Beatles "Carnival of Light" Who has heard it?*

Not me.

 

I find listening to the song a real pain

 

I don't recall the book stating it was actual Christmas songs, but that doesn't mean the book in question that I'm referring to didn't mention that fact, or maybe they didn't know that back then either?

That sounds probably more like what I was referring to, as I do remember that there were only three copies of it being made and distributed.
If it were original comps (especially experimental stuff) he would have kept a copy for himself, I'm sure.

 

Try listening to it at a PAR-TEE!

 

He should do a bootleg single under the name Ian Iachimo, with Now and Then as the a-side, a track he said he might finish himself one day.

 

Meaning, the bottom of the pickle barrel. Or, crap, if you will.

 

Carnival of Light is like the long, early versions of Helter Skelter. Interesting only in its mystery. “This edited version of Helter Skelter is really boring and uninteresting . I WANT A 45 MINUTE VERSION! “

Carnival of Light is very unlikely to be worth hearing all.

 

I wonder if Carnival of Light is better than Doctor Robert.

 

"The tape has no rhythm, though a beat is sometimes established for a few bars by the percussion or a rhythmic pounding on the piano. There is no melody, though snatches of a tune sometimes threaten to break through. The Beatles make literally random sounds, although they sometimes respond to each other; for instance, a burst of organ notes answered by a rattle of percussion. The basic track was recorded slow so that some of the drums and organ were very deep and sonorous, like the bass notes of a cathedral organ. Much of it is echoed and it is often hard to tell if you are listening to a slowed-down cymbal or a tubular bell. John and Paul yell with massive amounts of reverb on their voices, there are Indian war cries, whistling, close-miked gasping, genuine coughing and fragments of studio conversation, ending with Paul asking, with echo, ‘Can we hear it back now?’ The tape was obviously overdubbed and has bursts of feedback guitar, schmaltzy cinema organ, snatches or jangling pub piano, some unpleasant electronic feedback and John yelling, ‘Electricity’. There is a great deal of percussion throughout, again much of it overdubbed. The tape was made with full stereo separation, and is essentially an exercise in musical layers and textures. It most resembles ‘The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet’, the twelve-minute final track on Frank Zappa’s Freak Out! album, except there is no rhythm and the music here is more fragmented, abstract and serious. The deep organ notes at the beginning of the piece set the tone as slow and contemplative."
Barry Miles
Many Years From Now

I'm betting a musician in this thread could create a reasonable facsimile based on the detail provided here by Paul's official biographer.

 

Sounds about as "fun" as Revolution 9

 

alternate title: The Unlistenable Beatles

 

BOOM!

 

That's why I suggest a beat, sampling, applying bits to vinyl and start SCRATCHING!!!

 

I’d forgotten about this description. Yeah, I want it hear it. Please, someday soon.

 

While 12 Bar Original is pretty flimsy it's too bad the full version wasn't released as the best lead guitar part (very brief) was edited out.

It's said Harrison demanded edits in addition to nixing COL.

 

12 Bar Original sounds like a drunken session with the MG's in '68. Carnival Of Lights should be a RSD limited 45rpm on rainbow vinyl.

 

As I mentioned in an earlier similar thread, I am a member of a forum that has another member that has been in the same room as a laptop that had a digital version of "Carnival of Light" on it...

 

And you got about as close to hearing it as I did!

 

almost choked on my tea!

 

Booker T and the boys wouldn't sound like that had they all, to a man, incurred a major stroke of apoplexy just prior to the session.

 

I thought it was mostly a McCartney thing that is 20 minutes long, or something. And is meant as background music. It certainly can't be any better than "Flying". And don't understand why he doesn't put it out himself. But, it really wasn't meant to be released. I dunno.

 

Also, “You Know My Name.” He supervised the edits and messed it up, IMO.

 

In 1972 my family went on vacation to the U.K. My father had been in the army air corps during World War II and had been stationed at an airbase in the English countryside. My dad had an English girlfriend during the war and became friends with her family. She had a younger brother who ended up working at Abbey Road studio. When we visited London, he invited us to visit him. He met us at the studio in a white lab coat and a white shirt and black tie. He showed us around the studio including the studio he said the Beatles had recorded in. I got so excited because I had grown up a huge fan of the Beatles. He asked me what were some of my favorite songs by the Beatles. I can still remember that I told him - Ticket to Ride, Day Tripper, Paperback Writer and Penny Lane. He left the room and came back with some tape boxes. He brought Day Tripper, Penny Lane and according to the tape box, Carnival of Light. He played them loud over the control room system. I was so excited for the first two. Because I had never heard Carnival of Light, I found it confusing. I remember thinking this is a psychedelic mess. He only played about a minute of it. I remember him saying that I just heard something special because it was an unreleased Beatle recording, but to be honest, I was much more excited about going outside and getting photographed at the famous Abbey Road crossing.
- J.R. Young

 

The long version of "12 Bar Original" sounds great when it is speeded up by 12.246% (which takes the track up one whole tone but also gives the track some energy to replace the lethargy of the actual take!!): this is something I did many years ago and I was very pleased with the results!!

I suspect "Carnival Of Light" was slowed down substantially to give it a more sonorous tone, so it would be interesting to hear the track in its natural speed (if we ever get to hear it at all). It might be a track that could be worked into the "Yellow Submarine" film soundtrack as part of an alternate soundtrack for a future release of the film.

 

One of the reasons I love them so much. I hate listening to jamming.