAA0U/Mx974DeNszsl_zLEseiNgZzKO25k90XmgCLcBGAs/s1600/67_george-harrison-haight-ashbury-1967_01-390x580.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wqu5SwBBcyA/WU5htdhPKKI/AAAAAAAAA0U/Mx974DeNszsl_zLEseiNgZzKO25k90XmgCLcBGAs/s200/67_george-harrison-haight-ashbury-1967_01-390x580.jpg" width="134" /></a>Peering through the rose-tinted glasses of time, it's easy to be
nostalgic about 1967--the music, the fashion, the love, those halcyon summer days--but it wasn't as rosy as we remember. The Vietnam War was at its height,
there were as many bad trips as good, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaQisHV8jw" target="_blank">not every hit was groovy</a>, and San Francisco was unprepared and unwilling to assist the tens of thousands of invading dropouts and runaways. George <a href="https://www.beatlesbible.com/1967/08/07/george-harrison-visits-haight-ashbury-san-francisco/" target="_blank">visited Haight-Ashbury with Derek Taylor in August 1967</a>, expecting it "to be special, a creative and artistic
place, filled with beautiful people, but it was horrible - full of
ghastly drop-outs, bums and spotty youths, all out of their brains." <br />
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<span lang="EN-US">During the sixties, many credited the
Beatles with leading the cultural revolution. In hindsight it’s
easier to recognise
that although they were highly visible in the vanguard, they weren’t the
leaders as such. They were right there, though, in the thick of popular
culture and they quickly picked up on new trends, themes, ideas and
movements which they extended and popularised, ignoring
boundaries as they went. </span>And it was indeed a movement, but we know that not everyone was feeling the love. As early as December 1966, <b>Buffalo Springfield</b> had released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp5JCrSXkJY" target="_blank"><i>For What it's Worth</i></a> in response to curfew riots on Sunset Strip. In 1968 the Beatles and the Stones recorded songs on a similar theme. There was a brief moment of resurgent hope as <i>Woodstock </i>provided a second, false dawn but that too died a few months later as the <b>Stones </b>played <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRQaqmP7QGY" target="_blank"><i>Under My Thumb</i></a> at Altamont. Personally, the Beatles had trouble with loving each other. While recording the <i>White Album </i>they weren't getting along.
Ringo quit, the sessions were strained and by 1969 the four could
barely stand being in the same room together. To quote singer <a href="http://lyrics.wikia.com/wiki/Larry_Norman:Reader%27s_Digest" target="_blank"><i>Larry Norman</i></a>, "The Beatles said, All you need is love and then they broke up." </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XQwPlqQJnsg/WU5jArskPHI/AAAAAAAAA0g/Bsh4p_TJnk8HYgXK5kMVJLoWk4WwCs15wCLcBGAs/s1600/hey4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="435" height="160" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XQwPlqQJnsg/WU5jArskPHI/AAAAAAAAA0g/Bsh4p_TJnk8HYgXK5kMVJLoWk4WwCs15wCLcBGAs/s200/hey4.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>We remember the dream, the hope, the bright colours of the Summer of Love, and we are better for having it in our collective memories. And all we still need is love, but as John suggested, love is not just lying around in Haight-Ashbury waiting to be harvested. We have to take responsibility and put it into action.<br />
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So where does this leave us with the lyrics?<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Study" title="Grant Study">The Grant Study,</a> which tracked Harvard undergraduates over 80 years in order to determine which factors brought happiness, has summarised its findings as "Happiness is love."<br />
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It seems it really is all you need.</div>
The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-27955867725938334642017-06-05T12:24:00.001+10:002017-06-05T12:24:28.708+10:009 Things We Learned from Sgt. Pepper's Musical Revolution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Sgt. Pepper </i>week continues. The BBC celebrated the 50th anniversary of the landmark album by broadcasting a brand new one-hour special that aired yesterday (June 3) on the BBC (and PBS in the U.S. and Canada), <i>Sgt. Pepper's Musical Revolution with Howard Goodall. </i><br />
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Noted British classical composer Goodall narrates this special which explores the making of the album by showcasing snippets of outtakes (some culled from the various 2017 <i>Pepper </i>CD sets, other exclusive to this series) and illustrated by archival films and photographs as well as striking visual effects. The special is an unofficial sequel to <i>The Making of Sgt. Pepper, </i>the fine 1992 doc that is part of the Super Deluxe box set.<br />
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The key difference here is that the Goodall special lacks new appearances by any of the remaining Beatles or their confidantes. Instead, Goodall takes us on a musical lecture-tour of the <i>Pepper </i>sessions. His musical observations are insightful and new even to lifelong fans of the album. Like a good teacher, Goodall offers insight but speaks in terms that don't sail over our heads. Here are some things we learned:<br />
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1) In December 1966, EMI recording engineer Ken Townsend (far right) joined the fast and dreamy versions of <b>Strawberry Fields Forever </b>by slowing down the fast one to match the tempo and key of the slower one. He accomplished this by manipulating the electricity supply feeding the tape machine. Remember: there were no computers in those days, just magnetic tape machines. And no, George Martin didn't pull this off, though he oversaw it.<br />
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2) The influence of Little Richard on <b>Penny Lane.</b> No surprise that Paul was a huge <b>Little Richard </b>fan, but Richard's double-time rhythm (heard on such hits as <b>Lucille </b>that The Beatles covered on BBC Radio) had a direct effect on the piano performance on Penny Lane.<br />
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3) Now consider that the piano performance of <b>Penny Lane </b>is actually four different pianos mixed together.<br />
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4) The musical "wash" that appears twice in <b>Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite</b> consists of one-second snippets culled from various calliope recordings (circus organs) that producer George Martin had engineer <b>Geoff Emerick</b> splice together at random. Okay, maybe this is not news to some Beatlefreaks, but the Goodall special isolates several splices of them so you can hear them individually--and that is a revelation.<br />
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5) John's vocal was recorded at a slower speed, so he sounds younger (and higher in pitch) in <b>Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds</b>, a song that's based on a child's fantasy (<i>Alice in Wonderland</i>).<br />
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6) Paul's melancholy vocal in <b>She's Leaving Home </b>is rooted in the ancient "modal" tradition that Paul would've absorbed from Anglo-Celtic folk songs he heard growing up in Liverpool.<br />
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7) The numerous shifts of rhythm (<i>taal</i>) in George's <b>Within You, Without You</b> are absolutely normal in Indian music, though unusual, if not radical, for Western rock music.<br />
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8) George's vocal is actually a compromise between Western and Indian conventions. The latter "stretches" single words over several bars--and this bears no comparison in Western songs, certainly not rock. The Goodall special features an Indian singer demonstrating how <b>Within You, Without You</b> would be sung in the Indian tradition, which is light-years from Western music.<br />
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9) The <i>glissando </i>orchestral "rush" heard twice in <b>A Day in the Life </b>was inspired by avant-garde composers such as <b>John Cage </b>and <b>Karlheinz Stockhausen </b>(above). John, and especially Paul, were curious about these composers. They all share a spirit of musical adventure.The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-29010095959514470662017-06-03T03:15:00.000+10:002017-06-03T03:15:20.824+10:00Review: the immersive Sgt. Pepper mix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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About 100 hardcore Beatle freaks left work early yesterday to attend a one-time <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/sgt-peppers-dolby-atmos/" target="_blank">listening party of the "immersive" <i>Sgt. Pepper </i>mix</a> in downtown Toronto at 4:30 pm. From L.A. to New York, select cities across North America hosted the free event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark album.<br />
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First of all, what is an "immersive" mix? Imagine surround sound, like 5.1 in your home or a public cinema, but with extra speakers on the ceiling so that the listener is almost entirely surrounded by sound (except the floor). Add more subwoofers to boost the bass. (Currently, there are no plans to offer the <i>Pepper </i>immersive mix to home theatre.) As he did with the <a href="http://www.rowboatsyndicate.com/" target="_blank">new stereo</a> and 5.1 remixes, producer Giles Martin prepared this Dolby Atmos mix. So, how was it?<br />
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Let me note that I've listened to the amazing new stereo remix many times (<a href="http://www.rowboatsyndicate.com/" target="_blank">review here)</a>, but not the 5.1 yet. For yesterday's listening, I sat near the center of the cinema, in the sweet spot, slightly right of center. The verdict: This immersive mix was impressive, but didn't blow me away.<br />
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Immersive mixes allow sounds to swirl literally over your head, behind you and around the sides and front, essentially 360 degrees. Sure, there was some of that, notably in <b>Mr. Kite </b>and <b>Within You, Without You</b>, but was it was missing in tracks you'd expect like<b> Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds</b> and <b>A Day in the Life</b>. The immersive mix was conservative and didn't exploit the medium's potential.<br />
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On the positive side, Ringo's drums and Paul's bass drive the immersive mix, just like in the stereo. It was powerful and visceral. Also, there is even more definition in the instruments than in the stereo remix. There were harp passages in <b>She's Leaving Home</b> I'd never heard before. The Western-and-Indian instrumental break in <b>Within You, Without You</b> is breathtaking. Same goes with the musical wash in <b>Mr. Kite</b>. Surprisingly, <b>Lovely Rita</b> benefits the most from the immersive treatment, with its layers of instruments spread across the sound field to dazzling effect. The final piano crash of the album in <b>A Day in the Life </b>was so powerful it literally rattled the ceiling of cinema 7 of the Dundas-Yonge Cineplex, a cinema designed to withstand Hollywood blockbusters.<br />
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Yes, it was an enjoyable listening experience and I'm glad I attended it, but it wasn't a leap from my stereo mix blasting from my 5.1 home theatre system. Also, it would have been nice to hear <b>Strawberry Fields Forever</b> and <b>Penny Lane</b> included in the immersive presentation.<br />
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Reaction from the mostly 100 Baby Boomers in the audience (some of whom remember spinning their mono vinyl LPs of <i>Pepper </i>in the summer of love) were mostly thumbs up. "Amazing," said one. "Really liked it," said another. Another fan was impressed, but wanted to rush home and compare it to the original mono mix. (Before the immersive mix played, there was a brief video of Giles comparing a snippet of <i>Pepper </i>in mono, the new stereo and the immersive. The differences were subtle.) A veteran American music producer felt the mix was off-balance, but that may have had to do with where he was sitting in the cinema. Another fan wanted more high-end definition.<br />
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Me, I can't complain. I love the new <i>Pepper </i>and hearing it with extra channels was a splendid time, especially surrounded by fellow Beatles freaks.The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-84304452440937003162017-05-28T01:46:00.000+10:002017-06-06T12:47:30.353+10:00Review: The new remix is the definitive Sgt. Pepper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finally.<br />
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Fifty years, almost to the day, The Beatles have properly mixed <i>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band </i>in stereo. Producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell have reconstructed the album by sourcing the original tracks to present vocals and guitars that sparkle and bass and drums that roar.<br />
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Martin has centered the vocals, forever erasing the ugly extreme panning which segregated vocals to one channel and almost all instruments to the other. On every track he has added new details from guitars, keyboards, tablas, strings and backing vocals that ring out of speakers and headphones alike. Layers of sound that The Beatles and his father George with engineer Geoff Emerick first constructed in the winter of 1966/67 burst across the stereo picture in songs such as Getting Better.<br />
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<i>Pepper </i>was never my favourite Beatles album. (<i>Revolver </i>is.) In fact, <i>Pepper </i>was down my list. I listened to the 1967 stereo all these years and lamented how the album just lacked something. Too whimsical in places, not enough weight. Sounded flat. However, this 2017 remix makes me reassess <i>Pepper</i>. I now see its depth and appreciate its complexity. Its sheer force is now undeniable--and exciting.<br />
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Overall, Martin and Okell have injected the overall album with power and dimension. Long buried in the original 1967 stereo mix, Ringo's drums propel virtually every song, balancing the whimsy in tracks, such as Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite, and<i> </i>adding menace to others, including Good Morning, Good Morning.<br />
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<i>Sgt. Pepper </i>rocks.<br />
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Oh God, you may be thinking, another bloody Beatles reissue. Not at all. This release is not a re-<i>master, </i>but a <i>brand new mix. </i>It ain't a paint job and scrub, but an entire re-design by shifting vocals and re-organizing sounds to realize the effect that The Beatles originally intended in spring 1967. The band oversaw three weeks of mono mixing, but weren't ever around for the stereo mix that lasted three <i>days.</i> Mono outsold stereo in 1967. The audience lagged behind the imagination and ambition of The Beatles. In turn, their <i>Pepper</i> would propel stereo's dominance, usher the rise of the long-playing record and spark the transition of "pop" to "rock."<br />
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Giles' stereo mix takes its cue from the mono mix which was the mix that The Beatles intended the world to hear. Mono packs a sonic punch, forceful and aggressive, compared to the thin 1967 stereo. Here's a review of each track, plus the single that was originally planned for the album, Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane:<br />
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<b>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</b><br />
Opens with snare drum on the left channel, a much louder bass that rumbles in the center and a guitar that now snarls on the right. The guitar offers far more detail than before and sounds like Jimi Hendrix. The guitar continues to slash as Paul screams the vocal in the centre to create an exciting dialogue. Backing vocals are spread across both channels in exquisite detail. An amazing opening.<br />
<i>Verdict: Excellent</i><br />
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<b>With A Little Help From My Friends</b><br />
Vocals are centered, and the overall track has a mono feel except that Paul's melodic bass dominates the right channel. This is one of the simpler tracks of the album, so there are no sonic fireworks, but all the elements roll along in the right place.<br />
<i>Verdict: Good</i><br />
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<b>Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds</b><br />
The opening keyboard riff dances across the left and right channels to mesmerizing effect that runs through the entire track. It's a subtle, but brilliant touch as if enticing the listener to run down the rabbit hole with vocalist Lennon. John's vocal is centered, anchoring the song. Drums, tamboura are center-left, while Paul's bass is center-right in a delicate balance. This is one of the few tracks where Ringo's drums aren't pushed to the forefront, and I understand why. That would have smothered the sound collage that Lucy creates.<br />
<i>Verdict: Good</i><br />
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<b>Getting Better</b><br />
The fireworks return with this track. Paul's bass is right upfront and gives the song a whallop that was missing before. Again, vocals are centered. New to my ears were the guitars chiming in both channels and the piano plucking in the right. Ringo's high hat sparkles in the left. The remix shows off the layers of sound like never before which hum together like a mighty machine.<br />
<i>Verdict: Stunning</i><br />
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<b>Fixing A Hole</b><br />
The opening keyboard has never sounded so detailed. Ringo's drums are predominantly left, guitar mostly right (except the solo) and Paul's vocal at center to anchor the sound picture. Backing vocals also mostly right, but the panning is balanced, not lopsided or distracting. <br />
<i>Verdict: Good</i><br />
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<b>She's Leaving Home</b><br />
The first thing you notice is how fast this track is, nearly as fast as the mono (which never sounded right to me). This mix demands some adjustment, because I'm used to hearing the slower 1967 stereo version. But in direct comparison, the slower version sounds melodramatic. Also, Giles has separated the individual stringed instruments across the channels giving them room to breathe while allowing Paul's vocal to dominate in the center. Faster, less emphasis on the strings, less melodramatic. Also, John's key background vocals are more distinct and detailed. Overall, a well-balanced track. This faster version gives the song more urgency and bite.<br />
<i>Verdict: Surprising at first, but overall good</i><br />
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<b>Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite</b><br />
This was one of the worst-mixed songs on the 1967 stereo, your typical hard-pan with the vocals 2000 miles away from the instruments. I hated it. Centering the vocals is a huge step forward here. Secondly, the individual instruments are separated across left and right, and each rings clearly. The difference is immediate and amazing. Third, Ringo's drumming adds weight to a song that was whimsical, even slight, before. And fourth, the wash of sound at the end is downright dazzling. Another WOW moment.<br />
<i>Verdict: Stunning</i><br />
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<b>Within You Without You</b><br />
Every instrument, stringed and Indian, sparkles on this track. They are spread across both channels instead of lumped together into a dull mess as before. George's vocal in the center literally bridges both sets of instruments. Most astonishing is the extended musical break starting at 2;23 where Giles exploits the soundscape to contrast and blend the Indian and Western instruments. Hands down, this is one of the most breathtaking moments of this remix. <br />
<i>Verdict: Stunning</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>When I'm 64</b><br />
Brushes-on-snare on the left, clarinets on the right and Paul's vocal in the middle. Simple and it works.<br />
<i>Verdict: Good</i><br />
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<b>Good Morning Good Morning</b><br />
Crank this one. This new remix is a monster rock track. Ringo drives a tank throughout this song, adding a layer of menace which injects John's lyrics about a dull day with paranoia and chaos. And I mean that as a compliment. Another WOW moment. This remix is light years from any you've ever heard.<br />
<i>Verdict: Stunning</i><br />
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<b>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise)</b><br />
Given the bass-and-drums boost of every track before, it's a slight letdown to hear this mix. On the 1967 mix, this track rocked the hardest, but no longer. Is this a bad mix? Not at all, but it doesn't surprise like the others. Paul's vocal, though, is crisper, and you can hear him scat in the fade out just like he does on the mono mix.<br />
<i>Verdict: Okay</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>A Day In The Life</b><br />
Mixed feelings. John's vocal is centered throughout and--for once--I miss the extreme panning. In the 1967 mix, his vocal starts in the extreme right than gradually shifts to the center and eventually hard-left, counter-clockwise. I miss this sense of disorientation and movement. That said, every sonic element on this track rings clearer with more detail, notably John's unearthly <i>Ahhhh</i> at 2:46. And the final piano chord is a knock-out punch.<br />
<i>Verdict: Mixed feelings</i><br />
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<b>Strawberry Fields Forever</b><br />
Actually remixed in 2015, but the structure is the same as the other tracks: centered vocals and individual instruments and effects delicately mixed on the left and right channels. The svarmandal still deliciously sweeps across the soundscape. Again, the instruments offer detail and immediacy.<br />
<i>Verdict: Good</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Penny Lane</b><br />
It's subtle, but this is one of the most radical remixes. It's not a hard rock song, but a collection of vignettes that Paul imagines of his hometown, Liverpool. Storyteller Paul is front and centre. Flourishes appear discreetly on the left and right channels, like the piccolo trumpet solo on the right, or the fireman's bell on the left. Again, subtle. My only complaint is that the trumpet near the end of the song is slightly buried in the left channel. (If anyone's asking, on my iPod I've placed SFF/Penny between Within You Without You and When I'm 64 and chucked Lovely Rita altogether.)<br />
<i>Verdict: Good</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
OVERALL:<b> Though imperfect, the 2017 stereo remix is the new definitive mix of </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Sgt. Pepper</i>. It comes closest in capturing the Beatles' intentions and in conveying the complex soundscapes created in 1967 when the band was limited by four-track technology. All vocals, instruments and sound effects burst with fresh detail. Centering the vocals is a leap forward and boosting the drums and bass restores the visceral power of this rock album that used to be found only in the mono mix. My only real misgiving is the vocal placement in A Day In The Life, but the remixes of the title track, Getting Better, Mr. Kite, Within You and Good Morning are breathtaking. This remix firmly places this album in the 21st century and (partially) restores <i>Pepper's </i>reputation which has been overshadowed in recent years by <i>Revolver.</i><br />
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The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-470732109946029002017-05-23T01:30:00.003+10:002017-05-27T05:55:43.851+10:00Sgt. Pepper box set: What's really new?<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0.9em;">
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Unless you've been in a coma, you've heard by now that a 50th anniversary<i><b> Sgt. Pepper</b></i> box set will soon be released on May 26. Never mind the single- and double-CD packages. Anyone reading this blog will care only about the Super Deluxe 4CD/DVD/blu-ray multiorgasmic set that looks promising.</div>
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That optimism is based on early reports, including this one by <i><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/inside-unheard-sgt-pepper-outtakes-exclusive-first-listen-w476067" target="_blank">Rolling Stone</a> </i>last month, that covered an exclusive preview at Abbey Road that a handful of lucky mortals in London attended. These reports tell us of mind-blowing early takes from the album and a fresh remix where Ringo's drumming leaps out of the speakers. I hope so.</div>
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However, the box ain't cheap: US$150 for Americans and C$199 for poor Canadians. In contrast, 100 quid for U.K. listeners is halfway reasonable. That's still a lot of cash for 6 discs and a 144-page hardcover book. I'm tempted to shout "cash grab," but will refrain until I get my hands on a set.</div>
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So, what's on this box and <u>what do we already have</u>, whether it's legit or bootleg? Here's the track listing and our notes:</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><b>CD 1<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sgt. Pepper</i> 2017 Stereo Mix</b><br />
Yes, this is a re-<i>mix</i>, not a typical "remastered" version that no human can distinguish from the old. By all reports, George's son, Gilles, with Sam Okell, have laboured to produce a brand new mix that will dazzle listeners. Compare that to 1967 when most record-buyers owned mono record players while portable music devices like iPods and smartphones were science fiction. Supposedly, Ringo's drum kicks ass in the new mix, and that's a welcome relief. I have every reason to believe this, given the way Ringo's bass drums leaps out of my speakers in Hey Bulldog from 1999's <i>Yellow Submarine Songbook. </i>I hope Gilles and Okell can inject as much percussive muscle into the new mixes, as this will do humanity a great service by replacing the extreme panning of the original (read: horrible) 1967 stereo mix. Expect instruments and vocals you never heard popping up. <b>Verdict: can't wait.</b></div>
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<b>CD 2</b><i> (Complete early takes from the sessions, sequenced in chronological order of their first recording dates)</i></div>
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<b>1. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Take 1]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />2. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Take 4]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />3. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Take 7]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />4. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Take 26]</b><br />
Takes 1 and 7 of the song that kicked off the <i>Pepper </i>sessions already appear on <i>The Beatles Anthology </i>and, except take 26, as far back as the landmark 1985 vinyl bootleg, <i><a href="http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=nems280" target="_blank">Nothing is Real</a>, </i>and boot CDs notably the comprehensive, <i><a href="http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=pb1008&section=1" target="_blank">It's Not Too Bad</a> </i>(which includes take 26). The only thing we can hope for is some sonic polish to these tracks.</div>
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<b>5. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Stereo Mix - 2015]</b><br />
Gilles' mix from the <i>1 </i>deluxe reissue that year.</div>
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<b>6. "When I'm Sixty-Four" [Take 2]</b><br />
New.</div>
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<b>7. "Penny Lane" [Take 6 – Instrumental]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />8. "Penny Lane" [Vocal Overdubs And Speech]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />9. "Penny Lane" [Stereo Mix - 2017]</b><br />
As far as I can tell, these are all new. The <i>Anthology 2 </i>outtake is a blend of several takes, which may or may not come from these outtakes. And the stereo mix will be brand new. <i>Rolling Stone </i>reports "a lavish Pet Sounds-style version led by Paul's piano and harmonium [and] a backing vocal track that's all Paul and George doing handclaps and harmonies." </div>
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<b>10. "A Day In The Life" [Take 1]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />11. "A Day In The Life" [Take 2]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />12. "A Day In The Life" [Orchestra Overdub]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />13. "A Day In The Life" (Hummed Last Chord) [Takes 8, 9, 10 and 11]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />14. "A Day In The Life" (The Last Chord)</b><br />
Again, the Anthology 2 outtake combined several outtakes, including 1 and 2, but here these takes will be presented in their entirety. That should be interesting. I've read that the mythic hummed last chord sounded dreadful and they were unable to maintain the hum long enough without falling into fits of laughter. We've had a short snippet on VHS for many years, but with four takes of this ending, we'll hear for ourselves exactly why it was dumped.<br />
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The total effect of all these tracks should demonstrate how The Beatles built their most celebrated (and complex) song.</div>
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<b>15. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" [Take 1 – Instrumental]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />16. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" [Take 9 And Speech]</b><br />
New. There have never been any outtakes of this song, so this is meaty. <i>Rolling Stone </i>describes these takes as a "long, raw guitar jam."</div>
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<b>17. "Good Morning Good Morning" [Take 1 - Instrumental, Breakdown]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />18. "Good Morning Good Morning" [Take 8]</b><br />
Take 1 is new, but take 8 already appears in <i>Beatles Anthology 2</i>. Why not replace that with another outtake, since anyone buying the box set will own the <i>Anthology </i>set?</div>
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<b>Verdict: </b>Despite a few redundancies, the first disc of outtakes promises enough surprises and buried treasures.<br />
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<b>CD 3</b> <i>(Complete early takes from the sessions, sequenced in chronological order of their first recording dates)</i></div>
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<b>1. "Fixing A Hole" [Take 1]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />2. "Fixing A Hole" [Speech And Take 3]</b><br />
New. No outtakes exist on bootleg. <i>Rolling Stone </i>says that Paul takes a rockier, R&B approach and Ringo takes off the drums. Intriguing.</div>
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<b>3. "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!" [Speech From Before Take 1; Take 4 And Speech At End]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />4. "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!" [Take 7]</b><br />
Only take 4 is new. The rest is already on <i>Anthology 2. </i>Again, why not something new??</div>
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<b>5. "Lovely Rita" [Speech And Take 9]</b><br />
New. No outtakes exist on bootleg. </div>
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<b>6. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" [Take 1 And Speech At The End]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />7. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" [Speech, False Start And Take 5]</b><br />
An outfake, based on takes 6, 7 and 8 appear on <i>Anthology 2, </i>so these tracks are new. Yipee! However, it begs the question of why Gilles, Apple and the Beatles themselves didn't select new outtakes for Mr. Kite and Good Morning, Good Morning.</div>
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<b style="font-family: freight-text-pro, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">8. "Getting Better" [Take 1 - Instrumental And Speech At The End]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />9. "Getting Better" [Take 12]</b><br />
<span style="font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">New. Says </span></span><i style="font-family: freight-text-pro, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">Rolling Stone: </i><span style="font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Paul leads on Wurtlitzer keyboard for a more aggressive attack."</span></span></div>
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<b>10. "Within You Without You" [Take 1 - Indian Instruments Only]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />11. "Within You Without You" [George Coaching The Musicians]</b><br />
An unidentified instrumental take appears on <i>Anthology 2</i>, so it may or may not be take 1. Probably not, since the <i>Anthology 2 </i>version sounds polished. In any case, this should be interesting. Likely new.</div>
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<b>12. "She's Leaving Home" [Take 1 – Instrumental]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />13. "She's Leaving Home" [Take 6 – Instrumental]</b><br />
New.</div>
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<b>14. "With A Little Help From My Friends" [Take 1 - False Start And Take 2 – Instrumental]</b><br />
New. An early run-through with Paul leading on piano, John on guitar and George on cowbell (yes, cowbell). No bass.</div>
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<span style="font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><b>15. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" [Speech And Take 8]</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;">New. Always a kick-ass track, I wonder what this version sounds like.</span></div>
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<b>Verdict: </b>Only two cuts are redundant, while the rest are new. Thumbs up.<br />
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<b>CD 4 </b><i>(<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sgt. Pepper</span> and bonus tracks in Mono)</i><br />
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<b>1-13: 2017 Direct Transfer of <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sgt. Pepper</i> Original Mono Mix</b><br />
<b>14. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Original Mono Mix]</b><br />
<b>15. "Penny Lane" [Original Mono Mix]</b><br />
Likely the same as the Mono Box Set and countless mono transfers from vinyl to digital.</div>
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<b>16. "A Day In The Life" [Unreleased First Mono Mix]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />17. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" [Unreleased Mono Mix - No. 11]<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />18. "She's Leaving Home" [Unreleased First Mono Mix]</b><br />
New. A little intriguing, since I've never heard of these. I don't expect significant differences, but rather touches here and there that may surprise.</div>
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<b>19. "Penny Lane" [Capitol Records U.S. Promo Single - Mono Mix]</b><br />
This has been around since the 1980 <i>Rarities </i>vinyl LP released by Capitol. It features an extra horn riff at the coda. Will it change your life? Nope. But it's cute.</div>
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<b>Verdict: </b>If you already own the mono mix, then only four tracks are really new, and even then that's a stretch.<br />
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<b>DISCS 5 & 6 </b><i>(Blu-ray & DVD)</i><br />
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<b>New 5.1 Surround Audio mixes of 'Sgt. Pepper’ album and “Penny Lane,” plus 2015 5.1 Surround mix of “Strawberry Fields Forever”</b><br />
This is where owning a 5.1 sound system pays off. What's better than a stereo remix of <i>Pepper </i>is a new surround mix of the album. Excellent!</div>
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<b>High Resolution Audio versions of 2017 'Sgt. Pepper’ stereo mix and 2017 “Penny Lane” stereo mix, plus 2015 “Strawberry Fields Forever” hi res stereo mix (Blu-ray: LPCM Stereo 96KHz/24bit / DVD: LPCM Stereo)</b><br />
Doesn't hurt, though only audiophiles will appreciate these.<br />
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Video Features (both discs):<br />
<i style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b>The Making of Sgt. Pepper</b></i> [restored 1992 documentary film, previously unreleased]<br />
Long bootlegged, this fine film is most welcome here. Can't wait to see the restored video and audio.<br />
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Promotional Films: <b>"A Day In The Life" "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane"</b> [4K restored]<br />
Will these be any better than the <i>1 </i>deluxe blu-ray set?<br />
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<b>Verdict: </b>Love seeing a new 5.1 mix included (long, long overdue) and the 1992 documentary released.<br />
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<b>Overall verdict: </b>Though pricey, this box set contains an overwhelming majority of new studio material, entirely new stereo and 5.1 mixes and presents the often-bootlegged <i>Making of </i>documentary with few redundancies with existing official releases. A splendid time is (likely) guaranteed for all!</div>
The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-17821763774576200162017-02-17T16:51:00.000+11:002017-02-17T16:51:17.732+11:00I hated Strawberry Fields Foreverby Allan Tong<br />
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It was the age of vinyl and I had worn out the grooves of the 1973 Apple/Capitol double-compilation <i>1962-66</i> ("red" album) and had eagerly taken him home the companion <i>1967-70 </i>"blue" album from Sam the Record Man on Yonge Street in Toronto. I threw the disc on my father's turntable, cranked it up and dropped the needle on side 1 of the album. I heard this funereal dirge (Paul's mellotron) then this ghostly voice intoning, "Let me take you down..."<br />
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<i>What the fuck?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
It sounded like shit. It sounded too slow. It sounded ugly. It was Strawberry Fields Forever, released 50 years ago today in the UK.<br />
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Like a lover you grow to understand her idiosyncrasies, it took me a long time to first understand just what the hell John Lennon was saying when he sang, "I think I know of me, ah yes, but it's all wrong" and more time to appreciate just how good the song was.<br />
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I wasn't alone.<br />
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On March 11, 1967, <a href="https://metavideos.com/video/1095171/kids-reaction-to-the-strawberry-fields-forever-and" target="_blank">Dick Clark played the video of <i>SFF </i>and </a><i><a href="https://metavideos.com/video/1095171/kids-reaction-to-the-strawberry-fields-forever-and" target="_blank">Penny Lane</a> </i>to an audience of American teenagers. Most of them had heard I Want To Hold Your Hand, Help! and Yellow Submarine, the band's last number one, and the clever ones would have clued into Tomorrow Never Knows,but this song blew them away...or confounded them. The reactions after seeing the "film" what we call "video" now) included:<br />
<br />
"I thought it was great."<br />
<br />
"I don't like their hair."<br />
<br />
"They looked older and it ruins their image."<br />
<br />
"It was funny."<br />
<br />
"Their mustaches are weird!"<br />
<br />
"Looked good."<br />
<br />
Pete Townshend was one of the first to hear the single before release. He noted that Lennon looked gaunt and nearly unrecognizable, and the music that emanated from the turntable was strange:<br />
<br />
<div>
<i>Brian Epstein had summoned me, with Eric Clapton, to be the first two artist-peers to hear "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane", The Beatles' new recordings, on an eight-track tape recorder. John was nervous, I remember. He was with Cynthia, his first wife, and she seemed more relaxed than he was. After we had heard the tracks, I was speechless.</i><br />
<br />
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<br />
The <i>New Musical Express'</i> Derek Johnson wrote: "Certainly the most unusual and way-out single The Beatles have yet produced – both in lyrical content and scoring. Quite honestly, I don't really know what to make of it."<br />
<br />
The Beatles, like contemporaries Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson and soon Jimi Hendrix and, in jazz, Miles Davis, strove to push the boundaries into new sounds, but they risked leaving their audience behind. Just ask The Beach Boys, whose <i>Smile </i>confused a lot of their fans in the late-60s. With its backwards tapes, slowed-down vocals, audio loops and avant-garde sounds inspired by Stockhausen, Strawberry Fields Forever invaded the pop charts. In the week it was released, the U.S. top 10 looked like this:<br />
<br />
1 KIND OF A DRAG - The Buckinghams<br />
2 I’M A BELIEVER – The Monkees<br />
3 RUBY TUESDAY – The Rolling Stones<br />
4 GEORGY GIRL – The Seekers<br />
5 (We Ain’t Got) NOTHIN’ YET – The Blues Magoos<br />
6 LOVE IS HERE AND NOW YOU’RE GONE – The Supremes<br />
7 98.6 – Keith<br />
8 TELL IT LIKE IT IS – Aaron Neville<br />
9 THE BEAT GOES ON Sonny and Cher<br />
10 GIMME SOME LOVIN’ - The Spencer Davis Group<br />
<br />
Some fine songs by great bands here, including The Supremes and Spencer Davis, but the closest song approaching SFF in inventiveness was Ruby Tuesday by their alleged rivals, The Stones. SFF and Penny Lane sounded like something from outer space.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8UQK-UcRezE" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
It's a crime that SFF reached only number 8 on the U.S. charts and with Penny Lane only 2 in the U.K. Now it's universally lauded as the greatest Beatles--or rock--song next to A Day in the Life.<br />
<br />
What happened?<br />
<br />
Once in a while a piece of art will reach its audience that's ahead of its time and the audience must catch up. Stanley Kubrick's <i>2001: A Space Odyssey </i>is a good example. The Beatles began as a teenybopper band and SFF/Penny Lane announced them to be <i>artistes. </i>This single has endured as a masterpiece and its influence is incalculable.<br />
<br />
Me, I hated Strawberry Fields Forever, and now it's my favourite song of all time. Period. It speaks to me like no other. It doesn't just entertain me, but moves me. It <i>means </i>something. A book, a movie, a painting, a song, whatever. You are what you love, and I love Strawberry Fields Forever. It will play at my funeral and birthdays. It is true and beautiful. It will always be a part of me, and we all need a piece of music like that.</div>
The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-87750897149084523522016-10-30T06:57:00.001+11:002016-10-30T07:02:52.306+11:00Mark Lewisohn tunes into Toronto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Renown Beatles historian, <b>Mark Lewisohn</b>, recently concluded a three-week research trip to Cleveland (the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame archives) and New York for volumes 2 and 3 of his epic biography, <i>Tune In, </i>by sitting for an interview at Toronto's Metro Reference Library.<br />
<br />
An overflowing audience of over 200 heard the Englishman answer questions about the Beatles pivotal year, 1966. After all, his talk was part of the ongoing <a href="http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=4ebf601768d33510VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD" target="_blank">Beatles 50 T.O.</a> celebration, centering on an exhibition [read the Rowboat's review <a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2016_07_01_archive.html" target="_blank">here</a>] and featuring walking tours, more talks and even a fashion show.<br />
<br />
Lewisohn confirmed that the Beatles were first heard in North America on a Toronto radio station, “because Canada has a strong connection to Britain that American doesn't have. Canada tuned into the Beatles before America did."<br />
<br />
Here are some more insights Lewisohn offered:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2016/06/as-relevant-as-vietnam-war-beatles.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dtGOEWKERDs/WBT48S8I4MI/AAAAAAAAAxA/X2ynaNDr_T0iIjHr_tS0jK9JdHFoMbwZgCLcB/s400/BUTCHER%2Balbum.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><i>About the </i>Yesterday and Today<a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2016/06/as-relevant-as-vietnam-war-beatles.html" target="_blank"> </a><i><a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2016/06/as-relevant-as-vietnam-war-beatles.html" target="_blank">butcher cover</a>:</i></b><br />
<br />
This was an attempt by the photographer, Bob Whittaker, who was edgy and liked to do impressionistic work...The Vietnam War is raging by '65/66 and America is deeply involved in it and that is part of the ferment that is going on in this period. It was just a comment, but they obviously could have said, "No, we're not doing that." They didn't. They joined in and did the session.<br />
<br />
George never liked it very much, but he did go along with it. John Lennon was the one who pushed for this to be an album cover. There's something extraordinary about a guy who will want something like that as his album cover when you consider that most people believed that the Beatles' core audience was young girls. So, this is a very shocking thing to do, very much in-your-face as we would call it these days. But that's what they wanted.<br />
<br />
In Boston there's a swamp filled with 30,000 of these record covers. I was last week in Pennsylvania with a guy who used to work at the Capitol Records pressing factory and his job was to dispose of (I'm not sure) 10,000 record covers. He had to watch them be pulped at a shredding place.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><b>Would Elvis had been asked if he was bigger than Christ or was '66 the year it had to happen?</b></i></div>
<br />
The times they were
a-changing. Everyone was growing up....Through the sixties the
audience is maturing. With the Beatles comes an advancement in that
maturing process, then others join in like Bob Dylan and the Rolling
Stones...<br />
<br />
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<br />
The Beatles were always different in England. When they came here to North America or anywhere they were travelling, they were “on.” They were like working. When they were home in England, their lives were so much different, much more calm and they were always open to reasonable approaches from journalists that they liked. They were interviewed extensively. They had none of the protection that the stars surround themselves with these days. You could phone up the office and say, “I'd like to interview John ideally tomorrow for Sunday's paper." The PR person would phone John and he'd say, “Yeah, okay.”<br />
<br />
In this case, Maureen Cleave who was a journalist for the<i> London Evening Standard </i>who they really, really liked – because she was smart and savvy and interesting and witty, and John had a bit of an affair with her once. In 1966, she approached Brian Epstein and said, “I'd like to do in-depth interviews with all four of them and with you Brian, and these will run one a week in the<i> London Evening Standard</i>, whole page. I'll just go over to their houses and
we'll talk."<br />
<br />
In John's one, he said he was reading a lot, as he
always was—he was a voracious reader of books and newspapers—and
he just said that the Beatles in a sense were more popular than
Jesus, because churches in England in the 1960s were empty....We can get 50,000 people to our shows, and the churches were empty.
That in essence was what he was saying. As John said later, he wasn't
knocking Jesus for that or boasting that we are bigger, more
important. It was just so common. It ran in the British newspapers.<br />
<br />
There was one letter in the <i>Guardian</i> about what an interesting remark
to make. I'm not sure if that's true, but interesting. And then it
went quiet. There were a couple of pieces in America. Funnily enough,
there was a piece in a Detroit newspaper in April. The piece
ran in England in March, but in July it got picked up by one of the
American teenage girls magazines called <i>Datebook</i>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Datebook </i>put it on
the cover: <i>We're bigger than Jesus.</i> And it just kind of sparked.
They never held it against <i>Datebook</i>. They liked the editor very much.
They kept a relationship with him. <i>[Managing editor Danny Fields, who
explains why he published the “Jesus” remark in the video <u>below</u>.]</i>
He was on that tour. He was <i>not </i>booted out. He <i>wasn't </i>responsible for
the chaos that ensued.</div>
</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mrfcY184Uvc" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
In the new film, <i>Eight
Days A Week, </i>Paul
McCartney remembered the bigger than Jesus rumpus. <i>What
a big story that was for a few days</i>,
and says that John was a broken man by it. I'm really cross about
that, because John was <u>not</u>
a broken man by that. I wish Paul hadn't said that, and it's not
right. But on camera that day he chose to say that and they included
that, and that's going to be part of the history now. John was never
a broken man and John apologized only for the way in which the words
were couched or the fact that anybody may have been upset by it. He
never actually apologized for what he said.<br />
<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>The second book takes place after 1962. Where are you going to end up after the second volume?</b></i><br />
<br />
In the asylum, I think.<br />
<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>How are you going to approach this, because a lot of what's happening after December 1962 [where volume 1 ends] doesn't happen in England anymore. How are you going to span the globe and go through all the libraries and dig out this information?</b></i><br />
<br />
(thinks about it) Yeah. (audience laughs) I'm not quite sure. I've been researching volume 2 and 3 from the beginning. I started this project in 2003. When you do a project like this, the research you just have to find whatever you find whenever you can find it no matter what period it belongs to.<br />
<br />
The focus in the earlier years obviously was the early years. I was always finding good things for the next two books. Now, my focus is strictly volumes 2 and 3...<br />
<br />
I've been a lifelong lover of libraries and archives and there is a great deal to be found if you know where to look and you have the sensibility for how libraries and archives work. The Beatles' story has the very richest of paper trails. Not just paper. There's every kind of artifact you could ever imagine that is out there waiting to be found. A lot of it is known about substantially, but there is plenty more.<br />
<br />
I came away from New York with that [spreads his arms] many original carbon copies of letters from the Beatles' management office from the 1960s, almost every one of which is revelatory, almost every one of which allows me to put real flesh on the bones of a story that people think they know but actually don't, because the tellings of the history tend to haven the sequence of: they made this album, then they went on tour, they made this album, then they made that film, then they went on tour.<br />
<br />
What happens in between is as interesting if not more, because I want to make these books – as the first one is – about human beings. I hate the word “icons” or “iconic.” It's overused to death. Or “legends.” The Beatles weren't legends or icons. They were just human beings who expressed themselves this way and found that that was having a major effect without them wishing it on the whole world or substantial part...<br />
<br />
I want to tell the story from the inside out, who they were, how they coped with everything that was going on, what their homes lives were like. I'm interested in what happens the day after the tour finishes and they're back home and they need to come down again and start seeing their friends and smoking what they want to smoke. Also, I want to look at it from the outside in, because the Beatles' effect on people everywhere on all ages, colours, creeds, classes was unparalleled.<br />
<br />
Hair is the ultimate symbol of revolution in the sixties. It's the ultimate thing to piss off your schoolteacher or parent or factory foreman -- and that was entirely due to the Beatles. It was a revolution and that needs to be told....<br />
<br />
I haven't started writing volume 2, and that will take a while, because the assimilation of this material is an immense undertaking, just the structuring of this. I like information and detail in these books, but I don't want the reader to be bogged down in that. I really want this to be a light, engaging, easy page-turner, which is not an easy thing to accomplish with the density of information... 2028 might by when volume 3 comes out, but I might still be researching it. It'll be when it'll be.The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-82692516466940017932016-09-17T09:56:00.000+10:002016-09-18T00:30:59.207+10:00Sam Leach was The Sixth Beatle? Bollocks (film review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-igMaEx38ZKM/V9yFm-3tC7I/AAAAAAAAAws/Fzq7pIMhdtIjkRyQp3SpbfroWexiJefHQCLcB/s1600/THE%2BSIXTH%2BBEATLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-igMaEx38ZKM/V9yFm-3tC7I/AAAAAAAAAws/Fzq7pIMhdtIjkRyQp3SpbfroWexiJefHQCLcB/s640/THE%2BSIXTH%2BBEATLE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Review by Allan Tong</i><br />
<br />
For decades, fans have affectionately regarded Brian Epstein as the fifth Beatle. As their manager, Epstein cleaned up the Beatles' punk image, dressed them in matching suits, secured them a record contract and booked their fateful American appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show of February 1964, launching Beatlemania.<br />
<br />
Nobody denies Epstein's accomplishments, not even Sam Leach. But Leach, a promoter who booked some of the Beatles' early Liverpool gigs, now claims in a documentary that just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival that Epstein stole the band from him.<br />
<br />
Bollocks.<br />
<br />
It's telling that a preamble before the film states that Mark Lewisohn, a widely respected Beatles' historian, had wanted his interview removed from the film, because he felt the film was "erroneous." I can see why, but I am glad that the TIFF screenings included Lewisohn, because he grounds the film in reality. (Freda Kelly is another reliable interview subject who does a good job explaining the early-1960s
Liverpool rock scene and The Beatles' place in it.) <br />
<br />
In contrast, Leach, along with musical contemporaries of the early Beatles, and American journalist Larry Kane (who covered the Beatles' U.S. tours of 1964-66, and hardly an early Beatles specialist), back up the ludicrous claim that Epstein stole The Beatles from Leach.<br />
<br />
There's an old saying: You're entitled to your opinion, but not the facts. Well, the facts don't support Leach. Yes, Sam Leach promoted some of The Beatles' early shows, some of them big and important in their career. He deserves credit, and his name graces some renown biographies, including Lewisohn's exhaustive <i>Tune In</i>, but Leach isn't the only one who helped The Beatles.<br />
<br />
Allan Williams, who truly was the Beatles' manager before Epstein, booking them to play all-nighters in Hamburg which forged these scruffy Scousers into a tough, exciting band. All fans agree that Hamburg was the pivotal moment in The Beatles' early development. <br />
<br />
Beatle fans will approach this film with skepticism and few will be swayed. I walked away from <i>The Sixth Beatle </i>appalled that Epstein was cast as the villain and Leach as his victim. Not only Leach, but Pete Best.<br />
<br />
What? Yes, the movie claims that Epstein kicked Pete out of the band so that he could get Pete's mother, Mona, off his back. Mona ran the Casbah Club, where she let the young Beatles play when they were just kids. Yes, Mona also aided The Beatles' development and deserves credit, but to charge Epstein for conspiring against her is laughable.<br />
<br />
Further, <i>The Sixth Beatle </i>states that The Beatles were ready for stardom before rich, posh Epstein swept them away. Untrue.The film fails to say that Epstein was rejected by every London record label, including EMI, and how his own family disapproved of his detour into music management. Remember: Epstein managed the record section of his family's department store. He was not a showbiz big shot as the film alleges.<br />
<br />
Crucially, the film fails to say that Epstein encouraged John and Paul to resume songwriting from their pre-Hamburg days. Without those early hits to propel them to national then worldwide stardom, The Beatles would've remained a Liverpool legend--and nothing more.<br />
<br />
In the film, Leach actually comes off as an amiable fellow reminiscing about the good ole days, but he also sounds envious, even bitter. Leach couldn't launch The Beatles, so he's attacking the guy who did. That's sad. Further, these attacks are so far-fetched that they discredit Leach. It'll only get worse if filmmakers Anthony Guma and John Rose cut Lewisohn from the final edit.<br />
<br />
Even with Lewisohn, <i>The Sixth Beatle </i>is a dishonest film, but one that I fear casual fans will take at face value.The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-67101742158866424922016-08-05T09:42:00.000+10:002016-08-05T09:42:16.020+10:00The Beatles masterpiece: Revolver or Sgt. Pepper?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For years,<i> Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</i> was considered rock's greatest album. In the U.S., <i><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/the-beatles-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band-20120531" target="_blank">Rolling Stone</a> </i>magazine has long ranked it at #1 while <i>Pepper </i>sits in the prestigious Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for posterity. <a href="http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/world_critics_lists.htm" target="_blank">Critics on both sides of the Atlantic first in 1978 then 1987</a> awarded <i>Pepper</i> the top spot.</div>
<br />
Then, <i>Revolver </i>stole the crown. It topped the 2000 Q magazine list of the 50 Greatest British Albums Ever; VH1's greatest albums in history list (2001); the Virgin All-Time Top 1,000 Albums list; and 2013's <i>Entertainment Weekly's</i> greatest albums in history.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sYWpdNPoxdg/V5j1jpzVGRI/AAAAAAAAAvA/Gy2jgPzybMAKjxP5As68-gLAs5Ze2YEtgCLcB/s1600/Beatles-Revolver-US-ad%2B%2528edit%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sYWpdNPoxdg/V5j1jpzVGRI/AAAAAAAAAvA/Gy2jgPzybMAKjxP5As68-gLAs5Ze2YEtgCLcB/s320/Beatles-Revolver-US-ad%2B%2528edit%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1966 ad for the U.S. <i>Revolver</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, what happened?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Probably the tide turned when the 1987 CD issue of the UK version of <i>Revolver </i>finally reached American fans. Since the album's stateside release 50 years on August 8, 1966, American listeners were stuck with an inferior version that omitted <i>I'm Only Sleeping, And Your Bird Can Sing </i>and <i>Dr. Robert. </i>Since 1987, generations have grown up on the complete 14-track album which restores the absence of John's missing songs and rectifies the balance of <i>Revolver.</i></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Jg-m51cj4Q/V5j1jHmVK4I/AAAAAAAAAu8/4m9mDbiE8uECkU_vvG7uUQyMWP5AVAiOQCEw/s1600/1967.beatles.sgt.pepper.b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Jg-m51cj4Q/V5j1jHmVK4I/AAAAAAAAAu8/4m9mDbiE8uECkU_vvG7uUQyMWP5AVAiOQCEw/s320/1967.beatles.sgt.pepper.b.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">1967 ad for the U.K. <i>Sgt. Pepper</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Further, those GenX'ers and Millennials didn't live through the Summer of Love, which <i>Pepper </i>shaped. Instead, the younger generations grew up with a critical distance and simply listened to the music.<i></i><br />
<br />
That said, <i>Pepper </i>remains the favourite of many rock and Beatles' fans, but so does <i>Revolver</i>. Below, we (the Doc exhalting <i>Revolver</i> and the Guv championing <i>Sgt. Pepper</i>) debate the merits and weaknesses of both albums.<br />
<br />
(Read more about <i>Sgt. Pepper: <a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2015/06/a-splendid-alternative.html" target="_blank">A Splendid Alternative</a>)</i><br />
<br />
<b>Doc: </b><i>Sgt. Pepper</i> had the greatest
impact of any Beatles -- or rock -- album, but in terms of
songwriting, performance, innovation and vision, <i>Revolver</i> is
superior. <i>Revolver</i> captures Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr
hitting their creative peaks at precisely the same time. They were abetted by an experienced, yet adventurous producer in George Martin, and a hungry, innovative
engineer in Geoff Emerick.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<b>Guv: </b><i>Revolver</i> is the latter
part of the Beatles' transition to studio band, but it's still not fully
realised. It's patchy. The studio band is still finding its wings.
<i>Pepper</i>, on the other hand, stands as a whole. I clearly remember the
first time I heard the album as a teen. It blew my mind. As an album,
it was greater than its parts and evokes an atmosphere -- a place, a
time, a psychedelic, swinging 60s Liverpool.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Poetry & fantasy</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/usNsCeOV4GM" width="480"></iframe>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Doc:</b> <i>Pepper</i> is an
achievement of the highest order, too, but it's an excursion into
fantasy and whimsy and not terribly personal or profound, except for
<b>A Day In The Life.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b><i>Pepper</i> as an album is
more complete, more realized. It's a painting, a watercolour. <i>Revolver</i>
is a collage that is best viewed in segments.</div>
<br />
<b>Doc:</b> The songs on <i>Pepper</i> are
as varied in style and subject matter as those on <i>Revolver</i>, but
because the former is packaged as "Sgt. Pepper's band" there's an <u>illusion</u> of unity. It's a
collection of songs, that's all, and those songs simply aren't as
memorable as <i>Revolver</i>'s.<br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b>It wasn't really a
concept album, but that's what it is. And it's not just the
packaging. The <i>flow</i> of the album is a listening experience. I can dip
in and out of <i>Revolver</i>. <i>Pepper</i> is an album I listen to in total.</div>
<b><br /></b>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qV4TjZixq_8" width="459"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>Doc: </b>The overall flavour of
Pepper is self-conscious fantasy, a la <b>Mr. Kite</b> and <b>Lucy</b> and the
title track itself. Mind you, the fantasy
is dazzling...</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b>While I agree it's very
much fantastical, I don't for a moment believe it's self conscious.
<b>Lucy</b> and <b>Kite</b> both have brilliant and creative origins: a child's
drawing and an Elizabethan poster - both ideal candidates for songs,
and neither is self-conscious. And the instrumentation
on those two tracks is highly inventive. Original, stunningly
beautiful soundscapes to listen to.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>I find the lyrics on
Revolver are more personal and therefore resonant. <i>Pepper</i> is fun, but
<i>Revolver</i> touches me.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b>Exactly!<i> Pepper</i> <u>is</u> fun. It's
not wildly introspective, which is what acid [LSD] did for them, but full
of humour and wit. The backing vocal lines in <b>With A Little Help From My Friends</b>. The humour of <b>Lovely Rita</b> ("What do you see when you turn out the lights? I can't tell you, but I know it's mine", "took her home, I nearly made it," & "sitting on a sofa with a sister or two") Nudge-Nudge, wink-wink.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>That's my point: <i>Pepper</i>
is indeed fun, more fun that <i>Revolver</i>, but <i>Revolver</i> is grittier. The
songwriters began writing introspectively with <i>Rubber Soul</i>, then went
full bloom with <i>Revolver</i>, but the acid-Carnaby Street scene pushed
John and Paul into whimsy and fantasy.<br />
<br />
<b>Guv: </b>Oh, come on! Once again you're picking on <b>Rita</b> and<b> Friends</b>? Just how introspective and reflective do you find <b>Yellow Submarine</b>?
And <b>Taxman</b> is just George complaining about how much he had to pay the government.
As far as protest songs go, it's hardly Dylan! And what's wrong with
Whimsy and Fantasy?</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>Nothing, but <i>Pepper</i> is
90% whimsy and fantasy. It needed a personal, poetic song like
<b>Strawberry Fields Forever</b> to balance it out.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b>Again I come back to
listening experience. Put on <i>Pepper</i> and I'm transported. A
fantastical world. I can close my eyes and be lost for 43 minutes.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7AHcqThFGIQ/V50nbxHotEI/AAAAAAAAAvg/YKIzlBlR24gdj3WvIj94SGe9SRjXE7N_QCLcB/s1600/FREEMAN%2Bcover%2BEDITED%2BBLACK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7AHcqThFGIQ/V50nbxHotEI/AAAAAAAAAvg/YKIzlBlR24gdj3WvIj94SGe9SRjXE7N_QCLcB/s400/FREEMAN%2Bcover%2BEDITED%2BBLACK.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Freeman's dazzling cover for <i>Revolver </i>that was rejected. Freeman photographed the covers of <i>With The Beatles, Beatles for Sale </i>and <i>Rubber Soul. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The George factor</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>One area where <i>Revolver</i>
triumphs over <i>Pepper</i> is the diversity of voices. <i>Revolver</i> boasts three George songs and the rest are split between Paul and John. <i>Pepper</i> is
overwhelming Paul. You barely hear George. John shines with <b>Lucy</b> and
<b>A Day In The Life</b>, but his presence is weaker than usual. I love the
contrast of voices on <i>Revolver</i> and miss that interplay on <i>Pepper</i>.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b>George shone on
<i>Revolver</i>, no doubt. But an album is not about democracy. It's about
the best songs at the time. It was a mistake to leave <b>SFF</b> and <b>Penny Lane</b> off
<i>Pepper</i>, for sure. I know Paul can be twee (i.e. the verses of <b>Getting
Better</b>) but John was there to balance that with, "It can't get much
worse." Paul countered this by softening Lennon's seriousness, for example, with his interlude in the middle of <b>A Day In The Life</b>.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Lmh98z3Q9M" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>Look at side 1 of <i>Revolver</i>:
George's <b>Taxman</b> (an angry song with a funky bassline and a blistering
guitar solo), the sad eloquence of <b>Eleanor Rigby</b> with a restrained,
but effective classical backing, taking <b>Yesterday</b> a step further),
then dipping into psychedelia with John's dreamy ode to daydreaming in <b>I'm Only Sleeping</b> with the backwards guitar.
Then, we turn 180-degrees into India with <b>Love You To</b>, which rocks as hard as
any Beatles song, only it's done with a tabla and not a Rickenbacker.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv:</b> But it's disjointed. It
doesn't flow as well. And this is where tone comes in. <i>Revolver</i> works well
enough, but as I suggested, by accident.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>My point about <i>Revolver</i>
isn't about democracy, but diversity. You have three voices -- and
personalities and world viewpoints -- contrasting each other. In
<i>Pepper</i>, those viewpoints are glossed over by fantastical songwriting
and elaborate musical arrangements. What may be a jumble of
songs to you, is to me like reading an anthology of the greatest
short stories of all time from cover to cover.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EGoweX5ZtYU/V50neTRH5EI/AAAAAAAAAwI/waDEqp2EUz0v25Xs3_2qk1Nh8ft_91B7ACEw/s1600/Original%2BSketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EGoweX5ZtYU/V50neTRH5EI/AAAAAAAAAwI/waDEqp2EUz0v25Xs3_2qk1Nh8ft_91B7ACEw/s400/Original%2BSketch.jpg" width="393" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An early version of Klaus Voorman's cover for <i>Revolver</i> before the photo montage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Guv: </b>Even an anthology of
short stories needs a unified theme and flow.<br />
<br />
<b>Doc: </b><i>Revolver</i> flows.
The unity lies in the consistent level of musical invention and economical writing of
every song. There's no fat on this album and each song is reaching
for a new sound and expression. For example, the long, "elliptical" fade-in of<i> I Want To Tell
You</i> is seductive and smart.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b>Of course there is fat
on <i>Revolver. </i><b>Yellow Submarine</b> belongs there? It's a throwaway, charming kiddie song. <b>Love You To</b> is good, but hardly vital.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>Oh, please,</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8Af6WV2Ruw/V50nWsnT9RI/AAAAAAAAAwA/z3OmJzwz5Kwfn6eJuIl-FGmRhEsF_gIuwCEw/s1600/FREEMAN%2Bcontact%2Bsheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8Af6WV2Ruw/V50nWsnT9RI/AAAAAAAAAwA/z3OmJzwz5Kwfn6eJuIl-FGmRhEsF_gIuwCEw/s640/FREEMAN%2Bcontact%2Bsheet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Revolver </i>sessions, spring 1966 at EMI Studios on Abbey Road. (photo: Robert Freeman)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Words & music</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>The lyrics in <i>Revolver</i>
are more personal and the songwriting is economical. Lyrics get to
the point and they are sharper. Take any line out of <b>Eleanor Rigby</b>,
which is one of Paul's finest lyrics ever ("and was buried along
with her name"); or the sardonic <b>Taxman</b> ("If you take a
walk, I'll tax your feet"); or the sadly nostalgic <b>She Said She
Said</b> ("When I was a boy, everything was right'); or the
enigmatic<b> Tomorrow Never Knows</b> ("Lay down all thought surrender
to the void"). </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b>Those are fine
examples, but you can counter those lines with a bunch from <i>Pepper</i>.
"And the time will come when you see we're all one and life
flows on within you and without you".</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b><i>Pepper</i> has its moments,
lyrically, but they are fewer and far between. "I used to be
angry young man, me hiding me head in the sand" in <b>Getting
Better</b> is honest and powerful. "See the people standing there
who disagree and never win and wonder why they don't get in my door"
is a rare instance of Paul talking to himself (a la John). Then, of
course, you have <b>A Day In The Life</b>.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4tHGawufKis" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b>I won't deny <i>Revolver</i>
pushed envelopes both instrumentally and in arrangement. It was a
huge leap from Beatlemania's boy-meets-girl. But <i>Pepper</i> took it a step
further and the studio became another instrument like never before. I would argue that has never been surpassed. Elaborate, textured,
layered, but not self-conscious.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>On <i>Revolver</i>, some songs
just didn't need elaborate arrangements, like <b>Here There and
Everywhere, She Said She Said</b> and <b>Good Day Sunshine</b>. They could have
been performed in concert. <i>Pepper</i> songs were all
intended for a full production. I can't imagine <b>Lucy</b> in acoustic. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bY8ZNkoT5e8" width="459"></iframe>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Listen to the isolated tape loops that appear in <b>Tomorrow Never Knows</b></i></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv: </b><i>Revolver</i> was a band
still in transition, from teenyboppers to studio masters. Their minds
and imaginations were opened by acid, and they needed to replicate
that experience on vinyl. They had time to experiment in the studio,
and were fortunate to have willing accomplices in Martin and Emerick.
And they did it so well. <i>Revolver</i> is, indeed a masterpiece. But by
the time they got to <i>Pepper</i> they had more control, more time (they'd
stopped touring) and were able to practise and develop their parts.
Paul's playing is more melodic than every before. <i>Revolver</i> took them to the final camp, but with <i>Pepper</i> they reach the top of the mountain.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b>The fantasy of <i>Pepper</i>
is imaginative and beautiful, but there is a shallowness to it as
well. <i>Revolver</i>'s songs are more personal and direct, so they touch
the listener. Also, there is a diversity of voices on <i>Revolver</i>
that is lacking on <i>Pepper</i>. (The Beatles could have rectified this by
including <b>Strawberry Fields Forever</b>.)<br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Guv:</b> That's where <i>Pepper</i>
works. It's Psychedelic Music Hall.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Doc: </b><i>Revolver</i> is a
collection of sounds, many new to listeners in 1966, yet still fresh 50 years later. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There's Indian raga,
Memphis soul, Beach Boys harmonies, a children's song, an acid trip
and classical strings on an album that has no weak moments.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Read more of our special coverage celebrating the 50th anniversary release of </i>Revolver<i>:</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2015/08/cos-im-staxman.html" target="_blank">Cos I'm The Staxman</a>: </b>What if the Beatles recorded Revolver in Memphis?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2016/05/paperback-writerrain-beatles-most.html" target="_blank"><b>Paperback Writer/Rain: The Beatles' most overlooked single</b></a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2016/06/as-relevant-as-vietnam-war-beatles.html" target="_blank">As relevant as the Vietnam War: the Beatles' butcher cover 50 years later</a></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2016/07/beatles-50th-anniversary-in-toronto.html" target="_blank"><b>Beatles 50th anniversary in Toronto exhibition short-changes fans</b></a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LLMKFqklkYs/V54ooIcciNI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/nI_SoRCsfJceSepFwOA_EVuWKAr7JXtMgCLcB/s1600/revolver%2Bbritish%2Bad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LLMKFqklkYs/V54ooIcciNI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/nI_SoRCsfJceSepFwOA_EVuWKAr7JXtMgCLcB/s400/revolver%2Bbritish%2Bad.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
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</div>
</div>
The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-26798164395886068182016-07-26T02:31:00.002+10:002016-07-26T04:36:11.218+10:00Beatles 50th anniversary in Toronto exhibition short-changes fans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xsW8L-zKQbE/V5Yec6j6H2I/AAAAAAAAAtQ/zGx_Sf0ANDwfwkfxFjcU_P-uQp6didjJgCLcB/s1600/Toronto%2Bmid-60s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xsW8L-zKQbE/V5Yec6j6H2I/AAAAAAAAAtQ/zGx_Sf0ANDwfwkfxFjcU_P-uQp6didjJgCLcB/s400/Toronto%2Bmid-60s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><i>Part of the Rowboat Syndicate's coverage celebrating the 50th anniversary of </i>Revolver</i></div>
<br />
review by Allan Tong<br />
<br />
<i>When The Beatles Rocked Toronto </i>is long on Toronto history, but short on the Beatles.<br />
Promoted as "Metropolitan life and music in the mid-60s," the exhibition (running through Nov.12 at the St. Lawrence Market's Market Gallery and part of a larger celebration, <i>Beatles 50 T.O.)</i> does just that. A detailed written timeline, vintage living room furniture, Yorkville coffee house posters, a giant map of the downtown music scene and archival photos detail the vibrant mid-60s scene in Toronto.<br />
<br />
This part of the exhibition succeeds. It illustrates uptight, WASPy Toronto invaded by white kids playing folk music and rock 'n' roll. There are mementos of folkies including <b>Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot</b> and <b>Neil Young</b> who graced the coffee houses of Yorkville, then a hotbed of teen rebellion (and today a millionaire's playground).<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M__Xnx62hT0/V5YebL83HOI/AAAAAAAAAtM/QcXxT4_GRuMzQa8xg3HZAw_QfMIshmIMQCLcB/s1600/Riverboat%2Bposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M__Xnx62hT0/V5YebL83HOI/AAAAAAAAAtM/QcXxT4_GRuMzQa8xg3HZAw_QfMIshmIMQCLcB/s400/Riverboat%2Bposter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
A glaring omission is <b>Bob Dylan</b>.<br />
<br />
In September 1965, Dylan recruited <b>Ronnie Hawkins</b>' (a legendary Toronto rockabilly singer) band, The Hawks, to back him on his tour. Dylan was transitioning from a folkie into a rock star, and the Hawks (later <b>The Band</b>) would join him. The marriage of Dylan's lyrics with electricity revolutionized popular music in 1965 that directly influenced The Beatles. And Toronto played a key role. So, where's Bob?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-89IAugibGxQ/V5YkTpPUn8I/AAAAAAAAAtg/nbe3KZj9G-8s4_oJC10KCSOW5QhisGg8gCLcB/s1600/phono%252C%2Bjumper%252C%2BBeatles%2B45s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-89IAugibGxQ/V5YkTpPUn8I/AAAAAAAAAtg/nbe3KZj9G-8s4_oJC10KCSOW5QhisGg8gCLcB/s400/phono%252C%2Bjumper%252C%2BBeatles%2B45s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This half (literally more than half the floor space of this art gallery) of the exhibition does not connect with The Beatles. True. It's important to offer context so that audiences today can understand the impact The Fab Four had on North American cities like Toronto. However, the Yorkville scene consisted of coffee houses where folk singers played. How did The Beatles fit? The exhibition feels like <i>two </i>separate shows: one about mid-60s Toronto music, and the other about The Beatles' three Toronto concerts in 1964, 1965 and 1966.<br />
<div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4u5ubZgdtSQ/V5YpbDXuoyI/AAAAAAAAAt0/h18FsNodfFgDPjKAFawIn9J0P6oRTFW3ACLcB/s1600/Beatles%2Bmemorabilia%2BToronto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4u5ubZgdtSQ/V5YpbDXuoyI/AAAAAAAAAt0/h18FsNodfFgDPjKAFawIn9J0P6oRTFW3ACLcB/s400/Beatles%2Bmemorabilia%2BToronto.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Visitors, of course, will pay more attention to the The Beatles' part of the exhibition. There is the requisite memorabilia: a tour program, bobbleheads, trading cards, an oversized comb, a Beatles wig, and a Toronto <i>Telegram</i> magazine picturing John in a ridiculous nightgown on the cover. The jewel is a pristine "butcher" cover. All fun and fine.<br />
<br />
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More intriguing are Canadian items that few fans have seen: ticket stubs from the Toronto shows, a Cadbury Chocolate offer to buy Beatles photos, CHUM radio station record charts, a rare concert poster, and a Canadian fan club membership card and newsletter. Capitol Canada head honcho, Paul White, contributes much of his own vinyl, including a company newsletter, dated Nov. 22, 1963, declaring "<i>BEATLEMANIA" INVADES CANADA </i>that outlines his record release schedule and strategy. (The exhibit proudly notes that the Beatles conquered Canada a year before the U.S.) <br />
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White shares some reminisces in a video that is part of a larger loop. No, there's no footage of The Beatles here, certainly not the concerts or interviews with screaming fans. Instead, there is a Toronto music program that ran on TV. Shamefully, most of this video is marred by out-of-synch audio.<br />
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That's right. There's not a single second of film or audio of any of The Beatles' concerts, press conferences or even news coverage (i.e. CBC-TV). Collectors have this already and some of it is available on the internet, but something - <i>anything </i>- deserves to be part of this exhibition. This is inexcusable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uZC_BfJYCvs/V5Y1rzh3s7I/AAAAAAAAAuI/nVNNX8-LSCArrCGxRFOAdM1SVid-uH9MACLcB/s1600/Beatles-Toronto%252C%2BSept%2B7-1964%2Bby%2BBoris-Spremo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uZC_BfJYCvs/V5Y1rzh3s7I/AAAAAAAAAuI/nVNNX8-LSCArrCGxRFOAdM1SVid-uH9MACLcB/s400/Beatles-Toronto%252C%2BSept%2B7-1964%2Bby%2BBoris-Spremo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beatles play Maple Leafs Gardens, Toronto, on Sept. 7, 1964 (photo: Boris Spremo)</td></tr>
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The closest we get to reliving the concerts are two slideshows capturing fans clamouring outside Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto's venerable, old hockey arena where The Beatles performed, and of the band itself performing onstage and hosting press conferences. Photographers Boris Spremo, John Rowlands and Lynn Ball share many amazing images. Fans scrawl graffiti on the Gardens' back door, and weep and scream in and outside the venue. Watching this, I wondered, What happened to these teenage fans? Where are their reminisces in this exhibit?<br />
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Another glaring omission is the complete absence of <i>Revolver. </i>Though the band played no music from this album, the entire point behind the August 1966 tour was to promote it. Similarly, there's zero reference of The Beatles getting fed up with touring and soon winding down Beatlemania. There's no explicit mention of the Bigger Than Christ furor, Tokyo demonstrations and Manila fiasco that forever drove the Beatles, which in turn makes the 1966 Toronto concert all the more important. 1966 forced <i>Sgt. Pepper. Y</i>et, none of this context is here.<br />
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The visitor gets close, but not close enough. <i>When The Beatles Rocked Toronto</i><i> </i>is a nostalgia trip for Boomers who lived through the era, but they will gain no deeper understanding of The Beatles. Casual fans and those born after the 60s will enter a time capsule and get a taste of Beatlemania and Toronto music, but will not understand the significance of The Beatles on Canadian society. <i>They were a big pop group, that's all</i>.<br />
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At $10 admission and supported by the Toronto and Ontario governments,<i> </i><i>When The Beatles Rocked Toronto </i>is a cash grab.<i> </i><br />
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<i>Read more about </i>Revolver<i> <a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.ca/2015/08/cos-im-staxman.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</i><br />
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The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-61923665864766628082016-06-30T05:22:00.000+10:002016-06-30T05:22:17.678+10:00Supersonic! How to remix the Beatles' first two stereo albums<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 1963, the Beatles recorded <i>Please Please Me </i>and <i>With The Beatles </i>on two-track tape with the instrumentals on the left channel and the vocals segregated to the right. There is no "bleed" between channels.<div>
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"The reason I used the stereo machine in twin-track form was simply to make the mono better," explained George Martin in <i>The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions</i>. "I certainly didn't separate them for people to hear them separate!"</div>
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No kidding. The 1963 stereo mixes suck. You can land a Space Shuttle between the left and right channels. You can get an aneurysm listening to them on headphones. The torture is more acute in the age of digital music, where every instrument and voice is crystal clear.</div>
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But there's good news! We at the Rowboat Syndicate have solved the eternal "extreme panning" malady once and for all. Best thing is: anybody can do it.</div>
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All you need is the following:</div>
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1) The <b>1963 stereo mixes in WAV</b> (preferably) or MP3 form.</div>
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2) <b>Audio mixing software</b>. I use an ancient version of Cool Edit Pro. All you need is software that separates each channel into LEFT and RIGHT, like this: </div>
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3) A good set of <b>headphones</b>, like Sennheisers, or stereo speakers to monitor your work clearly. </div>
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<b>Let it bleed</b></div>
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Let's start with <b>Please Please Me</b>, The Beatles' first song recorded in infamous two-track. Load <b>PPM</b> onto your audio mixing software. Then, go to the channel mixer (as shown above). You'll hear this:</div>
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LEFT: Rhythm track (all instruments, ex-harmonica)</div>
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RIGHT: John's vocal + harmonica</div>
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Brutal, right? To reduce the panning<i>, </i>open the <b>channel mixer</b> on your software. This function lets you mix <i>each </i>channel, the left and the right separately. This is crucial. What you'll be doing is blending some of the right channel into the left channel, and mixing some of the left channel into the right. If you don't know what I mean, then, slide or key in the <b>R</b> in <b>New Left Channel</b> to <b>40</b>, and do the same with the <b>L</b> in <b>New Right Channel. </b>Click preview and listen.</div>
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Now, you should now hear John's vocals in the left channel, though they remain louder in the right, and the instruments in the right channel, they remain stronger in the left. Overall, you should detect each channel bleeding<i> </i>(that word again) into the other to produce a more balanced and satisfying sound between your ears. The stereo breakdown now looks like this:</div>
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LEFT: Rhythm track + (40% John's vocal + harmonica)</div>
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RIGHT: (John's vocal + harmonica) + 40% rhythm track </div>
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Depending on your tastes, you can further separate the channels by decreasing the percentages or you can blend them more by increasing those levels. I recommend going no lower than 25% or else the channels sound too far apart, and I wouldn't rise beyond 50% or else you're sounding like mono.</div>
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<b>THE SWEET SPOT</b></div>
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After a lot of trial-and-error, I've determined that the sweet spot for the faster rock numbers should be mixed around 40%, while slower ballads stay within the 25-30% range. The reason is that rock numbers pack a visceral punch when you toss all the sonic ingredients together into a giant lump, while channel separation lets you appreciate each instrument in a ballad. </div>
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To prove my point, mix <b>Till There Was You </b>at 30% blend:</div>
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Again, it comes down to personal taste. I find 25% too wide, and the mix draws attention to itself and detracts from the listening experience. Meanwhile, anything set higher than 30% and the instruments lose their distinction, particularly the guitar solo where each notes needs to be appreciated in detail.</div>
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Now, some of you may want Paul's vocal in the right channel to be more centered. Try this:</div>
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The only change here is setting the <b>R </b>in the <b>New Left Channel </b>to <b>60</b>. What this does is blend 60% of the right channel (Paul's vocals) into the instruments of the left channel. Make sure to keep <b>L</b> in the <b>New Right Channel</b> at <b>30</b>. Though Paul's vocal remains louder in the right channel, you now hear the illusion of Paul's voice centered in the mix and more dominant. Again, there is no right or wrong mix. You must find your own sweet spot. </div>
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And that's it. Keep these rules of thumb in mind as you remix the stereo <i>Please Please Me </i>and <i>With The Beatles </i>albums, as well as From Me To You and Thank You Girl.</div>
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What about <b>I Want To Hold Your Hand? </b>That was recorded in four-track with the vocals already in the center. More on that later...</div>
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The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-75552014891216119282016-06-21T07:33:00.001+10:002016-06-21T08:02:31.310+10:00As relevant as the Vietnam War: the Beatles' butcher cover 50 years later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">This is the second in a series of features celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' landmark </i><b style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><i>Revolver</i> </b><i style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">album</i><b style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">.</b><br />
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In March 1966, two routine events set the stage for The Beatles' <i>annus horribilis</i>: John Lennon's fateful interview with <i>The London Evening Standard</i>'s Maureen Cleave where he pronounced "the Beatles are bigger than Jesus," and a routine photo session with Robert Whitaker.<br />
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Only it wasn't routine. On March 25, the Australian-born photographer collected The Beatles in a studio in London's posh Chelsea to pose them for a conceptual art piece entitled, <i>A Somnambulant Adventure</i>.<br />
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"I felt The Beatles needed a new approach with their image," Whitaker explained in <i>The Beatles: An Oral History</i>. Whitaker got George to pretend to hammer nails into John's head, each of them to wear bird cages over their heads and all of them to hold a strand of sausages. Whitaker got more carnivorous by draping the band in white butcher smocks and throwing slabs of raw meat and dismembered plastic dolls over them.<br />
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Fifty years later, it's not entirely clear how the infamous butcher image wound up on the cover of <i>Yesterday and Today</i>, but it sounds like the band (probably except George who detested the images) submitted the butcher photos to EMI and Capitol to promote their next releases, including the June 10 <i>Paperback Writer </i>single in the UK.<br />
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This ad first appeared in the <i>New Music Express </i>in the last week of May 1966, then on June 4 in <i>Disc and</i> <i>Music Echo </i>ahead of the June 10 release of <i>Paperback Writer/Rain. </i>A week later, the same magazine printed a colour photo on its cover, an alternate image beneath the headline,<i> </i>"What a carve-up!" The image raised a few eyebrows in Britain, but nothing more.<br />
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However, when the first printing of <i>Yesterday and Today </i>hit American records stores on June 20, it unleashed a firestorm and we all know what happened next: a costly, massive recall that resulted in unknown quantities of a generic cover slapped over the offending butcher cover, thus instantly rendering those copies collector's items.<br />
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"The original cover concept never really materialized," explained Whitaker. "It was meant to be a double-folded album cover where the front showed the four Beatles holding sausages, which would have stood for an umbilical cord." The link of sausages would connect with a woman in the inside gatefold to symbolize the birth of the Beatles and "all kinds of surreal, far-out images."<br />
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Well, that would have been different. Regardless, Whitaker was surprised that the butcher cover wound up on the front of <i>Yesterday and Today </i>and wonders if The Beatles sent Capitol the butcher image as a dark joke for this "filler" album.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the valley of the dolls. Robert Whittaker's fateful photo shoot with The Beatles begins. <br />It ends in either black humour, poor taste or a protest against Capitol Records.</i></td></tr>
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If 1967 was the Summer of Love, then 1966 was the Summer of Hate. At least, for The Beatles. The year began pleasantly enough with the band getting an overdue rest after three non-stop years of work before recording <i>Revolver</i> in the spring. Three songs were pulled from the early sessions to pad out yet another hodgepodge that Capitol presented to Beatles' fans as their so-called "new" album.<br />
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Let's consider <i><b>Yesterday and Today</b></i>, which was released 50 years ago today. Sure, it's full of great songs, including <b>Nowhere Man, Day Tripper, We Can Work It Out</b> and the title song, but the collection is disjointed and ultimately unsatisfying. Stylistically, songs jump from the country-and-western <b>Act Naturally</b> and <b>What Goes On</b> to the psychedelic<b> I'm Only Sleeping</b> and the heavy guitars of <b>And Your Bird Can Sing</b> and<b> Day Tripper</b>. <i>Yesterday and Today</i> also suffers from an imbalance of voices: Paul sings lead on only three of the 11 songs, Ringo takes two, George gets one, and John the rest. If anything, <i>Y&T</i> is a survey of John Lennon's songwriting from 1965-6.<br />
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Capitol got away with this tawdry re-packaging in <i>Something New</i> and <i>Beatles VI </i>in 1964 and 1965 because the Beatlemania sound was homogenous over this period, but <i>Y&T</i> captures the Beatles in a period of rapid maturity. Only 12 months separate the releases of <i>Help!</i> and <i>Revolver</i>, but artistically The Beatles traveled light years in this time. Can you imagine <b>Act Naturally</b> on <i>Revolver</i>?<br />
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To be fair, every British Invasion group, including The Rolling Stones and Animals, suffered the same crass re-packaging of their music that routinely short-changed American fans (UK albums boasted 14 songs and no singles). <i>Y&T</i> was especially egregious. <b>Yesterday, Act Naturally, We Can Work It Out, Day Tripper, Nowhere Man</b> and <b>What Goes On</b> were already selling as 45s in American record shops when <i>Y&T</i> landed on June 20, 1966. That means that less than half of the album's music was actually new. Of course, Capitol didn't care. <i>Y&T</i> sold 500,000 copies in two weeks, and topped the charts for three weeks.<br />
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In 2016, <i>Yesterday and Today </i>is largely a nostalgia piece for North American baby boomers and a curio for later generations. <i>Yesterday and Today </i>symbolizes a pop band that suddenly outgrew its teenybopper image and was rapidly reshaping music. The butcher images that promoted the album and <i>Paperback Writer </i>were meant to sever the band from their cute moptop image. <i>Sgt. Pepper </i>would accomplish that with more subtlety and imagination 12 months later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In 1986, the butcher cover re-appeared on official vinyl as the B-side of the limited-edition <b>Paperback Writer</b> picture disc. In 1980, it graced the gatefold of the North American release of the <b>Rarities </b>LP.</i></td></tr>
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On a more important level, the butcher cover was the first of several controversies in 1966 that culminated in The Beatles retreating from concert stages forever and retiring Beatlemania for good. The Beatles were never the same after the summer of 1966.<br />
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They were a sardonic, cynical bunch, and the symbolism of peeling back the innocuous moptop image of <i>Yesterday and Today </i>to reveal the hidden butcher cover beneath is obvious. The mood of the era was darkening, too. By 1966, America was falling deeper into the amoral Vietnam War while its Civil Rights Movement was growing bloodier with riots and demonstrations.<br />
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The butcher cover, sneered Lennon was "as relevant as Vietnam."The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-52865659690332946992016-05-31T10:03:00.000+10:002016-06-06T12:47:21.693+10:00Paperback Writer/Rain: The Beatles' most overlooked single<i>This is the first in a series of features celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' landmark </i><b><i>Revolver</i> </b><i>album</i><b>.</b><br />
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Innovative in sound and lyric and influencing rock bands decades after its release 50 years ago today, <b>Paperback Writer </b>was the first Beatles' single to be greeted by disappointment.<br />
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It was the first single since <i>She Loves You </i>to fail to immediately hit #1 upon release, though it would covet the top spot for two weeks on both the U.K.'s <i>New Musical Express </i>and American <i>Billboard </i>charts<i>. </i>Critical reaction was mixed. In 1974, British music critics, Roy Carr and Tony Tyler, wrote that "opinions still differ as to the merits of <b>Paperback Writer</b>, the first Beatles single to receive less-than-universal acclaim."<br />
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Today, that's astonishing to read, but then again, <b>Paperback Writer </b>and its brilliant b-side, <b>Rain</b>, are considered two songs created well ahead of their time.<br />
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<b>Can you hear me?</b><br />
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A few weeks into the <i>Revolver </i>sessions on April 14, 1966, Paul McCartney strolled into the EMI Recording Studios on Abbey Road, sat at a piano and confidently declared to his bandmates, "Gather 'round, lads, and have a listen to our next single."<br />
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Paul then pounded out a catchy tune about a wannabe writer, and directed John and George where to harmonize. "It was obvious to everyone in the room that this was an instant hit," engineer Geoff Emerick recalled in his memoirs, <i>Here, There and Everywhere.</i><br />
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Artistically, both sides of the single broke from the traditional boy/girl lyric found in all previous hits, including the Beatles' recent <i>We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper</i>.<i> </i>Trite love songs still ruled the charts (and still do today), but by mid-April 1966, Bob Dylan had revolutionized popular songwriting with his 1965 albums, <i>Bringing It All Back Home</i> and <i>Highway 61 Revisited</i>, which burst with abstract images and symbolist poetry. No love songs here.<br />
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<b>Paperback Writer </b>would be Paul's first "story" lyric, where he tells a tale in the third person, namely about an aspiring writer whose son works for the <i>Daily Mail </i>and wants to get a novel published.<i> </i>Paul delivers a sharp vocal, but the highlight is the refrain, sung in harmony with John and George and drenched in heavy echo.<br />
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Sonically, <b>Paperback Writer </b>also<b> </b>boasts a gorgeous, fat bass line that was inspired by American soul records from Stax and Motown. The bottom end never sounded like <i>this</i> on any Beatles' (or British) record to this point. The Beatles were tired of hearing superior bass on American records and demanded a change. "Pull out all the stops," Paul instructed the band's new recording engineer, Geoff Emerick. "This song is really calling out for that deep Motown bass sound."<br />
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Long technical story short, Emerick experimented by wiring a loudspeaker as a microphone to max out Paul's bassline, which, by the way, he was playing from a beefy Rickenbacker instead of his "thinner" Hofner violin bass.<br />
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Paul also played the fuzzy lead guitar (though some believe it was George) which was also the Beatles' first distorted guitar. 1966 Beatles is noted for this sound which reflects the music their peers were making from London to San Francisco. <b>Paperback Writer</b> as well as <b>Rain</b> owe more to the Yardbirds' hit of the previous summer, <i>Heart Full of Soul, </i>than the clean twang of <i>I Want To Hold Your Hand. </i>The Beatles did not invent this sound, but helped popularize it.<br />
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The same goes with the b-side, <b>Rain</b>, which was every bit as inventive as the a-side, but decidedly less commercial. It's widely considered the band's finest b-side, though in my book, it's really on equal footing with <b>Paperback Writer, </b>like <i>We Can Work Out </i>complements<i> Day Tripper. </i><br />
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This Lennon track owes an obvious debt to the Byrds, the California band that was in turn influenced by The Beatles' 12-string Rickenbacker sound. However, the lyrics, which were <i>definitely not </i>boy/girl, were inspired by LSD that John was starting to drop regularly around this time.<br />
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Studio trickery here amounted to slowing down the rhythm track to make it sluggish and playing the vocals in the fade-out backwards. Though George Martin took credit for this innovation, it's more likely (as corroborated by engineer Emerick) that John got stoned on hash one night and accidentally spooled his reel-to-reel tape backwards on his home deck. The sound blew his mind.<br />
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The song creates a dazzling, colourful world of its own that the listener can slip into for three minutes, like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole. However, the sound texture of <i>Rain </i>would've been too far out for 1966 radio, and for years it was a nearly-forgotten gem.<br />
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In the digital age, <i>Rain </i>finally<i> </i>gotten its due. Until 1987, the track was not featured on any album, including compilations, and found only if you picked up the <b>Paperback Writer</b> single. Even then it was mixed only in mono. However, I would argue that the wide-panning stereo on today's releases it terrible. Ringo's high-hat is to loud in the mix, and the stereo picture is too disjointed with vocals and instruments separated by a thousand sonic miles.<br />
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A word about Ringo's drumming. Ringo himself feels that <b>Rain</b> features his best drumming, but I disagree. His shining moment came a few weeks later in mid-1966 when The Beatles recorded <i>She Said She Said.</i><br />
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<b>I can show you</b><br />
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<b>Paperback Writer/Rain</b> was a preview of their forthcoming album, <i>Revolver</i>. I suspect that few fans realized it at the time, but The Beatles in June 1966 were searching for new sounds and tired of their cute moptop image. Like all great artists, The Beatles were too talented to stand still. Sure, their records would continue to sell millions and top the charts, but who was really listening? Unlike <i>She Loves You </i>which launched The Beatles in 1963 Britain or <i>Hey Jude </i>which would become their biggest-selling single, <b>Paperback Writer/Rain</b> would be overlooked in its time and not fully appreciated until many years later for its originality and innovation.<br />
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<br />The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-149928089307530442015-12-18T07:18:00.000+11:002015-12-20T07:19:32.635+11:00Rubber Soul 50 years later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The Doc and the Gov recently held a long-distance listening party to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of this album. Here is their track by track discussion:</i><br />
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<u><b>Drive My Car</b></u><br />
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Doc: It's the first Beatles song where the bass leads the song and remains its focus. George suggested the bass line from Otis Redding's <b>Respect.</b><br />
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Guv: And the cowbell with the short piano fills all suggest Motown. Plus <b>Drive my Car</b> is, supposedly, black innuendo for sex. A great choice for an album opener, especially when the title puns "soul" music. During the recording of <b>I'm Down</b>, as we know, Paul called out 'Plastic Soul', which was a term he'd heard soul musicians use to describe Mick Jagger.<br />
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Doc: This is the fattest bass line that Paul laid down to date. I think the big take-away here is musical: The Beatles were starting to push studio limitations sonically. British pop records sounded thin in those days.<br />
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Guv: And this is where Paul started becoming melodic in his basslines.<br />
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<u><b>Norwegian Wood</b></u><br />
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Doc: Another instrument leads this song, something truly exotic, the sitar. The perfect choice. Otherwise, it would have been acoustic guitars.<br />
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Guv: To teenage ears of 1965 it must truly have sounded otherworldly. It carries the song, give's it an identity. There are layers of texture. A light touch on bass after the thumping <b>Drive My Car.</b> Deft footwork from Ringo, with the kick drum buried deep. This is a really nice mix.<br />
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Doc: Lyrically, it's actually a nasty anecdote about a guy spending the night with a girl, not scoring with her, but sleeping in the bathtub instead, then taking revenge in the morning by torching her flat. Musically and lyrically it packs a lot of ideas in 120 seconds. One of the album's best songs.<br />
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<u><b>You Won't See Me</b></u><br />
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Guv: Two songs in a row lyrically about being rejected.<br />
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Doc: Paul was quarreling with Jane Asher at the time and his angst came out in this song and <b>I'm Looking Through You</b>. The tempo was inspired by the Four Tops' <b>It's The Same Old Song</b>, with the driving beat. Great song.<br />
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Guv: Both Paul and John deliver these songs in laconic, weary voices. They seem to drag behind a little. Both underplayed, particularly after <b>Drive my Car</b>. But where John was bitter and vengeful, Paul is just tired and saddened. Paul's weariness is countered with the lightening 'Ooh La La' backing vocals, softening it.<br />
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Doc: Not praised enough, if you ask me. Sure, it's a boy-girl lyric, but Paul's anger gives it bite than anything he wrote before that.<br />
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Guv: Two songs about a quarrel with Jane Asher, both visual metaphors. <b>I'm Looking Through You,</b> and <b>You Won't See Me</b>. Hmmm<br />
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<u><b>Nowhere Man</b></u><br />
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Doc: The first non love, boy-girl lyric by the Beatles. Not a step forward, lyrically, but a running leap.The lyrical sophistication and the intricate three-part harmonies make this a special song.<br />
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Guv: Although we'd had three part harmony before, <b>This Boy</b> for example. <b>Nowhere Man</b> is the first indication they had something special. Almost a precursor to <b>Because</b> on Abbey Rd. And, famously, John singing about himself in the third person. A different take on himself, as compared to <b>Help!</b> Nice little guitar parts and solo from George, ending on a a harmonic which just rings through.<br />
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Doc: Clever arrangement by opening acapella. Catches your ear every time. A lesson in song structure here. Dylan covered this song in concert a few times, saying he always loved the lyric. <b>Nowhere Man</b> was a #1 single in both our countries and hit #3 in American Billboard in early 1966. That's important, because it signaled to the world that the Beatles were moving away from boy-girl teenybopper music to songs that were more mature and complex.<br />
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Guv: It was an EP here, but it was at a time when EPs were on their way out. It seems it might have been a single in the US because the Americans omitted it from Rubber Soul and held it over for Yesterday and Today.<br />
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<u><b>Think For Yourself</b></u><br />
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Doc: Back to back non-love songs.<br />
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Guv: George's first foray into something deep. There are suggestions it's about Pete Best. Wikipedia certainly comments it was shortly after the Pete Best lawsuit.<br />
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Doc: Maybe it was about Pete Best, but I'm not convinced. The lyrics are a leap for George. I mean, he recorded <b>I Need You</b> before this.<br />
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Guv: Nor me. I suspect it's a general warning. At this time I think the Beatles were so famous they were being approached by charlatans and con-men from all directions, and so many untruths were being written about them in the media. Mostly I think it's a general anti-establishment/government warning to the youth. There are several songs on this album that indicate the future of hippy-ism. Two basslines, the fuzz and the regular. It's thick, full and rich, and works.<br />
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<u><b>The Word</b></u><br />
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Guv: John starting to think about universal love as a concept, something he revisited with <b>All You Need is Love.</b><br />
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Doc: Not the most memorable melody, but a solid lyric and performance. For me, the musical highlight is George Martin's harmonium solo near the end. That burst awakens the tune.<br />
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Guv: Interestingly, this is the first song they wrote while smoking pot.<br />
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Doc: That would explain the hippy vibe of the tune.<br />
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<u><b>Michelle</b></u><br />
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Doc: This would've been a number one single. Unusual for a ballad to close side 1. Every album till then closed with a rocker.<br />
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Guv: I just read about the origins of this song in Lewisohn's book. John received some money for his birthday, so they took off to Paris for a holiday. George, in particular, was not impressed as they had to cancels gigs. Paul wrote this psuedo-French thing, mocking some of the people he'd met there on the left bank. Years later John suggested he rewrite it,because it had a pretty melody. It's delicate, recalls French chanson, without falling into a cliche or parody.<br />
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Doc: Beautiful. I have no complaints about it. Again, the bass gets the spotlight here.<br />
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Guv: Yes, light touch, great accents. Paul's playing is imaginative, and not just playing root notes or traditional lines. The guitar solo in the middle is bittersweet. Sad, yet loving.<br />
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<u><b>What Goes On</b></u><br />
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Guv: Interesting. Recorded in nine hours, with some speculation it was mostly McCartney on overdubs - including backing vocals and drums. <br />
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Doc: To be honest, I replaced this with <b>We Can Work It Out</b> on my iPod. It was the b-side to the US <b>Nowhere Man</b> single and in my opinion should've stayed there. It's the token Ringo song.<br />
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Guv: Throwaway song, An album filler for Ringo. And his first co-writing credit, with a country feel. Listening to it on headphones, the guitar playing, while jagged, is a little sloppy. Not much effort went into this one.<br />
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Doc: Sorry, Ringo.<br />
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<u><b>Girl</b></u><br />
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Doc: Another love song, but the songwriting elevates it. <br />
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Guv: And it's another introspective song from John. Reading between the lines, John is already wanting to leave Cynthia, and sees himself as the victim. <br />
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Doc: I like the Greek guitar flourish at the end. Another exotic accent on an album that already features an Indian sitar, French lyrics and a Memphis bass line.<br />
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Guv: Along with the hidden jokes of the 'tit tit tit' backing vocals and the audio of toking. They were like schoolboys trying to get away with a prank. I can almost imagine them giggling, wondering when schoolmaster Martin would catch them out.<br />
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Doc: Naughty Beatles.<br />
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<u><b>I'm Looking Through You</b></u><br />
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Guv: A wonder, beautiful song from Paul. Fantastic lyrics, melody and instrumentation. Some optimism, but honest and pained.<br />
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Doc: An overlooked Paul song. The rhythm propels it. Biting vocal by Paul. Both the early version and the final version are powerful yet vastly different. Definitely a deep cut.<br />
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Guv: Ringo has some unusual involvement here. He plays some percussion on his legs, and a matchbox, but also played the two note strikes in the chorus on a Hammond Organ.<br />
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Doc: Lastly, I consider the US mix with the extra notes in the intro, the true and complete version. The UK mix always sounds incomplete to my ears.<br />
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Guv: I guess it's what you grew up with. I found the US one to be interesting, but a bit of a novelty.<br />
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<u><b>In My Life</b></u><br />
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Doc: What else is there to say about this song that hasn't been said? It's one of the finest songs by The Beatles or anybody.<br />
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Guv: It would have been a fine song with that melody regardless of the lyrics, but the final words truly lift it into something special and resonant. <br />
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Doc: As a test, sequence this song in the middle of any previous Beatles album. This song is light years ahead of anything they recorded before (like <b>Nowhere Man</b>).<br />
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Guv: There's nothing on there I would change. And it started out about memories of Liverpool, which ultimately led the way to Sgt Pepper. Lennon says McCartney contributed to the bridge. McCartney says the melody is entirely his, having taken John's lyrics to work with.<br />
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Doc: Me being me, I would remix it and reduce the wide panning, but more about that later.<br />
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<u><b>Wait</b></u><br />
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Doc: Going from <b>In My Life</b> to <b>Wait</b> is a slight let-down, like eating steak to a Big Mac. Definitely album filler and an anachronism, since it was written during Help!<br />
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Guv: An apt simile, and definitely filler. Recorded during Help!, with overdubs added so it was sonically similar to the other Rubber Soul tracks. It's not a terrible song, it's just that in comparison to the other songs on the album, it's lacklustre. <br />
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<u><b>If I Needed Someone</b></u><br />
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Guv: Another fine and worthy contribution from George, He even played this during his 1992 Japan concerts.<br />
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Doc: Definitely it cops The Byrds' <b>Bells Of Rhymney,</b> which itself is an English folk tune about miners, but it works for me.<br />
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Guv: Harrison sent a tape of it to McGuinn prior to release. But yes, he riffs off the Byrds, who based their entire career on George.<br />
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<b>Run For Your Life</b><br />
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Doc: Another nasty-to-girls lyric by John, like <b>You Can't Do That</b>. But this is filler.<br />
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Guv: This song has had some bad press over the past few years. A couple of radio stations have banned it due to it's suggestions of domestic violence. John based this on an Elvis song, <b>Baby Let's Play House</b>. It simply doesn't come up to par. And it's a weak ending for such a strong album<br />
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Doc: I'd rather listen to take 5 of this song off Mythology. If you think the released version smells of domestic violence, take 5's vocal is pathological.<br />
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<i>Watch out for Part Two of this conversation, coming soon!</i>The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-84273689790326915282015-11-09T12:01:00.005+11:002015-11-09T12:01:43.499+11:0013 Beatles Deep CutsThe Urban Dictionary defines a deep cut as as: "A song by an artist that only true fans of said artist will enjoy/know. True gems that are found later in an album, a b-side. Rarely if ever played on the radio."<br />
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The Beatles are perhaps the most widely played band of all time. Yet, there exists a handful of songs, buried on albums and B-sides that are hardly ever played on the radio nor appear on compilations--but should be. We at Rowboat Syndicate unearth these gems here: <br />
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<b> </b><br />
<b>IT WON'T BE LONG (<i>With The Beatles</i>)</b><br />
John's charging vocals set against a breakneck tempo launch the album that heralded Beatlemania. The "yeah yeah" backing vocals of Paul and George echo <b>She Loves You</b> which, along with moptops and collarless jackets, were hallmarks of Beatlemania. Indeed, <i><b>With The Beatles</b> </i>was recorded in the summer of 1963 while <b>She Loves You</b> was riding atop the British charts.<b> It Won't Be Long</b> is the perfect album opener, bursting with infectious energy, a galloping backbeat and exuberant harmonies. This is the sound of a hot, confident band on the rise--and knows it.<br />
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<b>THINGS WE SAID TODAY (<i>A Hard Day's Night</i>)</b><br />
John was white-hot during the first flush of international Beatlemania, being the lead writer of 10 of the 13 songs on the album, <i><b>A Hard Day's Night,</b></i> but Paul made up for his lack of quantity with quality. Buried on side two of the original UK LP, and relegated to the B-side of the UK single of <b>AHDN</b>, <i>Things We Said Today</i> is an uptempo ballad marked by a strong guitar riff which grounds the song. Paul's vocal is cool yet assured, while the arrangement (vaguely Latin) runs against the typical love song and amounts to sounding like nothing else in the early Beatles period or this era for that matter.<br />
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<b>I'M A LOSER (<i>Beatles For Sale</i>)</b><br />
<b> </b>Much has been said about the lyrics of this song, marking a maturity in Lennon's songwriting (as inspired by Bob Dylan), and deservedly so. It's the best song on<b><i> Beatles For Sale</i></b>, the band's weakest album, but <b>I'm A Loser </b>foreshadows the introspection found in the following summer's <b>Help! </b>single. While <b>Rock and Roll Music </b>and <b>Eight Days A Week</b> have appeared on compilations, the album's best song,<b> I'm A Loser </b>remains solely on <b><i>Beatles for Sale</i></b>. <br />
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<b>YOU WON'T SEE ME</b><br />
<b>I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU</b><br />
(<b><i>Rubber Soul</i></b>)<br />
The Beatles could have released half the songs off this album as singles, including these two anti-love songs. Paul wrote them during a difficult patch with then-girlfriend, actress Jane Asher. They're both upbeat, rythmic numbers, the former inspired by the Temptations, which only underlies the anguish of the lyrics. "When I call you up, your line's engaged / I have had enough, so act your age," sings Paul in <b>You Won't See Me</b> while in <b>I'm Looking Through You</b>, Paul declares that, "Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight." Solid vocals, catchy melodies and lyrics with bite make these two album tracks highlights on an album bursting with masterpieces. <br />
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<b> </b><br />
<b>SHE SAID SHE SAID</b><br />
<b>TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS</b><br />
(<b><i>Revolver</i></b>)<br />
<b><i>Revolver </i></b>boasts such depth of songwriting, arrangment and performance that several of its songs qualify as deep cuts. How to choose? These two Lennon tracks, which close side A and B respectively on the original long-player, showcase a new direction in Lennon's songwriting. The songs reflect on mortality and mysticism. Also, they were directly shaped by acid trips.<br />
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<b>She Said She Said </b>is a direct lift from Peter Fonda recounting a near-death experience he has as a boy when he shot himself. He imparted this George to guide him through a rough LSD trip, while The Beatles were visiting Los Angeles in the summer of 1965. Lennon overheard Fonda's morbid anecdote and was repulsed by it. In other words, Peter Fonda is the "she" in <b>She Said She Said. </b>However, there's a melancholy in the song's "middle-eight" that anticipates the childhood retrospection of <b>Strawberry Fields Forever</b>: "When I was a boy / Everything was right." It's a mystery why Paul didn't play on this track, apart from having an arguing (over what?) and storming out of Abbey Road, but the remaining three Beatles play marvellously on this track. I personally consider Ringo's drumming on this song his best among all the Beatles recordings.<br />
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<b>Tomorrow Never Knows</b> is, of course, the album closer that paved the way to <b>Sgt. Pepper</b>. It's a song built on one chord and coloured with sound effects galore. The Beatles were infiltrating pop music with the avant-garde. The song stunned many at the time, but has never aged. <br />
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It astounds me that neither song has been included on various greatest hits compilations over the years, namely <b><i>1962-66.</i></b> You will find them only on <i><b>Revolver</b></i>, arguably the band's greatest album. <br />
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<b> </b><br />
<b>RAIN </b>(B-side, <b><i>Past Masters 2</i></b>)<br />
To my ears, <b>Rain </b>and <b>Paperback Writer</b> are a double-sided single that rivals their previous and forthcoming UK singles, but<b> Rain</b> has never received the attention paid to its more popular flipside. <b>Rain </b>sounded too experimental for the pop charts of 1966, particularly its brilliant backwards coda. Paul's deep bass, Ringo's stuttered drumming and John's distorted vocals blend into a multicolour pastiche that shimmers whenever you listen to it. <b>Rain </b>is an amazing audio experience and remains as fresh as the day it was released in mid-1966. Until the CD age, <b>Rain </b>was available only on the <b>Paperback Writer </b>single. Again, why the hell wasn't it included on <b><i>1962-66 </i></b>or the <b><i>Hey Jude</i></b> compilation of 1970? <br />
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<b> </b><br />
<b>DEAR PRUDENCE</b><br />
<b>BLACKBIRD</b><br />
<b>HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN</b><br />
<b>LONG LONG LONG</b><br />
(<b><i>The Beatles</i></b>)<br />
Let's face it: <b><i>The White Album</i></b> is one long deep cut. By decreee, none of its 30 tracks was released as a single in the U.S. or U.K. (though<b> Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da</b> was paired with <b>While My Guitar Gently Weeps</b> in a few smaller markets). The quality of album's songs varies wildly, but a handful stand above the others. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Dear Prudence </b>is a ballad, like <b>Hey Jude</b>, that builds in tempo and dynamics until it climaxes into a burst of sound and emotion. Both <b>Prudence </b>and <b>Blackbird </b>feature the debut of fingerpicking guitar-playing that Donovan taught the Beatles in India in early-1968. <b>Blackbird </b>is Paul's ode to the black Civil Rights Movement. Remember, this was the year Martin Luther King was assassinated and American cities were rioting. Featuring just Paul on acoustic, <b>Blackbird </b>is simple, direct and transcendent.<br />
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By contrast,<b> Happiness Is A Warm Gun </b>is one of The Beatles' most complex songs, featuring another abstract Lennon lyric ("lying with his eyes while his hands are busy working overtime"), three distinct sections and several changes in tempo and instrumentation, all remarkably done in 160 seconds. The other Beatles nominated this the best song on the <i><b>White Album</b></i> and I wouldn't argue with that.<br />
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George began to blossom as a songwriter during this period. <b>While My Guitar Gently Weeps</b> gets all the attention, but this hymn-like ballad that closes the boistrous third side is moving. He could be singing about a lover, but really George is talking to God. He's finding spiritual peace and opening doors to higher levels of consciousness without being preachy (as he was in his solo career). This added layer gives <b>Long Long Long </b>a powerful, yet understated depth.<br />
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<b> </b><br />
<b>BECAUSE (<i>Abbey Road</i>)</b><br />
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Though Paul dominates<b><i> Abbey Road</i></b>, John contributes some key moments. <b>Because </b>is one of them. It's really a reworking of Beethoven's <b>Moonlight Sonata</b>, but the song's spare, hypnotic arrangement and intricate three-way harmonies by John, Paul and George elevate it into a masterpiece. The spare lyrics, directly influenced by Yoko Ono, read like Zen philosophy and perfectly suit the spare arrangement: "Love is old, love is new / Love is old, love is you." The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-80916596902859072112015-10-23T01:45:00.000+11:002015-11-08T12:09:56.044+11:00book review: Photograph by Ringo<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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<br />
<i>Photograph </i><span style="font-style: normal;">is
the unofficial sequel to </span><i>Postcards from
the Boys</i>, 2004's<span style="font-style: normal;"> disappointing
collection of postcards Ringo sent to friends, fellow Beatles included,
over the years. Both books were published in lavish, signed limited
editions by England's Genesis Publications, which specializes in
issuing expensive, signed limited editions. The posh </span><i>Photograph
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">came out two years ago with a
print run of 2,500. For those who can't afford to mortgage their
home, </span><i>Photograph </i><span style="font-style: normal;">has just been released as a $70 (in Canada) large mass-produced coffee-table book.</span></div>
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</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
results this time are far more satisfying. </span><i>Photograph </i><span style="font-style: normal;">is
Ringo sharing his photo album with his fans, showing snapshots of his
life from him as a baby to today.</span><i> </i><span style="font-style: normal;">It's charming and personal, and the closest we'll ever get to an autobiography from Mr. Starkey. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5hBrhEzJLaE/Vij2AlgfijI/AAAAAAAAApA/O0zkpyIgOmc/s1600/john-1280px%2Bedit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5hBrhEzJLaE/Vij2AlgfijI/AAAAAAAAApA/O0zkpyIgOmc/s400/john-1280px%2Bedit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
Beatles, of course, appear in most photos, though they don't
appear until p.82 of this 302-page tome. That's good. The
first section allows the reader to get to know Ringo, illustrating his difficult childhood </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">against the backdrop
of grim, postwar Liverpool, </span>and establishing who he is before he became famous.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ringo
is a happy lad in those shots but his brief captions relate a
rough upbringing. “Admiral Grove was uglier than it looks in
this photo,” he describes the stark rowhouses he called home
with his beloved mum, Elsie, and his stepfather, Harry. There are as
many pictures of hospitals and nurses as there are of classmates, given
how Ringo was hospitalized for long periods as a boy. A few photos
show him playing hookey from the hospital by spending his birthday in
London with an uncle.<br />
</div>
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</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Suddenly,
Ringo enters his teenage years and plays drums. We see several
pictures of him in clubs in various bands, but Rory Storm
and the Hurricanes dominate. His captions tell us that Rory was
Merseyside's top band before The Beatles rose. Ringo poses with as
many girls as drums, and he comes off as a carefree lad, like any teenage boy playing in a rock band. And boy does he look
young.</div>
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</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">In these pages, Ringo is the most candid he's ever been in print or in front of a camera, but only in short captions that accompany his pictures and, frankly, he doesn't offer</span> details or wild stories in these pages. (This is Ringo, after all, not John or George.) Ringo keeps it simple
and to the point, much like his drumming. Why did he leave Rory Storm
and join The Beatles? “I just loved the band,” he answers,
“that's why I moved.”<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jlcYFamNpH0/Vij1cn08yiI/AAAAAAAAAow/HNJkOthBYKE/s1600/paul-1280px%2Bedit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jlcYFamNpH0/Vij1cn08yiI/AAAAAAAAAow/HNJkOthBYKE/s400/paul-1280px%2Bedit.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
Beatles photos are private shots, capturing him and his bandmates, for example,
sequestered in the Georges V Hotel in Paris in January 1964. There's
Paul mugging in a beret and George washing his hands in an ornate
bathroom. Ringo writes, “I never had a bathroom in Liverpool.” In
New York as they took American by storm the following month, we see
Brian Epstein and George Martin sporting ridiculous Beatle wigs, John
wearing strange glasses and a hat, and Paul vamping in shades and unbuttoned shirt like a young
Elvis (above). This is a world of hotel rooms and limousines.
There's nobody else around except The Beatles and their inner circle.</div>
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</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Fans
appear intermittently, like a carload of excited teens somewhere between
Washington and Miami. There are shots of police cars escorting them,
and even a toll booth, which blew Ringo's mind. He found Murray the
K “great,” but unsurprisingly thought Phil Spector “really
weird.”</div>
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</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Most
of the Beatles photos are in black-and-white though a few, like Miami
in February 1964, are in glorious colour. They're snapshots of
friends, vacation pictures we all take, like the one of Ringo, his
first wife Maureen, John and Cynthia proudly holding some fish they
caught on a trip.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"> Ringo's
companions were, of course, The Beatles, but you won't find revealing
moments here that'll deepen your understanding of his old band. There
are a few shots of John and Paul singing during the sessions for </span><i>A
Hard Day's Night,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> but
disppointingly Ringo's text offers no insight into these moments. </span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"> </span>
</div>
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</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
One
highlight are the pictures taken from a little-known stopover in
India during the Asian leg of their 1966 summer tour. Ringo snaps
colour shots of his bandmates walking down the streets of Delhi using a
fish-eye lens (above). The result is trippy and captures the mood
of the era. It's the first time I've ever seen the Beatles
in India in 1966. Another psychedelic effect is the prism lens Ringo
uses during the <b>Hey Bulldog </b>session of February 1968.</div>
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</div>
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<br />
After
that, The Beatles are rarely seen. Instead, we glimpse Ringo with actor
friends and on various film sets, such as Who drummer, Keith Moon, and singer Harry Nilson.<br />
<br />
The Rowboat verdict: <i>Photograph </i>is fun viewing for Beatles fans and, while you learn more about Ringo, you won't gain any insight into The Beatles.<br />
<br /></div>
The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-57474173738034517772015-09-23T12:30:00.000+10:002015-09-23T12:30:03.865+10:00Did George Martin really sign The Beatles?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X0a4MCCto24/VgFzJdm-EdI/AAAAAAAAAn4/39OuZAlF10I/s1600/George%2BMartin%2Bat%2BAbbey%2BRoad%252C%2Bc1964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X0a4MCCto24/VgFzJdm-EdI/AAAAAAAAAn4/39OuZAlF10I/s320/George%2BMartin%2Bat%2BAbbey%2BRoad%252C%2Bc1964.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
<br />
In his 1979 book, <i>All You Need Is Ears, </i><b>George Martin</b> recounts how in April 1962 he received a phone call from an EMI music publisher named<b> Sid Colman</b>*."There's a chap who's come in with a group he runs," said Colman. "They haven't got a recording contract and I wonder if you'd like to see him."<br />
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"Certainly," replied Martin, the A&R man who recorded acts for the Parlophone label at EMI, "I'm willing to listen to anything."<br />
<br />
This was true. By 1962, Martin was best known for making novelty and comedy records with folks like
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36YyCo8FXXA" target="_blank">Peter Sellers</a>, but he hadn't scored a "pop" hit on his Parlophone label.<br />
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<br />
On February 13, 1962, Martin met with a gentleman named <b>Brian Epstein </b>who hyped a Liverpool band he was managing, The Beatles. He played Martin their
audition tape, which was recorded for Decca Records which turned them down. In fact, <i>every </i>label, including EMI, had turned down The Beatles. The relentless Epstein was transferring the tape to disc at HMV Records on Oxford Street five days earlier when the engineer there, Jim Foy, liked what he heard and rang Colman, whom he used to work with at EMI.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nyssJwWiWWM/VgFzU0ddlOI/AAAAAAAAAoI/inU-l1xBMaw/s1600/HMV%252C%2B363%2BOxford%2BStreet%252C%2BLondon%2Bin%2Bthe%2B1960s.%2BCopyright%2BHMV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nyssJwWiWWM/VgFzU0ddlOI/AAAAAAAAAoI/inU-l1xBMaw/s320/HMV%252C%2B363%2BOxford%2BStreet%252C%2BLondon%2Bin%2Bthe%2B1960s.%2BCopyright%2BHMV.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMV's flagship store at 363 Oxford Street in London in the sixties. Copyright HMV.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Martin considered the audition tape mediocre (and to be fair, it was), but he was intrigued by a "certain roughness" in the sound he hadn't encountered before and found "something tangible" that made him want to hear more. So, Martin booked The Beatles for a recording test for June 6 at EMI's studios on Abbey Road. "It was love at first sight," wrote Martin.<br />
<br />
But is this true? Did Martin sign The Beatles after their June 6 audition?<br />
<br />
No, according to Beatles scholar, Mark Lewisohn. In <i><a href="http://tuneinbook.com/" target="_blank">Tune In</a>, </i>his mammoth 1,700-page history of the group that runs through the end of 1962. Lewisohn, as Beatles fans know, is the pre-eminient Beatles scholar, the group's historian whose books over the years demonstrate a depth of knowledge and research untouched by anybody else. (And I'm writing this as a professional researcher and journalist myself.) In other words, Lewisohn knows his stuff.<br />
<br />
According to Lewisohn (who lists his sources), The Beatles were signed to a recording contract, because Sid Colman wanted the publishing rights to the Lennon & McCartney originals,<b> <a href="http://Love of the Loved" target="_blank">Love of the Loved</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmkKhFcXDv8" target="_blank">Hello Little Girl</a> </b>and especially<b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49BIHnszTeE" target="_blank">Like Dreamers Do</a></b>, which he had heard on the Decca audition tape, and envisioned a hit single to be paired with another original composition. But since Coleman ran an EMI publishing company, Ardmore and Beechwood, EMI had to sign The Beatles to a recording contract for Colman to secure those copyrights.<br />
<br />
Right after he met with Epstein, Colman spoke to his right-hand man, a tireless song plugger, Mr. Kim Bennett, who also heard great promise in <b>Like Dreamers Do</b>. Colman, and especially the persistent Bennett, lobbied EMI's A&R men (the men who signed acts to recording contracts) to grab this Liverpool band with the weird name, but nobody cared.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N5HFXzb6ZsI/VgFzfvENywI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/Ui14i00vXKI/s1600/Beatles%252C%2BEpstein%252C%2BGeorge%2BMartin%2Band%2BEMI%2BRecord%2BExecutives%2B-%2Bmanaging%2Bdirector%2BLen%2BWood%252C%2Bbehind%2BRingo%252C%2Band%2Bchairman%2BSir%2BJoseph%2BLockwood%252C%2Bcentre%2B-%2Bfor%2Blunch%2Bin%2Bthe%2BManchester%2BSquare%2Bboardroom.%2B18%2BNovember%2B1963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N5HFXzb6ZsI/VgFzfvENywI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/Ui14i00vXKI/s640/Beatles%252C%2BEpstein%252C%2BGeorge%2BMartin%2Band%2BEMI%2BRecord%2BExecutives%2B-%2Bmanaging%2Bdirector%2BLen%2BWood%252C%2Bbehind%2BRingo%252C%2Band%2Bchairman%2BSir%2BJoseph%2BLockwood%252C%2Bcentre%2B-%2Bfor%2Blunch%2Bin%2Bthe%2BManchester%2BSquare%2Bboardroom.%2B18%2BNovember%2B1963.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beatles, Brian Epstein (2nd left), George Martin (4th) and EMI record executives: managing director Len Wood, behind Ringo, and chairman Sir Joseph Lockwood, centre. At lunch in the EMI Manchester Square boardroom on November 18, 1963.</td></tr>
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Then, Bennett suggested to Colman, "Why don't you go across to <b>Len Wood</b> and say
that if EMI give us a record, we'll pay for its cost. Because it's a
group, it'll be a straightforward musical production. No orchestra.
We'll have got two copyrights for the next 50 years, plus maybe a
royalty on the record." <br />
<br />
Len Wood was EMI's managing director and the boss of EMI's A&R men. Colman pitched his idea, but Wood sympathetically turned him down. Oh, well. Colman and Bennett went on with other work...<br />
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Meanwhile, Martin met Epstein on February 13, but Martin didn't like the
audition tape and saw no promise in his Liverpool group. Nothing came
of that meeting. Zero.<br />
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Soon after, George Martin asked his boss for a raise and, astoundingly, a royalty of the records he was producing. Nobody got that at EMI, said his boss, Len Wood. The two men didn't get along. Wood, an ex-soldier, played everything by the book and refused this upstart both requests. Martin threatened to walk and Wood didn't care. No love lost.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--tdxrDwx1O4/VgFzpX7V0HI/AAAAAAAAAoY/j8tKZ6r92O8/s1600/Beatles%2Bby%2BAlbert%2BMarrion%252C%2B17%2BDec%2B1961%2B-%2B2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="499" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--tdxrDwx1O4/VgFzpX7V0HI/AAAAAAAAAoY/j8tKZ6r92O8/s640/Beatles%2Bby%2BAlbert%2BMarrion%252C%2B17%2BDec%2B1961%2B-%2B2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Albert Marrion on December 17, 1961. The Beatles, with Pete Best, were still in leathers. Brian Epstein arranged this photo session and he would have been handing these publicity stills in early 1962 when he met EMI and other record companies. The suits would soon replace the leathers.</td></tr>
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Martin needed the money, because he was having a secret affair with his secretary, Judy Lockhart Smith, yet he was already married with two young children. Sure, people had affairs in 1962, but they were socially unacceptable. To make matters worse, Len Wood was a churchgoer. When Wood somehow caught wind of Martin's affair, he had Martin by the balls. But he couldn't fire Martin, because EMI chairman, Sir Joseph Lockwood, liked Martin and, besides, Martin was damn good at his job.<br />
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Back to Sid Colman. He pitched Wood The Beatles idea again and this time Wood said yes. Bennett recalls, "After a short, stunned silence, I said, 'Oh? Who's gonna do it, then?' [And he said,] 'George Martin.' The Beatles record," Bennett explains, "was going to be made as a <i>gesture </i>to Sid, to give Sid Colman a sop. Len was going to bow to our wishes at last."<br />
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And stick it to George Martin, who had no idea what was going on until Wood ordered him to sign The Beatles. Both Ron Richards, Martin's assistant, and Norman "Hurricane" Smith, a balance engineer at Abeey Road studios (who would engineer The Beatles' records through <i>Rubber Soul</i>) corroborate this story. "L.G. Wood didn't approve of people having affairs," he says. "L.G. virtually ordered George to record The Beatles."<br />
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And the rest, as they say, is history.<br />
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Postscript:<br />
It's doubtful that The Beatles or Epstein ever knew about the roles Kim Bennett and Sid Coleman played in getting the band signed to EMI. To the best of my knowledge, George Martin hasn't responded to this version of the signing, but it's true that he was charmed by The Beatles when they met on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqPNvxuTdNY" target="_blank">June 6, 1962 at Abbey Road</a> and, of course, he recorded virtually all their music.<br />
<br />
And brilliantly so.<br />
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<i>* I'm going with the Lewisohn spelling despite seeing variations of this spelling, such as Syd Coleman, in other books.</i>The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-69175064756576999992015-09-16T05:00:00.000+10:002015-09-17T06:29:52.679+10:00The 10 best Beatles basslines<div style="text-align: center;">
Nobody wanted to play bass in The Beatles. John, Paul and George wanted to play lead or rhythm guitar. Bass wasn't sexy. You couldn't "pull the birds" plucking a bass. So, in the early days in Hamburg, <b>Stuart Sutcliffe</b> (below with George) was <i>stuck </i>with the instrument after his bandmates urged the gifted painter to spend his winnings from an art competition to purchase a Hofner 333.<br />
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After all, somebody needed to provide the band with a bottom end as they rocked the stages of the Kaiserkeller and the Top 10. After Stuart left The Beatles in July 1961, he passed his Hofner to a reluctant Paul who eventually bought his own bass.<br />
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Today, we identify Paul with his violin-shaped Hofner and adore his exceptional playing on so many songs. (But let's not forget George subbing for Paul in a few exceptions, such as <b>She Said, She Said</b>.) Here, in our humble opinion, are the ten finest bass lines in The Beatles' canon:</div>
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<i>Click each song title to hear the isolated bass track of that song.</i><b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtP241G_Kro" target="_blank"><b>Drive My Car</b></a></div>
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Though John and Paul wrote the lead-off song to <i>Rubber Soul</i>, George suggested that the band play the lead and bass guitars almost in unison, directly influenced by Donald "Duck" Dunn's stellar bass performance on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JGJXmpKGXY" target="_blank"><b>Respect </b>by </a><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JGJXmpKGXY" target="_blank">Otis Redding</a> </b>which was charting in mid-1965. After the lead guitar opens the song, George lays down an unmistakably funky bass line that lets the other instruments and Paul's vocal fall into a solid groove. </div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5poSPMna5KA" target="_blank"><b>Taxman</b></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQjbvs2HDPU" target="_blank"><b>And Your Bird Can Sing </b></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNvzhJ5Ho_w" target="_blank"><b>Paperback Writer</b></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJZMCmvwrhw" target="_blank"><b>Rain</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thebeatlesbutchershop.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.thebeatlesbutchershop.com/" border="0" height="393" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1fPSeA4aIk/Ve93j-4YqkI/AAAAAAAAAko/VcDDdW4grxk/s400/20-_PAPERBACK_WRITER_DBL%2B-%2BA.jpg" width="400" /></a><b> </b></div>
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<i>Revolver </i>showcases Paul's bass like no other album before <i>or </i>after. There are four reasons why the bass sound is so rich on The Beatles' seventh album: Motown's influence (its legendary session bassist <b>James Jamerson</b>), Stax Records (<b>Donald "Duck" Dunn</b>), Paul's new Rickenbacker 4001S bass, and Geoff Emerick. Emerick became The Beatles' recording engineer at Abbey Road, the guy in the white lab coat who placed the mics around the instruments and twiddled the knobs on the recording console. "I was getting frustrated listening to American records like the Motown
stuff," recalls Emerick, "because the bass was a lot stronger than we were putting on our
records." Emerick remedied this deficiency by basically turning a studio speaker into a giant microphone to capture Paul's monster bass lines (the technicals are detailed in Emerick's memoirs, <i>Here, There and Everywhere</i>). Listen to the mono version of <i>Revolver </i>and the <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNvzhJ5Ho_w" target="_blank"><b>Paperback Writer</b></a>/</b><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJZMCmvwrhw" target="_blank"><b>Rain</b></a> </b>single. The songs rival James Brown in sheer heaviness in the bottom end. Paul deserves full credit for the infectious bass line that grips<i> </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5poSPMna5KA" target="_blank"><b>Taxman</b></a>. It's perhaps the most recognizable bass line in the Beatles' catalogue and was good enough for <b>Beck </b>to copy in <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLfuWuhnRco" target="_blank">The New Pollution</a> </b>30 years later. Paul's bass dominates <b><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNvzhJ5Ho_w" target="_blank"><b>Paperback Writer</b></a></b> </b>and <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJZMCmvwrhw" target="_blank"><b>Rain</b></a> </b>so thoroughly that the needle nearly jumps off the grooves of the vinyl on your turntable. Both the released and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCiXLiGOCmU" target="_blank">alternate versions</a> (right channel of take 2) of <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQjbvs2HDPU" target="_blank"><b>And Your Bird Can Sing</b></a></b> showcase Paul's melodic bass lines.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ateXMGTcxO4" target="_blank"><b>Getting Better</b></a></div>
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It's hard choosing one song off <i>Sgt. Pepper </i>that demonstrates Paul's bass-playing prowess. The recording process on this album was a little different, in that Paul laid down his bass part last, after the rest of the instruments and vocals were recorded. This perspective afforded him the opportunity to shape his basslines which were invariably melodic yet meaty. <i>Lovely Rita </i>and <i>A Day In The Life </i>also feature outstanding work by Paul.<b> </b><b></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5ZaR2RkYhg" target="_blank"><b>Hey Bulldog</b></a></div>
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The track that benefits the most from the 1999 remixes of <i>The Yellow Submarine Songbook </i>CD is <b>Hey Bulldog. </b>The old extremely panned stereo mix spreads the rhythm section paper thin, but the bold new remix concentrates the drums and bass, propelling those intruments to the front of the stereo picture. Ringo's drums and Paul's bass leap out the speakers like never before. Paul's fills between John's verses are full of swagger and attitude.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkxi-3omo4o" target="_blank"><b>Come Together</b></a></div>
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Credit Paul for taking John's original up-tempo Chuck Berry rocker, slowing it down considerably and adding a swampy bass lick. Like <i>Rubber Soul, </i>Abbey Road opens on the bass and carries the song all the way through. In the long fade out, Paul's fluttery notes over Billy Preston's organ solo is outstanding.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2RIkY-wI5s" target="_blank"><b>Something</b></a></div>
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This bassline divides listeners: it's either too busy, threatening to distract from George's vocal, or it sweeps you in a melodic tour-de-force. I'm of the latter, and love the interplay during the guitar solo between George's guitar and Paul's bass. </div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ88jTKdVH4" target="_blank"><b>I Want You (She's So Heavy) </b></a></div>
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To be fair, this experimental heavy rock song showcases all of the Beatles' guitars and not just Paul's bass. Like so many Beatles songs, the bass in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ88jTKdVH4" target="_blank"><b>I Want You (She's So Heavy)</b></a> not only provides the bottom end, but acts as a lead guitar as well. There's as much melody in the bass as in John's rhythm guitar or George's lead.</div>
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The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-6615555538850247022015-09-09T05:00:00.000+10:002015-09-12T08:18:26.729+10:00Where In The World?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGE1yXPSzH0/VfDV3F5yKWI/AAAAAAAAAlE/FE5kuPlQlE8/s1600/discog11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGE1yXPSzH0/VfDV3F5yKWI/AAAAAAAAAlE/FE5kuPlQlE8/s200/discog11.jpg" width="200" /></a>For many years, <a href="http://therowboatsyndicate.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/an-illustrated-record.html" target="_blank"><i>The Beatles: An illustrated Record</i></a> was the discography most readily available to Beatle fans. First published in 1975, it is a chronological overview of
all Beatle and solo releases until that date. While still enjoyable, and
accurate for the most part, it is basic. As such, it's fine as an
introduction to their UK releases. But that's also its major failing. Here at
the <b>Rowboat Syndicate</b>, we grew up with several releases peculiar to our own countries, Canada and Australia. Some of the entries related to albums that were simply unavailable to us, while omitting several which were familiar.<br />
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These days, there are several discographies available to the Beatle fan who is more than just a casual listener. Here are a few:<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Across The Universe:</b></span></u><br />
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<a href="http://www.7inchrecords.com/books.asp" target="_blank"><b><i>Azing Moltmaker</i>,</b> a Dutch collector, regularly publishes books on The Beatles.</a> He's written a series on the making of each album, and has commenced another on the making of each single. While I haven't read any of these, I do possess copies of <b>Across The Universe Vol. 1 & 2.</b><br />
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Subtitled '<b>Beatles sleeves from around the world</b>' the books contain exactly that. Unfortunately, there's little in the way of structure. The sleeves are neither ordered by year or country, and are only labeled by country of issue. There's no real information on release dates, variation notes, tracklistings or oddities.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gRtcaNS30Iw/VfDWiiUeduI/AAAAAAAAAl0/wxRzsetEQWo/s1600/Universe02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gRtcaNS30Iw/VfDWiiUeduI/AAAAAAAAAl0/wxRzsetEQWo/s200/Universe02.jpg" width="133" /></a>I flick through these books randomly from time to time, enjoying the pictures that are there. The author has included some unusual pieces, such as promotional postcards, but again the selection and inclusion of these items seem random. These books are not particularly cheap, either. And with postage from Europe, it all makes for a truly expensive experience.<br />
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Moltmaker also publishes a four volume set covering EPs and singles from around the world. These appear to be more valuable to the serious fan than the ones above, but I have yet to see a volume dedicated only to album sleeves.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VcXo4EaOTTU/VfDWG6yLIVI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/-aBpMXbaioI/s1600/Worldwide%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VcXo4EaOTTU/VfDWG6yLIVI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/-aBpMXbaioI/s200/Worldwide%2B01.jpg" width="133" /></a><b> <u>Beatles Worldwide:</u></b><br />
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This is more like it. <a href="http://www.beatles-worldwide.com/" target="_blank">A two volume set, with part one covering albums and part two covering EPs and singles. </a>The listings are organised according to country of issue, then sorted by release date. Alternates, reissues and oddities are included, along with brief notes as required.<br />
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<b>Christoph Maus</b> has done an excellent job in compiling these books. (And, although I haven't seen them, a similar series for <b>The Rolling Stones</b>) It's well organised, appears complete, and has good, clear photos of covers and labels This is the set I return to time and time again just to read for pleasure.<br />
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Considering the size and detail included, the price is quite reasonable. But once again the postage from Europe is a killer.<br />
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Recommended for those of us who love reading about the different international releases, artwork and their variations.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv2KavsGZhI/VfDYND8F_gI/AAAAAAAAAmI/pIp1-ikbC2o/s1600/noske.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv2KavsGZhI/VfDYND8F_gI/AAAAAAAAAmI/pIp1-ikbC2o/s200/noske.png" width="166" /></a><u><b>The Beatles Covered:</b></u><br />
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<a href="http://www.ajonobook.com/ajonobook/Home.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Joachim Noske</b></i> has written the masterwork on Beatles' releases.</a> It's a heavy tome, 12" square and 800 pages long, and it appears to be thorough beyond belief. Limited to only 500, this book is unfortunately out of print. I recently emailed the author, but he has no plans for a reissue. It wasn't cheap to start with, but used copies trade for insane prices on the internet.<br />
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This is one book I would love to own.<br />
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This is one book I am unlikely to ever own.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aehv3xtpT08/VfDakYCe2bI/AAAAAAAAAmk/IO-K5JflbIE/s1600/bm1cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aehv3xtpT08/VfDakYCe2bI/AAAAAAAAAmk/IO-K5JflbIE/s200/bm1cover.jpg" width="149" /></a><u><b>Beatlegmania:</b></u><br />
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I don't own too many vinyl bootlegs, but I'm fascinated by
them. I have, however, managed to pick up a few bootleg CDs over the years, and I
listen to them reasonably often.<br />
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<i><b>John C. Winn</b></i> is the author of an excellent series of books on the Beatles recording sessions. (<i>Way Beyond Conpare, That Magic Feeling</i> and Lifting <i>Latches</i>) <a href="http://www.multiplusbooks.com/" target="_blank">He's also written <b>Beatlegmania</b>, a discography of bootleg releases.</a> Chronologically listed, the four volumes display the artwork, give detailed tracklistings and notes where appropriate. Alternative covers and reissues are included, and although bootleggers are secretive by nature, Winn makes every effort to navigate the murky waters of their labels, sources and pressings. Comprising mostly vinyl, Volume 4 delves into the first of the bootleg CD releases. I'm still waiting information on future volumes in the series.<br />
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They're a light, casual read, and definitely recommended for those who love releases from the dark side of the music industry.<br />
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<br />The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027119182129653408.post-14308210658209942762015-09-02T05:00:00.000+10:002015-09-09T14:15:27.982+10:00Unlucky Pete?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ujN5JnZEwpY/VegVeu3_FAI/AAAAAAAAAjM/APrvjlMYOso/s1600/Pete_Best_in_Hamburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ujN5JnZEwpY/VegVeu3_FAI/AAAAAAAAAjM/APrvjlMYOso/s200/Pete_Best_in_Hamburg.jpg" width="128" /></a>The <b>Pete Best</b> story has been told and retold and rehashed again and again. There has been so much speculation about what actually occurred, about who said what, and, most importantly, about the reasons he was fired from The Beatles.<br />
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I can only imagine the pain he must have felt as he was pushed out on the eve of their success, sitting at home and watching his former bandmates rise to unprecedented levels of fame and fortune. It must have been soul-destroying, especially as it was never really made clear to him exactly why he was fired. Best certainly felt betrayed, not only by John, Paul and George, but also by Ringo who replaced him. According to Best, he and Ringo had been reasonably friendly and so he was surprised Ringo accepted the job. In 1965 he attempted suicide, the pain having become too much. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r14iI88ijzM/VegVxR1XdCI/AAAAAAAAAjc/KlbWnXG64CQ/s1600/0609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r14iI88ijzM/VegVxR1XdCI/AAAAAAAAAjc/KlbWnXG64CQ/s200/0609.jpg" width="200" /></a>There have been some reports that Epstein originally offered the job to <b>Johnny Hutchinson</b>, drummer for <b>The Big Three.</b> Hutch, as he was known, had sat in for the boys at a 1960 audition for Larry Parnes (see right) as their regular drummer was running late, but had had little to do with them since then.<br />
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Many years later Hutchinson declared, "Brian asked me to join the Beatles and I said, 'I wouldn't
join the Beatles for a gold clock. There's only one group as far as I'm concerned and that's the Big Three. The Beatles can't
make a better sound than that, and Pete Best is a very good friend of mine. I couldn't do the dirty on him."<br />
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I find this comment suspicious. I can accept he felt a loyalty to his own group, and I can understand how someone would have the integrity to not "do the dirty" on a friend, but considering Best was told Ringo would be his replacement while he was being fired, Hutch must already turned it down at this stage. This meant, of course, that he knew about it in advance. Yet, he chose not to inform his friend that the others were plotting behind his back. Not only that, but he sat in with The Beatles for three dates between Best's sacking and Ringo's arrival. His loyalty to Pete Best wasn't so obvious then. Apparently Hutch despised The Beatles, and Lennon in particular, and only sat in on their Larry Parnes' audition with the greatest reluctance. Ringo, on the other hand, had played with The Beatles on numerous occasions during the preceding few years when Pete was absent. They got on well, had personalities that clicked, and Ringo had a drumming style The Beatles desired. They'd admired him for years, even when they used to see him play as far back as drummer for the <b>Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group.</b> I don't think there's much doubt John, Paul and George knew they wanted Ringo well before Pete was fired.<br />
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Pete Best is frequently referred to as being unlucky. This week I saw a headline on the story, 'I Could Have Been A Contender.' There's no doubt in many eyes he was unlucky, fired on the cusp of greatness. But remember, being unlucky results from unfavourable chance, not plans and schemes. And the thought he was somehow unlucky is based on the presumption that he would have lasted the distance with The Beatles anyway. <br />
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Pete Best's autobiography, <i>Beatle!</i>, goes to great lengths to explain exactly how much everyone loved him as a drummer, how powerful and solid he was. It states and restates just how tight he was with the other three, both musically and as friends. How much time he spent socialising with the other Beatles. There are detailed descriptions of pranks, fights and hijinks where Pete was central to the action, particularly in Hamburg, which is in complete contrast to his reputation as moody and aloof.<br />
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And while I can understand and sympathise with Pete, I found the rationalisation and justification a little bit heavy. <span class="st">The drummer doth protest too much, methinks.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlWMt_n7lR4/VegWYx4NF4I/AAAAAAAAAjs/UD2Lb3U4Hsg/s1600/hhhhh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlWMt_n7lR4/VegWYx4NF4I/AAAAAAAAAjs/UD2Lb3U4Hsg/s200/hhhhh.jpg" width="126" /></a><span class="st">Spencer Leigh, a Merseyside journalist and broadcaster who has gotten to know Pete Best quite well, has written <i>The Sacking of Pete Best</i>. The book covers a number of theories, including his drumming, his pe<span style="font-size: small;">rsonality, his mother's pushiness, the others' envy over his popularity with the girls and a bunch of others. Of course, the book is unable to draw any firm conclusions. Fifty-three year old memories cannot be trusted, but more importantly Paul is the only one central to the action who is still alive, and he's not talking.</span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span style="font-size: small;">In 1965 <i>Playboy </i>published an interview with The Beatles, in which Lennon stated, </span></span><span class="st"><span style="font-size: small;">"Ringo used to fill in sometimes if our drummer was ill with his
periodic illness." Ringo then said, "He took little pills to make him ill." Considering the number of pills John, Paul and George were taking in Hamburg simply to stay awake, the irony here is deafening. From all accounts, Pete was the one who stayed away from the pills. And, for the most part, Ringo wasn't around at that stage. It took until 1969, but Best eventually won a defamation lawsuit. Or is there more here to the story causing this animosity to which we are not privy? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">Personally, I suspect his lacklustre drumming and his personality were the main two reasons Best was fired. </span></span>Both musically and personally, he didn't lock in with the others. <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">It's well documented that <b>Ivan Vaughan</b> introduced John to Paul at the Woolton Village Fete in July 1956, although there are stories now emerging they had at least previously been aware of each other. John's best friend, <b>Pete Shotten</b>, soon felt as though he was being pushed aside as Paul and John became close friends. The music brought them together, but their senses of humour, their personalities clicked. Paul then introduced George to John, and although for a long time John looked down on the much younger George, they too shared similar senses of humour. Pete Best, on the other hand, was brought in on the eve of a trip to Hamburg, almost in a marriage of convenience. Drummers were far and few between in those days, especially those who owned drum kits. The contracts declared The Beatles had to be a five piece, including a drummer. They were hesitant to approach Best, both because he was was a beginner and because they'd previously fallen out over money with his dominant mother, who ran the Casbah Club. But they rang Pete because they had no choice. The audition consisted of simply playing a drum roll for <b>Allan Williams,</b> their manager.</span><br />
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But in Hamburg Pete Best was quiet, removed, and didn't share their jokes as they increasingly became in-jokes. Despite his assertions he was never asked to comb his hair forward like the others, it's significant that he didn't do so anyway. <span class="st">Other observers present in Hamburg at the time suggest
Best simply didn't socialise with the others. </span>He usually went off on his own, missed a number of shows, at a time when
the others were becoming closer, more like a gang than a band. Don't underestimate the importance of this, as this closeness, the four becoming a single unit, would help keep them sane as they lived in the eye of the Beatlemania hurricane for the next few years. Pete simply wasn't one of the gang.<br />
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In mid-1962 John, Paul and George were already showing
dissatisfaction with his playing. I can imagine that as they pranced on stage, egging each other on, they'd look back to see Pete drumming, head down over his kit, moody and not making eye contact. <i>Mach Shau</i> was the command from the German venue owners. Perform and 'make a show', but Pete was hardly vibrant or inspiring.<br />
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There are reports that he was a loud
player, a hard hitter, solid enough and suitable for live shows, playing
rock and roll covers in small clubs like the Cavern. But I've heard his
drumming on the Decca auditions, and the early Parlophone recordings of
<i>Love Me Do</i> and <i>Besame Mucho</i>, and while it's satisfactory, it is, for
the most part, flat and uninspired, and lacks the swing Ringo brought to
the band. There are times when he drags, and he seems limited in his
patterns. Move forward a few years, as the band progressed, and I have
serious doubts as to whether Pete would have had the finesse and
creativity to have drummed on <i>She Said, She Said, Rain </i>or <i>A Day In The
Life.</i> One more question worth considering. Would The Beatles as a band
have
developed so quickly, so brilliantly, with Pete on drums?<br />
<br />
George
Martin thought Best had serious timing issues, and told Epstein he
would be using a studio drummer for recording sessions. <span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">And this comment from George Martin about his playing was simply the final straw. </span></span>He was
already a marked man. It was simply at this point the other made the
final decision to fire Pete Best.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">As a band, the Beatles were driven to succeed. They worked hard at their craft, did whatever it took to become better musicians, to become a better band, to become rich and famous. Don't be fooled by the stories of John reluctantly wearing a suit and tie at Epstein's insistence. In a 1975 interview published in <i>Hit Parader</i>, John responds to that legend.</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">"Outside of Liverpool, when we went down South in our
leather outfits, the dance hall promoters didn't really like us--they
thought we looked like a gang of thugs. So it got to be like Epstein
said, 'Look, if you wear a suit...' and everybody wanted a good suit,
you know. A nice, sharp, black suit, man... We liked the leather and the
jeans but we wanted a good suit, even to wear offstage. 'Yeah, man,
I'll have a suit!' So if you wore a suit, you'll get this much money...
Alright I'll wear a suit. I'll wear a fucking balloon if somebody's
going to pay me. I'm not in love with the leather THAT much. Wear a
suit, you'll get more money."</span></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xbxZhWI-mA0/VegXIx_j9SI/AAAAAAAAAj0/sZ6kFAvpHDk/s1600/The-Beatles-Hulton-Archive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xbxZhWI-mA0/VegXIx_j9SI/AAAAAAAAAj0/sZ6kFAvpHDk/s200/The-Beatles-Hulton-Archive.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">These were guys who were prepared to do what was needed. They finally had a recording contract, and the man in charge, George Martin, had just told them their drummer was not up to scratch. You're young, you're ambitious, you've been dissatisfied with the drummer for a while anyway. You don't want to risk losing that contract. You fire Pete Best.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st"><br /></span></span>
<span class="st">Everyone involved conceded the sacking of Pete Best was not handled well, and I doubt anyone else would deny that. In the band's defence, they were little more than teenagers and I suspect many of us have made poor decisions and dealt badly with events at that age. </span><br />
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Lennon agreed. "We were cowards when we sacked him. We made Brian do it." Harrison too. "We weren't very good at telling Pete he had to go." McCartney showed some guilt, saying, "I do feel sorry for him, because of what he could have been on to."<br />
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<b>Mark Lewisohn</b>, author of Tune In Vol. 1, points out that back in 1958 a similar decision was made about <b>Eric Griffin'</b>s future in the Quarrymen. "When it came down to it, neither John (whose group it was) nor Paul (implicit in the decision) nor George (who'd set the ball rolling) had the desire to sack Eric to his face. This, they decided, was the job of the manager." Their manager at this stage was the teenage <b>Nigel Walley.</b><br />
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Says Walley, "OK, Eric didn't fit into the situation. He had no personality whatsoever. You couldn't crack a smile out of him. He couldn't help it, that's the way he was. He'd play, but never smile, whereas the others had the vim and vigor."<br />
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Walley broke the news to Griffin. "He was very upset - he said he was part of the group so why would they get rid of him. It was a sad day for him and for me: he thought I'd instigated it and never forgave me. They'd just sent the messenger boy out, and that was it. John and Paul never got in touch with him themselves."<br />
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Sound familiar?<br />
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The main difference between these sackings was timing. With Best they'd just scored a contract with Parlophone after years of struggling together. And that's why I think we consider him as unlucky: it happened on the eve of fame. But an underperforming football player dropped from a team prior to the playoffs is not unlucky. He simply hasn't played well enough to hold his place, and has made way for someone who is more likely to help the team win a championship.<br />
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Pete was always going to go. Ringo was always the better fit. Or, as George Harrison put it, "Historically, it may look like we did something nasty to Pete. It may
have been we could have done it better, but the thing was--as history
also shows--Ringo was the member of the band. It's just that he didn't
enter the film until that particular scene."The Doc and the Guvhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09099089750944246153noreply@blogger.com0