Use of synth in Beatles music
Raja
digital synth... not mellotron or organ
ermitano
> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
you mean analog synth.
amy
> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
no such thing as digital synth until late 70s dumb ass
Mazel Tov Tzipi
> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
Google it. Dickhead.
..F U C K N Y C II II &a,p;amp;lt;.>....
> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
I hear one on 'Because' damnit!
The Home Guard
> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
I'm willing to be corrected on this, but I'm fairly certain that the
only Beatles record to feature synths is Abbey Road. Maxwell's Silver
Hammer, Here Comes the Sun and Because all spring to mind as featuring
the Moog quite prominently.
--
My band: feedback always welcome
www.myspace.com/thehomeguardinfo
http://cdbaby.com/cd/homeguard
goldenc...@gmail.com
> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
A few songs on ABBEY ROAD.
Come Together (4:21)
Recorded: July 21, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs
added July 22, 23, 25, 29, and 30, 1969
John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, electric piano
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal
George Harrison - lead guitar
Ringo Starr - drums, maracas
Something (3:03)
Recorded: April 16, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England and remade May
2, 1969 with overdubs added May 5, 1969, July 11, 1969, July 16, 1969
and August 15, 1969
John Lennon - lead guitar
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, handclaps, background vocal
George Harrison - double-tracked lead vocal, lead guitar, organ
Ringo Starr - drums, handclaps, background vocal
Session musicians - strings
Maxwell's Silver Hammer (3:27)
Recorded: July 9, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs
added July 10-11, 1969 and August 6, 1969
John Lennon - lead guitar, harmony vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, guitar, piano, background
vocal
George Harrison - four-string guitar, acoustic guitar, Moog
synthesizer, background vocal
Ringo Starr - drums, anvil, background vocal
George Martin - organ
Oh! Darling (3:27)
Recorded: April 20, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs
added April 26, 1969, July 23, 1969, August 8, 1969 and August 11,
1969
John Lennon - background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, background vocal
George Harrison - lead guitar, synthesizer
Ringo Starr - drums
Octopus's Garden (2:51)
Recorded: April 26, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs
added April 29, 1969 and July 17-18, 1969
John Lennon - lead guitar, background vocal
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, background vocal
George Harrison - lead guitar, synthesizer
Ringo Starr - lead vocal, drums
I Want You (She's So Heavy) (7:47)
Recorded: February 22, 1969 at Trident Studios, London, England with
overdubs added April 18, 1969, April 20, 1969, August 8, 1969 and
August 11, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England
John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, organ
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal
George Harrison - rhythm guitar, synthesizer, white-noise (at the end)
Ringo Starr - drums
Here Comes the Sun (3:05)
Recorded: July 7, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs
added July 8 and 16, 1969 and August 6, 11, 15 and 19, 1969
John Lennon - acoustic guitar, harmony vocal, handclaps
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal, handclaps
George Harrison - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, Moog synthesizer,
handclaps
Ringo Starr - drums, handclaps
Session musicians - strings
Because (2:46)
Recorded: August 1, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs
added August 4-5, 1969
John Lennon - harmony lead vocal, lead guitar, harpsichord
Paul McCartney - harmony lead vocal, bass guitar
George Harrison - harmony lead vocal, Moog synthesizer
You Never Give Me Your Money (4:02)
Recorded: May 6, 1969 at Olympic Sound Studios, London, England with
overdubs added July 1, 11, 15, 30 and 31, 1969 and August 5, 1969 at
Abbey Road, London, England
John Lennon - lead guitar, background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, background vocal
George Harrison - rhythm guitar
Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
Sun King (2:27)
Recorded: July 24, 1969 (with "Mean Mr. Mustard" as one song) at Abbey
Road, London, England with overdubs added July 25, 1969 and July 29,
1969
John Lennon - multi-tracked lead vocal, lead guitar, maracas
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmonium
George Harrison - lead guitar
Ringo Starr - drums, bongos
George Martin - organ
Mean Mr. Mustard (1:06)
Recorded: July 24, 1969 (with "Sun King" as one song) at Abbey Road,
London, England with overdubs added July 25, 1969 and July 29, 1969
John Lennon - lead vocal, piano
Paul McCartney - fuzz bass, harmony vocal
George Harrison - lead guitar
Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
Polythene Pam (1:13)
Recorded: July 25, 1969 (with "She Came In Through The Bathroom
Window" as one song) at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs
added July 28, 1969 and July 30, 1969
John Lennon - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, lead guitar
Paul McCartney - bass guitar, lead guitar, harmony vocal
George Harrison - rhythm guitar, tambourine
Ringo Starr - drums, maracas
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (1:57)
Recorded: July 25, 1969 (with "Polythene Pam" as one song) at Abbey
Road, London, England with overdubs added July 28, 1969 and July 30,
1969
John Lennon - acoustic guitar, background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, lead guitar, background vocal
George Harrison - bass, tambourine
Ringo Starr - drums, maracas
Golden Slumbers (1:32)
Recorded: July 2, 1969 (with "Carry That Weight" as one song) at Abbey
Road, London, England with overdubs added July 3, 4, 30 and 31, 1969
and August 15, 1969
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano
Ringo Starr - drums
Session musicians - strings
Carry That Weight (1:37)
Recorded: July 2, 1969 (with "Golden Slumbers" as one song) at Abbey
Road, London, England with overdubs added July 3, 4, 30 and 31, 1969
and August 15, 1969
John Lennon - bass guitar, chorus vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, piano, chorus vocal
George Harrison - lead guitar, chorus vocal
Ringo Starr - drums, chorus vocal
Session musicians - strings, brass
The End (2:20)
Recorded: July 23, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs
added August 5, 7, 8, 15 and 18, 1969
John Lennon - lead guitar, lead guitar solo, background vocal
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, lead guitar solo,
background vocal
George Harrison - rhythm guitar, lead guitar solo, background vocal
Ringo Starr - drums
Session musicians - strings
Her Majesty (0:23)
Recorded: July 2, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England
Paul McCartney - lead vocal, acoustic guitar
Credits
Producer: George Martin
Engineers: Geoff Emerick, Phillip McDonald
Photography: Ian MacMillan
George Harrison: Vocals, Guitar, Moog Synthesizer
John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Electric Piano, Maracas
Paul McCartney: Vocals, Bass, Bass Guitar, Guitar, Piano
Ringo Starr: Drums, Vocals, Anvil, Tambourine, Maracas
George Martin: Organ
Billy Preston: Organ
Mike Vickers: Moog Synthesizer
brilton
> On Feb 20, 2:48 pm, Raja <zepflo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
>> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
>>
>
>
> A few songs on ABBEY ROAD.
>
>
Yes, but like ermitano pointed out, Raga was only asking about *digital*
synthesizers, not analog ones, so the answer has to be none. None
whatsoever.
globular
> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
Not before Abbey Road unless I'm mistaken.
You can hear the synth sound on Monkees songs from 1967 and
things from 1968. Eleanor by The Turtles has an obvious synth sound on it.
Mickey Dolenz bought the Moog.
who?
> On Feb 20, 2:48 pm, Raja <zepflo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
> > digital synth... not mellotron or organ
>
> A few songs on ABBEY ROAD.
>
> Come Together (4:21)
> Recorded: July 21, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs
> added July 22, 23, 25, 29, and 30, 1969
> John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, electric piano
> Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal
Paul does not sing harmony vocal on "Come together."
> George Harrison - lead guitar
> Ringo Starr - drums, maracas
> Something (3:03)
> Recorded: April 16, 1969 at Abbey Road, London, England and remade May
> 2, 1969 with overdubs added May 5, 1969, July 11, 1969, July 16, 1969
> and August 15, 1969
> John Lennon - lead guitar
John does not play lead guitar on "something"
As I'm reading through your list, I have to ask...what's the source
for this information? As a collector of alternate takes of their
songs, I've never ran across anybody
who has versions of Paul on harmony vocal on "Come together" and John
on lead guitar on "Something." Does this stuff actually exist? I know
John was on the
early rehearsals of "Maxwell" Is he on the released version?
goldenc...@gmail.com
>
> As I'm reading through your list, I have to ask...what's the source
> for this information? As a collector of alternate takes of their
> songs, I've never ran across anybody
> who has versions of Paul on harmony vocal on "Come together" and John
> on lead guitar on "Something." Does this stuff actually exist? I know
> John was on the
> early rehearsals of "Maxwell" Is he on the released version?
Here...
http://www.dmbeatles.com/disk.php?disk=53
I *googled* "Beatles + synth" and this was one sight that popped up
listing the synth in the credits. I am sure you and others know what
is definitive better than I...I just wanted to demonstrate that the
synth was used on the recording of ABBEY ROAD.
Eric Ramon
>
> As I'm reading through your list, I have to ask...what's the source
> for this information? As a collector of alternate takes of their
> songs, I've never ran across anybody
> who has versions of Paul on harmony vocal on "Come together" and John
> on lead guitar on "Something." Does this stuff actually exist? I know
> John was on the
> early rehearsals of "Maxwell" Is he on the released version?
I'm sure that's Paul singing when the harmony comes in. Do you think
it's John double-tracked?? I have two of those question marks because
I've always thought it's obviously Paul.
who?
Come together is double tracked. What is your other question?
who?
Thanks for the link.
ermitano
there's a low harmony in the verses by paul.
who?
No there isn't. John is singing with himself. Paul only plays bass,
but don't just take my word for it.
Neosapienis
"Maxwell's Silver Hammer", "Here Comes The Sun" and "Because", although I
could be wrong.
George Harrison also recorded an entire album of him messing about with a
Moog synth called "Electronic Sound" on the short lived Zapple label, with
some critics referring to it as a precursor to Mike Oldfield's "Tubular
Bells". Interestingly enough when one of the Beatles Moog synths was
auctioned in the early 80's, Mike Oldfield bought it! :-D
--
Best wishes,
Dario Western
Home: (07) 3267-0099
Mobile: (0437) 428-859
Web Page: http://www.myspace.com/fatpizzaman
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Raja" <zepf...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:3e9b80c9-3c9e-4065...@l16g2000yqo.googlegroups.com...
Neosapienis
Jeff Russell for a concise run down as to who played and sung what on
Beatles recordings. According to him, both John and Paul both sang on "Come
Together".
--
Best wishes,
Dario Western
Home: (07) 3267-0099
Mobile: (0437) 428-859
Web Page: http://www.myspace.com/fatpizzaman
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"who?" <yourimag...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:14f0087d-a4c2-4984...@j39g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
who?
wrote:
> Have a look at the book "The Beatles Album File and Complete Discography" by
> Jeff Russell for a concise run down as to who played and sung what on
> Beatles recordings. According to him, both John and Paul both sang on "Come
> Together".
I couldn't hear Paul singing on "Come together" right after the Abbey
road album was first released. There was a quote written about
this somewhere..where it was said that by the time they recorded this
song...Paul was too embarrassed to ask John if he could sing
the bottom harmony. My theory today is..that it's possible they
attempted it with Paul..but it didn't sound right..but what do I know?
I think "the Beatles recording sessions" (the book) states what I said
to be true. I no longer have the book, so hopefully someone
will come forward, regarding this recording...and the facts about this
song.
> Best wishes,
>
> Dario Western
>
> Home: (07) 3267-0099
> Mobile: (0437) 428-859
>
> Web Page:http://www.myspace.com/fatpizzaman
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------"who?" <yourimageunre...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
Mazel Tov Tzipi
> No there isn't. John is singing with himself. Paul only plays bass,
> but don't just take my word for it.
Ok, I won't. Paulie is plainly audible on 'Come Together'.
brilton
> On Feb 22, 3:11 pm, "Neosapienis" <dariowest...@nospambigpond.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Have a look at the book "The Beatles Album File and Complete Discography" by
>> Jeff Russell for a concise run down as to who played and sung what on
>> Beatles recordings. According to him, both John and Paul both sang on "Come
>> Together".
>>
>
> I couldn't hear Paul singing on "Come together" right after the Abbey
> road album was first released. There was a quote written about
> this somewhere..where it was said that by the time they recorded this
> song...Paul was too embarrassed to ask John if he could sing
> the bottom harmony.
I've read that as well, a long time ago, in one of those semi-accurate,
third-hand-account books from the 1970s, and it just doesn't ring true.
Why would Paul be embarrassed to ask to sing harmony on "Come Together",
when around the same time he was more than happy to collaborate with
John on "You Know My Name", not mention any other number of "Abbey Road"
tracks? There's no first-hand account of this, I assume.
who?
All the more power to you, from the online sources I've checked....but
please check out what is stated about the Beatles 30-40 years from
now,
if you live that long. You'll find out history has been re-written
about the Beatles, from what you believe now...about many things you
perceive
to be true..about this band. I would also give my right arm to hear
Paul singing harmony..with John....as you hear it...cause I don't hear
it.
who?
I don't know. Somebody made it up? Anyhow, do you hear Paul singing
harmony vocal on Come Together?
brilton
Yes, I believe I do. I hear the lower harmony through the verses, then
when it gets to "Come together" I hear John's lead vocal, him
double-tracking that line in unison, and a lower harmony singing. Lower
harmony drops out on "right now, over me", leaving the two John unison
lead vocals. So at one point there you have three vocals - one track
with just the lead vocal, and a second track of vocal overdubs - two
singers. I doubt that there was a third tape track for vocal overdubs,
but I could be wrong.
I have no evidence for it being Paul other than gut feeling and the
balance of probability, but then again, you have no direct cite for it
not being Paul.
who?
I also want to say this..to prove that my comments are not to be taken
as me saying that you're wrong: I have "never" heard Paul's high
vocal on
"Here comes the sun"...though John is said to not be on the recording.
I don't dispute it..cause I've never heard any comments suggesting
otherwise.
It just shows the magic of the Beatles, and how versatile they were.
who?
Your guess is as good as mine. Somebody has to come forward to state
the real facts, cause I admit..I have no direct cite for it not being
Paul.
Mbux...@lowenstein.com
Every Little Thing too. (Listen carefully -- to my ear it's double-
tracked John.)
The Home Guard
> On Sat, 21 Feb :20:06 +0000, in article <70adc2F...@mid.individual.net>, The
> Home Guard stated:
>> Raja wrote:
>>> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
>>> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
>> I'm willing to be corrected on this, but I'm fairly certain that the
>> only Beatles record to feature synths is Abbey Road. Maxwell's Silver
>> Hammer, Here Comes the Sun and Because all spring to mind as featuring
>> the Moog quite prominently.
>>
>
>
>
> earlier records, including the "music concrete" techniques of cutting up tapes
> and found sound. In addition to early electronic instruments such as the
> mellotron, which was an early form of analog sampling. Ironically, today using
> digital hardware and software musicians have access to scarily accurate
> emulations of all the pieces of vintage hardware the Beatles used in Abbey Road.
I know: I'm a proud user of Moog Modular V and SampleTron myself. :-)
In short, the quintessential sounds of the past few decades can be
summed up thus:
1960s: Analogue sampling (Mellotron etc.)
1970s: Analogue synthesisers
1980s: Digital synthesisers
1990s: Digital sampling
2000s: Software emulations of all the above.
ermitano
>
> - Mostrar texto de la cita -
and i have no cite for being paul at the lower harmony. I have always
assumed that is Paul, that's what i hear, but it could be a mistake.
in lewisohn's books doesn't appear anything to reveal if it's john or
paul... but in "Alan W. Pollack's Notes On" it says Paul on harmony
( http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/ct.shtml )
globular
> On Feb 22, 3:11 pm, "Neosapienis" <dariowest...@nospambigpond.com>
> wrote:
>> Have a look at the book "The Beatles Album File and Complete Discography" by
>> Jeff Russell for a concise run down as to who played and sung what on
>> Beatles recordings. According to him, both John and Paul both sang on "Come
>> Together".
>
> I couldn't hear Paul singing on "Come together" right after the Abbey
> road album was first released. There was a quote written about
> this somewhere..where it was said that by the time they recorded this
> song...Paul was too embarrassed to ask John if he could sing
> the bottom harmony. My theory today is..that it's possible they
> attempted it with Paul..but it didn't sound right..but what do I know?
> I think "the Beatles recording sessions" (the book) states what I said
> to be true. I no longer have the book, so hopefully someone
> will come forward, regarding this recording...and the facts about this
> song.
>> Best wishes,
I looked in the Lewissohn book. I looked on the pages with Come
Together, I could find no reference to any vocals on it besides John's.
'Take one was a magnificent version, marked by a supreme Lennon vocal
free of the massive tape echo which was applied later. Freed too from
the restrictions of a guitar, John was able to sing while simultaneously
clapping his hands...immediately after each time he sang the line,
"Shoot me!".
Maybe this part has relevance:
'"On the finished record you can really only hear the word 'shoot',"
says Geoff Emerick, "the bass guitar note falls where the 'me' is."
Also, 5 August features the arrival of the Moog synthesizer.
"'Because' was the recipient of the first Moog overdubs, played by
George [Harrison] and recorded twice, for the last two available tape
tracks, in a studio two session commencing at 6.30pm. With this, the
song was complete."
'"Everybody was fascinated by it," says Alan Parsons. "We were all
crowding around to have a look. Paul used the Moog for the solo in
'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' but the notes were not from the keyboard. He
did that with a continuous ribbon-slide thing, just moving his finger up
and down on an endless ribbon..."'
'George Harrison, in particular, expressed great interest in the
invention and bought one early in 1969, recording an album at his home,
Electronic Sounds, full of its strange noises, which was released in May
by Apple's short-lived "experimental" offshoot, Zapple, Now, in early
August, George had his Moog transported into EMI for the Abbey Road
sessions, and with Mike Vickers- the Manfred Mann instrumentalist who
also conducted the 'All You Need is Love' orchestra - recruited as
expert consultant/programmer, the Beatles began to make constructive use
of the instrument in the closing weeks of the Abbey Road sessions.'
I've never heard this album. It reminds me of an unfortunate Australian
composer who spent a long time composing an electronic piece of music
which sounds like just that and it is earlier.
More on the Moog:
The album [Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. was the fourth album
by The Monkees] is particularly interesting for the pioneering use of
the Moog synthesizer, which Micky Dolenz introduced to the group and
played in the studio; he owned one of the first twenty ever sold.[1]
Pisces is perhaps the first hit rock or pop album to feature the Moog.
In any event, Pisces is one of the first few commercially issued
recordings in any musical genre to feature the instrument. Micky Dolenz
plays the synthesizer on "Daily Nightly" and electronic musician Paul
Beaver plays the Moog on "Star Collector."
From Wikipedia.
Used on Strange Days too. Unhappy Girl?
globular
> Used on Strange Days too. Unhappy Girl?
>
>>>
Before anyone says it, yes it can be heard on When the Music's Over.
paramucho
>On Sat, 21 Feb :20:06 +0000, in article <70adc2F...@mid.individual.net>, The
>Home Guard stated:
>>
>>Raja wrote:
>>> How much of synthesizers did the Beatles use? I am talking about
>>> digital synth... not mellotron or organ
>>
>>I'm willing to be corrected on this, but I'm fairly certain that the
>>only Beatles record to feature synths is Abbey Road. Maxwell's Silver
>>Hammer, Here Comes the Sun and Because all spring to mind as featuring
>>the Moog quite prominently.
>>
>
>
>
>That is true, although the Beatles used other forms of early electronic music on
>earlier records, including the "music concrete" techniques of cutting up tapes
>and found sound. In addition to early electronic instruments such as the
>mellotron, which was an early form of analog sampling. Ironically, today using
>digital hardware and software musicians have access to scarily accurate
>emulations of all the pieces of vintage hardware the Beatles used in Abbey Road.
[Bows and sings: "Well, did'ja ever, what a swell party this is"]
Do you have your Beatle tracks up somewhere on the web? In the process
of crashing a few hard disks and migrating systems I seem to have lost
most of my copies. All I have left is one of the Walrus versions,
which I like to listen to from time to time.
Ian
GV
Digital synths weren't invented at the point that the Fabs were using things
like the Moog synthesizer (most obvious use is on the tracks you named).
Another aspect of synth playing of which many people (non musicians, I
suppose) are often unaware is that it was only in the late 70's, I think,
that synthesizers became polyphonic, i.e. before that time they were only
capable of playing one note at a time - this made playing chords (which
consist of many notes - polyphony) impossible.
"paramucho" <para...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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