The Beatles *sigh*

[beatnickle]

[SMiLE-addict]

OMG .....

[Jay]

I just thought I'd bring this topic back for a minute to discuss something I've always wondered about, regarding Free As A Bird and Real Love. I've always been curios about how the songs were actually recorded. Did Paul, George and Ringo record a "basic track" as a three piece group, and then dub in John's voice and piano? Or did they all add overdubs to the existing demo? I guess what I'm trying to ask is, could there be such a thing as an "alternate take" of the "Beatles" versions? Did they even attend recording sessions together, or did they just add their separate parts piece by piece?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Beatnickle...that is the coolest thing I've ever seen.

[Jay]

Probably took 50 years to make it. 

[JohnMill]

I just thought I'd bring this topic back for a minute to discuss something I've always wondered about, regarding Free As A Bird and Real Love. I've always been curios about how the songs were actually recorded. Did Paul, George and Ringo record a "basic track" as a three piece group, and then dub in John's voice and piano?

From memory this was more or less what they did.  They created a backing track and then dropped in John's vocals where they needed it.  I don't know if they overdubbed certain bits and bobs on later on in the process but whatever information that is out there on these extremely interesting sessions can be found here:

http://reunionsessions.tripod.com/al/faabsessions/contents.html

[pixletwin]

I wonder what today's tech could do with those original Lennon cassettes?

[guitarfool2002]

Paul McCartney talks "Carnival Of Light" with Jimmy Kimmel, last night, at 3:20:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH1GaZB5wpk


Interesting to note that so many fans showed up for last night's TV appearance and concert that they shut down a portion of Hollywood Boulevard! Check it out:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-paul-mccartney-shuts-down-hollywood-blvd-for-kimmel-concert-20130924,0,5984365.story

Other video(s) of the performance and Kimmel interview can be found in links at those URL's for those interested.

[JohnMill]

I wonder what today's tech could do with those original Lennon cassettes?

They were already able to take advantage of advances in technology in the late nineties for the "Lennon Anthology" as Rob Stevens and his team were able to do what Jeff Lynne was unable to do in 1994 and that is eliminate the buzz from "Now And Then".  Now add another decade onto that ledger and you might be able to start to fathom what might be possible now should McCartney and Starr ever choose to resurrect "Now And Then" and finish it off for release as a proper Beatles single.

[pixletwin]

The prospect seems unlikely. 

[William Bowe]

That was left by aliens, right?

[Jay]

I wonder what today's tech could do with those original Lennon cassettes?

They were already able to take advantage of advances in technology in the late nineties for the "Lennon Anthology" as Rob Stevens and his team were able to do what Jeff Lynne was unable to do in 1994 and that is eliminate the buzz from "Now And Then".  Now add another decade onto that ledger and you might be able to start to fathom what might be possible now should McCartney and Starr ever choose to resurrect "Now And Then" and finish it off for release as a proper Beatles single.

They took out the buzz as far back as 1998? 

[Jay]

I just thought I'd bring this topic back for a minute to discuss something I've always wondered about, regarding Free As A Bird and Real Love. I've always been curios about how the songs were actually recorded. Did Paul, George and Ringo record a "basic track" as a three piece group, and then dub in John's voice and piano?

From memory this was more or less what they did.  They created a backing track and then dropped in John's vocals where they needed it.  I don't know if they overdubbed certain bits and bobs on later on in the process but whatever information that is out there on these extremely interesting sessions can be found here:

http://reunionsessions.tripod.com/al/faabsessions/contents.html

Thanks very much for that link! Reading all of that kind of makes me bummed out. I mean, it kind of makes you wonder just how close we were to some "new" Beatles music, with All For Love and Now And Then. I'd give anything to hear All For Love, even if it's just a very rough demo or idea for a song. I've really been into Free As A Bird lately. There are some really nice harmony vocals, and I think they did a good job of "disguising" John's voice a little. It seems like a typical "John moment", as he always wanted his voice to sound "different" on Beatles records. There is one particular moment during George's guitar solo that makes the song what it is, at least for me. Pay attention to the harmony vocals at 3:09 to 3:12 into the song. I love that little high note. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYfiRvL-zUU

Here's a little "fun fact" that I don't think many people noticed or caught. I don't even really know if it's an intentional little musical nod, or just a weird fluke/coincidence. Listen closely to the end, after the drums come back in. Notice that little bass riff, right as the song is fading? That's the intro to Come Together.   

[bluesno1fann]

Talk about a hardcore fan...

[Jay]

And they still made George look more like Stig O'Hara than George Harrison. 

[Lonely Summer]

And they still made George look more like Stig O'Hara than George Harrison. 

Long live Stig!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Listening to the early albums again... I completely take back what I said about Mr Moonlight! Not my favorite, but why was I so harsh on it before? Its not bad at all.

 Working my way through outtakes now...

[Jay]

Check this out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt_hWWtVmlo

And this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1levHlDyGo0

This, too! It runs to slow though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQDDfW2pMhk

One more for now, until I think of more.  It's pretty to figure out why this take didn't work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgnFFYFekvE

[JohnMill]

Listening to the early albums again... I completely take back what I said about Mr Moonlight! Not my favorite, but why was I so harsh on it before? Its not bad at all.

 Working my way through outtakes now...

It has a great John Lennon vocal on it which virtually saves it from obscurity.  Still as many a Beatles author has noted in their various publications, if Beatles fans were to ask what was their least favorite Beatles recording, most of them would select "Mr. Moonlight".  The problem for me isn't so much the song itself but almost the entire "Beatles For Sale" album has such a depressing feeling to it which makes the much talked about forlorn expressions worn on the faces of the fabs on the cover so appropriate.  At the time of "Beatles For Sale", they were still in their "beat music" phase and when you start listening to "Beatles For Sale", you immediately get the impression that this is not a "beat record".  That isn't to say that the record wasn't indicative of their musical progression at the time or doesn't have some great songs on it but the opening trio of "No Reply", "I'm A Loser" and "Baby's In Black" isn't exactly in line thematically with how The Beatles albums at the time sounded.  As the record progresses there are more songs in that vein where you are waiting for the upbeat beat music to come and it is rarely to be found on this record.  

[pixletwin]

Man I used to love belting Mr. Moonlight when it was on the stereo. Fun song to sing.

[RiC]

Am I the only one here who thinks Let It Be is the best Beatles album? I don't like pre-Sergeant Pepper stuff that much... Revolver for example is really overrated. Abbey Road's A-side is amazing. And the White album seems interesting, I haven't listened it entirely yet. Let It Be is awesome, it doesn't sound like The Beatles at all... Maybe because it has balls    Two of Us, Dig a Pony, Across the Universe, I Me Mine, Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road are all amazing songs. The rest are good too, but those are my favorites.

[JohnMill]

Am I the only one here who thinks Let It Be is the best Beatles album? I don't like pre-Sergeant Pepper stuff that much... Revolver for example is really overrated. Abbey Road's A-side is amazing. And the White album seems interesting, I haven't listened it entirely yet. Let It Be is awesome, it doesn't sound like The Beatles at all... Maybe because it has balls    Two of Us, Dig a Pony, Across the Universe, I Me Mine, Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road are all amazing songs. The rest are good too, but those are my favorites.

Not anymore, but I went through a period where I was just completely enthralled by "Let It Be" and to this day feel that McCartney's songs on that record are superior to any of his efforts on "Abbey Road".  The issue is with John Lennon and George Harrison.  John was going through his heroin period at the time which greatly impacted his ability to contribute to the project while George's best efforts were derided and I've heard more than one Beatles author lay claim to the fact that the reason why "For You Blue" was offered up to the group to record was because by that point Harrison had had so many of his compositions rejected, that he figured he'd take the path of least resistance and try to get the group to record one of his simplest numbers.  I still feel to this day that if you swap out "I Me Mine" and "For You Blue" for finished Beatles versions of  "All Things Must Pass" and "Let It Down", we are talking about "Let It Be" in a much different light today.

The sessions for that record may rank as some of the most fascinating ever committed to tape by any band having more to do with the tone of the sessions themselves than the music recorded.

[Jay]

I think that Paul's songs on the Let It Be album just might be the best of his entire career. People gush on and on about Yesterday, which is a very good song, don't get me wrong, but the Let It Be album had Let It Be, Get Back, The Long and Winding Road, and Two Of Us. All on the same album! 

[Julia]

It's no secret that I've stated on many times that I find the Beatles to be incredibly overrated and that I 'hate' them. Need to clarify that last statement...I don't hate their music. It's more of 'I hate how they're viewed as the best of all time to the point of ignoring every other band'...that type deal. I hate going into a book-store and seeing 50 different Beatles books but no Beach Boys books on the shelf (usually when a new BB book is released I end up having to buy it online). I also don't like a lot of the earlier Beatles songs (especially Mr Moonlight, which just might be my least favorite song by a major artist). That said...I actually really like a lot of the post-Pepper material I've heard. To be perfectly honest, I've never heard one of their albums in their entirety. I...just couldn't do it. Some of it is due to over-familiarity, from being a kid and hearing my dad have it on the oldies station. I really don't care for songs like 'Love Me Do', and (to a lesser extent) 'She Loves You', for instance. Whenever I'd hear a song from Rubber Soul onwards, it was pretty cool, but I'd cringe when I'd hear much of the earlier stuff. I'll tell you another thing that annoyed me (and it was the same thing that turned me off the to Beach Boys for years before finally giving them a real  chance in 1995 when I was 17); I hated when in school in history class we'd be shown a VHS tape and when it got to the 1960s, it'd show the Beatles performing and it'd show all the kids screaming...I'm sorry, but I found that annoying. When the studio audience is mic'd louder than the band, I'm not a happy panda. If I wanted to hear people scream hysterically, I'd watch Saw . If I wanted to see a moptop, I'd go clean the kitchen. I think striped shirts looked cooler than matching suits. But maybe that's just me.

With all that said...I'm finally going to listen with an open ear. What would any of you recommend for those just getting into them?

Agree 100%. Especially when it comes to Pepper. People need to realize there's like two dozen other albums from 1966-67 ALONE, that are just as good or even better. I really REALLY dont get the boomer hype. I think people just crave simplicity and are allergic to nuance or "homework." It's just easier for the average joe to only have to remember 1 amazing band who "invented music" rather than having to learn about all these other artists who paved the way for them to get there, or were doing similarly impressive things at the same time. Simultaneously, people crave a religion or an ethos (that religion traditionally filled but other things have replaced in our secular world) to identify with. So, when they devote themselves to the cool band that "everybody likes" and this uppity young person comes out of the woodwork to say "meh they're kinda overrated actually" they freak the f*** out and throw a fit. It's the same thing with political parties and marvel movies these days...

You read about stuff like the Beach Boys calling up the Beatles to apologize (!) for winning the NME poll in '66 or their dad openly saying "my boys will never be as good as the Beatles" the same year or that stupid Velvet Underground book claiming "we were the only band to see God...oh except the Beatles they were even better than us" and it's like damn, why was everyone so obsequious to these mop tops anyway??? Like how pathetic is this really?