Lionel Richie went back to the hospital for ongoing heart
issues. Three more shows have been
cancelled, some of which were already rescheduled shows postponed due to Richie’s
previous hospital stays. (I'm sorry, Lionel, but I cannot help
but wonder … just what kind of hint or sign from God are you looking for that will
FINALLY persuade you to put your health first and simply cancel the rest of the
tour?!?!)
Concerts scheduled for September 26th in San Francisco, September
30th in Chicago and October 2nd in Columbus, Ohio will likely be cancelled. (At this point, another postponement or
rescheduled date for these three shows seems unlikely.)
Until now, it seems as if Lionel has adopted the title of his second solo album ... "Can't Slow Down" ... to be his daily mantra ... but things are CLEARLY catching up to him if he's been hospitalized again!
Lionel is currently undergoing tests and receiving treatment
for atrial fibrillation, otherwise known as an irregular heartbeat. A statement released by one of Lionel’s reps,
given to “People Magazine,” states” “Lionel
underwent a common procedure for atrial fibrillation (AFib). The doctor said everything went perfectly.
Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage
soon.” I guess time will tell. (kk)
UPDATE: On Wednesday, the three concerts mentioned above were officially cancelled. Latest report is that Richie "is taking some time off" after having heart surgery. His website, however, says that Lionel is still planning on launching his “King of Hearts” residency shows at Las Vegas’ the Wynn currently scheduled to take place in October and November of this year. (kk)
Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" just notched its 23rd week at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart, The new record will be short-lived, however, as it's pretty much a given that Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" will return to the top spot in a couple of months once the holiday music season begins.And whereas Langley's hit will eventually "top out," Carey's tune will likely return to the chart each Christmas for many, many years to come ... meaning she will regain (and retain) Billboard's record for most weeks at #1 ... and then just continue to add to that tally as time goes on. Still, it was fun to witness as it happened. (And that's not to say that Langley might not extend her reign at the top for another week or two either!) Damn! It's like watching Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire all over again! (lol) kk
This week Billboard showed how each new record was set over the course of the past 68 years that The Hot 100 has been around ... with a list of "First To" reach 1 thru 23 weeks at #1. (Once each new record was set, future ties didn't make this list.) kk
https://www.billboard.com/lists/ella-langley-choosin-texas-hot-100-number-one-chart-record/choosin-texas-streams-airplay-sales-23/
The Yacht Rock debate continues!!!
Got this from Me-TV-FM this past week …
|
|
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Listen to ME this week
for: All our normal special
features, including our latest feature during Yacht Rock Saturday Night
from 6 pm to 9 pm.
We'll play SINK OR SWIM
just after the show begins at 6:00 pm, where you tell us if the featured
song is knot Yacht Rock (sink), or if it's full speed ahead (swim).
Go to MeTV.fm when we play
the song to vote ... it's a simple thumbs up or thumbs down! (We came up late on this one, as Me-TV's Yacht Rock feature aired last night ... But it shows you their ongoing commitment to find the songs that fit ... and please their listeners. (kk) |
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The other day, Best Classic Bands used another one of the
WLS Silver Dollar Survey Charts to reflect back on the biggest hits of September, 1964. Of course, this was the benchmark of what I
knew as the definitive hits of this era … WCFL hadn’t launched yet (and wouldn’t
for over year) and, at the ripe old age of 11, I had absolutely NO idea
about music outside of what I heard on my own personal transistor radio, much
less national publications like Billboard, Cash Box and Record World … never even SEEN one nor even knew they existed at that time.
So check out their recap here: https://bestclassicbands.com/radio-hits-september-1964-9-18-1555/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2026-09-23&utm_campaign=ELO+s+Don+t+Bring+Me+Down+Bruce+
And then you can view the complete chart here:
You won't find any chart hits yet by our local heroes (bands like The Ides Of March, The Cryan' Shames, The New Colony Six, The Buckinghams, and others) ... that wouldn't happen until late-1965 / early-1966 ... but that didn't mean that The City of Chicago didn't make some local chart hits of their own.
Check out #9 by The Exports! That record never made the Billboard Chart at all ... and only manged to "bubble under" at #128 in Cash Box ... yet it was a Top Ten Hit here in Chi-Town. Look at them right up there with The Beatles, The Dave Clark Five, Roy Orbison, The Animals and The Supremes ... yet you've probably never even heard it!!! (kk)
Last week we ran Shelley’s review of the Justin Hayward
show she recently saw in Connecticut.
Today comes word that Hayward’s former partner John Lodge,
who passed away last year, is mounting his OWN tour presenting Moody Blues
music for the fans.
How (???), you may ask …
THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES: FOLLOWING OVERWHELMING RESPONSE,
THE MOODY BLUES’ JOHN LODGE TRIBUTE SHOWS EXTENDED INTO WINTER, 2026
Following an incredible outpouring of love and support for
the initial John Lodge Celebration shows in July, 2026 - described by audiences
as “emotional and unforgettable” - six additional winter tour dates have been
officially announced. The highly anticipated extension will kick off at Rams
Head On Stage in Annapolis, MD, on November 29, 2026, and culminate at the
Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, MI, on December 6, 2026. All dates
are below.
The premiere July performances in Clearwater, Florida, and
Esher, UK, captured a rare magic. By seamlessly weaving archival vocals and
visual footage of John directly into the live set, it was as if John were
performing in perfect harmony with his band. Earning both rave critical reviews
and ecstatic fan acclaim for the amazing performances, this breathtaking
technical feat created an incredibly powerful, spiritual atmosphere where
audiences felt as though John were right there in the room with them.
John always said that he hoped people would leave his shows
with joy in their hearts, and this is exactly how these shows left audiences -
earning repeated standing ovations. As one attendee noted, “The love in the
room was everywhere,” while another declared the concert “A masterstroke, very
emotional and unforgettable.”
These upcoming winter events will once again bring
audiences together to celebrate John Lodge, his legendary solo work, and the
timeless music of The Moody Blues in what promises to be another deeply
uplifting and joyful event.
Tickets for the new dates are on sale now. Exclusive Meet and Greet VIP packages with
Jon, Alan and the band will also be available.
https://www.johnlodge.com/pages/tour-dates
THE JOHN LODGE CELEBRATION – WINTER 2026 TOUR DATES:
• November 29th – Rams Head On Stage – Annapolis, MD
• November 30th – Bearsville Theater – Woodstock, NY
• December 1st – The Vogel – Red Bank, NJ
• December 3rd – Infinity Hall – Hartford, CT
• December 4th – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA
• December 6th – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI
Photo credit - Jo Robbens
When The Moody Blues stopped touring in 2018, John made it
his absolute passion to keep their music alive - a body of work he described as
"the soundtrack of his life." Aided by his great friend and Music
Director, Alan Hewitt (keyboards for The Moody Blues), alongside his 10,000
Light Years Band, John embarked on a series of tours to bring this iconic music
to life. John's shows were always met with widespread praise from audiences and
critics alike, featuring stunning lighting and video production that framed a
catalog lovingly recreated and deeply true to the original recordings.
Throughout his solo career, John also used his stage to
honor his bandmates, creating mesmerizing tributes to Ray Thomas ("Legend
of a Mind"), Mike Pinder ("The Sunset"), and fulfilling a deeply
personal wish by having drummer Graeme Edge record and film his poem "Late
Lament" so, as John said, he could forever be on stage beside him.
During this period of creative rebirth, personal and
professional worlds beautifully collided when John’s daughter Emily, met Jon
Davison of the band YES. Not only did Emily and Jon fall in love and marry, but
Jon and John became close friends, and Jon joined the ‘merry band of brothers’
on stage.
During the joyful tours that followed, and the long travel
days, John and Jon continued to talk and make plans… everything and anything
seemed possible as the miles rolled by, and one of the conversations was how
much John wanted Jon and Alan to continue the band into the future.
Following John's sad passing last year, at first there was
silence, and then Jon, Alan and Emily slowly began to talk about fulfilling
that wish. Could they continue John’s mission to ‘Keep the Music Alive’? The
seedling of hope grew as ideas flew between them. Long-time collaborator and
videographer Andy Clark was brought in to begin the visual production. Jon
picked up the bass guitar and began to master John's parts, while Alan started
to make magic Moody Blues music again.
Their efforts exceeded all expectations. Hailed by critics
as "a brilliant technical accomplishment" with "amazing sound,
lighting, and live performances," the show features a curated setlist that
explodes with massive hits and deep-cut fan favorites. Audiences can expect to
hear timeless classics including "Nights in White Satin," "Isn’t
Life Strange," "Legend of a Mind," "Ride My See-Saw,"
"Tuesday Afternoon," “Gemini Dream,” and "I’m Just a Singer (in
a Rock and Roll Band)" plus so much more.
Exclusive VIP packages will be available, offering fans a
unique Meet and Greet opportunity with John's 10,000 Light Years Band -
featuring Jon Davison and Alan Hewitt, alongside Billy Ashbaugh on drums (from
The Moody Blues touring band), Duffy King on guitars, and Jason Charboneau on
cello.
Designed to touch hearts and spread happiness, these unique
winter shows will feature select USA tour dates, with potential for further
extensions depending on fan response.
Read the full premiere review from Tampa Bay Music News here:
https://www.facebook.com/tampabaymusicnews/posts/1324068583042690
John Lodge was the bass guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter
for the iconic Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2018 inductees, The Moody Blues ...
songwriter of such mega Moody Blues hits from “Ride My See-Saw” to “I’m Just A
Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band),” “Isn’t Life Strange” and many more.
Lodge performed and recorded with The Moody Blues for more
than five decades, selling in excess of 70 million albums, as well as releasing
his solo albums ‘Natural Avenue,’ ’10,000 Light Years Ago,’ ‘B Yond,’ ‘Days of
Future Passed – My Sojourn’ and the EP ‘Love Conquers All.’ Lodge was voted one of the “10 most
influential bass players on the planet,” and was the recipient of many awards,
including ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Publishers), an Ivor Novello
Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Prog Magazine, to name just a few.
The John Lodge Celebration is a project following in John’s
wishes and lovingly brought to life featuring Jon Davison (of the band YES),
providing bass and vocals alongside John’s own vocal tracks, and long-term
collaborator Alan Hewitt, an acclaimed composer and producer, and the longtime
keyboardist for The Moody Blues touring band. This tribute was created to honor
his memory, preserve his remarkable musical legacy, and carry his timeless
music forward to fans old and new.
"To be able to work with my darling Jon and the
incredibly talented Alan on these shows for my father has been the thing that
has made the sun shine again. It was so deeply moving to see everyone’s hard
work come together in July, and to witness the love and joy flowing
effortlessly both from the audience to the stage, and from the stage back to
the audience. We are profoundly grateful for the overwhelming support from the
fans, our agent, and the promoters who are making these additional winter shows
possible. Their belief in this project allows us not just to heal, but to truly
follow in my father’s wishes to keep the music alive. As my father always said,
'Thank You for Keeping the Faith.'"
— Emily Davison, September 2026
"I had a unique perspective of John in that I was
lucky enough to become his son-in-law and close friend. I learned so much from
my time with John, which included many exciting stage experiences performing
beside his magnificent and magnetic personality. Along with the incredible Alan
Hewitt and the 10,000 Light Years band, I’m thrilled to have the blessed
opportunity to be standing by John’s side again."
— Jon Davison, February 2026
"John had a huge heart and was loved by so many. I
will miss him and will miss being on stage playing those great songs with him,
but this is the next best thing. I know he’ll be with us in spirit and smiling,
knowing that we kept the promise we made before he left to fly with the
angels."
— Alan Hewitt, February 2026
And FH Reader Scott Paton warns us of some “pressing matters”
…
Record Labels Are Pressing New Vinyl From Old Records and Blind
Tests Already Exposed What the Marketing Won't Admit | Headphonesty
MCA was especially guilty of
this; I had examples!
"In the 1970s, pressing
plants routinely used reground vinyl from returned
unsold stock to cut costs, which produced records “much noisier and
scratchier” than virgin pressings, with chunks of paper from old LP labels
molded into the grooves of new ones."
U2's new album (coming out in November ... and their first in nine years) features a duet between Bono and Dolly Parton. It's being plugged as her last recording. (kk)
Kent,
FB mentioned today that he had
never heard the term "TURNTABLE HIT" as said by singer Gene McDaniels
in an interview. I've heard of the term before. I guarantee you there were a
few here in the OKC area though to be honest with you, I can't name any right
now. When I was listening to the radio
as a kid, didn't know anything about turntable hits, payola, weekly trade
publications, etc.
Larry
A turntable hit, as I understand it, is a record that gets a
TON of airplay despite generating very little in the way of sales. I hadn’t really thought about any sort of
tie-in to payola, but I guess that makes sense.
It would tend to be a record that people hear a lot … and maybe even
grow to like … but don’t take the time to go out and actually buy a copy.
I checked with google to see if I was on the right track but
they gave a series of other examples … like “Stairway To Heaven” or “Isn’t She
Lovely” by Stevie Wonder. You couldn’t
go out and buy those records because they were never released as singles. They also cited tracks like “Moondance” by
Van Morrison and “Changes” by David Bowie … records that didn’t make much of a
chart impression when they were first released but are still heard in heavy
rotation even today.
There are a LOT of songs that somehow survived radio station
playlists decades later, getting airplay NOW more than they ever did when they
were first released as singles. Thanks
to Yacht Rock, songs like Rupert Holmes’ “Him” and Michael McDonald’s “I Gotta
Try” are heard nearly daily despite being less than successful follow-up
singles to “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” and “I Keep Forgettin’.”
So I guess ALL of these variables help to define a
“turntable hit.” That being said, I
can’t think of a SINGLE record by Gene McDaniels that qualifies. His biggest hits: “A Hundred Pound Of Clay,”
“A Tower Of Strength” and “Chip Chip” all made The Top Ten back in the day when
they were released in the early ‘60’s.
You still hear those first two on good oldies radio stations today … but
I don’t think I’ve EVER heard “Chip Chip” played on the radio!!! The song that
Frank B. mentioned, “In Times Like These,” never even charted at all … so I’m
not sure WHO was playing it at the time!
You can’t even find it on iTunes today!
(kk)
UPDATE: Tom Diehl, our go-to guy for hard to find tracks came up with the Gene McDaniels tune "In Times Like These," so we're able to share it with you today ...
But I've gotta tell you, it's a REAL stinker!!! No wonder it never charted! And this is a Bacharach-David tune, too!!! (kk)
FH Reader Joe Cantello helps to bear this out ... with an interesting perspective on "Radio And Records" Magazine, which charted a number of songs that weren't released as singles but still received a fair amount of airplay. (The Gavin Report would be a similar source of information in that regard. Complete chart recaps of BOTH of these publications are available thru Record Research ... recordresearch.com)
Kent (and FB):
When I was a DJ (from 1979-1993), we had songs that were called a 'turntable hit,' meaning that the song was played on the radio (probably got plenty of requests) — but did not translate into big sellers.
I think that is why Radio & Records magazine came into existence, to help radio stations tell the difference between what stations were playing and what was selling (which is what Billboard, Cash Box, etc. were reportedly tracking).
Many turntable hits also may have been regional songs that didn't translate into 'hits' on the national charts.
I hope that helps clarify what is meant by a 'turntable hit.'
By the way, Kent, keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Joe Cantello
Marietta, Ga
Mama Cass Star on Hollywood
Blvd. … Now appearing on Stephen J. Kalinich's page on Facebook
A gorgeous day celebrating CASS
ELLIOT’S star on the HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME. So well deserved and long overdue
- not only for her artistic contributions and sublime voice, but also because
she embodied Laurel Canyon during the 60s and was such an integral part of so
many wonderful things that sprung from that scene during that time in L.A. I
truly get lost for hours watching all of her performances and listening to her recordings.
“Mama” Cass Elliot’s star is now
located on the north side of Hollywood Blvd just west of Sycamore. It was
beautiful to hear the speeches and to see the star unveiled. You could feel
the decades of friendships and family ties throughout the day. The power of
music always brings the most joy to our lives.
Thank you to Owen Elliot-Kugell
and Jack Kugell for including me. I was honored to attend.
From My Third Eye … PAD … Stephen
J. Kalinich
(L-R): Henry Diltz, Sujata
Murthy of UMe, Harvey Kubernik, Stephen J. Kalinich
Look for Phil Miglioratti’s latest, updated interview with
Beach Boys confidant Fred Vail … https://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/
>>>Talk about your "mixed reviews!!!" (kk)
>>>Digging the Monkees
series in FH.
>>>I have no interest in Michael Jackson nor the
Monkees.
Isn't this why there are
countless musical choices? Music is subjective.
Shelley
From Tom Cuddy ...
The Monkees was our first boy band - Salon.com
We just got word that Pete Byrne, lead vocalist of Naked Eyes, died on September 14th, after a brief illness.
Naked Eyes scored four straight Top 40 Hits in the early '80's. Their lead-off single, a remake of the Hal David - Burt Bacharach tune "Always Something There To Remind Me," peaked at #8 in Billboard in 1983. It was followed by three more hits, all co-written by Byrne: "Promises, Promises" (#11, 1983), "When he Lights Go Out" (#37, 1983) and "(What) In The Name Of Love" (#39, 1984) kk
We're now less than a week away for the long-anticipated release of the "Rubber Soul" box ...
Available in various configurations October 2nd!
https://usastore.thebeatles.com/pages/rubber-soul-collection?utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=20260722&utm_medium=email&utm_referrer=direct&utm_board=the-beatles-9378&utm_country=GB&utm_linkurl=thebeatles.lnk.to%2Frubbersoul&lf=43d05951cf47eef636848be5b1666b23&lid=fq55exmb1cln
Some unique perspective from Harvey Kubernik ...
Expanded Special Edition and Remixed Beatles
Rubber Soul Due October 2nd by UMG and Apple Corps Ltd.
By
Harvey Kubernik
More than six decades after its original
release, Rubber Soul remains a defining moment in The Beatles' story as
an album that bridged the craze of Beatlemania and the experimentation that
would follow on Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
and beyond.
“RUBBER
SOUL - the album that changed the musical world we lived in then to
the one we still live in today.” -- Andrew
Loog Oldham, record producer/manager of the 1963-1967 Rolling Stones, founder of
Immediate Records, author, deejay, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
“Today we think of the Beatles’ epic as one incredible breathless run,
and it did all happen very fast, their 8 or 9 dizzying years,” offered writer
and novelist Daniel Weizmann.
“But on close inspection, before Rubber Soul, there was a
subtle sense that the Beatles were ... almost starting to run of
steam, exhausted from all that mop-shaking. And who can blame them? Beatlemania
would have driven four less durable souls into an insane asylum. Beatles
for Sale, Beatles VI, Help! -- the songs are great but some
near-invisible identity crisis is at work in them, a groping for more. In an
alternate, less beautiful universe, the band might have even thrown in the
towel right then and there. Which is partially why Rubber Soul is
such a miracle -- it's not just an album, it's an announcement that they would
not back down. They had stripped down to essentials, learned to stifle their
own cuteness, and were ready to push past youth, guided by introspection. They
aren't there yet, but the plot had thickened -- and Rubber
Soul is the first chapter of Act II, the very best part of the story.”
Rubber
Soul was the Beatles’ first release not to feature their name on the
album’s cover, an uncommon strategy in late 1965. The cover photograph was by Robert Freeman in
the garden of John Lennon’s home in Weybridge.
In 1997 I conducted an interview with George
Harrison. He mentioned he had first heard the sitar instrument on the set of
The Beatles’ movie Help! Later that
year, he would record with it on the session for John Lennon’s “Norwegian Wood
(This Bird Has Flown).”
George told me about his earliest attempt
at playing the sitar with the Beatles, “Very rudimentary. I didn’t know how to tune it properly, and it
was a very cheap sitar to begin with. So
‘Norwegian Wood’ was very much an early experiment. By the time we recorded ‘Love You Too’ I had
made some strides.
“That was the environment in the band. Everybody
was very open to bringing in new ideas.
We were listening to all sorts of things, Stockhausen, avant-garde music, whatever, and most of it made its way onto our records.”
During 2007, I interviewed my friend Brian
Wilson for the 40th anniversary Pet Sounds tour program notes.
Brian confessed “Michelle” and “All My Lovin’” were his two favorite Paul
McCartney songs and immediately cited Rubber Soul.
"Norwegian Wood’
completely blew my mind, and marijuana was around for Pet Sounds. Well,
when I first listened to Rubber Soul, I then went to the piano, and all
I could see were my keys. I locked in with the keyboard and wrote [with Tony
Asher] ‘God Only Knows’ in 45 minutes.”
In 1998, I interviewed Elvis Costello in
Hollywood during his Painted By Memory recording sessions with Burt
Bacharach at Ocean Way Studios. He discussed Rubber Soul.
“I have a perspective on it that someone of
my years probably shouldn't have. I
always heard Burt’s tunes in cover form first.
And that was important. The stuff
that my dad [Ross MacManus, musician, singer and trumpet player who performed with Joe
Loss and his Orchestra] brought home were ‘A’ label
singles.
“Like the Beatles ones I had, were the
non-single tracks like ‘Michelle,’ and songs from Rubber Soul that they
[music publisher Dick James’ Northern Songs] thought were better suited for
covers than, maybe, ‘Drive My Car’ was.
They were sent over on demonstration acetates. Rather than having the Parlophone label,
which never pressed ‘Michelle’ as a single, the publisher, pressed an
acetate. And that was how small they
were thinking about that ‘radio cover.’”
“Firstly, what a fabulous elasticisable
title!! Puts it all in the perfect perspective,” volunteered author and
broadcast journalist, Ritchie Yorke.
“Creativity grows. And it shows. On Rubber Soul, we are seeing the beast
that became John Lennon’s composing heart is gaining traction, and he’s
beginning to let it flow on through. How blessed we were that it flowed upon
our watch. And in our presence. A wonderful album made most of us realize
that there was a lot more to these dudes than just pulling off limp versions of
great R&B tunes.’’
“They
were the natural progression from the roots of the music,” underscored
Blondie’s drummer Clem Burke. “The early recordings spread the gospel of Little
Richard, Buddy Holly, and Motown to a new generation of rockers. They are and
always will be my muse. I’ll listen to a few songs before a show and get a rush
of emotions. They had the best drummer in rock ’n’ roll that really made the
recordings creative.”
Engineer/producer Ken Scott is a veteran
of Abbey Road and behind the console for many recording sessions of the Beatles
beginning in 1964 sorting tapes in the EMI studio library. He attended the “I
Should Have Known Better” date, on an invite from engineer Norman Smith, and
hand-clapped with Ringo and Paul for a take that wasn’t used for A Hard Day’s Night soundtrack LP.
Ken Scott’s first day as a second engineer
was June 1, 1964, during sessions for A
Hard Day’s Night. Songs not utilized in the film: “I’ll Cry Instead,” “I’ll
Be Back,” “Matchbox” and “Slow Down.”
At Abbey Road one of his early jobs was
“banding,” a task entailing putting exactly five seconds between each track on
the albums. Scott subsequently learned the aspects of mastering process. In 1965 Ken worked on Help! and Rubber Soul,
before engineering the bulk of The
Beatles (White Album).
Q: Ken. You spent a
lot of time in the mastering lab that informed how we eventually heard the mono
and subsequent stereo discs of the band.
A: The whole thing
that one learned from the mastering, first and foremost, was what could go onto
vinyl. Because you could put a lot more onto tape than you could on vinyl. You
had to watch phase, you had to watch the amount of low end, all of that kind of
thing, because it would make the stylus jump. That was really why they out you
into mastering before allowing you to engineer.
“The other aspect of it that you learned
was about EQ. Tone control. Bass, middle, high end and how you could affect
that. What sounded good and what didn’t sound good and how much it took to try
and change a sound. After a few days you learned you could make it perfect just
by adding one notch as opposed to piling it all on.
“Abbey Road had their own pop shields for
vocals. My belief is that they were made especially. I can’t tell you the pop
shields around the microphones at Abbey Road made a huge difference, but it’s a
combination. Everything starts in the studio. They were so good together
vocally to start with and then that just made it so much easier for Norman to
get it that much better.
“For
me, mono is the way we listened to them. We never ever, as we were recording,
listened to it in stereo. Always mono. We only listened to it on one Altec
(604) speaker. They weren’t that good and we had to struggle to get things
sounding good through those speakers but we knew if we got them sounding good
through those speakers, they would sound amazing anywhere else.
“I learned so much from working in
mono. Because these days, just take
George and John’s electric guitars. If you want to highlight the differences
between the two of them, you’d put George’s guitar on one side and put John’s
guitar on the other side. They’re separated and you can hear the differences
between them. When it was the mono, we actually had to make sure we had
different sounds on them. Because they’re both coming out of the same source.
So, you have to make sure they are very different to be able to hear. ‘OK.
That’s John playing here and George playing there.’ We had to work that much harder
for the difference than you do in stereo.
Anything they recorded at Abbey Road was done on EMI tape. EMI
manufactured its own tape and it was incredible. It was really good.
Q: Norman Smith
engineered all the Beatles albums ending with Rubber Soul. Norman was responsible for groundbreaking technical
changes in their recorded catalog.
A:
Every single album he tried to make sound different. He pushed the envelope as
far as he could. It was very difficult to make radical changes when he was
engineering. Each album got progressively more radical if you like. A change in
microphone placements. Absolutely. And using different microphones.
“On the first album he wanted to
capture them live in the studio. So, he set them up without baffles and without
anything. It was as if they were on stage. That was the first album. Each one
was different. To me, the way the Beatles got into experimentation a lot of
that came from how they saw Norman changing things. Obviously. they caught the
ball and ran with it. Unlike anyone else at the time. But he was the one I
think that first instilled in them ‘it doesn’t always have to be the same every
album. You can change it sound wise.’ Obviously musically their experimentation
with other instruments. Norman was the first pop engineer to record sitar at
Abbey Road. He was amazing. He was always pushing it.”
Last decade I interviewed Abbey Road-based
engineer Allan Rouse. He emphasized Norman Smith’s role with the Beatles.
“Norman was a musician’s engineer, and had
formed his own band in the 1940s. So, for the Beatles’ early sessions, he
understood that they had hardly any experience in a recording studio but a
great deal in performing live and that is the feel he wanted to capture. I
believe the approach Norman took in recording them this way helped them settle
into studio life and allowed them to perform in a way that made them feel the
most relaxed and I think it shows in their performances.”
Richard Bosworth is a Hollywood-based
engineer and record producer who worked with Johnny Rivers, Neil Young, Carlos
Santana, Marty Balin, Kim Carnes, KISS, the Knack, and the Hollies at Abbey
Road.
“Norman Smith, their first engineer,
regardless of his age at the time, he was a young engineer,” observed Bosworth
in a December 2023 conversation.
“Norman was not a long-term staff guy at
the EMI Studio, who happened to come along in an era and started doing things
like closer microphone placements for the aggressive sounds. When you consider
Smith went all the way through Rubber
Soul. Just Incredible.”
Bosworth points to a piece of equipment
engineers Smith, Scott, and EMI Studio engineers had at their disposal
capturing otherworldly vocals committed to vinyl.
“EMI
Recording Studio had a
custom-built wind screener pop filter closer to the mike being the plosives
where certain sounds would become very powerful and actually collapse the
microphone capsule,” Richard elaborated.
“You could get the vocalist closer to the
microphone and a more in-your-face sound. They came up with a metal windscreen
that had two different screens and two different meshes on them and different
physical angles, where the one metal mesh was rounded and one was flat.
"The patterns of the mesh were diagonal to
each other. Bolted tight onto the microphone, made with custom metal for EMI
Studio. People started noticing quickly that moisture would get on the
microphone capsule and you’d have to replace the capsule. Any pop filter
changes anything to a certain extent.
Unlike screen pop filters made out of foam, these were made out of metal
and certainly not dampening high end. Those are unique.
“One of the other reasons the Beatles’
recordings sound so good still to this day,” Bosworth maintained, “is that the
tape machine format was one-inch 4-track — a much wider tape width per track than
any other analog tape format that has ever been conceived. The equivalent of
24-track would require that the tape format be six inches wide to get the same
fidelity that the one-inch 4-track provided.
“Norman Smith engineered virtually every studio performance of the band
from 1962 through 1965. On Rubber Soul,
Smith captured innovative new sounds such as fuzz bass guitar, sitar and
distinctly dry vocals.
“There's a definite
delineation point in the record production and musical instrument sounds for
The Beatles with the release of Rubber
Soul. There were hints of what was to come on Help! (‘You've Got to
Hide You're Love Away’). Many influential American musicians of the day believe
the U.S. version of Rubber Soul is one of the greatest albums ever (including
Brian Wilson). In fact, the opening songs on both sides of the American Rubber Soul, ‘I've Just Seen a
Face’ and ‘It's Only Love’ respectively, are two tracks from the English Help! LP and set an introspective
acoustic tone for the American release.”
Big
sonic changes are introduced on Rubber
Soul with the actual electric guitars and the guitar amplifiers the band
adopted at this point. Up until now, they had stuck with the musical
instruments they're famously known for. Gretsch and Rickenbacker guitars for
Lennon and Harrison and Hofner 500/1 bass guitar for McCartney, via various Vox
guitar amplifiers. Rickenbacker had made a left- handed 4001S electric
bass guitar for McCartney that he received on the Beatles 1964 U.S. Tour
and except for one song, "Drive My Car," he used his new Rick bass
exclusively on Rubber Soul. As the Rick is solid- body as opposed to the
hollow- body Hofner, it gave a more solid electric bass sound than the more
acoustic qualities of the Hofner.
“Whereas McCartney gravitated to Rickenbacker, Lennon and Harrison moved
on to Fender, Gibson and Epiphone electric guitars,” explained Bosworth.
“The
Beatles were aware of the brand of American guitars and amplifiers used by
their idols Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry. However, these were not
available in England until 1965. Harrison and Lennon acquired twin sonic blue
Fender Stratocasters which they used to great effect on "Nowhere Man"
(U.S. single/British album release.) Harrison added a Gibson SG Standard and a
Gibson ES-345-TD to his arsenal. Lennon, Harrison and McCartney all
purchased Epiphone ES-230-TD Casino guitars and these became their ‘go to’
instruments for the next several albums and the 1966 tours.
“The
Epiphone Casino became Lennon's main guitar for the duration of the Beatles
career and he used it exclusively on his first solo album and the ‘Cold Turkey’
Plastic Ono Band single,” underlines Bosworth.
“During
the Beatles’ 1965 U.S. tour, Harrison was given a second Rickenbacker
360-12 by a Minneapolis radio station and he utilized it on 'If I Needed
Someone’ (British album release) in a tribute to the sound of the Byrds.
“Aware
that many American musicians used Fender Musical Instruments’ guitar and bass
amplifiers, they began to buy a steady supply that continued right through the
Abbey Road album. McCartney got a blonde Fender Bassman amp and soon after
Harrison and Lennon bought two Fender Showman rigs with 15" JBL D130
speakers. They still used Vox amps as well. They had an endorsement deal with
Vox since 1963, and once that was in place, the Beatles never appeared live
without Vox amps. The company always supplied the band with their latest models,
and during this period both Lennon and Harrison received the ultra- rare Vox
7120 electric guitar amplifier, and McCartney was given the equally rare Vox
4120 bass amp.
“I
think vocally the Beatles are influenced by Bob Dylan during this period,”
suggested Bosworth. “They had noticed there weren't effects like reverb and
vocal delay on Dylan's vocals and it gave his performance an intimacy that
really suited the lyrics.
“The
Beatles own lyrics were taking on a new depth, and they felt this kind of vocal
sound would accommodate the new songs. They would say to George Martin
and recording engineer Norman Smith ‘Why do our vocals have to have echo on
every song? Why do we always have to do things the same way every time?’ With the release of Rubber Soul, the Beatles signaled they were not going to be
artistically trapped by their success.”
“There were actually
three Bob Dylan LPs in 1965: Bringing It
All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Rubber Soul,” suggested poet
and deejay, Dr. James Cushing.
Of course, I don’t mean that literally – but it may be
helpful to think of them as an unintentional set of three. They all share roots
in folk traditions (lots of acoustic guitars) but they’re breathing the air of
pop/R&B/art-song/blues, and the blend they achieve contain both the
sophisticated complexity of art and the accessibility of popular culture. These
were the albums that marked the emergence of Rock as an art form with appeal to
thoughtful adults.
“Look at the covers. Dylan: hermetic,
highbrow, literary, arrogantly challenging. The face is a provocation, whether
framed by a cat and a woman in red or a Triumph motorcycle T-shirt and a
headless photographer. Will you dare to
meet my eyes? The Beatles: distorted, hair longer than long, eyes turned
away – all except Lennon, looking at us but also looking within, clearly baked.
Will you dare to look at what we’re
seeing?
“Dylan created a novelistic mass of
characters and situations in ‘115th Dream’ and ‘Desolation Row,’ but
the Beatles began developing their own individual characters. Lennon could not
have shown the Continental grace of ‘Michelle’ any more than McCartney could
have summoned the wry confession of ‘Norwegian Wood.’ Harrison, for the first
time, assumes the role of spiritual pundit, and tells us to ‘Think for
Yourself.’ The songwriting Beatles debut their distinct sensibilities here; the
seeds of the White Album, and their later breakup, are thereby planted.
“I agree that this LP is the first one
where the US edition is aesthetically superior to the UK one – deemphasizing
rock (‘Drive My Car,’ ‘What Goes On’), highlighting an introverted-acoustic
folk sensibility, and resulting in a more coherent 12-song, 30-minute
statement. Lennon’s ‘Run for Your Life’ is the only false moment – a blast of
misogyny that sits poorly with the tenderness of ‘In My Life’ or ‘Wait.’ (It’s
also a blatant plagiarism of ‘Baby Let’s Play House’ from Elvis’ Sun sessions.)
Might not ‘Yesterday,’ another song from the UK edition of Help!, have made a more fitting end to the album?”
“Rubber
Soul seemed the first Beatles' album released in the U.S. more or less
to correspond to its U.K. counterpart, 1965 being rather late in the game to
issue the themed Beatle musical think pieces recorded at the same session
rather than grab-bags of singles from one and meat and potatoes from another
two or three,” posed photographer and music journalist Heather Harris, who
witnessed the Beatles’ 1964-1966 Southern California concerts.
“Therefore, American fans could rejoice simultaneously with their
British our new musical heroes waxed experimental while still remaining front
runners in the pop game. Brian Wilson wasn't the only one who noticed.
Harpsichord, Franglais, actual threatened violence, Dylantries et al. stewed
and brewed through ... the world's best- selling pop band?! We teens reveled in
the high caliber of largesse from these songwriters, only to find it
successively topped in the 2 years to come with Revolver and Sgt.
Pepper. Acute bliss.
“Lastly,
psychedelic font lettering on an anamorphic stretch photo by Robert Freeman,
exponent of natural and directional lighting, and director of Performance-type
precursor insofar as it deftly balanced fey pop culture and butch violence,
The Touchables. That cover: pure
inspiration, in and of itself and to anyone interested in the field of graphic
art, photography and trailblazing visuals...”
“Remember when
record stores had separate sections for Mono and Stereo? It was in one of them
I bought my first Beatles record. I was living in Milwaukee, working as an
actor at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and reading beatnik poetry,
Ferlinghetti, Corso and others, in schools,” recalled music scholar,
photographer, deejay and author, Roger Steffens.
“My friends were nearly all artists of
various edge-busting kinds, with music as a common chord. We had begun dropping
LSD and looked for albums that understood that experience and turned it into
art. But that album would be Revolver. Rubber Soul was
the pot album. At least according to John.
“By 1965 we knew that the Beatles were always
trying to top what they had done before. My copy is mono, just the way they
wanted it to be heard. On the bottom of the back cover, it reads: ‘This
monophonic microgroove recording is playable on monophonic and stereo
phonographs. It cannot become obsolete. It will continue to be
a source of outstanding sound reproduction, providing the finest monophonic
performance from any phonograph.’ (italics mine). Essentially an acoustic
album, half a century later, it fulfills that promise.
“It was the album that took the Beatles’
audience out of the One Direction screaming teenage groups category and began
insinuating their seductively sumptuous sound into hipsters’ pricked ears.
“It was the first album in which the boys
took over everything, including the cover. Oddly enough ‘rubber’ soul
meant ersatz soul, plastic soul. But there’s nothing insincere in these tracks.
It’s George’s favorite album, heavily influenced by herb.
“‘Norwegian Wood’ is John’s first
confessional, predating his first solo album by half a decade and introducing a
nascent eastern influence as George plays a sitar on record for the first time.
‘“Think for Yourself’ utilizes the LSD
prophet Timothy Leary’s famous dictum, coming into notoriety at that time: ‘Think
for yourself/question authority,’ although it’s ostensibly a love song.
The Beatles were taught early to use personal pronouns in their titles –
‘I, Me, Mine,’ You, Your - to create the most appealing way to control the
emotional effects of songs about the various aspects of love. As Bob Marley
once noted, ‘what’s so bad about telling people to love one another?’
“Another eastern instrument is introduced in
‘The Word,’ on which the only person who can legitimately claim to be The Fifth
Beatle, producer George Martin, plays the harmonium. Here love is
depersonalized to a philosophical principle. “It’s so fine, it’s sunshine, it’s
the word love.” And Paul declares, “I’m here to show everybody the light,” his
first admission that their music is meant to be transformative and
enlightening. Teacher Paul.
"‘It’s Only Love’ is another sneaky attempt by
John to include some drug references: “I get high when I see you walk by,” but
not as overt as the smoke-sucking licks on “Girl,” a ravishing ballad about
sexual frustration. And then there’s the Beatles singing tit-tit-tit-tit in the
background, wanting so much to shock like kids in middle school, smirking
through the take.
"‘I’m Looking Through You’ is like an acidic
revelation, seeing the image behind the illusion. And then there’s the
transcendent ‘In My Life,’ which John considers his first real major piece of
work. With George Martin on an Elizabethan piano solo recorded at half speed,
“In my life, I love you more,” has become a wedding perennial.
“But the album seems a bit unbalanced at the
end, with the misogynistic ‘Run For Your Life’ and its harrowing,
no-doubt-about-it threat: ‘I’d rather see you dead little girl than to be with
another man’ a death knell for “I want to hold your hand” sentiments. And a
prophecy of ‘Helter Skelter’ proportions.
“Rubber Soul is an album I shall
never stop playing. Like Astral Weeks and Moondance, it
and Revolver are of a pair, and of a time; irretrievable and
absolutely essential,” concluded wordsmith Steffens.
“With their own, unique version of Rubber Soul American Capitol finally got it right,” claimed proud
Canadian Beatlemaniac Gary Pig Gold.
“Up until then of course, all of
Parlophone’s precious Fab LP’s had been thoroughly sliced, diced and, I quote,
Prepared for release in the U.S.A. with the assistance of Dave Dexter, Jr. With
varying degrees of success, shall we say. But no sooner had John Lennon caught
sight – not to mention sound – of Capitol’s slap-dash ‘very special movie
soundtrack souvenir album’ for Help! than
the (in)famous Dex was given the heave-ho by the powers-that-were at EMI’s
London HQ, leaving substitute Capitol international A&R exec Bill Miller’s
staff to assemble a Rubber Soul for
1965’s all-important North American Christmas market.
“And what a fine job they did! For the
first time leaving the Beatles’ U.K. cover photos and graphics of choice intact
– one of the Sixties’ most iconic long-playing images, absolutely – Miller’s
men cobbled together what some still profess to be a ‘folk-rock’ blend
containing two left-over numbers from the British Help! LP while removing several of the rougher, as in fully
plugged-in tracks from Rubber Soul U.K.
In doing so however, the core of the band’s intricate original running order
was wisely left as-is and the ultra-refreshing result was a slightly more
‘mellow’ perhaps (‘mature’ was the word many startled reviewers used in ‘65)
package from those hitherto poppy-go-lucky mop-tops.
“Nevertheless, discriminating ears
from Los Angeles to the Canadian Laurentians immediately took notice … not the
least of which to the very air of savvy sophistication – though some detected
second-hand jazz-cigarette smoke as well – which permeated the entire
proceedings, from Lennon’s provocatively fishy-eyed ‘I dare you to find anything wrong with this’ gaze on the front cover
to the Strat ‘n’ sitar-soaked sounds within. Why, for starters as we all know,
no less than a certain Beach Boy, upon first removing Rubber Soul from his turntable, immediately vowed to ‘answer’ it
asap by himself making ‘the greatest album ever!’ And if, because of that
challenge alone, the American Rubber Soul
should be hailed, even a half-century later, as a resounding, unqualified
utterly game-changing success.”
Gary also supplied these amazing vintage artifacts ...
“Rubber Soul is the Beatles album that illuminates the simple fact that when
you strip away some of the early Beatles raw electric energy and manic song
power -- you simply find that more endless talent awaits you, to positively
blow your mind in this new semi-acoustic setting,” stressed music and radio
business veteran, Elliot Kendall.
“Focusing on the American version for now, Rubber
Soul current personal favorites include the defiant Harrison track ‘Think for
Yourself’ with its attitude-packed 6-string fuzz bass (furiously played by
McCartney) and subversive funky rhythm section. Is it the Ghost of Motown's
Funk Brothers (specifically bassist James Jamerson and rhythm section spirits)
who pay a brief mystical visit to this musical space? Take a closer listen next
time you spin.
“‘The Word’ is positively pulpit-pounding
evangelist action. This track bears repeated listening for a multitude of
reasons, a few listed here: Lennon's vocal is nothing less than a man let loose
with the truth, with the driven need to share his newfound revelations with the
world. So...how about a stack of those bad ones for our research, Winston O'
Boogie?
“Lyrical intimacy rules the aura of this
album. On ‘Girl’ Lennon is positively confessional. The Greek-inspired acoustic
guitar work (evoking an old world bouzouki) only serves to underscore the
emotion and reflective surrender of this piece.
“Romantic disillusionment haunts both
McCartney-led tracks ‘You Won't See Me’ and ‘"I'm Looking Through You,’
both tracks said to be inspired by the state of his then-relationship with Jane
Asher. Both are loaded with daring innovation and a new sophistication
previously unheard in pop recordings, as with the entire album.
“Rubber Soul had no single released
in the U.S., which is bewildering in hindsight,” admits Kendall. ‘“Drive My Car’
and ‘Nowhere Man’ (both included on the UK versions) were released as singles
on both sides of the pond, but not included on the American LP pressings.”
“‘Day Tripper’ and ‘We Can Work It Out’ were
already available as a two-sided singles,” reminisced writer Paul Body. “Help! had been out for the Summer of
Yesterday. Now Rubber Soul to end the
year on a quiet note. Of course, the import and domestic versions of Rubber Soul were different, but that was
cool. You either bought the domestic version at Sears or bounced over to Lewin
Record Paradise on Hollywood Blvd. to get the import.
“It seemed like a perfect Winter album, all
dark and moody. They had come a long way from ‘I Want to Hold Hand.’ It was
cool to hear ‘Nowhere Man’ on the album before it was a single never will
forget that when I saw them LIVE George Beatle played that cool lead break, and
I remember you could hear that bell sound at the end, even in Chavez Ravine.
The harmonies were stunning on ‘If I Needed Someone.’ The Hollies covered it,
but the Beatles version was the ONE. ‘Michelle’ was great to listen to on a
cold winter night, felt like Paris.
“Yeah, the Mop Tops had come a long way.
The Country stomp of ‘I’m Looking Through You’ made you want to dance the
European grimness of ‘Girl,’ sounded like something from a Truffaut movie, all
black turtle neck and black beret chic. Francois Hardy. ‘In My Life’ was sad
then and it’s sadder now. Yeah, Rubber
Soul was pointing towards the future and what a future it turned out to
be.”
Rubber Soul is a complex album musically. It’s unexpected chord sequences
made it especially attractive to jazz musicians who dug the LP.
Alto and flute player Bud Shank had a MOR hit
single with “Michelle;” the Paul Horn Quintet cut a rendition of “Norwegian
Wood.” Flautist Horn was a practitioner of transcendental meditation and was with the Beatles on their
India trip in 1968.
English
jazz pianist Gordon Beck in 1967 released Experiments in Pop, with a
version of “Norwegian Wood (The Bird Has Flown)” featuring guitarist John
McLaughlin.
The
Big Band Swing Face 1967 live album by Buddy Rich and his Big
Band contained arranger Bill Holman chart of “Norwegian Wood.” Duke Ellington
and his orchestra on the February 22, 1970 Ed Sullivan Show performed
“Norwegian Wood” during a dazzling medley of Beatles’ tunes.
“We did Rubber
Soul Jazz for Randy Wood who had Mirwood Records,” recalled keyboardist and
arranger Don Randi.
“Wood was formerly with Vee-Jay Records. I
loved the music from the start. If not the first fusion album one of the first
to combine the feeling of jazz and rock together. Marshall Leib worked for
Randy Wood at the Mirwood label, and he heard me playing these songs at
Sherry’s Restaurant on the Sunset Strip and asked if I would like to do the album.
“Half
the people on the Rubber Soul Jazz sessions were American Federation of
Musicians Local 47 Hollywood union members. I arranged it. Marshall produced
it. Dave Hassinger was the engineer. We could do the music instantly, and it
made it easier for everybody else. We stayed constant so that they got used to
dealing with a constant rhythm section.
A band that plays together and listens to each other. Because we had the
ability to do that. We didn’t have to do 20 takes.”
“In 1967 ‘...twenty years ago today’
represented a lifetime to a twenty-year-old listening for the first time to the
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band lyrics,” pondered Michael Fremer, deejay,
writer, editor of The
Tracking Angle.
“Sixty years
ago, was then an unimaginable dark expanse of time. Yet here we are, on the Sixtieth
anniversary of Rubber Soul's release, still writing and talking about an
album that today twenty year olds still listen to — some of us lucky enough to
be able to pull from a shelf and play the very vinyl copy we bought in the fall
of 1965 and hear it sounding as clean and fresh as it did that memorable first
play (and sounding more life-like than any tinny digital reissue).
“Sixty years later it feels to me like
yesterday (though my troubles don't seem so far away) that after counting down
the days to its arrival there, I drove down the hill from Cornell to a
hole-in-the-wall Ithaca, New York record store to buy that copy.
“Back then, you may have heard on an AM radio
station about a record's release (we listened to ‘clear station’ WWKB 1520, in
Buffalo, New York for all things Beatles) but you didn't get to see the 12x12
cover art until you confronted it in person.
“I can still see myself standing in front
of the counter, gasping at the solemn faces of the even longer haired quartet,
who last time I met them were like carefree kids. ‘Uh oh,’ I remember telling
myself, ‘What's wrong? Did I miss something? What happened? Rubber Soul?
They don't look so bouncy. Am I going to have to get somber now too?’
“I remember putting the record on my Dual
1009SK turntable and the Koss Pro 4A headphones on my head and lying in my
frat-house bed for that first listen. ‘What? Is this a country and western
album? Is that why George is wearing a cowboy outfit on the back cover?’ Then
comes a sitar (not that I knew what it was) and ‘having a girl’ or her ‘having
me.’ ‘She said it's time for bed?’ Not in my world! What's that weird fuzzy
sound? ‘The word is good?’ Lyrics in French?
“And that was just side one!
“It's
doubtful young streaming music listeners today will remember sixty years hence
where they were when they first streamed music that a half-century later still
holds meaning for them. They pay nothing
and sixty years from now they will have nothing.”
In his SiriusXM satellite radio duties,
deejay and guitarist/musical director in Bruce Springsteen & the E Street
Band, Steven Van Zandt programs Beatles’ recordings, devotes shows to them, and
spins their catalog on vinyl and in mono on his Underground Garage channel.
“As far as the Beatles in mono, there
was something physical as well that the analog medium communicated that digital
never will,” emphasized Van Zandt.
“It doesn't really matter, of course,
unless you’re listening to it on vinyl anyway and we know whatever they used
will be a relief compared to the various, sometimes absurd, and usually
terrible stereo versions.
“I had probably five lengthy
conversations with [Apple Records’] Neil Aspinall over the last ten years of
his life. In every one I begged him to put out the original configurations in
the original mono. At first, he couldn’t quite understand why I was so
passionate about it.
“By the third conversation he realized I
was never going to stop bugging him about it and started seriously considering,
not if, but when it could get done. He always had one distraction after the
other, the Las Vegas thing [LOVE]
took a lot of his time, but I'm sure he put it in motion before he left us.
Anyway, I'm very glad it got done.”
During 1974 as a music journalist, I
attended a press conference in Beverly Hills at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel when
George Harrison was announcing his first US solo tour. His remarks were published
in the November 2, 1974, issue of Melody
Maker.
On meeting the Beatles, Harrison said, “Biggest
break in my career was getting into the Beatles. In retrospect, the biggest
break since then was getting out of them.”
Was he amazed about how much the Beatles
still mean to people?
“Not really. I mean, it’s nice. I realize
the Beatles did fill a space in the Sixties. All the people the Beatles meant
something to have grown up. It’s like anything you grow up with — you get
attached to things.
“I understand the Beatles in many ways did
nice things, and it’s appreciated that people still like them. They want to
hold on to something. People are afraid of change. You can’t live in the past.”
I first
met Sir George Martin at The Hollywood Bowl in 1996. He had sent me a note in
the mail after hearing a recording I produced, praised my work, and invited me
to the soundcheck at the legendary venue when he prepared a tribute event that
showcased the repertoire of the Beatles. A true pleasure being on that stage
with him.
I spoke to Martin again in 2006 at Capitol
Records Studio B. It was at a playback party for the Beatles’ LOVE.
George talked about a Frank Sinatra
recording session he saw in this same room on his first visit to Hollywood in
1958.
The British EMI label sent him over the
Atlantic after Martin was invited by Capitol label executive Voyle Gilmore to
visit the American division. Martin described that ’58 booking when Frank
Sinatra was backed by Billy May’s orchestra while actress Lauren Bacall was in
attendance. The songs were eventually placed on Sinatra’s Come Fly With Me
LP.
We chatted for a few minutes. I thanked
Martin for discovering and signing the Beatles to their British record label
deal. I complimented his persistent determination, along with Brian Epstein, in
prodding Capitol Records to have faith in Martin’s groundbreaking
Parlophone/EMI recordings with the boys in 1963.
One of Martin’s productions by the Beatles
started playing in the studio.
Try hearing their sound over custom
TAD monitors inside Capitol Records…George autographed an album, put his arm
around me and smiled, “Pretty good stuff. Don’t you think?”
And this from UMG / Apple ..
In October, 2026, UMG and Apple Corps Ltd. are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of an expanded Special Edition of The Beatles’ landmark 1965 album Rubber Soul. Newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell, the collection presents the album in stunning new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes, alongside the original mono mix, the original Capitol U.S. Album version, and expanded with previously unreleased session recordings and home demos, and the contemporary double A-side single, “Day Tripper” / “We Can Work It Out.”
First released on December 3rd, 1965, Rubber Soul marked a pivotal moment in The Beatles' evolution. Arriving at the end of a year that saw John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr reach artistic and commercial heights, the album revealed a band pushing beyond the conventions of pop music and embracing a more adventurous approach to songwriting and recording.
Recorded over four weeks during October and November of 1965, following the band's record-breaking concert to more than 55,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York, Rubber Soul captured The Beatles at a creative crossroads. Featuring classics including “Drive My Car,” “Norwegia nWood (This Bird Has Flown),” “Nowhere Man,” “Michelle,” “Girl” and “In M yLife,” the album saw The Beatles experiment with new instruments, sounds and recording techniques, and is widely regarded as having pioneered the long-form pop album as an art form.
Widely heralded as one of the greatest albums of all time and a milestone in the evolution of the pop album, Rubber Soul reflects the start of a period when, unburdened by concert, radio or film commitments, The Beatles’ music, ideas and unbridled creative ambitions began to truly flourish.
All of the new Rubber Soul formats feature the album's new stereo mix, sourced directly from the original four-track master tapes. The audio is brought to the fore in stunning clarity with the help of cutting-edge de-mixing technology developed by the award-winning sound team led by Emile de la Rey at Peter Jackson's Wing Nut Films Productions Ltd., while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original recordings.
The forthcoming reissue brings together all 14 new stereo mixes for the first time, while the expanded editions open the studio doors on the making of Rubber Soul. Across the Super Deluxe collections, fans can explore 24 early session recordings, including 20 previously unreleased takes and three previously unreleased home demos - among them early versions of “Day Tripper” and “We Can Work It Out,” plus “Little Girl,”a previously unheard John Lennon song outline never before released or even rumored. The collections also include the original mono album, the original Capitol U.S. album version and the 1965 double A-side single, while the 2CD and2LP Special Editions feature a curated selection of session highlights, demos and the single.
The 4CD and 5LP Super Deluxe editions are accompanied by an 88-page hardbound book featuring a brand new written introduction by Paul McCartney, and a foreword compiled from John Lennon’s own words, bringing together reflections on Rubber Soul from across his life, including the years following The Beatles’ break-up. The two pieces offer a unique perspective on the making and enduring impact of the album, alongside rare photographs, in-depth album background and track notes.
Rubber Soul will be available in standard 1CD and 1LP editions, 2CD and 2LP Special Editions, and 4CD and 5LPSuper Deluxe editions. The collection will also be available on Blu-ray, featuring the new Dolby Atmos mix, high-resolution stereo audio and promotional films for “Day Tripper” and “We Can Work It Out,” alongside limited-edition orange vinyl and D2C exclusive Zoetrope vinyl editions.
The Beatles remain one of the most successful and influential acts in history. More than five decades after their split, their music continues to resonate across generations, from fans who lived through Beatlemania in the 1960s to new audiences discovering “Hey Jude”and “Let It Be” through streaming and social media. Beyond record sales, they reshaped fashion, youth culture, songwriting and album production, sparked the “British Invasion” in America, and redefined popular music with groundbreaking albums like "Rubber Soul" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Their legacy continues to draw millions of visitors to landmarks such as Abbey Road Studios, where fans still flock to recreate the iconic Abbey Road crossing photo. In an announcement made earlier this month 3 Savile Row, the location of their iconic rooftop concert, is to be made into the first official fan experience, opening in 2027. Looking ahead, an eagerly anticipated four-film Beatles cinematic event is set for release in April, 2028, through Sony Pictures Entertainment and Neal Street Productions. The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film. Directed by Sam Mendes, it will star Harris Dickinson (John Lennon), Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr), Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney) and Joseph Quinn (George Harrison).
Speaking of The Beatles, here's another milestone coming up that's worth mentioning ...
https://rockcellarmagazine.com/breakfast-with-the-beatles-40th-anniversary/?utm_source=Rock+Cellar+Subscriber+Sign-Up+Popup&utm_campaign=40e87e450f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_8_26_2021_9_13_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_141dd5f77a-40e87e450f-524395303&mc_cid=40e87e450f&mc_eid=f8f75f98ed
And how about this ...
Three albums by Beatles Producer George Martin, originally released in the '60's and now long out of print, are being released in CD form on November 6th. (Martin would have turned 100 this year.) kk
https://theseconddisc.com/2026/09/24/three-solo-albums-sir-george-martin-cd-lp-digital/
And Timmy sent us this ...
(Can you believe there was a time when teachers were actually picketing against the use of calculators?!?!?)
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