Beatles’ Carnival of Light: Exaggerated myth of greatness?

Here is my own personal truth:
1) it has been built up so fiercely over the last 50+ years that it could never stand up to the myth.
2) Carnival of Light is certainly a turd.
3) Most would listen to it once, write it off, never listen to it again.
4) They should just release the damn thing. Why not? (see point 1)

 

This is fake, but I get the impression the real thing sounded very similar.

 

Are you guys always this quick to judge music you haven't heard?

 

Is there something about the writing credit for Electronic Sound that you'd like to share with the class?

 

It's the holy grail as long as we don't find it.
It's a legendary track as long we don't hear it.

 

The few who've heard it have never been the same. If it was ever released it might mesmerize the entire planet. The risks are still too great, I think it should remain hidden.

 

Bernie Krause claims "No Time And Space" is written and performed by him and was recorded without his consent.

 

I think the title alone, plus the fact
that only a small handful of people
are rumoured to have actually heard
Carnival of Light is fodder for the stuff
of legend. In all likelihood, if it were
anything worth releasing, EMI/Apple
would have done so long ago - which
says to me that its mystery and intrigue
are worth more to the Beatles legacy
than its critical examination could
ever be .. the latter perhaps even hav-
ing the opposite of anticipated effect
on public perception.

 

Yup. If we ever hear it, Carnival of Light will become the new What's The New Mary Jane.

 

And we all know how painful that can be

 

or it might just be tape loops of Paul farting

 

Do I expect another Hey Jude?
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah

 

If they themselves didn't it merited release, I'm good with that.

They gave enough.

 

Sounds like something David Foster Wallace would have envisioned.

 

So very true. As we witnessed in the first Indiana Jones movie when the Germans opened up the Ark of the Covenant and it killed all who watched it, this song may hold the same power. Even if it is released, I won't be listening...I can't risk being melted by the Angels of death.

:--)

 

But they deemed it worthy of being heard by the public.

 

There is a line in the song - "If you become............dressed"

 

A very apt analogy. Carnival of Light is simply too dangerous to release; it could kick off a global war of unreleased psychedelic tracks. I think for the sake of our children Carnival of Lighy should remain where it is: 25 miles beneath Abbey Road studios.

 

They should just make a record store day EP out of it. Maybe put Revolution 9 and Mary Jane on the flip side.

 

How so?

 

It was played to the public at two events held at the Roundhouse in 1967.

 

Are you sure it was Paul? A lot of people think it was John.

 

The flip side should be COL basic track (performed live) before overdubs. IIRC Ringo drums, George distorted guitar, John organ and Paul on a second organ.

 

...but not as a "Beatles track". It was something Paul was commissioned to do and which the others took part in since he did it during an EMI Beatles session rather than at home or wherever, and it was ONLY meant to be heard during the run of that one event. The only indication that it may have had anything to do with the band was the fact that the event was advertised as having music by Paul McCartney, but even then he wasn't the only one providing music for the event, so who would know which piece was his and which piece was by someone else - never mind who would know his piece included input from the other Beatles.

As an aside (for anyone who doesn't know) the track wasn't called "Carnival Of Light" - that was the name (and/or descriptor) of the event it was created for - its actual title according to EMI documentation was "Untitled" (Take 1)

Also Paul wanted it to appear on Anthology 2, but George Harrison veto'd it because it wasn't (nor was it ever intended to be) "a Beatles track"

I wonder if it had been veto'd again by Olivia/Dhani (in order to keep to George's wishes) for the Sgt Pepper SDE.

Anyway I'm far more interested in knowing why 'Who Slapped John?' and 'Be-Bop-A-Lula' are being left off the upcoming Abbey Road SDE.

 

As Dick Van Dyke said, "the greatest practical joke is the one that never came."
Beatles interruptus.