Dave Dexter, Jr. Capitol Records BEATLES questions (and some answers)

Yesterday has run it's course, although to it's credit it had a long run. Imagine is easily the more recognizable song in recent years. It has a more timeless theme. I just edited this because 5 minutes after I posted, Imagine played on a Values.com commercial.

 

John was the outspoken one and the leader of the band, at least at that point.

 

Capitol Records did add extra reverb to a number of Frank Sinatra final mixes during the sixties
but I'm not sure if Dave Dexter had anything do with it.

 

yes

 

That's a good question. Why wasn't a more youth market-savvy producer like Nick Venet assigned the Beatles?

 

If Dave Dexter had taken the entire Beatles catalog and ran it through a shredder, it wouldn't change his contributions to Capitol's 1950s roster. Capitol's 1950s catalog is among the best ever.

 

Good point.
And I think we always need to look at the big picture and the context of the times when it comes to mistakes made individuals, whether it be artists, producers or managers.

 

Experiencing the Beatles from the very beginning here in Canada, we never considered any of the Capitol releases mistakes. The impact of their new sound was overwhelming at the time. Audiophiles we were not, but we knew a good tune when we heard it.
All this analysis is really moot as we who were actually there and fell under the spell, at each new release made our purchase and enjoyed the music as it was...everywhere, in the car, at parties and dances, and at home alone with the sound systems of the time...transistor radios, and our own less than top of the line record players.
Personally, I don't think what Dave Dexter did, or didn't do, matters. If you were there at the time, and the music caught you, there's nothing more to say. As Price.pittsburgh has said, it has to be appreciated in the context of the times...and I feel bad for those who didn't experience it first hand.
And remember too, that here in Canada, we were introduced to the Beatles earlier than the US and the first 45 and LP releases were the mono UK mixes. However, when Capitol US started providing the masters for pressing here, we weren't aware of any sonic differences of consequence. Again, we were young teens who simply loved the music...we weren't audiophiles and we certainly didn't listen to the music in formats comparable to today.

Debate to your hearts content, but don't lose perspective or judge those of their time too harshly.

Cheers...

 

Great post.
Since I wasn't born until 1970, I did not experience Beatlemania first hand and I will not attempt to claim that I can fully relate to what it was like.
But I can imagine, at lest to some extent.
If for no other reason, because The Beatles music, especially in that era, has always been so fresh sounding and exciting, that I experienced my own mini personal Beatlemania in the late 70s and early 80s, with my mom's vinyl LPs and singles and the new reprint LPs I purchased.

 

Ever wonder why Dexter didn't add the reverb to the mono stuff as he did the stereo? Or did he not oversee the mono. Also I wonder what his thought process was when slececting which stereo mixes to add reverb to.

 

I think the term "Deliberate Sabotage When Presented As Finished Work" comes to mind when thinking about what Dave Dexter. Jr did to The Beatles music on Capitol. The phrase was written by Ian MacDonald in Revolution In The Head when writing about Phil Spector's Work on The Long and Winding Road, by leaving what he described as John Lennon's poor bass playing on the track that ended up on Let It Be.

It is hard to believe that Dave Dexter Jr was given the task of slicing and dicing the Bealtes already finished work, and is the same person who turned down the group's first four singles and the Please Please Me LP. His hand was forced by Alan Livingston after Brian Epstein went to ask why The Beatles were kept being turned down by Capitol.

Then it came to Dave Dexter Jr deciding that the George Martin productions were thin and dull. Now this was one person deciding that, because he didn't like the already finished work, he was going to add all the production effects that he did. Imagine that you are an artist and you have finished a piece of music and it is has been produced and mixed to your satisfaction, and then someone who didn't play any part in the recording, and you did not ask for adds further production because they didn't like it.

Now if you ask someone to add further production/mixing, like Pink Floyd did when Chris Thomas came in to add a fresh pair of ears to Dark Side of the Moon, then that is okay. But Dave Dexter Jr did without asking George Martin (no wonder they didn't like each other), or The Beatles then Ian MacDonald's phrase stands for the Beatles material on Capitol from 1963 to 1966. It is laughable when Dave Dexter Jr stated that John Lennon was ungrateful in that horrible Billboard article at the end of 1980. Yes I think The Beatles as a whole would be ungrateful when someone adds their name to the production credits, when they have already had their work completed to their and George Martin's satisfaction.

It is little wonder that on January 27 1967 that The Beatles signed a new nine year deal stopping Capitol slicing and dicing the albums from then on and having to take the George Martin productions from then on, and when it came time for the CD Releases in 1987 and time for EMI to standardise the albums, that The Beatles/Apple Corps unsurprisingly chose the UK Albums, with the US Magical Mystery Tour and Past Masters (Compiled by Mark Lewisohn) making up the released recorded output from 1962 to 1970.

 

Welcome, Mr. Barron.

Thanks to a friend, I've heard Dave Dexter's work via the stereo "Roll Over Beethoven." Gotta say, it sounded amazing.

 

Deliberate sabotage? I think it was more a case of trying to tweak the recordings for what he felt was "American" tastes. That, and the fact that he did not get a consistent quality of tapes from EMI.

Let it be added that I greatly prefer the sound of the UK releases.

 

He did add reverb to some mono tracks: The Capitol "I Feel Fine"/"She's A Woman" 45 and the second Capitol EP "4 By The Beatles".

 

Dexter had legal right to present the Beatles work to the American market as he saw fit, both with the mixes and the different album versions. Versions that included the singles not on the UK versions, which allowed for easy access to those songs on albums, then and over the years, once the singles left the shelves of the stores. The Beatles Capitol versions sold millions more than the UK versions (even if only because of greater population) but they also became very iconic to the US fans. There was no harm done and no one was crying about the record sales of the "sabotaged" music and albums. Artists sign contracts and deal with the give and take of being discovered. George Martin's good graces is the only thing that made the Beatles artistic intent even possible with EMI. He could have done what Dexter did and more had he wanted to and they could have done nothing about it. Even in the UK they had no control over the sequencing of some of the early albums or which songs from various sessions would be used as singles and not making the album. They also didn't get to choose which songs were the A or B side.

 

In Canada, our 1st 3 Capitol LPs were unique to us only, and were U.K. mono mixes. (No stereo). Then we were forced to use the U.S. albums, with dexterized mixes.

The Capitol 6000 website - Original Beatles pressed LPs in Canada (1963 - 1970) »

These were once my babies ......

 

Mostly, though Long Tall Sally & I Call Your Name at least were the 'US' mono mixes.

 

Beautifully said, all around. As Beatle fans, i have to say that we are pretty spoiled. We have the great, original U.K. versions, the current (and older) slew of remixes and a whole separate version of the entire catalog via Capitol records. So what's the big problem? Everyone can go with what they prefer. In truth, all versions have their pros and cons; not ALL of the U.K. versions sound THAT great. Some if the earlier stuff like I'll get You or Thank You Girl actually sound flat and lifeless without the reverb.

As far as Michael MacDonald, I have the book and many great points are brought out (plus I give MacDonald props for his positive view on The White Album)..but much of what he says, is incredibly arguable. His thoughts on Nowhere Man were depressingly befuddling.

 

I too prefer the UK mixes, but do like playing the dexterized versions sometimes, just for ****s & giggles! Especially "She’s A Woman & I Feel Fine”.

If your referring to the 3 Canadian LPs, than were did you hear that? I’ve always heard those 3 albums came directly from the UK mixes. We were still independent of the U.S. mixes up to that point. Am I confusing your comment with something else?

 

Can't stand those mixes. Sound like they were recorded in a culvert.

 

I recall reading that George Martin actually added some reverb to the monos (of those two songs) before sending them over, hoping they'd then be left alone...which they were, until Dexter added even more reverb to the faux-stereo versions...

 

... is anyone familiar with the relatively rare Dexterized pressings of the Capitol Rubber Soul? Nothing like the earlier stuff. Very subtle.

 

I heard he dexterized his home and office telephones too!