The bass part in "Long and Winding Road"
Mackenzie
in 1970, that he had to remix "Long and Winding Road" because of
Lennon's mistakes on bass guitar. McCartney, still furious with
Spector said that he could have re-recorded or edit out the mistakes.
With all this controversy surrounding the layering of violins, cellos,
trumpets and two guitars, the most attention is focused on Lennon's
lack of bass playing skills in this part of the court case.
I was wondering if such versions of Lennon's bass playing exist. Is it
possible that there is a bootleg out there of the master version of
the January 31, 1969 session when the lyrics and structure were
supposedly different than what was used by Spector? (he apparently
chose the January 26 recording)
Aaron Eel
He was playing that Fender six string bass I think if I remember
right. He shouldn't have tried to look like a big shot and just used a
regular one. He was a guitar player anyway right? He had no business
playing bass for anybody let alone a band like the beatles.
Aaron Eel
(Ehrin Lloyds)
Nil
rec.music.beatles:
> Here is what I take it from Phil Spector, who confessed in the
> courts in 1970, that he had to remix "Long and Winding Road"
> because of Lennon's mistakes on bass guitar. McCartney, still
> furious with Spector said that he could have re-recorded or edit
> out the mistakes.
This doesn't make sense to me. I believe John's bass part is on the
released version and the bum notes are audible.
All the carping about Spector's work on the album is a lot of self-
serving crap. I can't believe The Beatles didn't have every opportunity
to review and approve his mix. If they didn't like it, it was their
responsibility to initiate changes. What, was Spector supposed to go
hire the Wrecking Crew to overdub the Beatles's parts? John put it best
when he said that Spector took a pile of badly played, badly recorded
junk and made it into something listenable and salable.
Nancy
"Nil" <rednoi...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9A96EA68...@216.196.97.136...
All these audible parts were not noticed in 1970. The advancement of audio
has only in recent years brought them out.
Jeff
Lennon played enough notes..to fit the song..and I hear no mistakes.
t...@aerovons.com
> "Nil" <rednoise+n...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote in message
>
> news:Xns9A96EA68...@216.196.97.136...
>
>
>
> > On 06 May 2008, Mackenzie <jade_...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> > rec.music.beatles:
>
> > > Here is what I take it from Phil Spector, who confessed in the
> > > courts in 1970, that he had to remix "Long and Winding Road"
> > > because of Lennon's mistakes on bass guitar. McCartney, still
> > > furious with Spector said that he could have re-recorded or edit
> > > out the mistakes.
>
> > This doesn't make sense to me. I believe John's bass part is on the
> > released version and the bum notes are audible.
>
> > All the carping about Spector's work on the album is a lot of self-
> > serving crap. I can't believe The Beatles didn't have every opportunity
> > to review and approve his mix. If they didn't like it, it was their
> > responsibility to initiate changes. What, was Spector supposed to go
> > hire the Wrecking Crew to overdub the Beatles's parts? John put it best
> > when he said that Spector took a pile of badly played, badly recorded
> > junk and made it into something listenable and salable.
>
> All these audible parts were not noticed in 1970. The advancement of audio
> has only in recent years brought them out.
Oh stop;)
We've been hearing mistakes long before digital. One can hear Paul
flub the bass notes in everything from "All My Loving" to "Ticket to
Ride" right on your turntable....
TH
Jeff
> "Nil" <rednoise+n...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote in message
>
> news:Xns9A96EA68...@216.196.97.136...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 06 May 2008, Mackenzie <jade_...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> > rec.music.beatles:
>
> > > Here is what I take it from Phil Spector, who confessed in the
> > > courts in 1970, that he had to remix "Long and Winding Road"
> > > because of Lennon's mistakes on bass guitar. McCartney, still
> > > furious with Spector said that he could have re-recorded or edit
> > > out the mistakes.
>
> > This doesn't make sense to me. I believe John's bass part is on the
> > released version and the bum notes are audible.
>
> > All the carping about Spector's work on the album is a lot of self-
> > serving crap. I can't believe The Beatles didn't have every opportunity
> > to review and approve his mix. If they didn't like it, it was their
> > responsibility to initiate changes. What, was Spector supposed to go
> > hire the Wrecking Crew to overdub the Beatles's parts? John put it best
> > when he said that Spector took a pile of badly played, badly recorded
> > junk and made it into something listenable and salable.
>
> All these audible parts were not noticed in 1970. The advancement of audio
> has only in recent years brought them out.
Maybe McCartney should now play bass on this song.
appe...@yahoo.com
>
> - Show quoted text -
===============
Aren't the biggest gaffes by John very audible on Let it
Be?.........."bloody 'ell...."
Nil
> All these audible parts were not noticed in 1970. The advancement
> of audio has only in recent years brought them out.
Maybe they weren't noticed by you, but they were by me. The bass part
doesn't bother me so much in of itself, but it contributs to what I've
always thought of as a listless, gutless, dull performance on
everybody's part.
Crisstti
> On 06 May 2008, Mackenzie <jade_...@yahoo.com> wrote in
What do you mean?. Isn't it known that Paul didn't approve of it, ask
for changes, and those changes weren't made?. I think they didn't
even answer him (though I could be wrong...).
Jeff
I've been a bass player since "73"...and the song grabs me
enough..that my mind isn't even on the bass part. It isn't
important..IMO.
Nil
rec.music.beatles:
> I've been a bass player since "73"...and the song grabs me
> enough..that my mind isn't even on the bass part. It isn't
> important..IMO.
That's what I meant. The bass part is subdued enough that it's easy to
ignore.
Nil
rec.music.beatles:
> What do you mean?. Isn't it known that Paul didn't approve of it,
> ask for changes, and those changes weren't made?. I think they
> didn't even answer him (though I could be wrong...).
Maybe you're correct, but I hadn't heard that. I still find it kind of
hard to believe that someone with Paul's clout and attention to detail
wouldn't have listened to a test pressing before it was shipped. And
even then, it could have been recalled or corrected in a subsequent
pressing.
I think that he just didn't really care at the time, and it was only
after years went by that he tried to shift the blame to someone else.
He obviously cares about it now, hence "Let It Be Naked", but I guess
that at the time he had too many other things on his mind to take
responsibility. (I think LIBN is an interesting artifact but not really
an improvement.)
MikeLawyr2
you drive a car .....if you try to sit. . . "
I can't figure out how he gets that done with a plectrum. It's a mind-
boggling part. Coupled with absolutely the most searing guitar lead
that's ever been played on a Beatles record, Paul's contributions to
an otherwise terrific song almost overwhelm it. I can see why this
song leads off the album. It's just too damn good!
The World Wide Wade
Nil <rednoi...@REMOVETHIScomcast.net> wrote:
Possibly because it's a listless, gutless, dull song.
BlackMonk
<t...@aerovons.com> wrote in message
news:3f299fc3-56c4-4e15...@s50g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
< We've been hearing mistakes long before digital. One can hear Paul
flub the bass notes in everything from "All My Loving" to "Ticket to
Ride" right on your turntable.... >
He stopped making mistakes in 1965? or if a song started with u,v,w,x,y or z
he got his part right?
Crisstti
> On 07 May 2008, Crisstti <crissttigalda...@gmail.com> wrote in
Wasn't that a big problem between Paul and John at the time?. That's
what I've always thought.
Mackenzie
>
> - Show quoted text -
They didn't have autotuning in those days. You're right, I can hear
the flubs
I have a quote from McCartney that talks about the remixes, apparently
Spector had called John in to tidy up some tracks (his bass guitar
part, perhaps?):
"The album was finished a year ago, but a few months ago American
record producer Phil Spector was called in by John Lennon to tidy up
some of the tracks. But a few weeks ago, I was sent a re-mixed version
of my song 'The Long and Winding Road' with harps, horns and an
orchestra, and a woman's choir added. No one had asked me what I
thought. I couldn't believe it."