The song is the only Beatles song on which none of the Beatles played their instruments. Paul had been introduced to the work of Antonio Vivaldi and fell in love with the music. He came up with the idea of a song with string backgrounds, and together with producer George Martin came up with the octet that can be heard on the recording. Eight studio musicians (four violins, two cellos and two violas) preformed a score composed by Martin.

As was normal with the Beatles songs at the time, both a stereo and a mono mix were recorded. In the stereo mix, McCartney’s vocal was put on the right side while the octet was put to the left. At the Chorus everything was brought to the center. This made for a very distracting recording (IMHO). The mono mix, of course, did not have this problem. The song was also featured in the movie Yellow Submarine but again with the original stereo recording. In 1999, the movie was re-released with digitally re-mastered audio and a cleaned up video (they did not digitally re-master the video). In the process of re-mastering the audio, the decision was made to not only re-master but remix the album, and to date is really the only album of the Beatles to be remixed (in the 80’s Help! and Rubber Soul were remixed but did not sound much different from the original versions). In this remixed version of Eleanor Rigby, the vocals are now centered through the entire recording.

Finally, on the album Anthology 2, take 14 of the strings recording (from April 28^th) was included.

This has always been one of my favorite albums. I am linking three You Tube videos here. The first is the original stereo recording and the second is the soundtrack remix. You can choose what you like better. The third is the strings recording from the anthology album.

Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCXKKVp7oc8]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzW_zMHkn48]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgv-C7yE8RA]

The post Eleanor Rigby first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.

Here is this amazing song from the Concert for Bangladesh.

Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7qpfGVUd8c]

The post While My Guitar Gently Weeps first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.

The real genius of the game lies with the music. If you have four players, one will have the bass, one the guitar, one the drums and one singing. If the bass player is off from the music, you don’t hear that instrument until that player can get back in time with the song. It’s quite fun (and a bit hard at times). In order for this to happen, they not only had to digitally re-master the songs, they had to deconstruct them and put them back together.

For the early Beatles songs this was quite a challenge. All of the instruments were recorded on one track with the vocals on the other. They had to take the instrument track and filter out each instrument and then put them back together. For some of the earlier songs, it sounds ok, but for the later songs, when each instrument may have had its own track it sounds brilliant.

To enhance the experience, they created digital versions of the group from each era (early, middle and late) and placed them into different settings to fit the music. So for I Want To Hold Your Hand, they are singing on the Ed Sullivan show. For I am the Walrus, they are in a psychedelic paradise and so on. With a great sound system, you could buy these games just for the music because it sounds crystal clear, just like the re-masters themselves.

I highly recommend this game for those who have video game systems. Unfortunately, I don’t have one, so if anyone is looking to give one away or buy me a Hanukkah present, you know what to get!

The post All Together Now first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.

30 posts in 30 days is a lot harder than you think. Even with a good theme and great material it is tough to meet the deadlines and with the Sabbath observance, even harder.

But I made it!

I had decided to make this last NaBloPoMo post be the greatest Beatles song of them all, but that is really an impossible task. First off, there is no consensus anywhere as to what the best Beatles song is, so this would have to be, (like most of this month) totally my opinion. Second, I had to decide what songs could be considered, and I decided to keep to the general official Beatles canon. That is usually accepted as all of the studio albums plus Past Masters/Mono Masters. So songs from Live at the BBC for example were out (they are mostly covers anyway). There were a bunch of songs on the three Anthology albums, but again, I choose to leave them out. Finally, I decided that it is unfair to choose one Beatles song, because all of the Fab Four wrote songs. So what I came up with was that I would choose one (or two) songs from each of them to make my favorite Beatles songs, plus one or two from their recorded covers.

Pinning down who wrote what is not always an easy task, but thanks to a lot of research out there and a great chart on wikipedia, today it is pretty easy. Most of the Beatles songs are credited to Lennon/McCartney. John and Paul made an agreement early on that all of the songs would be in both their names. Despite this, Many songs were written by just one of them, with some songs being true collaborations. There are also some songs that were written by John with some help from Paul or written by Paul with some help from John. In these cases generally one wrote the song and the other changed a lyric or melody, or most often, one wrote the verse and the other wrote the middle eight (bridge) section. There are also a few songs that they all are credited as authors and a few that are credited to Lennon/McCartney, but are John’s songs with some assist from Paul and Ringo or George and Ringo. Finally there are two songs not in any of the canon albums that I have included in the list, which are John’s songs with assist from all three of the others, and they are Free As a Bird and Real Love both created from John Lennon demos that the other three added to during the production of the Anthology albums and films.

In my list there are 211 Beatles songs, including covers or others work. Of these John has the most with 59 and Ringo the least with 2. Here is the full list of how many they each wrote:

John Lennon – 59
Paul McCartney – 56
George Harrison – 22
Ringo Starr – 2
Ascribed to all four – 2

Covers – 24

True Lennon/McCartney collaboration – 14
Paul McCartney with assist from John Lennon – 15
John Lennon with assist from Paul McCartney – 13
John Lennon with assist from George Harrison and Ringo Starr – 1
John Lennon with assist from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr – 1
John Lennon with assist from Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – 2

So without further ado, I am going to choose a few songs from each and then perhaps a few of the collaborations.

John Lennon
A Hard Day’s Night is often cited as the best Beatles song, and clearly one of the best Rock and Roll songs of all time.

Strawberry Fields Forever come from the psychedelic writings of John Lennon and sometimes I choose it as my favorite Beatles Song.

Across The Universe is often overlooked and I think a masterpiece of music and art.

Paul McCartney
Yesterday is the most covered song of all time. Its simplicity makes it a true masterpiece.

Eleanor Rigby is another that I often call my favorite. The use of the string quartet as the only instruments was genious.

The Long and Winding Road is a wonderful song from the end period of the Beatles.

George Harrison
While My Guitar Gently Weeps is perhaps his best song.

Something is the most covered of all of George’s songs.

Here Comes the Sun is another overlooked great song.

Ringo Starr
Ringo has only two songs, and I only really like one of them, Octopus’s Garden.

Probably the best true Lennon/McCartney collaboration is With a Little Help From My Friends. Of the songs written by Lennon with Paul’s Help, I think A Day In The Life is tops, and of the McCartney songs with John’s help clearly for me Penny Lane is the best.

Well, that brings me to the end of NaBloPoMo and my trip through the Beatles albums. I hope people enjoyed!

The post The End first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.

During the recording of Yellow Submarine, four songs had mono versions created as well as the stereo. One of them, Only a Northern Song, was only done in mono. The four together were intended for a mono EP to be released after the main album, but due to poor sales of Yellow Submarine, the project was scrapped. These four songs are included in Mono Masters to make up for the missing three songs that have no mono counterpart. I have compared the songs with the versions on Yellow Submarine.

Only A Northern Song is in Mono on both versions

All Together Now – Mono. The stereo version has the lead vocal out of the right only

Hey Bulldog –Tie. The music is much better on the stereo version but the vocals are only out of the right so it is a tie.

It’s All Too Much – Stereo. The feedback at the start works better in stereo, and the mix is wonderful all around.

Here are both versions of All Together Now. You Choose!

Enjoy!

Mono
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulQVpvu6wsw]

Stereo (from Yellow Submarine)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M28KHppdpqo]

The post Past Masters/Mono Masters Part 4 first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.

Volume two has a number of differences due to the fact that there are no mono versions of The Ballad of John and Yoko, Old Brown Shoe and Let It Be. That leaves 12 songs, one of which is in mono on both versions.

Again, this posting is being written in advance and posted after Shabbat.

Day Tripper – Mono. I feel more depth in the mono and the vocals out of the right on the stereo makes the mono better.

We Can Work It Out – Mono. The sound is much better in the stereo, but again, I find the vocals out of the right a problem.

Paperback Writer – Stereo. The intro is so much better in the stereo that even if the vocals had been on one side (which they are not) I would still have picked it.

Rain – Mono. Vocals out of the left makes the stereo distracting,

Lady Madonna – Tie. The mono is a great mix and the stereo sounds very similar.

The Inner Light – Stereo. The Indian sounds are so much better in the stereo.

Hey Jude – Tie. Both are super mixes.

Revolution –Stereo by far. The mono is so dull.

Get Back – Stereo. The mono is very similar just a bit duller

Don’t Let Me Down – Stereo. The stereo sound is much fuller.

Across the Universe – Mono. I don’t like all the overdubs in the stereo.

You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) is in mono on both versions.

Here are both versions of Across The Universe. You Choose!

Enjoy!

Mono
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWs4NJaPkXM]

Stereo
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpEuPlZ3xnA]

The post Past Masters/Mono Masters Part 3 first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.

Past Masters was released on two CDs and four vinyl albums (the last vinyl to be mass produced of any Beatles music). The first CD was volume one and the second CD volume two. Volume one has 13 Beatles singles including B sides, all four tracks from an EP called Long Tall Sally which was released in-between With The Beatles and A Hard Day’s Night, and one single from a US album. Volume two has eleven songs from A and B sides of singles plus the singles versions of Revolution, Get Back, Let It Be and a version of Across the Universe that was from a various artist charity album called No One’s Gonna Change Our World (for the World Wildlife Fund).

Long Tall Sally – Stereo. The stereo version sounds like you are in the room with them.

I Call Your Name – Stereo. The vocals in the center are so clear in the stereo which makes it superior to the mono.

Slow Down – Stereo. The music is so clear and crisp. Centered vocals make this a winner.

Matchbox – Mono. Although the vocals are in the center on the stereo, I like the sound a bit better on the mono.

I Feel Fine – Stereo. The opening feedback sound is much better in stereo, plus the vocals in the center make the stereo version better.

She’s a Woman – Stereo. Crisp and clear!

Bad Boy – Stereo. Great sound and wonderful mix.

Yes It Is – Mono. Both versions are similar but I hear more depth in the mono.

I’m Down – Stereo. Paul’s lead is so much better in the stereo.

Here are both versions of I Feel Fine. You Choose!

Enjoy!

Mono
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODiUpAR5tW4]

Stereo
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kglsXpCpewI]

The post Past Masters/Mono Masters Part 2 first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.

In 1987 all of the Beatles albums were released on CD but fans were missing many of the tops songs that never made it to any of the albums. For example, Day Tripper, Hey Jude and Lady Madonna never made it to an album. So a double album Past Masters was conceived. This album would take all of the Beatles songs that were not on albums and add in some other singles not often heard by the public. The album was laid out in somewhat chronological order. The additional songs were some older singles made at the very beginning of the Beatles and a couple of songs in German from when the Beatles were in Germany.

This album quickly became an official part of the Beatles canon and when the new mono set was conceived, they decided to create Mono Masters since much of this material existed in both mono and stereo. Some of the latter songs on Past Masters were not mixed in mono so a few different songs were included on Mono Masters, mostly unreleased mono mixes of songs found on other albms.

My comparison will hit only the songs that are found in both versions and will take us through four postings.

Love Me Do is in Mono on both versions

From Me To You – Mono. Although the opening voices are centered, the rest of the vocals are out of the right which makes the mono a better version.

Thank You Girl – Mono. The instruments are much better on the stereo version, but the vocals out of the right makes the mono better.

She Loves You is in mono on both versions.

I’ll Get You is in mono on both versions.

I Want To Hold Your Hand – Stereo. The instruments just pop out at the start and there is more depth. Vocals in the center make this a better version.

This Boy – Mono. The guitars are better in stereo, but again, the vocals out of right, make the mono win.

Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand – Tie. The stereo has the vocals out of the right only, but the sound has much more depth in the stereo so I will call it a tie.

Sie Liebt Dich – Mono. There is depth in the mono here and the vocals out of the right on the stereo make the mono win by far.

Here are both versions of Sie Liebt Dich. You Choose!

Enjoy!

Mono
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip5TvEbRkO0]

Stereo
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ8zRAZNePo]

The post Past Masters/Mono Masters Part 1 first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.

After the principal recording was completed from the Get Back Sessions, the Beatles, knowing that they were breaking up, decided to record one final album. They would put aside their differences and go out in style, rather than with all the bickering that had occurred in the previous recording sessions. They had plenty of material that had been tossed around during the White Album sessions (The Beatles) and the Get Back sessions (Let It Be) plus they each had continued writing.

The album is perhaps the best recorded album in the Beatles Catalog. By this I mean that the technology used in recording was much better than in the past. The entire album was recorded using modern transistorized mixing boards rather than old vacuum tube machines. This gave the engineers even more control over the mixing and is why the album was mixed only in stereo.

Abbey Road is also said to perhaps have the best “side” on any album ever. The first side is a collection of singles, while the majority of the second side is a suite of songs that were woven together by McCartney and George Martin. Starting with You Never Give Me Your Money and climaxing with The End, these seeming disparate songs come together to create an amazing medley. The End is the only song that features a Ringo drum solo and is often seen as the final Beatles song, due to its placement at the end of the album, and the one line in the song …And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. The song also featured guitar solos by Paul, John and George.

There is nothing to compare this album to so I will just add the final three songs from the medley!

Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjOl0fG72ZE]

The post Abbey Road first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.

But wasn’t Let It Be The Beatles last album? Let It Be was released in 1970, after the band split up and was the final album released by the Fab Four. It was not, however, the final album recorded. Arguments over the album (originally titled Get Back) caused the project to be shelved for a time. In the meantime, The Beatles recorded Abbey Road and released it. Generally, Beatles fans consider Abbey Road the final album, and I am going to consider it as such as well.

This history of this album can take up a lot of space, so I will try to boil it down to a few paragraphs. After some of the disastrous white album sessions, the Beatles were on the verge of breaking up. McCartney wanted to keep them together and felt that if they could get back to the original style of them playing together as an ensemble, they might be able to work. For much of the previous albums, they had each recorded separately which was later mixed together. McCartney really wanted to tour, but the rest of the band did not. At least he hoped to record a live album, and the group went into rehearsals for such a performance.

These sessions were also filmed for a documentary to fulfill their three movie deal with United Artists (Yellow Submarine was not counted despite the Beatles hoping it would be). This movie was meant to show the band rehearsing for a live show, but really shows the slow breakup of the band. By the third day of the sessions they were already talking about breaking up and after 10 days, Harrison actually left.

A week later, Harrison agreed to come back as long as they could move back to the recording studio rather than the rehearsal space. They did and they began to record the Get Back album. They liked the idea of a live recording and it brought them to do the famous rooftop concert where they were recording on top of the Apple Studios building (which was shut down by the police due to the noise).

The first version of Get Back was intended for a July 1969 release, but it was nixed because they wanted the songs to match what would be in the Get Back movie. So the engineers remixed the album to be like the movie, but the Beatles rejected this as well. During this time, they recorded and released Abbey Road.

In March of 1970, the session tapes were given to Phil Spector who created the album which was called Let It Be. The album and film were released in May, 1970.

McCartney was not happy with the Phil Spector release, and so in 2003 he oversaw a remix of the album which removed all of the Phil Spector overdubs and changes. This album was called Let It Be… Naked. I had planned to do a comparison of these two, but I can just say that the Let It Be… Naked versions are all better than the original and leave it at that.

Here are both versions of The Long And Winding Road (from the 2009 re-master and from the Naked Remix). This is the best example of the difference between what the Beatles wanted and what Phil Spector created. You Choose!

Enjoy!

Let It Be
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsPcGCAgvvE]

Let It Be… Naked
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfaO8NWu4nM]

Added bonus! Here is the song from the movie (basically the same as the Naked album version)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31x7hwQaEaQ]

The post Let It Be first appeared on The Long and Winding Road.