Maybe the best episode yet. Left me with a newfound appreciation of varispeed overdubbing. Essential for anyone interested in 60s recording technology.
The idea that the piano glissando had to be in the key of C for Lovely Rita, was a keen observation. It makes me want to listen to other glisses in songs and ponder if a varispeed technique was used to keep it in the right key. I've been enjoying the series a good deal. Thank you for taking the time needed to put these together. My love for George Martin is what led me to earn a degree in composition a lot of years ago. He's a hero.
Excellent work Jason! Fascinating stuff! You demonstrate what great care and creativity George and the Beatles brought to recording sessions. As I always like to point out, so many things fell perfectly into place in the Beatles story. I shudder to think what would have happened with the Beatles if Decca had actually signed them rather than the band ending up with George Martin . I can’t imagine what, say... “Strawberry Fields Forever” or “I Am the Walrus” would have ended up sounding like with an average producer, and it’s a big “if” they would have even gotten that far with someone else overseeing their career.
I think it's safe to say that The Beatles wouldn't have happened as we know them without George Martin. As I've been saying pointedly throughout the podcast (and will continue to say, rest assured), Martin imprinted his approach to the studio upon them early on, and then they ran with it. There was no other producer in England who saw the studio as he did and had his sensibilities about music in general. Without the strong foundation he gave them, the encouragement and the guidance in that first 18 months, it's unlikely they would have flourished in the same way, or at all.
I agree completely. I believe George Martin’s contributions to their development cannot be denied. As you mention, that’s not to say that their innate talent wasn’t amazing in its own right, but without George’s guidance and musical know- how it’s really hard for me to picture them having anywhere near the career they ended up having .
Thanks, Chris. Working on the next episode currently, hoping to have it ready by the end of the month!
I need to bookmark this I keep losing it. And yes the varispeed episode was a fun listen! Thanks Jason Look forward to the next episode.
I'm still working on the next episode -- lots of other stuff has gotten in the way this month -- but to hold you over, here's a piece Ken Womack and I wrote for TIME on the Rooftop Concert. The magazine cut it from 1700 words to 1000, but I think they managed to keep the spirit of our ideas intact. I ain't mad! The Beatles Performed Their Last Live Gig 50 Years Ago. Here’s the Story Behind the Rooftop Concert
While doing the dishes (by hand...dishwasher on the fritz)...decided to grab the bluetooth headphones and finally listen to Jason's podcasts. I have a (new) found love for When I'm 64 now..and I too found the Varispeed episode fantastic...(especially Rain). Reading about how it was done is was thing....but actually listening to it and breaking it down...really opens it up for me. Great job on this! Bern
I just binged all but the last episode. I'm saving it for today. It's insulting to say this I know but forgive me; I was not expecting to hear such a high production level for this subject. One of my favourite podcasts is not as soberly and dare I say, properly presented as this series. I have learned a tremendous amount in each episode about the Beatles and music in general adn been entertained. I am not an obsessive Beatles geek but I am an obsessive muso. Each episode is approached with the right amount of gravitas and variety to keep me interested. Thank you.
@carrick doone Thank you! I really enjoy hearing from everyone who's listening. I'm just doing these to the best of my ability so it helps me to know that I'm hitting the mark with my approach.
EPISODE 008 - Producing an "Unproduced" Album - Get Back/Let It Be George Martin and The Beatles advanced the use of the recording studio in a variety of creative ways, but what would happen if they took away their method of building a recording with layers of intricate overdubs and played everything live? On the Get Back/Let It Be project, the Beatles did just that, setting aside the recording process they had developed with their producer over the previous six years. But without “production,” what was Martin’s role in this project, and how much was he actually there? And who actually produced these sessions? 008 Producing an "Unproduced" Album - Get Back/Let It Be
Awesome and highly appreciated! Been listening to the first and the second episodes (not counting the introduction). Looking forward to hearing the rest. Subscribed at Soundcloud (as PlyschK) Great Thank's!
Thanks for the love, guys. This was the hardest episode to write so far because there’s so much material to wade through. But it showed me how you can fashion many different narratives from these tapes.
Lots of great tidbits in the last episode on "Unproduced Album"....George asking where the recording equipment was....Paul complaining that nobody's looking out for them (I'm paraphrasing..have to go back to get the quote). Very informative episode...as they all have been. Bern
Jason, another great episode. I must confess that the Let It Be period has never really enthralled me ... until now! I thought you did an excellent job using the tapes to support your narrative. I also think that you and Mark Lewisohn are the clearest and most compelling communicators about the Beatles that I've heard. To really understand what's going on in their music, you have to go deep and it's easy to get lost down there. Looking forward the next episode of PTB!
Thank you, that is high praise indeed. Coincidentally this episode was partly inspired by a question Mark L asked me a few years ago, wondering if I’d made a note of when Martin was actually present during these sessions. At the time I didn’t have the answer so I decided to figure it out once and for all for this episode. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Just an alert that the next episode is nearing completion. I have another interview to do before I can finish this one off, so it's just a matter of scheduling, but it won't be long, yeah!