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

The technique is called backward looping. The technique on "Tomorrow Never Knows" for the looping is called"live looping". Read this book there is a chapter on The Beatles use of tape looping.

Every sound there is: the Beatles' Revolver and the transformation of rock and roll

Russell Reising

 

I am on your side. The problem is when you combine Beatles/Invent in these type of threads some people can't seem to discuss these type of threads in a polite manner.

 

Well done, you have spotted some of the ingrediants that created a masterpiece. You must be proud of yourself.

 

First, I doubt anyone here hates the Beatles. I sure don't. I just think the level of Beatle fanboi-butthurt on this board is ridic. Second, there is a big difference between inventing something and being ahead of their time. TNK may have been the latter (although the Beatles were at least a year late on the psychedelia thing) but definitely not the former. Third, the possessive "its" has no apostrophe...

 

I am proud that I have heard of music before The Beatles yes.

 

Explain how "Tomorrow Never Knows" is late for psychedelia when it is one of the first examples of full blown psychedelic rock? Please give me some examples other than"Eight Miles High". I don't even consider The Yardbirds "Shapes of Things" really full blown psychedelic rock.

Actually have you heard "Norwegian Wood" take two recorded in 1965. It sounds pretty psychedelic to me.

You could argue that "Tomorrow Never Knows" is definitely an antecedent to the psychedelic electronic rock of Radiohead and Beck.

So what is your point?

 

Yeah, there had already been loads of things like "Tomorrow Never Knows" before 1966.

 

I know. There is no music other than rock and roll. In fact, I am sure The Beatles never listened to a single thing and never borrowed ideas from anywhere. They truly are that amazing.

 

The main problem with trying to see TNK as prophetic of hip-hop culture's interest in drum loops is that the precursor of drum loops, beats and sampling is DJing drum breaks, and there is no drum break in TNK.

 

As is this, from 1965:

 

Backwards tape is not looping. We're splitting hairs here, but basing a song on rhythmic loops is a compositional break that altered the course of music. Backwards tape was just "like wow man" psychedelic noises that ultimately didn't launch new styles of music.

 

"Tomorrow Never Knows" sounds very much of it's time. Just like Good Vibrations,Eight Miles High,Shapes of Things and every other Psychedelic Rock/Pop song of that year.

 

Really then all Indian influenced based rock music is psychedelic music then. I was only pointing to the fact The Beatles were already thinking of psychedelic based music in 1965.

 

Of course they borrowed from other music. They wouldn't be musicians and writers if they didn't do that. Dylan borrowed, Chuck Berry borrowed, Hendrix borrowed, Beefheart borrowed,... come on, get real. Do think you were being clever saying that there were elements of indian and avant garde music in "Tomorrow Never Knows"? Do you take us for fools?

 

Exactly. It's a great song but it's clearly not what early DJs were listening to or interested in sampling.

 

Those songs sound like of it's time. "Tomorrow Never Knows" sounds like the blueprint for some of The Chemical Brothers tracks of the 1990's.

Mind you I am not even debating The Beatles invented beats. But to say it didn't influence a mother-load of musicians is just crazy.

 

Ah, so you speak for everyone now! Excellent, though it's going to be a boring forum with only you posting.

 

"See My Friends" is psychedelic in tone and execution.

 

Yep, just like that time Bob Dylan invented "rap" when he recorded Subterranean Homesick Blues.

 

However, it's not psychedelic rock it's at best proto-psychedelic.

 

"Setting Sun" is clearly a TNK inspired song. That's all. Just because it's sampled in or influences one particular song doesn't mean "Tomorrow Never Knows" is the forefather of electronica.

 

I think Brian Eno covered this also. You guys can debate whatever you want but to say it didn't influence a whole load of psychedelic/electronic musicians is just crazy. I think Radiohead alone referenced the beat to TNK a number of times.

 

When did I say it didn't influence Psychedelic music?

 

It also was an influence on a number of modern electronic rockers also. I am not into who invented what because it's hard to prove. I mean Terry Riley may have been messing around with tape loops or samples but it's not same thing what The Beatles did in their own genre of rock/pop music.

There were plenty of people messing around with distortion before Hendrix but what he did with it was different in his own genre.

The Beatles created their own brand of music which in turn influenced multitudes of other musicians.

 

AH, I feel the hate for The Beatles...


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Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void
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Love is all and love is everyone
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And ignorance and hate mourn the dead
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