Fun
Beatles Remix!
Dear Kay,
At this point, I feel like Terry Gross and I are friends. I mean, we don’t see each other that often (OK ever), and I know she’s got a lot going on (that does not involve knitting), so I forgive her for not calling so much (OK ever). But man, she is so good at making pretty much any subject interesting. She’s one of the great conversationalists.
The other day, she got into it with a British music producer, Giles Martin, talking four-track recording techniques, getting a piano chord to sound GIANT, how to make a 60-piece orchestra act wierd—yes, she was talking with Giles about the making of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
It’s just the BEST. Giles is the son of legendary producer George Martin, a hero of mine for his work producing the Beatles back in the day. Giles has just finished work on a remix of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on the 50th anniversary of its launch.
You can get a fancy boxed set or listen to it free via streaming for Amazon Prime members.
It’s not even my favorite Beatles record. (I shift between Rubber Soul and Revolver depending on what day it is.) But I’ll never get tired of hearing how the Beatles did what they did. Here’s Terry Gross’s Fresh Air interview with Giles Martin—including glorious bits of these most famous of famous songs, caught in early takes and acoustic versions.
“Strawberry Fields” in particular is a totally different song here, with only John Lennon’s vocal and acoustic instruments.
Love,
Ann
Sgt Pepper’s was my first record album. I caught my “You can’t understand the words” dad humming along, one day.
While I like Sgt. Pepper- Rubber Soul is still my fav album. BEATLES FOREVER!
Yesterday Fresh Air re-played interviews with Ringo and Paul. It made my day to hear Ringo recall his experience knitting dishcloths!
Oh no, I missed that part! Seriously? I have to go find the podcast.
Terry Gross is a national treasure. I don’t know how many times I’ve sat in the car listening to the end of her show because whoever is on, it’s just too interesting to turn off. This one was fascinating.
Rubber Soul. But a new knit to this option, if you didn’t see it, is American Epic “how the ordinary people of America were given the opportunity to make records for the first time” on PBS. Three parts – so so good. Exec. producers Jack White, T Bone Burnett, and Robert Redford. Available now.
Just about made my day this morning seeing a combination of three of my favorite things: Beatles, Terry Gross and MDK. Caught bits of the broadcast the other day but now I’d definitely going to listen, uninterrupted by life’s craziness, to the whole thing.
Oh Ann! I am definitely in the Rubber Soul camp, though any Beatles album can evoke memories of my years as a teenager and young adult. As I drove along and listened to the Terry Gross interview the other day I thought again of how fortunate I was to experience those albums as new music. Opening a new album, putting it on the turntable and hearing it for the first time without media hype, pre-release reviews or leaks was a joy.
Priceless interview. I am told that the set is coming my way any day now as a belated Mother’s Day gift. Meanwhile, how about that Ommmm sound at the end of “A Day in the Life”?
Amazing to hear that, and to remember that this iconic album was at some point just a work in progress…
Playing on Iowa Public Television tonight. Thanks for the recommend.
Likewise, American Epic Sessions (a feature length film on PBS tonight), a fascinating look at how music is made and recorded. Artists include Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Jack White, Edie Brickell and Steve Martin. Not yet available to watch online that I could determine.
Rubber Soul every time. Interestingly, though, I’ve just read that four of the tracks on the British version were omitted from the American one, so my Rubber Soul wasn’t your Rubber Soul.