"Tomorrow Never Knows": did the Beatles invent "beats"?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Disraeli Gears, May 13, 2016.

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  1. davenav

    davenav High Plains Grifter

    Location:
    Louisville, KY USA
    How about some of the Beatle-haters coming up with an earlier example of a looped beat?

    Focus your venom in a positive direction for just a sec, if possible.
     
  2. Bemagnus

    Bemagnus Music is fun

    Of course the Beatles invented beats. Just as they discovered atomic energy and Lap tops. They also discovered the sea-route to India and Stand-up comedy. Also believe they invented submarines. They were very clever
     
  3. jimod99

    jimod99 Daddy or chips?

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON
    Not Beatle haters, just realistic that the Beatles did not invent every genre of music ever in the history of the whole wide world......
     
  4. Mr. Grieves

    Mr. Grieves Forum Resident

    All true, I'm just saying maybe the Beatles also had a hand in the sound. Maybe they weren't direct influences, but helped pave the way.
     
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  5. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    Using tape loops to create music was something that existed before the Beatles.
     
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  6. Mr. Grieves

    Mr. Grieves Forum Resident

    I'm sure that's true. Look, I'm not saying the Beatles invented anything, just saying they contributed. I've never heard a song use tape loops like Tomorrow Never Knows. The Beatles helped popularize it which counts for something
     
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  7. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

    Since TNK was not an example of a looped beat, how is that relevant? There may be several tape loops in that song, but Ringo's part is not one of them.
     
  8. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    I agree. Start a thread that raises a point in favor of the Beatles inventing anything and you get the typical barrage of "you're an idiot to think The Beatles invented everything" response.
     
  9. Gems-A-Bems

    Gems-A-Bems Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Duke City
    It's also my understanding that the drums were not looped.
     
  10. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York


    From 1965 by Terry Riley.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2016
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  11. dewey02

    dewey02 Forum Resident

    Location:
    The mid-South.
    Well, perhaps the idea of a yellow one with a trailing Rolling Stone banner! :)
     
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  12. sparkydog

    sparkydog Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kentucky
    I love the Fabs or whatever you call them but I hate the bloat of inane Beatlethreads.

    Anyway,
    "Chamberlin Rhythmate (1957)
    In 1957 Californian Harry Chamberlin constructed a tape loop-based drum machine called the Chamberlin Rhythmate. It had 14 tape loops with a sliding head that allowed playback of different tracks on each piece of tape, or a blending between them. It contained a volume and a pitch/speed control and also had a separate amplifier with bass, treble, and volume controls, and an input jack for a guitar, microphone or other instrument. The tape loops were of real acoustic jazz drum kits playing different style beats, with some additions to tracks such as bongos, clave, castanets, etc."
     
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  13. Rojo

    Rojo Forum Resident

    Actuall they are! But that does not detract from the fact that they were an innovation in terms of their use in the context of a pop/rock record.
     
    Yosi likes this.
  14. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    "Tomorrow Never Knows" was a quantum leap for "popular music" and a work of great genius.
    John Lennon - an extraordinary individual who was light years ahed of anybody in his field. A supreme visonary.
    The last touch of genius was from the extraordinary (and generally under appreciated) Ringo Starr. His magical drumming had already shaped a competant garage band into the greatest pop group of all time. "Ticket To Ride" was one of the first indications of his instinctive and unassumed genius but with that last track on Revolver, he transcended all "pop" drumming up to that point, and along with John, literally blew everyone's mind.
     
  15. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

    If anyone is interested...this is the "Tomorrow Never Knows" inspired track that had The Chemical Brothers defending themselves from The Beatles legal department.

    The Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun. The surviving Beatles took The Chemical Brothers to court for what appeared to be a sample of "Tomorrow Never Knows" trademark drums. All the Beatles had to do was call them. The drums on "Setting Sun" were recorded by a hired drummer. Dismissed.

     
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  16. Mr. Grieves

    Mr. Grieves Forum Resident

    Thanks for sharing that. It's neat to learn about new things
     
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  17. Dr. Mudd

    Dr. Mudd Audient

    No, they didn't.
     
  18. Yes. Among other things, The Beatles invented:

    Techno
    Percussion
    Beats
    Beats Audio
    Dr. Dre
    Rap
    Hip-hop more generally
    The Black Power salute
    Playing the dozens
    The middle eight
    The concept of rhythmic dancing
    Remixes
    "House"
    The phrase "Keeping it real"
     
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  19. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    The part of the album I posted was recorded in 1965, not 1963. The album pulls from various sessions done between 1963 and 1965, so I got a bit confused. Sorry.
     
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  20. Mr. Grieves

    Mr. Grieves Forum Resident

    No need to apologize. That was great, I would have likely gone the rest of my life without knowing about it. Pretty impressive stuff.
     
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  21. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    The more you look into the origins of loops and drones, the more you can trace it back to guys like Tony Conrad, La Monte Young and Terry Riley. They're the ones who deserve a huge amount of thanks.
     
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  22. bluesbro

    bluesbro Forum Hall of Shame

    Location:
    DC
    [​IMG]
     
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  23. nosticker

    nosticker Forum Guy

    Location:
    Ringwood, NJ
    Ok, so the score so far, correct me if I'm wrong:

    1. OP asks if TMK was the first example of use of a "beat" (in building a track around)?
    2. Barrage of posts doing little more than Beatle-bashing....and not answering the question.
    In other words, "No!" isn't gonna cut it. Post an example.
    3. Good examples of innovative instruments used and previous sound collage experiments,
    but no other examples where a looped beat(played or created) was employed.

    I can think of Peter Gabriel's "Intruder" from 1980 (which was also played live by Phil Collins), but not a whole lot of well-known previous examples.
    There have to be more.

    Lindsey Buckingham's "Trouble" from 1982 is a loop of a Mick Fleetwood beat. I don't think there are many overdubs, if any.



    Dan
     
  24. stollar

    stollar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bærum Norway
    The Beatles invented great music :).
     
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  25. Mr. Grieves

    Mr. Grieves Forum Resident

    Considering how big & important looping has been to music of that post few decades, yeah they really do. Love the Beatles, but as someone already mentioned, they didn't invent much of anything.
     
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