just some blokes singing some songs
August 1, 2011 1:08 AM Subscribe
Here come old flat top, coming down fast, standing by a parking meter, oh what joy, I'll never do you no harm, and you're working for no one but me.
These tracks are a lot of fun to listen to, and several of them reveal little bits that are barely audible in the final mixes we're all familiar with.
More fun: open all 6 links in separate windows and play simultaneously.
And here's an extra treat: the fabulous acapella group Vocal LT, straight outta Cuba, with their delightful version of Nowhere Man. From Here Comes... El Son.
These tracks are a lot of fun to listen to, and several of them reveal little bits that are barely audible in the final mixes we're all familiar with.
More fun: open all 6 links in separate windows and play simultaneously.
And here's an extra treat: the fabulous acapella group Vocal LT, straight outta Cuba, with their delightful version of Nowhere Man. From Here Comes... El Son.
Jesus you just ruined my productivity for a week. Not only are there vocal tracks, there are isolated bass, drum and guitar tracks.
posted by spicynuts at 1:29 AM on August 1, 2011
posted by spicynuts at 1:29 AM on August 1, 2011
I used to do this with the balance control on the Sgt. Pepper CD. Since then I can't hear the line "had a laugh, and over dinner" without following it with a cheek pop.
posted by scrowdid at 1:36 AM on August 1, 2011
posted by scrowdid at 1:36 AM on August 1, 2011
Also this is amazing...Sgt Pepper's broken down into each of the four tracks used to record it.
posted by spicynuts at 1:49 AM on August 1, 2011
posted by spicynuts at 1:49 AM on August 1, 2011
I know maybe this is a cliche, and maybe simply a result of when I was born and of the hours spent as a 10 year old staring at the ceiling with Sgt Pepper's and Magical Mystery Tour on the headphones, but I'm listening to this and getting shivers and getting overwhelmed. I have to stop and go for a walk.
posted by spicynuts at 2:03 AM on August 1, 2011
posted by spicynuts at 2:03 AM on August 1, 2011
In the Taxman track, you can clearly hear in the headphone bleed that they hadn't yet recorded McCartney's insane guitar solo. Also, of course, they hadn't yet figured out how to end the thing (which involved tape-duping the guitar solo and splicing it onto the end, and fading abruptly).
posted by e.e. coli at 2:32 AM on August 1, 2011
posted by e.e. coli at 2:32 AM on August 1, 2011
Did McCartney have the best rock voice in Christendom?
posted by the noob at 3:08 AM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by the noob at 3:08 AM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Help me out here. Is this stuff that was isolated at home by someone with some computer trickery? I got some old bootlegs that have some vocals and guitar tracks isolated that don't have the other instruments bleeding through in the background. Including a version of the Sgt. Pepper reprise guitar that is wicked heavy stuff. Not this one.
That "Oh Darling" track is something else, that sounds like the real deal. McCartney went in every morning for a week or so and did that vocal once, first thing in the morning, I guess it would take a toll and not be as good if he did a bunch in a row.
And if you're really into the Beatles and what they did in the studio, run, don't walk, over to Amazon and buy this now.
More stuff similar to this post on this blog here.
posted by marxchivist at 3:33 AM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
That "Oh Darling" track is something else, that sounds like the real deal. McCartney went in every morning for a week or so and did that vocal once, first thing in the morning, I guess it would take a toll and not be as good if he did a bunch in a row.
And if you're really into the Beatles and what they did in the studio, run, don't walk, over to Amazon and buy this now.
More stuff similar to this post on this blog here.
posted by marxchivist at 3:33 AM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Four tracks. Four Beatles. Coincidence?
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:35 AM on August 1, 2011
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:35 AM on August 1, 2011
I'm wondering if these were harvested from the Beatles Rock Band game? According to the Wikipedia page some of the tracks were digitally isolated -- IIRC the Beatles recorded on 4-track and mixed down when they overdubbed, and thus don't have surviving isolated tracks for everything.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:45 AM on August 1, 2011
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:45 AM on August 1, 2011
IIRC the Beatles recorded on 4-track and mixed down when they overdubbed, and thus don't have surviving isolated tracks for everything.
You are right about them mixing down onto the four tracks, this why I was wondering where these came from.
posted by marxchivist at 3:48 AM on August 1, 2011
You are right about them mixing down onto the four tracks, this why I was wondering where these came from.
posted by marxchivist at 3:48 AM on August 1, 2011
but I'm listening to this and getting shivers and getting overwhelmed.
Strawberry Fields has such a beautiful melody line. In the stripped down version, you can really appreciate its magical twists and turns.
posted by shambles at 3:55 AM on August 1, 2011
Strawberry Fields has such a beautiful melody line. In the stripped down version, you can really appreciate its magical twists and turns.
posted by shambles at 3:55 AM on August 1, 2011
Did McCartney have the best rock voice in Christendom?
Yes.
posted by Jon_Evil at 5:21 AM on August 1, 2011
Yes.
posted by Jon_Evil at 5:21 AM on August 1, 2011
Assuming we're in agreement that America is not part of Christendom and that Freddie Mercury doesn't count as he was born in Zanzibar and raised in India
posted by Jon_Evil at 5:27 AM on August 1, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by Jon_Evil at 5:27 AM on August 1, 2011 [7 favorites]
No. Lennon did.
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:40 AM on August 1, 2011
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:40 AM on August 1, 2011
Isolated tracks previously; Studio Multitracks project post (the blog).
posted by filthy light thief at 6:07 AM on August 1, 2011
posted by filthy light thief at 6:07 AM on August 1, 2011
Did McCartney have the best rock voice in Christendom?
Yes.
posted by incster at 8:21 AM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yes.
posted by incster at 8:21 AM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
How do you get them to start playing simultaneously?
Buy the album?
posted by photoslob at 8:41 AM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Buy the album?
posted by photoslob at 8:41 AM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
"How do you get them to start playing simultaneously?"
Buy the album?
Do you each SWYDT?
posted by herbplarfegan at 12:10 PM on August 1, 2011
Buy the album?
Do you each SWYDT?
posted by herbplarfegan at 12:10 PM on August 1, 2011
Here's an early backing track of Hello Goodbye with what I think is some awesome drumming on Ringo's part. You can barely hear the drums at all on the released version.
posted by marxchivist at 1:05 PM on August 1, 2011
posted by marxchivist at 1:05 PM on August 1, 2011
When mixing down, two tapes are used. The original tape (Track 1: drums; Track 2: bass; Track 3: guitar; Track 4: piano) would then be copied onto another tape, while at the same time some tracks would be blended together (Track 1: bass/drums; Track 2: empty, later to have a vocal added; Track 3: guitar/piano; Track 4: empty, later to have B-flat piccolo trumpet added). This process might occur several times during the creation of some of the more overdub-heavy songs from 1967, like "Penny Lane" or "Hello Goodbye", until finally all of the sounds were mixed onto 2 tracks (left & right speakers). Remarkably, very few 4-track session tapes of The Beatles have gone missing from EMI's tape library, so there are a lot of isolated tracks that can be used. My bet is Rockband is the source. It uses .MOGG files that can be thrown into Audacity. From there, you can isolate all sorts of different tracks, and therefore remix the hell out of Beatle tunes. (I like "Here Comes The Sun" with only vocals & acoustic guitar!)
posted by frodisaur at 9:38 PM on August 1, 2011
posted by frodisaur at 9:38 PM on August 1, 2011
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