Recording 'All Things Must Pass'

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by jl151080, Aug 16, 2010.

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  1. jl151080

    jl151080 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Bristol, UK
    I transcribed the extract from my copy of Mojo, as I had some time on my hands! It's not avaliable on the web, as far as I know.
     
  2. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Since this was done in consultation with Klaus, it is extremely unlikely that they got the bassist wrong, or that they got the drummer wrong for any track that Klaus played bass on. They do note that the horn parts were clearly inspired by those on Coming Home. Clapton's use of the groove could have been inspired by this song.
     
  3. Almost Simon

    Almost Simon Forum Resident


    Here's Bobby Whitlock's writing on what he played on:

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=160164&highlight=bobby+whitlock&page=15


    Phil Spectors sound didn't affect our playing ...cause he didn't add all that echo and reverb until after we were done . Phil was a very strange guy....he was pissed off cause he didn't have his gun..they wouldn't let him carry his gun into the country . He never left the control room . He got along with George...and everybody , he was a funny guy and likeable person . He kept everything , even the jams ....and thats what initially gave me the idea of keeping everything and the tape rolling at all times during the "Layla" sessions .
    The only time that the tape stopped was on "Key to The Highway " ...Tom went running into the control room and said "Push it up , Push it up ." Thats why you hear the song fading in .
    On the ATMP sessions ..they really should have recorded what was going on in the control room , that Phil Spector was a funny dude, very entertaining. I remember the only time I was ever late for a session ( due to traffic) I walked in and he would say "Phase the drums"..then he said "Phase the piano" ..then he said "Phase EVERYTHING!" .
    Thats when we were doing "Wah-Wah" , the piano and Hammond had already been taken by Billy Preston and the Gary's ...so the only thing open was the electric piano , and mind you , everybody was playing on the downbeat) , so I elected to play on the upbeat . Made it unique ...
    They call it a Harmonium , but I call it a "Pump Organ" and I played the pump organ on every song that there was a pump organ on . Including "My Sweet Lord " , "All Things Must Pass" etc...
    The tracks::
    It says that Delaney was on the session observing ( in Georges book "Why my Guitar Gently Weeps" ) ..I guess they had interviewed Delaney ..thinking that he was a part of this . It says in the book "Delaney Bramlett was there observing George's studio demeanor" . Delaney says " He was very business like in the studio ...sure he got tired sometimes and always had a joke . But when it came it came back to the 1, 2, 3 ..he was very business like . He was a very good Producer and very well mannered in the studio . People respected him for that ".
    Delaney Bramlett, was not only not in the studio ...he was not even in the country when we recorded this , and nobody had called him to ask him to be a part of it . I was there ...everyday ."
    George had played all of the songs to me , I was dating his wife's sister at the time, so I was at Friar Park a lot of the time . He had just gotton Friar Park , and he and Patti were still living in the teeny gate house . He pulled open a drawer in the cabinet in the dining room and it was full of Beatle 45's ( Gold Records ) thats where they all were ...stuck in a drawer. I thought it was all pretty amazing , gives you a perspective on the true value of those things.
    The Songs ::
    On Georges new mix of ATMP , it has some interesting acoustic versions of "Let it Down" ...That was Eric and George on guitar and me on pump Organ . When "Let it Down" ....he played it to Eric and me and it was just a ballad . When it came to the chorus part of it , I suggested we rock it ...(BW singing) .."LET IT DOWN!!" ....so we did .
    When we did that album , George let everybody have free reign on the creative department .
    He would walk out ...play the song for everyone all at once , then we'd run through it ...then roll tape .
    Thats how it went down .
    The only over-dubs there were were really the backround vocals , the horns , and Pete Drake on the pedal steel , and George's slide.
    But the whole band ...three keyboard players , at one point two bass players , two drummers , four acoustic guitar players ...and three smokin' electric guitar players going all at once . It was awesome .

    All these songs Derek and the Dominos pretty much played on everything . With the exception of "I'd have you anytime " ..and maybe one other . Derek & the Dominos was really the core .
    On the song the second version of "Isn't it a Pity " ( has Ringo on Drums)...it's me on Hammond Organ ( M100 ) .
    On "What is Life" ..That was the Dominos . I played piano .
    On "If not for You " ...I played organ on it .
    On "Let it Down" ..I played the organ on that .
    On "Run of the Mill " thats me on organ.
    On "Beware of Darkness" Thats the Dominos ..and the first time I ever played piano on a session .
    And ...On "The Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp" I played piano .
    On "Awaiting on you all" The Dominos and I played organ .
    On "All Things Must Pass" I played the pump Organ .
    "I Dig Love" ..That was THe Dominos , and I played Organ .
    On "The Art of Dying " That was D7D , and I played organ , and Tubular Bells .
    "Hear me Lord" What a killer song ! I am playing the organ on it .
    And all the other stuff is really credited correctly ...
    "Out of the Blue " ...I played Organ on that .
    They have Gary Wright playing on the organ ...we don't play alike at all . My organ..you can hear the leslie working...it's intense . Sounds like a tidle wave comin' at ya.
    Eric and I ...sang all the backround vocals .
    He and I were O'Hara Smith Singers , and of course George joined in with the backrounds...
    Now when you listen , you can hear Eric and I singing on "The Pope owns 51% of general motors " , you can recognize it . We had a lot of Fun . BW
     
  4. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Apparently you and I were hunting at the same time (I'm home waiting for my WYWH 2 Track to be delivered)...I found this in the 1st thread :

    " I don't recall Peter Frampton playing on anything at all on ATMP...He may have stuck his head in at some point but he never played on anything that I played on and I was on all of them...with the exception of the ones they put Pete Drake on...BWc2008 "
     
  5. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Leng comments that Frampton was on "Ain't That Cute" on the Doris Troy album. Perhaps Frampton confused that session with the ATMP sessions?
     
  6. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I always wondered if Ringo was on Wah Wah or not.
     
  7. Almost Simon

    Almost Simon Forum Resident

    Listening to it on headphones now and I think it sounds more like Starr than Gordon. Also don't think its Radle, sounds more like Voorman.
     
  8. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    I'll listen again too sometime, but I'd suggest listening to "Wah Wah" after, say, "Lonesome And A Long Way From Home" from Clapton's album. Same drum sound, same fills, same groove. Doesn't sound like Ringo unless he did things on this album not hinted at in his Beatles work.
     
  9. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Biggest surprise to me was reading that Gordon played along with Starr on I Dig Love, which I see as a quintessential Ringo groove. And Whitlock's claim that this was only the Dominos is inconceivable to me.
     
  10. dotheDVDeed

    dotheDVDeed Forum Resident

    Location:
    So. Cal., USA
    How many tracks was ATMP recorded on? Were they up to 24 by then?
     
  11. dotheDVDeed

    dotheDVDeed Forum Resident

    Location:
    So. Cal., USA
    Re: above

    My assumption was that the availability of 24 tracks added to the exuberance.

    I.e. "Yeah everyone's welcome, there's a track for everyone!"
     
  12. dudley07726

    dudley07726 Forum Resident

    Location:
    FLA
    8 track
     
  13. JDeanB

    JDeanB Senior Member

    Location:
    Newton, NC USA
    Often wished George had asked just Badfinger to be his back up band for an album or two. George, Pete and Joey on guitar with Pete also handling keyboards, Tom on bass and Mike on drums. Could have been some great music made there. The band was on ATMP and Pete was rumored to be on LITMW.
     
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  14. genesisfan

    genesisfan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Santiago, Chile
    40th anniversary ... are we going to get something?

    I think we've been asking and hoping for a new remixed album for a long, long time. Also, the 30th anniversary edition was a huge disappointment in terms of bonus tracks. Only I Live for You, Beware of Darkness and Let it Down were worth adding. Still not liking the 2000 overdubs, though
     
  15. JimC

    JimC Senior Member

    Location:
    Illinois
    It does seem strange. I need to find that copy of Beatlefan, but I'm sure Frampton also says John Lennon was strumming acoustic on "My Sweet Lord." That might make his own claim of playing on the album more dubious?
     
  16. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Well, after reading Bobby's writings for 48 hrs. last weekend, he says more than once he has " one of those " memories when it comes to details, and I relate to that, because I can downright piss someone off remembering something specific, and showing proof that I'm right. Frampton on the other hand, says he's celebrating his 8th year of sobriety...maybe Peter's a little foggy on the details ?
     
  17. JimC

    JimC Senior Member

    Location:
    Illinois
    Found the Beatlefan. It's the Jan.-Feb. 2001 issue. First, I was dead wrong about the Lennon on "My Sweet Lord" comment. It's not in there. I'll keep looking because I'm sure I read that someone recalled that.

    Anyway, Frampton is clear about playing on the ATMP sessions. He first played lead on Doris Troy's "Ain't That Cute," and then acoustic on several ATMP songs. He says it was the "country-type" songs with Pete Drake (who also introduced him to the Talk Box).

    Frampton goes on to say that George called him back and the two of them listened through the entire album and added acoustic guitar tracks here and there.

    Frampton: "So basically I'm playing on everything that's not fully electric. And I don't remember all the numbers, to be honest."

    There's also a photo of Frampton, apparently, alone, with the cutline: "Recording 'All Things Must Pass' ."

    Graff, Gary. "Making of All Things Must Pass." Beatlefan Jan.-Feb. 2001: 13-15.
     
  18. JohnnyH

    JohnnyH Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    Alan White in Beatlefan says John played acoustic on several numbers and specifically My Sweet Lord
     
  19. JimC

    JimC Senior Member

    Location:
    Illinois
    Yes. Thanks, because I couldn't recall who had said that. I'm going to find that interview now.
     
  20. brainwashed

    brainwashed Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    Except Alan White is incorrect. John does not appear on My Sweet Lord, or anything else on All Things Must Pass. He and Yoko did visit George at Apple during one session (caught on tape) but he never offers nor is asked to participate in the sessions. Perhaps Alan is confusing the Imagine sessions held a year later? White is the ONLY person involved with the sessions that claims John participated.

    PS The Frampton/Doris Troy session(s) were held after ATMP. With everyone claiming to play acoustic on ATMP (Pete Ham, Joey Molland, Tommy Evans, George, Dave Mason) it seems dubious that George would have Frampton add even more after-the-fact. There's a lot going on with these songs, but I don't hear TONS of acoustic guitar. I suppose he could have erased some acoustic tracks... but why? Ron
     
  21. JohnnyH

    JohnnyH Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    Can we really rely on the memories of 65 year old men for details of what they were doing 40 years ago and who they were doing it with? I'm 56 and can't remember what I was doing yesterday... :winkgrin:
     
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  22. hoggydoggy

    hoggydoggy Forum Resident

    Just to add to that, weren't John and Yoko out of the country for much of the period covered by those sessions (May-August) anyway?

    Not that it would have precluded him showing up later, of course, though Ron is right to point out that only Alan White says that John was there.
     
  23. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    I saw an Alan White interview where he believed he was on Yoko's Fly, which doesn't square with the credits to that album.
     
  24. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Thanks ...I needed that. :biglaugh:
     
  25. hoggydoggy

    hoggydoggy Forum Resident

    Picking up on the earlier Frampton query, I was looking for something else relating to ATMP and stumbled across this from only last month,

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=5667483&postcount=9

    [​IMG]

    Interesting to note that neither Leng or Whitlock has a Drake/Harrison/Starr/Preston/Frampton (& whatever bass player) lineup for ANY of the songs on ATMP.

    "Frampton"'s hair is longer than on other images/films of him in 1970 that I've seen, but it still looks a lot like him - is it??
     
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