Showing posts with label Neil Aspinall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neil Aspinall. Show all posts

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Within You Without You

This George Harrison composition from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has many interesting Beatles facts. It was recorded on March 15, 1967 at Abbey Road Studios, with overdubs added on March 22 and April 3. Harrison wrote the melody for the song on a harmonium (not his sitar) while visiting the home of Klaus Voorman. The lyrics essentially describe what he and Voorman had been talking about that evening, and hence the first line of the song.

Harrison stated in many interviews that he didn't believe the other three band members were very interested in the track, although John Lennon said in his 1980 Playboy interview that he believed it was one George's best songs because of its clarity of purpose and a solid performance by Harrison.

A carpet was put on the floor of the studios, with flowers and incense added, to create the ambiance necessary for the Indian studio musicians. George Martin scored violins and cellos to mesh with the Indian instruments: dilruba (an Indian violin); tabla (Indian percussion); and swordmandel (similar to a zither).

Harrison said that he was especially fond of the 5/4 time of the interlude and the other distinctive cadences he borrowed from Indian music for the track.

The laughter at the end of the track was Harrison's idea because he believed the song was "too heavy" and wanted to lighten the atmosphere in order to segue into the next song. There was some disagreement on adding the laughter from the other Beatles.

Harrison sang lead vocal. Harrison and Neil Aspinall played the tamboura. Session musicians played all other instruments. No other Beatle aided in the recording of the song.

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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The Beatles Anthology

There are dozens of Beatles facts about The Beatles Anthology. This title alludes to the three-part documentary series aired by ABC in 1995 (November 19, 22, 23), which was the first time the three surviving band members told their history in their own words. The series, which also featured interviews with Neil Aspinall and George Martin, covered the history of the group from its early inception in Liverpool to the breakup of the band in 1970.

The series was accompanied by the release of three double CDs with alternate versions of Beatles tracks from studio sessions, as well as live performances and songs never included in the original Beatles catalog, although many of the alternate versions and live perfomances had circulated as bootlegs for many years. The TV series, which required five years of production time in order to secure interviews and collect film footage, was produced by Apple manager Neil Aspinall.

Finally, a book, The Beatles Anthology, was released in 2000, with photos and interviews from the original TV series as well as new material. The large hardcover volume quickly became a New York Times bestseller.

Both the TV series and the CDs debuted two new Beatles songs, "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love," on which McCartney, Harrison, and Starr overdubbed new vocals and instrumentation to augment John Lennon's voice and guitar on two Lennon demo tapes provided by Yoko Ono. It was the closest thing the Beatles could do to effect a "reunion."

The first CD, Anthology 1, was released on November 17, 1995 and fetured material from the early days of the Quarrymen to the albums Please Please Me and With the Beatles.

Anthology 2 was released on on March 17, 1996, with material from Help, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Magical Mystery Tour.

Anthology 3 was released on October 28, 1996 and contained material from The White Album, Let It Be, and Abbey Road.

The covers for all three CD cases consisted of collages of peeling Beatles posters and were designed by musician and Beatles associate Klaus Voorman, who had designed the iconic cover for Revolver.

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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Beatles Songs: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

There are naturally many facts surrounding what many regard as the most famous Beatles album of all. The song, originally recorded on February 1, 1967 was reprised near the end of the album at the suggestion of Neil Aspinall. This was done on April 1, 1967. After the initial takes of this track were made, Paul said he envisioned that the album could be written around the concept of the Pepper Band really existing. Actually, other tracks, such as "When I'm Sixty-four" were already recorded, and McCartney is on record as saying that he had envisioned the album from the outset as the work of one of the many "medicine show bands" of the time. Indeed, he said he got the "concept idea" flying back to Great Britain after hearing the Beach Boys Pet Sounds, so there is disagreement as to when the "concept" idea was injected into the recording sessions. Sources differ widely.

Geoff Emerick told an interviewer that Ringo's snares really thundered and that the bass cover was taken off and that the bass itself was filled with padding, a common practice today. (Other critics have also noted how much the drums stand out.) The audience noises were dubbed in by George Martin (he had taped a concert he'd attended) to make it seem as if the album were being performed live. Harrison, McCartney, and Starr performed the song for the wedding of Patti Boyd Harrison and Eric Clapton in 1979. The name Billy Shears at the song's end was used for its poetic sound, providing a lead-in to the next track, sung by Ringo.

McCartney sings lead, and Harrison and Lennon lend strong voices to the backing vocals on the chorus. Lennon played lead guitar, although other sources say Harrison or McCartney played the lead. McCartney played bass, and Starr drums. The same is said of the reprise. The Epiphone Casinos purchased by Lennon and Harrison during Rubber Soul continued to be used on Sgt. Pepper. (McCartney had one as well).

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