Who Sang the "A-h-h-hs" in "A Day in the Life"...?*

I was just going to click like but your post is great.
Cheers, mate.

 

The most telling part of Steve's post was that he hadn't read the thread. Also, Paul may well have been asked but no response was ever reported.

 

Or heard the isolated audio.

 

Indeed, that being the crucial submission.

 

The disconnect in failing to distinguish between the two types of voices on the two songs is the biggest flaw among the Paul contingent. We would advise them not to try to make a connection between the two tracks, as the "Lovely Rita" opening has a clear sung voice (Paul) while the section of a "A Day in the Life" that we've been discussing with the "ahhs" has a nasal sounding vocal (John). We always associate a nasal voice on Beatles recordings with John. There are no Beatles recordings with a nasal sounding Paul.

 

John sang both the "ahhs" and the final verse, regardless of the technical details that aren't germane to the actual musical creative process, which is John singing a part of a song. The recording process is a different type of creative process that captures John's vocals onto magnetic tape that Emerick fed through electronics. It is important that we separate the two processes in order to unpack what actually happened in the studio and how Emerick witnessed it.

It's fine if you find fault with minute technical details. Save that point for a discussion about Beatles overdubs in general rather than one about who sang a vocal part. If Emerick didn't take accurate notes or any notes about the technical process, the book would naturally reflect the hazy memory of electronics operation memories decades removed. The vocals, however, are a completely different creative process that involve the distinctive character of John's nasal voice on display on the album. Hearing the song over time would reinforce the initial memory of hearing John sing the part in the studio.

Conversely, there would be nothing over the span of decades to reinforce a correct recollection of punch outs, mixing, and tape machine operation. There was no one else in the studio keeping track of such mundane details. George Martin's shop was one of efficiency in producing a musical product, not one in which he took pride in keeping detailed logs about tape operation. George Martin didn't care about remembering the details of mixing the stereo Please Please Me. We would rely upon his memory about who sang lead vocals though, just like with Emerick.

 

He didn’t, despite your repeated claims.

Yet as evidenced by that 1979 interview, it was actually technical details that Emerick recalled the most. When asked about personal on specific recordings, he either didn’t know or was wrong. As he notably was about the piano on A Day In The Life.

And, of course, the story concerning Paul’s vocal overdub on ADITL didn’t have some minor inaccuracies; it was entirely based on something that didn’t happen. Supposedly Paul and Richard Lush had to be careful not to erase John’s vocal. Except there was no John vocal present to erase. Not a minor detail.

So once again, your entire argument is a baseless fantasy.

 

I heard ADITL in a supermarket a couple of nights ago. And having recently acknowledged that it's almost undoubtedly Paul on the ahhh segment, for the first time in my life I realized that having John sing that portion would make little sense -- structurally and artistically/aesthetically. It just doesn't feel right within the context of the song.

 

Bye.

 

From original source:

Inside Track: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

"...Paul’s main vocal track is in stereo, because we gave it some spread with the Waves S1 Stereo Imaging plug-in, so it has a different sound than John’s lead. We also split off two little bits to be able to pan them left and right. His fourth vocal track is the ‘aaah’ section, and below it is an ‘Aah delay’ aux track..."

- Sam Okell

 

It's Paul. It's proven. Just say it. Say 'it's Paul'. Say it.

 

Good grief not the pro tools screenshot again lol. You do realize that is only Sam Okells opinion based on listening to the same tracks that are in this thread. And before you reply "well he's an engineer sound guy blahblah" so is Geoff Emerick, and a certain Mr Hoffman who both say its John

 

Geoff Emerick heard them 52 years ago and forgot who sang what.

Sam Okell has been listening to 1000's of hours of Beatles takes in the past 2 years and is more qualified to make the determination.

This debate happened 2 years ago and it was proven it was Paul. You need to let this go. Bend the knee. Say "it's Paul". It's time. Say it.

 

Paul's harmony on "Come Together" is extremely nasal sounding, as is his vocal on "Let Me Roll It".

 

LOL, Again that proves nothing, 1,000 of hours. Thats based on what? I have Beatles outtakes too, that I can say Ive listened to for 1,000's of hours. What does that mean? Giles Martin has probably listened to 1,000 of hours too. HE CLEARLY stated not only it was John, but went out of his way to state Paul was making the high pitched noises. Oh, and Emerick recorded the track. So this CLEARLY proves it was John

 

All it clearly proves is Emerick didn’t have a good ghostwriter.

 

And it also proves Sam Okells PRO TOOLS could have anything written in it IE Alvin and the Chipmunks but doesn't make it accurate either. Sam Okell LOL

 

It actually doesn't.

 

LOL .

 

Identifying lead vocals that one was involved in recording is a different type of ability than recalling memories about operating equipment. It would be deceptive to pretend that both are the same kind of ability. Poor recollection of technical details doesn't make a person bad at identifying lead vocals, especially when one is always correct at doing the latter, as Emerick has been.

 

My bet is on Tony Clifton

 

This thread contains more contention than many religious arguments I've been a part of it.

 

If that were the case, then how do you account for Emerick's inability to recall that McCartney sang backing vocals on Come Together? Backing vocals are not a "tecnphnical detail" (as you call it) and recording them is an identical process to recording lead vocals. And the memory of who sings them would be just as likely to be reinforced by repeated listenings. Yet Emerick was unable to correctly remember the details about the vocals in this song. Likely you will make the claim that backing vocals are different, but in terms of the argument you are presenting above, they are not different in any way.

 

50 pages discussing the ah ahs in a Beatles song!
This is insane

 

So you believe Blackbird was recorded outdoors with live birds in the background, and that McCartney does not sing on Come Together? If not, why not? Emerick's statements CLEARLY prove those things just as well.