I have had it up to here waiting for the Beatles catalogue to be remastered

but yeah you're right it takes the fckng p-ss doesn't it?

latest word is that magical mystery tour is coming out on dvd with all sorts of extra stuff. as if the actual movie isn't like 1 big 'extra' already.

What isn't, really?

OK, why is it Paul's fault?

maybe it's a question of who's up to the job, george martin sure as heck isn't. god don't let them get ELO=guy in again.

meanwhile, this ere beatles 10-dvd anthology unofficial bootleg edition can be yours for $150 :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Original-BEATLES-Anthology-Directors-Cut-Real-10-DVDs_W0QQitemZ6430061859QQcategoryZ617QQssPageNameZWD2VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

must say i'm tempted

That said, Macca, Ono, the Harrison family, and Da Ringosta can take their time settling this. I plan to finally digitize and sell off the CDs while I can get 'em for at least $4+ each back.

http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,70658-0.html?tw=rss.index

But it's not wrong to continue to sell them on cd?

Agree re Past Masters/Anthology but they're such cash cows that they're not going to do it.

Ah yes, the Beatles. I say buy the albums.

It would be nice if they released the red and blue anthologies so that they were in modern slimline 2CD cases rather than the FUCKING MASSIVE and HORRIBLE ones that they are in now.

Are the people not interested in paying for pricey new editions of things really the target market for remastered versions of CDs that are available in droves in used CD stores the world over?

Seriously, I don't see what's so much better (and less cash-cow-ish) about retaining Past Masters and Anthology. OK, so it's kind of cool to have all the singles in one place, but it also robs them of context AND presents a somewhat confusing picture for buyers, who can't figure out which album it is that has "I Want To Hold Your Hand" on it. The PM sets are also really oddly-balanced, anyway - not quite a greatest hits, not quite an odds-and-sods. The Anthologies are just plain obnoxious, especially the first one with all the talky-talky bits.

I guess I'm just coming from a perspective where, if they just remaster the CDs I'll take a pass because I have the LPs already. But if they sweeten the deal I just might think it over, at least for a couple, assuming they went ahead and added more outtake/live stuff. Granted, they would still be kind of weirdly-sequenced albums with one or two singles at the front followed by a bunch of obscurities.... okay, maybe keep Past Masters after all. But I REALLY think it makes more sense to get the unreleased and live material wedded on to the appropriate albums - if nothing else, it means getting MORE of it, right?

What is an example where he has ever done this?

Secondly, Paul has little need to turn himself up anyway. He took a lot of care, recording his bass lines on a single track and spent ages getting the sound right. Why not? It's his friggin songs for fuxake!

anthology 2 is the best, what with the stoned cracking-up version of and your bird can sing and the gorgeous demos of strawberry fields. 3 is good for the white album stuff, and 1 is probably the only time any americans (me included) will ever hear any morecambe and wise.

Well, they are getting slightly more plentiful. In fact, I got most of my collection used. But, then again, I've been lucky. The worst thing about used Beatle cds is that stores priced higher than average (i.e. in the US 10-12 dollars vs. 7-9). Shopping around helps, and the prices have leveled off (and no doubt will continue)

I will concur regarding the Anthologies and the BBC, but--to cite my earlier post--alot of the people who bought them probably realized that they didn't listen to them as much as the regular LPs.

Neil Aspinall is probably the one to blame.

Anyway, seems like some good news is finally coming up.

While I agree that they need remastering, I don't neccessarily agree with your version of what they sounded like. The first four, sure, but the rest, particularly from "Sgt. Pepper" onwards, used state of the art remastering technology at the time, and sounded really impressive back then.

Only this is 20 years ago and a lot has happened since then.

I think the Anthologies are a pretty good distillation of the best stuff that makes up the two major bootleg series (ultra rare trax and, uh, whatever the other one is called; they have most of the same stuff on them). I could do w/out the talking on the first cd.

xpost

i mean it does take the piss doesn't it?

lo-lo-lo-looooots of piss, sir! :(

I bought Help for £1 in a charity shop the other week. It was cheap because the cover was ripped (and taped up again) and the vinyl's a bit crackly, but it's not scratched at all. Even with the crackles it sounds great - a lot better than the CD versions, The Night Before especially gaining an awful lot of character and energy. I too am amazed there's no proper CD remaster, I guess because people are still buying the current shonky versions.

This footage
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=compleat+beatles
of 'The Compleat Beatles' (snappy 1984 cheaply-made proto-ANTHOLOGY movie, shot on film and narrated by Malcolm Mcdowell) is
making me anticipate this happening all the more.

It will happen before or since, but apparently at still takes time.

I expected they'd at least do "Sgt. Pepper" in June this year to coincide with its 40th anniversary, but they did't.

But at least, with the current trend for remasters, the ultimate edition will be better. I hope they will do like The Bee Gees and Monkees remasters, and put out 2CDs with the stereo version + bonus tracks in stereo on one and the mono version + bonus tracks in mono on the other one.

so I am inclined to extrapolate that maybe she did help edit or inspire or contribute to Ray’s songwriting in general but yeah, how to be sure.

As Hickey points out, much of the evidence is circumstantial...but Ray's songwriting, in Hickey's words, "fell off a cliff" after Rasa left him. I can think of a total of 10 post-'71 Kinks songs -- and that's stretching it -- that could stand alongside his peak '60s output.

re. "I Feel Fine" I don't know if this is how the recording goes, but in at least one of the live performances in the "Anthology" video it's John playing the opening riff (on acoustic guitar, too).

So I’m among the people who like this new mix a lot, with the exception of SSSS which sounds like sonic sabotage basically BUT I had been listening to it only on headphones until now and listening to it on a (good) sound system I must say that 1) SSSS is not problematic that way and 2) the remixes album sounds HUGE : I danced to it !

I have only listened on phones as well — looking forward to getting back home where I can blast it through my stereo. What you say is very welcome news (and also lines up with what others have said)

at some point last year, I read somewhere (can't remember, but it was reputable) that "She Said She Said" is the only recording where the Threetles are J, G and R: Paul wasn't there and George played bass…otherwise, Paul was said to be the only one who was present for every single session in which the four were recording as a band…but that sounds like him on the two "she said" session cuts on CD 3…

the story according to paul is that he walked out during recording after an argument and he thinks george ended up playing bass on the final version, but he did at least play on some earlier takes. whether or not it is george on the final version is a bit disputed too, as it apparently doesn't match up with the recording logs or something so there's all sorts of weird theories and arguments over whether it sounds like paul or george on the final version.

Have we got a general songwriting royalties/publishing thread?

George also claims it was his idea to change the rhythm for the "When I was a boy" section.

I can kind of, just about, get my head around them being able to isolate drums, guitar, bass and vocals - although obviously I have no idea how it's possibly done - but to go so far as to isolate finger clicks in amongst the harmony vocals is just absolutely astonishing. Pure witchcraft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsYxTuX5wC4

witchcraft you can carry in your pocket:
the Moises app let's you isolate drum tracks from any song... can we use its power for good?

Looking forward to the next evolution of this in a decade’s time: all the Beatles albums re-issued yet again to great fanfare, but this time you can create your own AI supported mix.

Die-hard purists will still stan for the mono mixes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEvGRsvZOxA

I like Parlogram Auctions - usually I can't stand any music YouTubers especially those who put themselves in the thumbnails, but fortunately he really knows his stuff and has a good presenting style

"There's a Place", i think, is the most underrated song on Please Please Me. facebook sucks badly but at least it knows enough to show me beatles trivia about 40x a day, and today i saw lennon's open letter to todd rundgren, responding to the latter's harsh words about him in a recent issue. in it, he compliments Rundgren's "I Saw the Light" while suggesting that it borrows a bit, melodically, from "There's a Place". eh, maybe a bit, but no more so than the beatles bit any number of songs throughout their career.

anyway, some days i'll take "There's a Place" over anything else off the debut

open letter *in melody maker*, i meant to add

Yeah 'There's a Place' is one of my favourite early Beatles tunes, just loads of great little melodic bits in there.

Am assuming Lennon was referring to the "In your eyes" at the end of the chorus in 'I Saw the Light' sounding like the "And it's my mind" part of TAP? There is a similarity but yeah it doesn't strike me as particularly egregious.

Harsh words?

“I Saw The Light” always reminded me of “You Won’t See Me” (“It was late last night” / “When I call you up”)

xpost as usual, he only "berated" people he cared about - see also his letter to Linda Mac.

("only" is doing some heavy lifting there, I should clarify "by post/letter")

there's a place is like not a second time; exquisite, sad little minor key songs tucked away at the ends of these albums, underappreciated.

That horrible middle-register piano solo in "Not A Second Time" sounds like the Muzak version of the song. It may be my least favorite moment in the entire Beatles oeuvre, mainly because it happens in an otherwise great song.

I always loved "There's A Place," though.

Harsh words?

yeah. i'm getting all this from this quora.com post:

Rundgren, Melody Maker, sometime in 1974:

"John Lennon ain't no revolutionary. He's a fucking idiot, man. Shouting about revolution and acting like an ass. It just makes people feel uncomfortable."

"All he really wants to do is get attention for himself, and if revolution gets him that attention, he'll get attention through revolution. Hitting a waitress in the Troubador. What kind of revolution is that?"

"He's an important figure, sure. But so was Richard Nixon. Nixon was just like another generation's John Lennon. Someone who represented all sorts of ideals, but was out for himself underneath it all."

"Like the Beatles had no style other than being the Beatles. So the Nazz used to do, like heavy rock, and also these light, pretty ballads with complex ballads."

and then lennon's response:

AN OPENED LETTUCE TO SODD RUNTLESTUNTLE. (from dr. winston o'boogie)

Couldn't resist adding a few "islands of truth" of my own, in answer to Turd Runtgreen's howl of hate (pain.)

Dear Todd,

I like you, and some of your work, including "I Saw The Light", which is not unlike "There's A Place" (Beatles), melody wise.

1) I have never claimed to be a revolutionary. But I am allowed to sing about anything I want! Right?

2) I never hit a waitress in the Troubador, I did act like an ass, I was too drunk. So shoot me!

3) I guess we're all looking for attention Rodd, do you really think I don't know how to get it, without "revolution?" I could dye my hair green and pink for a start!

4) I don't represent anyone but my SELF. It sounds like I represented something to you, or you wouldn't be so violent towards me. (Your dad perhaps?)

5) Yes Dodd, violence comes in mysterious ways its wonders to perform, including verbal. But you'd know that kind of mind game, wouldn't you? Of course you would.

6) So the Nazz used to do "like heavy rock" then SUDDENLY a "light pretty ballad". How original!

7) Which gets me to the Beatles, "who had no other style than being the Beatles"!! That covers a lot of style man, including your own, TO DATE.....

Yes Godd, the one thing those Beatles did was to affect PEOPLES' MINDS. Maybe you need another fix?

Somebody played me your rock and roll pussy song, but I never noticed anything. I think that the real reason you're mad at me is cause I didn't know who you were at the Rainbow (L.A.) Remember that time you came in with Wolfman Jack? When I found out later, I was cursing cause I wanted to tell you how good you were. (I'd heard you on the radio.)

Anyway, However much you hurt me darling; I'll always love you,

J. L.

So shoot me!

Oof.

Oh, that's our John!

it's something else. "AN OPENED LETTUCE TO SODD RUNTLESTUNTLE. (from dr. winston o'boogie)" is an extremely disarming way to start a letter

However much you hurt me darling; I'll always love you,

standard way to start a salad

“I Saw The Light” always reminded me of “You Won’t See Me” (“It was late last night” / “When I call you up”)

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 11:38 (four hours ago) link

Same here -- this seems to me like such an obvious similarity to call out that that bit of Lennon's letter read kind of like "I like you, and some of your work, including 'Ice Ice Baby', which is not unlike 'We Will Rock You' (Queen)"

some context to this, in 1976 Todd's Faithful album contained renditions of "Rain" and "Strawberry Fields" which are so note perfect that you could easily mistake them for the originals. so Todd clearly got what made the Beatles tick better than most people did and I guess he may have considered there to be a rivalry there. he made a whole album with Utopia mocking them a few years after that. but deep down you know he loved them.

this was also happening in late 1974, which i believe was near the end of the Lost Weekend period, which might explain a lot

I love There's A Place. The lyric stands apart from the Lennon/McCartney songbook of the time: too "There's a place where I can go … and it's my mind". I don't want to overstate things and say it's one step from Tomorrow Never Knows or something, but that inward focus has always stuck out for me.

DId he happen to say anything about Harry Nilsson?

A few months later, Brian Wilson would record In My Room, a sort of cousin.

X-post

There's a place where I can go … and it's my mind".

Yep. A lyric replete with casual wisdom.

DId he happen to say anything about Harry Nilsson?

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs),

"Pass me another brandy sour, Harry."

Yeah, "There's a Place" is similar in content to "In My Room," I guess. I like the singing on it, kind of harsh-sounding harmonies, the kind John Cale was hearing after he did his daily drone and sat down to listen to Tony Conrad's Everly Brothers records.
(xpost!)

There's a scene in Bob Balaban's 1989 Parents in which a smiling and completely scary-looking Randy Quaid tells his young sleepless child that the only dark place he should be scared of is his mind, which is what this discussion just made me think of.

A few months later, Brian Wilson would record In My Room, a sort of cousin.

X-post

― Alba

ha, i read your first post, calling out the lyric, and thought the same thing! did some quick wikipedia confirming about the timing of the recording sessions and was very excited to come back and here and say exactly what you said :)

however, one additional thing i did learn on wikipedia is that "there's a place" was the first song recorded for the session (the fucking LEGENDARY session in my book), at 10am, while lennon was recovering from a cold with throat lozenges

it strikes me as the most modern sounding track on the album. it might be that harmonica serving as the denouement for each section, it's just perfect.

DId he happen to say anything about Harry Nilsson?

Lennon, Schmennon

while lennon was recovering from a cold with throat lozenges

a smiling and completely scary-looking Randy Quaid tells his young sleepless child that the only dark place he should be scared of is his mind

something Randy Quaid has since terrifyingly demonstrated with the rest of his life

there are quite a few run throughs of 'there's a place' floating around, probably easiest to find on that bootleg-beating copyright dump release from several years ago

Ha, akm, I was trying to thing of how to say that but gave up so thanks for nailing it.

Yeah, had a few of them on those "Ultra Rare Tracks" CDs from back in the corblimey days

A few months later, Brian Wilson would record In My Room, a sort of cousin.

X-post

― Alba, Wednesday, January 11, 2023 11:59 AM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

But "There's A Place" wasn't released in the US until July 22, 1963, on Introducing The Beatles. "In My Room" was recorded on July 16. It's technically possible that Wilson could have heard an import copy of Please Please Me, but 1) import records were pretty hard to obtain in the US in the early '60s, and b) how would Wilson have heard of them in the spring or summer of 1963? (the latter not meant rhetorically -- did he know people who'd hipped him to the Beatles? It likely wouldn't have been anyone at Capitol, since the guy in charge, Dave Dexter, hated the Beatles.)

Oh yeah I didn't mean to say it was influenced by it.

yeah, i probably was the one who seemed to suggest that, because i was talking about the timing of the recording dates. at the time i was thinking more of "who did it first?", "it" being including a melancholy kind of introspective statement in a pop song. when you read beach boys biogs there's always a section about "in my room" and how groundbreaking it was for that reason. but i'm sure a million other artists did that before both the beatles and the beach boys. i'm not a sinatra-head but i imagine he sang about something similar many times

but the beach boys were the first to do it while then whip-snapping back to an earnest singalong about how amazing surfing is

The Prof Stoned guy that someone linked to upthread has now got to Help! and Rubber Soul on his remixing project. I'm on a bit of a Beatles break at the moment so haven't listened to them much, but if you can't wait for Giles Martin to give us a stereo Michelle that isn't hard panned, here you go:

http://www.profstoned.com/search/label/The%20Beatles