A Beatles Virtual Instrument

[Dave Connor]

Well I love all this.

Exactly write in fact I almost mentioned the connection with early standards with that intro and extraordinary changes throughout the song. Very heady stuff. And yes the modulation into the top of the song is just brilliant

I've always like John's slow material better than Pauls. I just think he's more interesting throughout their history. If I fell over And I Love Her to Across the Universe over The Long and Winding Road. (Paul's She's Leaving Home however is one of my favorite songs from any composer ever and as good as anything Schubert ever wrote as the critics have always said.)

Part Hobbit? I would have to be I suppose.

[zed]

Just turned to the channel guide on TV, and heard some "elevator music". It was some tune on a piano which I didn't recognize--at first. And then I realized that it was "Here Comes the Sun". And so I started paying attention, and was blown away by how beautiful are the melody and progression of that song. Wow, them Beatles were good. I keep thinking I've written some good songs, but then I compare them to these Beatles gems and everything else seems to pale in comparison.

Just listened to "She Loves You" a couple of times, and "If I Feel". It's really great to keep rediscovering all these gems as the years go by. Thanks guys!

"And I Love Her" is playing on my studio monitors right now. Ahhhhh. The Beatles. I'm home again.

[grouse]

So i just read all 106 pages of this post and......ok I didn't read any of them but I'm going to deduce that there are a lot of Beatles fans on this board.
I'm smart, me!

[NealF]

Sorry, but unless you read all the posts you can't have an opinion. And, yes, there will be a test.

[Frodo]

I forgot to mention that yesterday (11 Feb) was the date of the first Beatle concert in Washington, DC.

What's the matter with me? I'm losing it!

[Dave Connor]

I forgot to mention that yesterday (11 Feb) was the date of the first Beatle concert in Washington, DC.

What's the matter with me? I'm losing it!

It's all that snow in DC right now Frodo. It's blotting out the past! (oh that it would with most U.S. politics since the lads played there.)

[Frodo]

LOL!

I don't know what the weather forecast was like (exactly), but this came from an interview with the Lads on 11 Feb 64:

Q: "You and the snow came to Washington at the same time today. Which do you think will have the greater impact?"

John: "The snow will probably last longer."

Ringo: "Yeah. We're going tomorrow."

http://www.dmbeatles.com/interviews.php?interview=11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(BTW-- that's a great site or all sorts of Beatle minutia and significance.)

[Dave Connor]

Well I've been clicking on all the links (Till There was You on right now.) Oh my! There flashing the boys names on the screen which I remember so well.

That's interesting about the snow. No doubt God is having a bit of fun with the anniversary.

Wikipedia is a fun place to get certain information about their songs.

[Dave Connor]

I Saw Her Standing There reminds that when the boys took stabs at pretty straight ahead rock they just killed with stellar writing and playing. Please Please Me I think is another great example.

[Frodo]

I Saw Her Standing There reminds that when the boys took stabs at pretty straight ahead rock they just killed with stellar writing and playing. Please Please Me I think is another great example.

Yes-- "I Saw Her Standing There" was one of their terrific nods to the blues, believe it or not. The Beatles had a way of taking the blues and then doing something different with it--- "She's A Woman" is but one of many other examples of this.

As for "Please, Please Me", I think it was Paul who said that song was inspired by Roy Orbison for the soaring falsetto-- please, pleeeeeeeeeease me... much the same way Orbison sang "Pretty Woman"-- be mine tonigh'---- igh---- iiiiiiiiiiigggght....

Mercy.

(Or should that be Mersey?)

[Dave Connor]

Mercy or Mersey? LOL! Either way it's a cool beat.

True about Please Please, in fact it was a slower Orbison type of track and George Martin sped it up to obviously great effect. (Basically a Lennon tune as I understand it.)

I was thinking about Martins uncanny ability to produce their records. How did he get it just so right so often and with so many times being an outright experiment. Whether experimenting with instrumentation or electronic effects he was really perfect in his choices. Even later on when he used synths for the first time he does french horn licks on the moog (Because -Abbey Road) and so it's still classic and not at all dated sounding like 98% of synth parts that followed for the next 20 years.

[Frodo]

I was thinking about Martins uncanny ability to produce their records. How did he get it just so right so often and with so many times being an outright experiment.

Martin knew what his role as a producer was-- and he knew the limits of that role. He didn't "make" the Beatles. He enabled them to do much of what they could only imagine could be done. Producing an artist means bringing out the best in them, even if that artist is unaware of what their potential might be. Martin was the quintessential "squire"-- there to assist, there to embellish, there to realise what was explained to him.

Sure, it's important for a producer to at least express himself when he thinks the artist is on the wrong track in search of the right solution, but the artist has the last word-- at least that's the way it used to be. As Paul struggled with what to do with tunes like "Yesterday", "Elanor Rigby", "For No One", and similar, it was Martin who said that the sound of the quartet as Beatles didn't seem appropriate for those tunes, and that a string ensemble with acoustic guitar or other instrumental combinations could be explored.

To further illustrate just how much Paul imagined and how Martin helped him bring those imaginings to fruition, just check this out:

The finished version of "For No One":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPLt6J5OxZQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The first demo version of the same song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiOvs9F7F3Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I mean, it was all their from the start!

[Dave Connor]

Wow, great example! Who wanted the Bach trumpet on Penny Lane?

Did you ever see the footage {on the Beatles first trip to the U.S.} of John playing a sort of mouth organ or something where you distinctly here the opening to Strawberry Fields? I mean it's a stunning moment when you realize just how "it's all there" it really was.

[Frodo]

Wow, great example! Who wanted the Bach trumpet on Penny Lane?

I'm pretty sure it was Macca. He was watching the London Symphony (or London Phil.?) on "The Beeb" (aka: BBC) and freaked when he heard a piccolo trumpet for the first time.

Did you ever see the footage {on the Beatles first trip to the U.S.} of John playing a sort of mouth organ or something where you distinctly here the opening to Strawberry Fields? I mean it's a stunning moment when you realize just how "it's all there" it really was.

You are just going to FORCE me to watch that DVD right now to find that magical mystery moment, aren't you?!!

... and I'll do it, too!

[Dave Connor]

I've got side 2 of Abbey Road going after spotting a demo of Mean Mr. Mustard on Youtube and needing to hear the real thing.