For anyone interested, the three “jam” takes of Helter Skelter, including the famous 27 minute take, were recorded 50 years ago today.
Should be a new video for each release- like the groovy video that was made for WYWY/TKN (Love). A video for "Dear Prudence" would be so gear
You need the right workflow. It all goes down to how much work you're willing to put into the isolation: source cleanup, syncing, backing track remixing, demixing & mixing. Here's my attempt at take 2, took about an hour and a half all in all. Not perfect, but a nice proof of concept - I deliberately avoided doing manual spectral editing. I just did a two point sync so some of the isolation in the middle is wonky.
Why would they issue the two versions of SSF when they were just issued as part of the Sgt Pepper 50th? On a separate matter, if the idea of splicing the two versions was an after the recording idea, why did John skip singing the first verse of the second version? Just something I've been wondering about since hearing them.
It was indeed an "after recording idea", but not completely: John's initial, complete vocals for take 26 can be heard on the mono mix RM9. Later, they decided to splice the two versions, and after that, John re-recorded his vocals but did not bother singing the first line.
Hang on, John couldn't have re-recorded his vocals after they spliced the two versions together as one sounds slow and the other fast - which is something that has always bothered since learning about the edit (once heard you can never un-hear ), why didn't John re-record the whole vocal after they'd edited the two versions together - pure John laziness would be my uneducated guess but does anyone know for sure?
The splicing was obviously done after re-recording the vocals, but the decision to splice both versions was clearly made before re-recording the vocals.
That wouldn't prevent him re-recording his vocal tho would it? Or am I missing something? The vocals sounding slow/fast really prevents my enjoyment of SFF now, so that i only listen to the complete versions (and earlier takes)
I'm not sure what you mean. Varispeeded mixes of the two different versions were edited together for the final product. Whether he re-recorded the vocals or not, the mix of version 2 had to be slowed down to match the key of version 1.
I actually think the discovery they could be edited together is more George Martin mythology. At this point George Martin was fully aware of the relationship between tape speed and pitch/tempo. Whichever version they released would have been speeded up/down to match what was finally released.
What I mean is he could have (I think...) re-recorded his vocals over the final mix (which edited the 2 versions together) and thus avoided the different sounding vocals that resulted from the varispeeding - mix the two versions without their vocals, and then re-do the whole vocal over the resulting edited together final mix
This is an idea for a separate project, a single disc compilation of psychedelic Beatles, and they could be different mixes as well. Not everyone bought the deluxe Pepper, 2-disc, and even fewer casual fans bought the giant 6 disc box. Certainly young people who can't afford it didn't. Apple could use Take 1 of SFF (with the harmonies) instead of Take 7. I mean, all the Red and Blue album songs and all the 1 songs are on other releases, but yet they are reissued in different configurations on compilations. I don't see the problem.
I wouldn't change anything about the released version of Strawberry Fields. The vocals as they are definitely add to the surrealistic effect of the whole song! I've lived with it since 1967 as it is and it's a peerless recording and performance. How it is accentuates the strangeness!
There's also an unintended (perhaps) feeling that the song begins with young John and then the mature John looking at Strawberry Fields.
The Beatles’ music is finally getting the treatment and clarity it deserves. Kudos to Giles Martin and Sam Okell for taking on and succeeding in this daunting challenge.
This absolutely kicks a$$. Definitely worth continuing to work on. What did you use to isolate the vocals?
