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Author Topic: Beatles Recording/Instrumentation Fads by Year  (Read 1810 times)
petsoundsnola
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« on: September 09, 2016, 05:45:30 AM »

I find it interesting that the Beatles would latch onto an instrumentation or recording "fad" that would span a few songs/albums/singles, and then move on to their next interest.  I think you can almost break it down by year, although I admit you have to generalize a bit.

1963 - Harmonica

1964 - Rickenbacker Guitar

1965 - Volume Pedal/Electric Piano

1966 - Backwards Recording

1967 - Varispeed Recording

1968 - Solo Acoustic Recording

1969 - Moog Synthesizer

What would you add or remove from this list?
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Chocolate Shake Man
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« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2016, 06:56:34 AM »

Absolutely. Somebody, perhaps Mark Lewisohn, said that the 12-string Rickenbacker was The Beatles 1964 sound. Also, while I see your point with the solo acoustic recording, it doesn't quite fit with the other examples. But then I am also wracking my brain to think of what other new thing was being brought to those 1968 recordings. They certainly were more fascinated with sound effects than they had ever been. They had used them before sparingly on, say, Yellow Submarine (1966), and a few tracks on Sgt. Pepper. But the White Album has sound effects on Back in the USSR, Blackbird, Piggies, and obviously, Revolution #9. Earlier versions of Glass Onion had them too.

As you say some of them bleed through the years. A big discovery in 1963 is double-tracking but that becomes used prominently after that. Also in 1965 you have the introduction of the sitar which becomes a strong component of their sound through 1967. 1966, I think, is when they started closely mic-ing the instruments.

Great topic!
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guitarfool2002
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« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2016, 08:27:35 AM »

Close mic'ing was when Geoff Emerick came on board (1966), just after Rubber Soul and going into the singles that came before Revolver. He was *THE* perfect choice and at exactly the right time as a 20 year old engineer with as many ideas about breaking the rules of recording music as the band had about creating it in new ways.

It was taboo if not against the "rules" of Abbey Road to mic instruments the way Emerick was doing it, but his mic'ing techniques became standard because others wanted the same sound. From the way he put mics right into the bells of horns, to the way he did toms with the bottom heads removed, to the way he did strings and the Indian instruments closer than even the musicians were comfortable with, it became a "sound" that is standard today. Groundbreaking stuff - don't let anyone try to argue the Beatles in 66-67 were "overrated" or over-hyped. Those sounds on Revolver and the like were new.

The biggie was tape flanging, not quite the right technical term but that's what they called it. They used it on everything - It was a bigger manipulation of the ADT double tracking concept that created a sound effect which became ubiquitous, especially after "Itchykoo Park" became a hit, but the Beatles (and Emerick) were all over it. Listen to Sgt Pepper, then they used it a ton on the MMT project, Blue Jay Way especially. The effect has never gone out of style - bands still ask for it in the studio.

Over limiting and compression. Another Emerick thing for mixing.

George Martin's string score for "Within You Without You" became a sound as well that others asked for and the Beatles repeated a few times too, it almost became a trademark. The way Martin wrote for the strings to "bend" the notes.

Tape loops. 1966/67 and onward to Revolution 9. Ironically McCartney got tagged with being the biggest opponent to Rev 9, yet it was Paul who would bring in bags full of tape loops in '66 which the band used on Tomorrow Never Knows and others later.

McCartney's bass tone and lines. As soon as Emerick developed a better way to make Paul's bass more present in the mix, and as soon as Paul switched to the Rickenbacker which had a pluckier "lead" tone than his Hofner, his bass lines literally went off the charts. He took inspiration from Jamerson and BW, and started to compose bass lines - aided by the fact Emerick's experimentation with recording the bass enabled it to actually be heard as a line rather than a thump. By the time it got to Pepper, Paul made the genius decision - genius because it simply was not done that was and still is frowned upon in the recording process - to add his bass lines as one of the last if not the last pieces of the recording process. He would cut bass last, which allowed him to flow with and compliment the melody and other parts on the track. And with Pepper, it also enabled his bass to be heard in the mix after all the other parts were sub-mixed and bounced down to three tracks.

Brilliant decision.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2016, 08:29:19 AM by guitarfool2002 » Logged

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Emily
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« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2016, 11:39:49 AM »

Interesting topic. I'll do some listening and see if I can add. It's a new thought, to me. I also imagine similar patterns and shifts could be found with vocal arrangements and lyrical style/content Beatle-wide.  One would find differences in the shifts among the songwriters, but I think one would also find Beatle-wide patterns.
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Robbie Mac
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« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2016, 12:02:38 PM »

The Beatles treated these sounds like children treated toys. They slathered everything with whatever (the Rickenbacker 12 string was on all but 3 songs on A HARD DAY'S NIGHT)and then grew bored it by the time their  contemporaries caught up with them.
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Robbie Mac
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« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2016, 12:27:45 PM »

https://youtu.be/gwfH9oAiPH0


Randy Bachman teaches his audience the opening chord to "A Hard Day's Night".




« Last Edit: September 09, 2016, 04:31:53 PM by Andy Botwin » Logged

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guitarfool2002
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« Reply #6 on: September 09, 2016, 03:48:32 PM »

There have been new revelations to me at least just when you think you've read it all about the Beatles. One was that Randy Bachman video - I can listen to that all day. Pure joy. But specific to the production and the topic of this thread, one of them came via Geoff Emerick and possibly another source too (Macca?).

The Beatles were more involved in their sound and the choices made on what their music would sound like than a lot of people gave them credit for. One crucial point was that the band was constantly looking for and wanting to try new and sometimes radical sounds and ideas. The other crucial point is that they made a deliberate push to not repeat themselves when working on new albums or singles.

If something became a trademark sound, they would not use it again, or not as heavily, on their next project. They deliberately used and became known for certain sounds and effects, as this topic has been outlining, and then it was not reused. Many bands (and producers) did not think that way. Once something hit big, they'd repeat it.

That's why backwards tapes, tape flanging, all of that stuff only lasted on one or two projects, then they abandoned them. You could say the same about George's trademark Rickenbacker 12-string. Once 1964 was over, where was the electric 12-string? The only time it made a prominent return was on "If I Needed Someone", and that was an indirect result of the Byrds, who got that sound from watching George in the HDN movie playing a Rick 12.

After that, where was the 12-string? I believe George used it very spotty if he used one at all in the studio until he did the nostalgia trip on his solo albums and Wilbury material, specifically "When We Was Fab" on Cloud Nine.

But one thing with the Beatles output, traced chronologically, is that it never got stale and never stagnated...their sound never resorted to formula of what worked before. And that's why they are The Beatles.
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"All of us have the privilege of making music that helps and heals - to make music that makes people happier, stronger, and kinder. Don't forget: Music is God's voice." - Brian Wilson
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