A Beatles Virtual Instrument

[Frodo]

Hmmmmm. I'm not convinced. You may be correct, but I think it is more likely that it was George or John. During the White Album phase, I believe they were doing a lot of sessions separately. It seems statistically less likely that that was Paul... and I'm not sure that that kind of guitar playing is something they wouldn't all have been capable of.

But you may be right. <-- pondering smiley

Oh, it has nothing to do with capability. Sure, the Beatles were working apart more, but they also still worked together. John and Geoge played bass from time to time, and Paul played lead more often than people are aware.

I would like to find my copy of the "Beatles Recording Sessions" book. I know most all of my Beatle books are in a single box somewhere. I actually bought Beatles Gear again as well as the Emerick book "Here, There, Everywhere"-- just this week-- out of frustration of not being able to get my hands on the original copies I bought years ago. BTW- I just learned that the "Sessions" book (Lewisohn) is out of print, so I must find my copy.

But there is another book I'd like to find called "Day-by-Day, Song-by-Song, Record-by-Record" by Chris Cross that is allegedly a tell-all about each session. Not sure how much detail it contains regarding who played what and on what instruments and which instruments on which songs. Neither am I sure how much detail about specific songs might be documented in this mysterious "Beatles Equipment Guide" book. It seems like more of an inventory of what was "owned" rather than something which connects specific instruments to the tracks and who played them. But if it's due "in 2007" there's not much time left for them to get this thing off the presses.

But, I'm going to find out one way or another who played what and on what instruments and amps in combo if I have to die trying.

On another note, how could anyone have ever thought that Klaatu were the Beatles?? It is so obvious that they are different. I remember a guy who worked at a record store in New York telling me: "Klaatu sound more like the Beatles than the Beatles themselves."

Yeah right.

There's definitely some Walrus/Mystery Tour influence going on. I only know "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", but I'd sooner mistake it for the Rutles than the Beatles. Fun to listen to, but not terribly original.

"More like the Beatles than the Beatles"? Yeah, that's clearly overstating a more subtle point.

Now HERE's a band that sounds more like the Beatles to my ears:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSPmb0a5vZA

[zed]

Now HERE's a band that sounds more like the Beatles to my ears:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSPmb0a5vZA

••••, I LOVE these guys! I never enjoyed this song as much as I did these past 3 minutes.

There just ain't nothing else that sounds like it! Feels so comfortable and so right.

Thanks for the pick-me-up, Frodo.

[Tim]

..

[kinnylandrum]

I would like to find my copy of the "Beatles Recording Sessions" book. I know most all of my Beatle books are in a single box somewhere. I actually bought Beatles Gear again as well as the Emerick book "Here, There, Everywhere"-- just this week-- out of frustration of not being able to get my hands on the original copies I bought years ago. BTW- I just learned that the "Sessions" book (Lewisohn) is out of print, so I must find my copy.

I looked up "Monkey" in my copy of the Lewisohn book, and all it says is the overdubs consisted of "two lead guitars, a vigorously shaken hand-bell and a chocalho" (whatever that is). It doesn't say who played what, but yes it does sound sort of like the solo to "Taxman". It could very well be Paul.

[monkey man]

You might have more luck looking me up at Google.com, or indeed here at the 'Nation.

[muzishun]

Now HERE's a band that sounds more like the Beatles to my ears:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSPmb0a5vZA

Thanks for this one Frodo.
I always wondered what's up with the tuning between the track and the vocals? Vocals flown in from another take? ADC gone awry?

40+ years later - who cares?!


EDIT: Oops. Supposed to be ADT. I think I need a day off.

[Frodo]

Wow-- what a kick to see such positive responses to one of my most favorite yet un-talked-about Beatle tunes. When I was a kid, I thought "Lose That Girl" was the film's show stopper for me. That truncated progression coming out of the bridge gets me every time-- "The way you treat her, what else can I do".. the G to F then back to E for the next verse. I love the way these guys managed to figure out new ways to break the rules.

And in truth, that is one truly well-done piece of film making. The lighting, the camera angles, the close ups, the long shots-- it's really beautifully done; and I dare say it's been a model for many modern day music video makers.

[muzishun]

OK, so now I went back to listen to one of my faves: "The Night Before".
So many reasons why I love it.

Ahhh... I needed that.

[Frodo]

OK, so now I went back to listen to one of my faves: "The Night Before".
So many reasons why I love it.

Ahhh... I needed that.

Man. The 7 tunes used in Help! are all so amazing for different reasons. There's something haunting about them. For one thing, do you notice how all the lyrics are rather sad? It's remarkable at how well they all fit together.

[muzishun]

Yeah yeah. Well ... it IS called Help! isn't it?
As John said, he wasn't just writing a pop song.

[Frodo]

Yeah yeah. Well ... it IS called Help! isn't it?
As John said, he wasn't just writing a pop song.

That's what blows me away... the bittersweetness of it all.

It's only in retrospect that we can appreciate the subtleties. The film was going to be called "Eight Arms To Hold You", but there was no title track to match the movie title.

At the time, we thought that Help! was Ringo's battle cry-- he nearly lost a finger over a silly ring that he didn't want.

(Hmm-- that story sounds awfully familiar for some reason!!)

But, Paul had already written "yesterday, all my troubles seem so far away". John had offered another clue just months earlier on Beatles for Sale: "although I laugh and I act like a clown- beneath this mask I am wearing a frown". That pretty much somes it up right there. We didn't know then just how painfully autobiographic those songs really were.

And somehow despite or because of it, they still churned out one gem after the next.

[muzishun]

And somehow despite or because of it, they still churned out one gem after the next.

I guess it could have gone back as far as "Misery". And then there's the beauty of "Julia".

[Frodo]

Yes. Who doesn't like a sad song? And "Julia". Wow!

Was snooping around and found this interesting anecdote by George:

" 'Savoy Truffle' on The White Album was written for Eric (Clapton). He's got this real sweet tooth and he'd just had his mouth worked on. His dentist said he was through with candy. So as a tribute I wrote, 'You'll have to have them all pulled out after the Savoy Truffle.' The truffle was some kind of sweet, just like all the rest-- cream tangerine, ginger sling-- just candy, to tease Eric."

I had no idea-- "you'll have to have them all pulled out..." LOL!

Back on the topic of Fab Four, real guitars, and Beatly work in a DAW:

I discovered that the sound on Badfinger mixes to be quite tidy. I don't know that it's "too" tidy, but it is saturated with that late 60's/ early 70's British circuitry-- much closer to Abbey Road than earlier Beatle albums in sound. I'm going to have to go collect the complete releases of Apple Records, or as many of them that are available now. I really do like Badfinger's mixes a lot. They appear to be great references for using Fab Four and real guitars together.

[Frodo]

This is really fascinating:

Anomalies on Beatle recordings.

* So define an "anomaly" then?

Well, it's difficult, as it is a subjective thing! *But* I'd say it's any
sound which you feel shouldn't really be there, and in a perfect world,
wouldn't be there! Something which, years later, people are finding and
saying, "So what caused that?", or "What did he say again?". Examples are
edits which stick out (where takes have been joined together), vocal chatter
not directly part of the record, recording glitches ....

Kind of fun to go through to check out things you didn't notice before. Depending upon the song, the stereo and mono versions can obscure some of the citings mentioned.

I don't view these as flaws in the traditional sense. Frankly, I wouldn't change a thing about these tracks... not even the squeaky kick drum pedal in "All I Gotta Do"!

Songs are listed in alphabetical order.

Enjoy!

http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beatles/anomaly.html

[Tim]

OK, so now I went back to listen to one of my faves: "The Night Before".
So many reasons why I love it.

Ahhh... I needed that.

Man. The 7 tunes used in Help! are all so amazing for different reasons. There's something haunting about them. For one thing, do you notice how all the lyrics are rather sad? It's remarkable at how well they all fit together.

Listen to Paul and Ringo's swing factor on 'Help'...........game over.