Registered: 06/03/99
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Originally Posted By: Adam Warlock
There was one scene where Paul was eating a brownie. Hash maybe? As goofy as they were acting, probably.
The 6 string bass they played wasn't a standard 6 string bass I guess. It used standard tuning like a guitar, but an octave lower (E-A-D-G-B-E). The tuning of a 6 string bass is B-E-A-D-G-C
Yes, the Fender VI (and the Danelectro of the same era) were/are standard-tuning-down-an-octave 6-string bass guitars aimed to be more familiar and comfortable to guitarists that need a bass on occasion.
I've had a couple Fender VI over the years and have enjoyed them, but found they got more use in barter/trade/sale when wanting other gear.
That's fair, I guess....except that I will watch all kinds of musical documentary about music I don't like...and I DO like Beatles.
It's like there's "fan"...in that someone likes the work of an artist...and there's "fanatic" like you do to get autographs signed and watch them lipsync at a public appearance. I'm not the latter for really anyone.
Unrelated....Paul really had pretty "girl eyes". Explains why he looks like a British grandmother now.
Registered: 06/03/99
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I can see how watching an hour would cause one to walk away. For those I would suggest starting with Episode Three.
I was watching with my wife and was slinking in my chair during the first hour. There were challenging moments of watching a train derailment in slow emotion.
Then by the end of Episode One she was laughing and shaking her head at some of their decisions and especially at Lindsay Hogg. His manipulations were so obvious.
Episode Two and she's right in with it. Episode Three and she's totally enjoying every minute of it. Especially the end live performance.
But I get it. I totally get why anyone would tune out.
But the Beatles' Charm is relentless. Resistance is futile. And there was a similar thread of humanity in Paul McCartney's live show (which I saw for the first time in 2016). Paul knows (as did all the Beatles) that the audience is going to have a good time, wants to have a good time. They knew the power of joy that comes from music. The true joy of music is relentless and cures us of all that ails us. Truly.
So whether it's a McCartney live show, or the Get Back film, eventually the charming ways of the music takes us all over. Which is the end punch of the film.
Everything else in life is bullshit, usually put upon us by all the assholes of the world.
Shirk off the yolk of oppression, my friends. Pick up some guitars, sing some songs. Gather 'round some people. Turn up the night. Get back to making music.
#1760975 - 11/30/2107:17 PMRe: The Beatles Get Back
[Re: FlametopFred]
Brian GlockBrian Glock
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Registered: 04/29/01
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The compilation book “Get Back” has a bunch of great photos and transcription of conversations during the project.
Picked it up when I preordered the CD box set. Have not gone the book that came with it yet. Later this week.
Peter Jackson did a fantastic job showing that time frame in a positive light. With the hours of footage and recordings I’m sure there is sone negativity, but that’s normal in any “family”. This is a feel good film that you want to watch over again.
There was one scene where Paul was eating a brownie. Hash maybe? As goofy as they were acting, probably.
The 6 string bass they played wasn't a standard 6 string bass I guess. It used standard tuning like a guitar, but an octave lower (E-A-D-G-B-E). The tuning of a 6 string bass is B-E-A-D-G-C
Yes, the Fender VI (and the Danelectro of the same era) were/are standard-tuning-down-an-octave 6-string bass guitars aimed to be more familiar and comfortable to guitarists that need a bass on occasion.
I've had a couple Fender VI over the years and have enjoyed them, but found they got more use in barter/trade/sale when wanting other gear.
They always hold their value. Buy low, sell high.
Joe Perry of Aerosmith used one on "Back in the saddle" I believe...
Registered: 06/03/99
Posts: 8511
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Originally Posted By: Tao Jones
Wife? Isn't an announcement in order, Flametop?
Well um, I mean, um the invitations went out but uh .. probably got lost in the USPS, I mean fire DefuckinJoy and you should get yours ... heh
seriously, I mean, not like wife, wife but more along the lines of common law but we find saying wife/husband easier. And it's more true. True love thing finally after all those years in the wilderness of toxicity (not mine, but toxicity of others: former spouse, former band, former pieces of shit). All better now.
Registered: 06/03/99
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I miss ya too, broseph
Observation #1761030
You can't really make music in a vacuum. Even though that's often what we've done as Planeteers with our little self-contained studios or DAWs or platform.
There's this essence in Get Back of them working off each other, a truly "Yes, And" give and take. Paul will have a song but John will toss out a couple throwaway lines or chords. And vice versa. John will be singing Don't Let Me Down and Paul will extend the vocal melody.
They did work their asses off. Even when goofing around while a roll of tape or film was being changed. Or while a mic was being moved around. They'd play a few covers to clear their cobwebs.
And once back in a studio setting, they would take that energy of other people and play off it. Looking for that response from Glyn or Mal or George Martin or a cameraman or a secretary bringing in tea.
Registered: 07/11/01
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I'm much of the way through Part 2 now. Last night was the arrival of Billy Preston. What a HUGE difference. And he had those iconic parts right out of the box on like Don't Let Me Down and Get Back and everything, just ... wow. It's like a totally different band.
I've been reading a lot of criticism of the amount of faffing about that they do, it's so boring, blah blah blah. I think that's bullshit. This whole process has been fascinating to watch, the thinking about the TV show or movie or show, basically they've stiff-armed Lindsay-Hogg by this point. I love watching them goof on their own songs and talk about stuff they're listening to at the time, it's great. I laugh every time Lennon looks at the camera and goes "Ladies and Gentlemen, your hosts ... the Rolling Stones".
I do not understand this thought that it's boring hearing these songs evolve, seeing them working on them, listening to them, critiquing them, trying new things, and loosening up with some humor before getting down to it.
This has been the process in the original bands I've been in, it's exactly the same. Might be only interesting to other musos, or to Beatles fans, but it is definitely not boring to me.
Part 1 sets the stage. Part 2 is ignition. You can see it.
_________________________ The internet, and the whole technology sector on which it floats, feels like a giant organ for bullshittery—for upscaling human access to speech and for amplifying lies. - Ian Bogost
Professor Truth T. Sweetness says,"Mind your manners!"
Ive never been in a band which goofed off and talked so much during practice. It was all business for us. Then again, we all had lives outside the band. Full time jobs, school. 1 time I held a job, went to school, gave guitar lessons and played in a band. Oh, and cant forget, a girlfriend. Wouldve loved it if all I had to worry about is the band. These guys spend all their days working on their music.
Just watched the whole thing. Kinda disappointed that they played the same 3-4 songs over and over again like they did in the studio. Wouldve been cool had they threw in some of the oldies, like paperback writer and ticket to ride.
Registered: 06/03/99
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Originally Posted By: Adam Warlock
Ive never been in a band which goofed off and talked so much during practice.
Keep in mind that the Beatles generally worked from about 10 in the morning until about 6 at night, most days. And they had been kept to a pretty structured work ethic from their first album onwards.
When you look at the Beatles Sessions book, they worked. In later years, that meant working on songs in the studio and not just showing up with all the songs written. The Beatles were the money maker for EMI. It can't be stressed how much money they made EMI during the 1960s. It's not even close for anyone second . . .
Capitol Records sold over 3.3 million copies of The Beatles (White Album) to stores within the first four days of the album's release.
3.3 million records within the first four days ... .... and has sold 24-30 million records to date (depending on the chart). Hard to put into context compared to today, but it was A LOT.
And the other part of that which is really hard to understand is that, whenever any Beatles single or album was released, you heard it EVERYWHERE, on every radio in the country. Out of car radios as they drove by, out of little AM radios at the beach, out of record stores. It would be all you heard. I was just old enough as a kid to experience that. Radio Play = Advertising revenue for radio stations. The Beatles were the backbone of the music industry 1965-1970.
So EMI gave the Beatles a LOT of studio time.
EMI blocked off Abbey Road for days, weeks, months for them to work in the studio and come up with the goods. They could spend 6-8 hours in the studio every day as long as they produced marketable music at the end of it.
Having said all that, Twickenham is not them at their best because there was no structure. As is documented, they had no real idea what they were going to do. A show. A film. An album.
Coupled with . .
They were pretty beat by this point. They'd wrapped the Beatles (White Album) in November. They would hit it again for Abbey Road just 3 weeks after these Get Back sessions.
Goofing around happened while reels of tape were changed over, or rewound which is something we forget about now. Or while cameras were moved and set up, while reels of film were loaded into cameras.
And in their goofing off is their own language to each other. It can be quite quick - something Lennon hears Lindsay Hogg say, and then Lennon shoots a zinger out, overtly or in code - or sings a song that is the zinger. Same for Paul and George. Watching other Beatles while some of this goes on tells the other half of that story. I think that is what some Beatles fans live for. Those moments when we are in the room with them, catching those looks, catching their private language. Looks exchanged. Words said. They preferred having a "them" to be one against.
There are reactions which are subtle. I'll be watching Episodes Two and Three a few times just to immerse myself .. because, well because I have always been a Beatles junkie. This is a fantastic hit of Fab Four mainlining.
Quote:
Kinda disappointed that they played the same 3-4 songs over and over again like they did in the studio. Wouldve been cool had they threw in some of the oldies, like paperback writer and ticket to ride.
They did play the oldies. They played Strawberry Fields, Love Me Do, Eight Days a Week, a couple other Beatles songs, some Chuck Berry, Everley Brothers, a few other rock and roll numbers, plus other tunes from their Hamburg Days.
Sometimes while searching for arrangement ideas.
Paul was mostly pretty focused. Lennon eventually got very focused. Starr and Preston were the solid underpinnings from which the writing/arranging would come together over.
But yeah, there is goofing off like you don't usually see in bands that rehearse evenings or weekends.
These were their jobs. They were kinda burned out of "the Beatles machine" at this point but were searching for that way out of it - - even though they were still under contract with EMI (and would be through their solo records until about 1976.
They did play the oldies. They played Strawberry Fields, Love Me Do, Eight Days a Week, a couple other Beatles songs, some Chuck Berry, Everley Brothers, a few other rock and roll numbers, plus other tunes from their Hamburg Days.
Were they in the series? I only seen them perform the 3-4 they did in the studio. Ill need to search on youtube for the others I guess.
Yeah, I didnt mean to make it out that I thought they were slackers. A lot of thought went into their songs. Pretty complex arrangements for pop tunes, switching up tempos and what not. And like you said, Peter Jackson wanted it to be more personal, so he included much of the down time.
Most bands have to book and pay for studio time by the hour, and so they do their rehearsing and larking around outside of the studio. And then some into the studio and try to get the tracks done in as efficient a manner as possible.
The Beatles did not have the same time or money constraints and could spend as much time in the studio as they wished, and so they spent a lot of time screwing around, making tea, sandwiches, smoking joints.
Most bands have to book and pay for studio time by the hour, and so they do their rehearsing and larking around outside of the studio. And then some into the studio and try to get the tracks done in as efficient a manner as possible.
The Beatles did not have the same time or money constraints and could spend as much time in the studio as they wished, and so they spent a lot of time screwing around, making tea, sandwiches, smoking joints.
What was behind the breakup of the Beatles? Having read literally dozens, maybe hundreds, of books about the Beatles, the individual members and their music, biographies, histories, recording expositions, and viewed lots of film, you name it, I have some thoughts on the matter.
There were a number of factors that came into the break-up. One was the death of Brian Epstein. Although in ways Epstein was a terrible manager (e.g., he knew nothing about intellectual property and miserably failed to protect their copyrights, rights to royalties, other intellectual property rights; as a result the Beatles lost so much money; when they should have been getting royalties from all the Beatles kitsch being sold all over the world, they got zip), in other ways he was a good manager for them; Epstein was very much a glue who held the Beatles together. The Beatles trusted him and let him set the course and keep them on track. The Beatles were really at sea after his sudden death.
Yoko was definitely a big factor in the break-up. Get Back is only 8 hours, while 60 hours of video and another 150 hours of audio ended up on the cutting room floor, including anything that showed a more comprehensive look at Yoko's shenanigans. For a time she had a huge bed in the studio and propped up there interjecting her opinions. The Beatles, other than John were annoyed that she called them Beatles instead of the Beatles and that she told them what to do musically: "Beatles should do this," "Beatles should use these words." She and John were both narcissists and had an unhealthy and neurotic attachment. Yoko got John into heroin and during the time of Get Back and later, both of them were in heroin ozone much of the time, which may explain why John was convinced that Yoko's caterwauling and insipid sophomoric "art" were brilliant and genius.
In addition, the Beatles had been at it for over a decade, they were moving into the adult/marriage/family stages of their lives, and were somewhat weary of the same old, same old, and the problems with Apple.
Another important factor was the dispute over who was to get control of the Beatles' business and financial affairs. Yoko, using all her voodoo astrology numerology nonsense was enamored of Allen Klein, so John of course championed Allen Klein to manage their affairs and convinced George and Ringo to go along with that. Paul, the smartest Beatle, the only one who passed A levels in school, opposed Klein and wanted representation by lawyers supplemented with certified accountants. Klein was not a lawyer and his early lack of character was so evident that his teachers tried to block him from getting an accountancy license. This dispute over Klein caused a huge rift. Klein ended up representing the Beatles, he was a crook and a grifter, screwed the Beatles (and the Stones and Bobby Darin and Sam Cooke), stole clients' money for himself, breached his fiduciary duty. And ended up doing prison time for some of his many frauds.
Paul was forced to sue to disengage the Beatles from this fraudster and was vindicated, the court ruling in McCartney's favor in March 1971 and Klein was removed from managing the Beatles finances. During the time leading up to and during the lawsuit, the other Beatles were very ugly and vicious towards Paul, spreading all sorts of defamation, George driving by and throwing rocks at Paul's house, etc. Without McCartney's having sued, the Beatles would likely have ended up broke, as the lawsuit and receivership preserved and protected their earnings.
Still, after McCartney's lawsuit succeeded and Klein could no longer represent the Beatles or access their monies, John -- at Yoko's star-gazing urging, George and Ringo, lacking financial or legal sophistication, continued to let Klein represent them individually. Finally sometime in 1972 the other Beatles started to become disenchanted with Klein. George was particularly incensed when Klein mishandled the funds from the Bangladesh relief efforts and concerts George staged. In April 1993, Lennon told an interviewer: "Let's say possibly Paul's suspicions were right … and the timing was right."
There are more factors involved, of course. But I suspect the Beatles could have survived Klein alone, or Yoko alone, but not the simultaneous influence of both of them. Lennon doing business in a heroin haze while in an irrational hyper-infatuated codependent sex fog with an occultist control freak resulted in some very poor & stupid decisions. It's too bad things could not have worked out so that each Beatle could do his own albums and projects, and still come together as Beatles some of the time. It is tragic that John & Yoko were so ugly, vicious and unfair to Cynthia and Julian. What would have happened had Epstein lived? Or had John gotten earlier therapy and stayed with Cynthia, or found a more mentally & emotionally normal woman?
Anyway, the whole Beatles things is an amazing story, this unique combination at a unique historical time, a time of revolution of the mind, and the remarkable music those lads from Liverpool produced. I think if the human species survives, that 500 years from now people will still be playing Beatles music and it will still be fresh and make joy and smiles.
"Unhappy with production decisions on the Let It Be album and the other Beatles' decision to hire Klein as their manager, McCartney went public with his plans to leave the Beatles in April 1970. He wanted to be released from his partnership with Lennon, Starr, and Harrison, who had in recent months proved a steady three-to-one majority against McCartney's proposals. The Eastmans convinced McCartney to file suit against his former bandmates for dissolution of the Beatles' partnership, which he did on December 31, 1970.
The judge ruled in McCartney's favor in March 1971. He decided that the combined financial affairs of the former Beatles should be placed in the care of a receiver until mutually acceptable terms for their break-up could be found. Klein thereby retained a position in the post-breakup solo careers of Harrison, Starr, and Lennon, but was no longer in charge of their affairs as a partnership"
i loved the scenes w/ the bobbies there at the end - the young ones being ready to arrest folks and caring about what complaints they had received and then the older sgt shows up and he just hangs out on the roof listening and waiting for it all to be over - shows what a bit of experience, patience and good judgement can do.
_________________________
Send two dozen roses to Room 424 and put "Emily, I love you" on the back of the bill. Groucho Marx
What was behind the breakup of the Beatles? .................I think if the human species survives, that 500 years from now people will still be playing Beatles music and it will still be fresh and make joy and smiles.
Wonderful capsule you captured SKY -- I would buy YOUR book ~!
Registered: 05/18/02
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Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
First of all, yoko did not have a bed in the studio during let it be recording sessions. It was during the white album. Second of all, if anyone can watch this and still repeat the myth that she broke up the Beatles they lose some credibility right there. Enough is enough. It just isn’t the truth. Dick James, who sold their catalog literally three weeks after this was filmed and never gave them a chance to buy their own music, cost John and Paul millions and millions of dollars and set them at odds against each other. Alan Klein did what he did. They had already been planning a dissolution but these two assholes forced their hand.
Well, one can get one's information from edited film footage on which Yoko was a producer, or one can get information from the historical record and books written by eyewitnesses to events.
Registered: 05/18/02
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. She didn’t have a bed in the “let it be“ sessions. She, Jon, Julian and her daughter Kyoko were in a car accident in Scotland during a break from recording “Abbey Road.“ She was pregnant at the time and hurt pretty badly, and had a history of miscarriages and John wanted her with him in the studio so had a bed delivered. There are photos of her in bed with Linda, Patti Boyd and Mal Evans laughing and listening to the Beatles record. Sadly, she was to lose that baby as well.
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Originally Posted By: SkyWave
Well, one can get one's information from edited film footage on which Yoko was a producer, or one can get information from the historical record and books written by eyewitnesses to events.
Life is too short to be living bitterly in the past, don't you think? Hanging on to what, exactly? Conspiracy theories that have since been proven at best, wrong, and at worst a constructed narrative set in motion by the media of the time. We know how destructive and damaging the media can be. Christ you know it ain't easy, they crucified Paul, they crucified Yoko.
If there is one single take-away from Beatles Get Back, it's pretty much this: Make music, love the people you are with. Time is too fucking short to be bitter about things that do not matter.You know what else? As is plainly evident from Beatles Get Back: they moved on. Quite quickly. You can hear them rolling with laughter over bullshit narratives constructed by the media (click bait of the era, if you will). They always did. They out-foxed Lindsay-Hogg, they out-foxed most of the media most of the time.
Move on.
Love the Beatles or not, but move on.
You know what else, it really is quite poignant to come out of the immersive afterglow of this amazing docu-series and then see a clip of 81-year old Ringo or 79-year old Paul. We are getting close to the day when we will wake up to the news they are dead. I'll be dead too. I was born at the start of their rise to fame. Life is short.
That's it. That's the message. Celebrate their lives and the music they made. Especially with this last beautiful gift to fans from one of their film-making fans, Peter Jackson.
Registered: 07/11/01
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I finished watching it last night. Just ... great.
Two additional observations/questions:
So funny that this is what exists, in a way. I mean, Let It Be is not even close to their best record. I was thinking about Lennon calling it whatever, the worst load of badly recorded shit or whatever. It's just so funny that those of us who are fans are just so glad to be flies on the wall that we're thrilled to see the making of not their greatest record. Can you imagine what this would have been like during what came next?
The other thing is: the drums. What kit is that? I realized the other night while watching it that this is not the iconic pearl Ludwig kit. What drum kit is that?
I was thinking about you, Jazzooo, watching Ringo beat the shit out of them on the rooftop.
Also, did anyone else notice that the tempos were all faster on the roof? Ahhhh, that old adrenaline rush. Their tempos had been so solid during their rehearsals - really, really consistent once they settled on them - but up there, that excitement ...
I also recognized what takes were on the record, like you did.
_________________________ The internet, and the whole technology sector on which it floats, feels like a giant organ for bullshittery—for upscaling human access to speech and for amplifying lies. - Ian Bogost
Professor Truth T. Sweetness says,"Mind your manners!"
Registered: 06/03/99
Posts: 8511
Loc: at the wave ranch dressing
Originally Posted By: flatcat
The other thing is: the drums. What kit is that? I realized the other night while watching it that this is not the iconic pearl Ludwig kit. What drum kit is that?
