G. Harrison's "Only A Northern Song": did the other Beatles really sabotage it (random psych noise)?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ParloFax, Apr 20, 2015.

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  1. theMess

    theMess Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    Here is the part where Ken mentions some of the errors:

    ''Now, after reading his book, I KNOW how little he remembers. It appears we, the interviewees, didn't give enough, because much is clearly fabricated stories, something made up to fill out the book. A good example of this being the detailed recollection of the overdub session he worked on for Misery (Page 59). However, in an interview in 2003, with Ken Michaels, Geoff was quoted as saying "...I was informed the other day, and I couldn’t remember it, that Misery was the first track that I was actually present on." Amongst these stories are many things that could be proven untrue by astute Beatles fans, and things easily shown to be false by those who were there.

    Taken as single points it is easy to say "so what", but when one turns into two turns into one hundred the veracity of everything comes into question. Unlike any other band The Beatles are now part of history and it is my feeling that their history should be told correctly. As part of that history Geoff did AMAZING work recording them, but if one can't remember or take the time to double check the facts, DON'T WRITE A BOOK.

    There are so many errors in this book, some small, others not, so I offer the following examples only as an insider's starting point,
    1) The book claims, on Page 108, that Geoff was the first engineer to be given the job before the age of 40. Amongst our teachers/mentors were Peter Bown, Stuart Eltham, Malcolm Addey and Peter Vince. These 4 pop engineers were ALL promoted before they were 40.

    2) It claims he was the first engineer to record a sitar at Abbey Road on Page 137. However, it was not Geoff who recorded "Norwegian Wood" - done the year before he first recorded the Beatles.

    3) On Page 257 it states how early on John wanted a rawer sound for the "White Album" and yet on Page 264 it says they came up with that idea as an excuse for the roughness much later.

    4) The story is told how they recorded "Blackbird" OUTSIDE the EMI studio at night, with birds chirping in the background. When mixing this song the only bird sounds present were from an EMI sound effects tape (which Paul and I put there) and interestingly there were no traffic noises, no plane sounds nor any other sound one would expect recording outside on Page 240's "soft summer eve" .

    5) Paul's middle section on "A Day In Life" was there from Take 1. It was not edited in later as is claimed on Page 149.

    6) On 31st July, 1968 "Hey Jude" was recorded at Trident Studios. At that time the only studio in London to have an 8 track machine and the very reason the Beatles chose to go to a virtually unknown and untested studio rather than one of the more well known studios. Every major studio certainly did not have an 8 track in 1967 as is claimed on Page 199.

    7) Page 11 states that John showed he accepted Geoff by asking if he had heard the new Tiny Tim record - before it had been recorded and at least a year before it was released.

    8) Supposedly, according to Page 300, George recorded the "Something" solo at the same time and on the same tracks as the strings. Then why is it that on the track lineup it shows orchestra on tracks 3 & 4 and main guitar solo on track 1 ? Also, if isolated, the solo on the 5.1 version has no sign of an orchestra.

    9) And last but not least, page 218. Many times over the years I have told the story of how Keith Moon was leaving the studio car park, after playing tympani on "Old Man River" on the first Jeff Beck Group album Truth, and when confronted by an elderly St Johns Wood resident walking her dog he used his car's built in p.a. system to tell her to "F*#! off" and the ensuing complaints to the studio. This is the first I have heard that such a surprisingly similar incident occurred with John.

    Again, these are but a few of the MANY problems. Since copies of his book leaked out, there has been a movement from fans and EMI employees past and present; all are shocked at what Geoff is purported to say in this book, as SO much of it is untrue. There are long lists of factual errors being compiled around the world to be released when this book is published. (The last list I saw was well over 100 errors, and climbing as more people read the book).

    In his defense, I must say it is likely Geoff did not write much of this book at all - it is a creation of co-author Howard Massey. Much of it is misleading 'creative' writing (such as his word-for-word recreations of something said casually over 40 years ago?) and elaborations on Mark Lewisohn's "Sessions" book; all done to "fill in" the memory of Geoff Emerick.

    I cannot bring this missive to an end without mentioning the book's relentless tirade against George Harrison. As a second engineer I was on more Beatles sessions than Geoff and saw none of the problems talked about constantly, and as an engineer, the same. Sadly, George is not in a position to defend himself today. I think I know what his reaction would have been anyway... Mine is utter disgust.

    This book is NOT accurate, it is not "the truth" and does not deserve to be supported. It is very damaging to the good reputations of such people as George Harrison, George Martin, John Lennon, Chris Thomas, Ringo Starr, Phil McDonald and the list goes on. The only one who is rarely mentioned negatively is Paul McCartney, the only one to have employed Geoff after the Beatles.''
     
  2. Muddy

    Muddy Large Member

    Location:
    New York
    Of course, I have no way of knowing for sure, but Lennon could have had a reason other than "acceptance" for asking him that question. :laugh:
     
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  3. theMess

    theMess Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    It is a shame that Emerick's memory is so bad; I wonder why? Did he have any form of drug problem?

    I don't like that they had to argue, but Ken was completely right to say what he did, and if Emerick's memory is bad, he should not be releasing books.

    I can't imagine that George meant anything with his trumpet comment, but I do also find it unusual that Paul was chosen to play the part, when he was barely competent on the instrument. Either way, I think that it is in keeping with the lyrical theme of the song, and I personally think that it works really well.
     
  4. theMess

    theMess Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    Good point. :D
     
  5. ParloFax

    ParloFax Senior Member Thread Starter

    That's it! Thanks!! I must have read that quote and "intertwined" it with the attitude Emerick said in his book that the others had with Harrison's song in the making.

    ...But isn't there precisely a session trumpet player along with the others? Those loud, high pitched staccatos, are they really Paul's playing?...
     
  6. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    No kidding. I'm looking at page 11 where Emerick does say he thinks the "casual conversation" was Lennon's way of showing acceptance...but that he, Emerick, blows it. "Lennon bursts out in derisive laughter." Emerick's point was "you couldn't pull the wool over John Lennon's eyes."

    That's NOT what Ken Scott says it is!

    What nonsense. And a ghost writer? So?
     
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  7. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    P. 218. Doesn't say a word about ensuing complaints to the studio. Oops! (Not to mention, just because Scott had never heard such a story doesn't mean it didn't happen).
     
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  8. theMess

    theMess Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    What do you think about the other points that he raises?
     
  9. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    I don't know. The only two I checked out, in other words 100%, were misleading or erroneous. So far not exactly a confidence building exercise.
     
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  10. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    I must be reading a different book...or Scott was, in fact, commenting on a draft. Or a different edition. Because this, too, is false. Three for three.
     
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  11. theMess

    theMess Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    It is a confusing situation. It seems that Emerick admits to having a bad memory, and thus he sent the ghostwriter to other people who were there at the time, including Ken.

    Ken was obviously not at all happy with the book, but he didn't point the blame fully at Emerick, because he doesn't believe that he would make things like the condom story up, so instead he accused the ghostwriter.

    I am very interested in finding out if Ken's other points are correct, especially those regarding the recording sessions. It certainly seems that Ken is correct in pointing out what he did regarding the recording of a sitar, and the 4 track tape machines.

    Also, it is worth pointing out that not only Ken wrote to the publishers complaining; there were also other people very unhappy at what they saw as inaccuracies.

    Either way, it is a shame that the book caused a rift between them, and that it left all of the fans in a confusing position regarding Emerick, an engineer who did a great job with the group.
     
  12. theMess

    theMess Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    That is a very good point. I am sure that Ken mentioned somewhere that he was commenting on the draft version of the book.
     
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  13. I think Only a Northern Song is a great psychedelic work, that could have easily fit on Sgt. Pepper's, if only the album were as good as Syd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
     
  14. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    What was pasted earlier had Scott saying it WASN'T a draft that he was continuing to be bent out of shape about.
    Note: my paperback edition, with page numbers that have matched in the three examples I checked up on, clearly states "and Howard Massey" as co-author. On the spine, on the cover and on the copyright.
     
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  15. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    Emerick on Blackbird (p. 239-240):
    "Most of the bird noises were dubbed on later, from a sound effects record, but a couple of them were live, sparrows and finches singing outside the Abbey Road studio on a soft summer eve along with Paul McCartney."
     
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  16. Drifter

    Drifter AAD survivor

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC, CA
    I've always wondered what the heck John is singing in the background of this song towards the end? Some nursery rhyme?
     
  17. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    This is what Ken Scott says (ironic, eh!):
    "If anyone connected with Geoff had bothered to look properly at what I wrote they would have noticed that all the page numbers given were for the final copy, not the proof copy. This is exactly the kind of sloppiness and lack of attention to detail that pervades this book."
     
  18. JimC

    JimC Senior Member

    Location:
    Illinois
    Or someone else's.:laugh::hide:
     
  19. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    Attention to detail? Emerick says, on p. 137, "No classical engineer at EMI had ever recorded a sitar at Abbey Road before..."

    Does it matter that Ken Scott neglected to mention "classical"? I don't know, but look whose having a good 'ol time casting stones about "attention to detail."
     
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  20. bewareofchairs

    bewareofchairs Forum Resident

    It wasn't just about his personality. Whenever I've seen people say George was an incompetent guitarist, Emerick's book is the one they quote as evidence. His words are highly regarded by Beatles fans, so I can see why Ken Scott felt the need to say something.
     
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  21. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    I can see that. But that's an opinion. Ken Scott can write his own book and say what a superb guitarist Harrison was.
    All this other stuff? I can't believe nobody has checked on Scott's "list". Talk about misleading. I've heard about this list and how Emerick's book has problems with credibility...and when I randomly check on a few items from Scott's own "short list"...it turns out to be nonsense. And I gather people eat it up.
    The condom story, by the way, while in the book on the pages Scott says, also says the recording ended in failure. So there isn't any need for some aspiring musician to try and duplicate the sound of Yellow Submarine by using a condom. It isn't on the recording.

    Yeah, I'm appalled. At Ken Scott.
    Note: Emerick never said there was an actual "blackbird" tweeting away (like one poster said earlier).
     
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  22. moople72

    moople72 Forum Resident

    Location:
    KC
    I think the backing services the song well.
    It's All Too Much is the one that should have been made with greater care.
     
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  23. bewareofchairs

    bewareofchairs Forum Resident

    He did write his own book actually, haha. Emerick can have his opinion, but he talked as if everyone in the room felt the same as him, which is very misleading.

    I can't comment on Ken Scott's criticisms because I've only read quotes from the book.
     
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  24. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    It's an autobiography. That's what an author does.
    I've pecked away on my little phone, providing evidence that casts doubt on what Scott says. He is, without a doubt, the one that is misleading. Again, I'm pretty speechless that this crap has been accepted as some kind of truther nonsense.
    Well, no more pecking for me. I'm just gonna plug my ears the next time I hear about blackbirds tweeting and, come to think of it, the name "Ken Scott".
     
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  25. Keith V

    Keith V Forum Resident

    Location:
    Secaucus, NJ
    In my top ten Beatles songs
     
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