Using the research and insights of mathematician and Beatle fan Professor Jason I. Brown, and personal experiences at Abbey Road Studios by Canadian musician Randy Bachman, the podcast un-picks just how The Beatles (with producer George Martin) achieved a chord that has tantalised musicians now for over fifty years…..
There is also a very short Sum of All Parts “bonus” episode, ‘Slow Down, George Solo-son’. Also well worth a listen.
The exact dates that these are to be available is a little confusing. On the official Beatles merchandise site it says “coming soon”, while on the manufacturers site (Sound Leisure Classic Jukeboxes in Yorkshire, England) the spectacular player appears to be available for order already – at a cool £8,995 which includes delivery to mainland UK addresses.
The machine will be distributed in the US and Canada by Deer Park Distributing and will have its official launch at the global consumer technology trade show CES in Las Vegas in January.
Rather than being mass-produced, each jukebox is being hand-made to order. And that is for a period of two years. After that – no more. If you have the cash, this does look like an opportunity to obtain a unique, limited and hand-crafted official Beatle item.
The jukebox holds seventy 7″ records – although it is not clear whether these are supplied as part of the purchase price. If you don’t have seventy 45’s to fill it, never fear. The Sgt. Pepper jukebox has Bluetooth – so it can also stream digital music from anywhere.
It features officially sanctioned artwork from the iconic 1967 album cover – and we’ve gotta admit it looks VERY cool.
As to the question of these jukeboxes being hand-made to order, take a look at this intriguing video showing how each one is put together. You’ll get a clear idea of the care and workmanship involved:
Sound Leisure has been manufacturing high quality Jukeboxes in Yorkshire since 1978. Still family owned, the company remains one of only two traditional jukebox manufacturers in the world. In addition to hand building a wide range of classic styled CD and digital jukeboxes they are the only manufacturer to be producing a vinyl playing jukebox.
Along with the news about the Beatles’Christmas Records box set (due out on December 15), there’ll also be available – on that same day – a picture disc edition of the 2017 stereo re-master/re-mix of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band:
To date there is no information about how the picture disc will be packaged. However, we do know that it will be joined by a single-disc black vinyl version of the 2017 re-mix of Sgt. Pepper (the initial vinyl release was a two record set):
Plus, if you fancy yourself as a bit of an audiophile and into the best sound you can get, there’ll be a high-definition digital audio download version of Sgt.Pepper’s available in 96 kHz/24 bit quality.
It will basically be the same running order as the two-disc Deluxe Anniversary CD which features the new Giles Martin 2017 stereo mix, plus 18 additional tracks.
These include complete alternate takes for each of Pepper’s 13 songs, plus the 2017 stereo mix and an instrumental take of ‘Penny Lane’, and the 2015 stereo mix and two complete alternate takes of ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ – all in 96 kHz/24 bit…..
TheBeatles’Christmas Records were last officially released together in one package (a single LP issued to fan club members only) way back in 1970:
Prior to that, starting in 1963, the Official Beatles Fan Club in Britain and in the US sent members a one-sided flexi disc each December containing Christmas greetings and lots of larking about by the Fab Four. The flexi discs were each housed in unique covers:
Now, Apple Records and Universal Music are reissuing all seven discs as coloured vinyl 45’s:
The Christmas Records ‘limited edition’ box set will be accompanied by a booklet and will be released on December 15 this year.
The seven individually coloured vinyl discs are:
1963: “The Beatles’ Christmas Record” (one-sided, duration: 5’00)
Recorded: 17 October 1963 – Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
Recorded: 26 October 1964 – Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
1965: “The Beatles’ Third Christmas Record” (one-sided, duration: 6’20)
Recorded: 8 November 1965 – Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
1966: “Pantomime – Everywhere It’s Christmas: The Beatles’ Fourth Christmas Record” (one-sided, duration: 6’36) Recorded: 25 November 1966 – Dick James Music, New Oxford Street, London
1967: “Christmas Time (Is Here Again): The Beatles’ Fifth Christmas Record” (one-sided, duration: 6’06) Recorded: 28 November 1967 – Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
1968: “The Beatles’ Sixth Christmas Record” (two-sided, duration: 7’48) Recorded: 1968, various locations
1969: “The Beatles’ Seventh Christmas Record” (two-sided, duration: 7’39) Recorded: 1969, various locations
If you want to get a better idea of some of the Christmas Records frivolity check out this medley of all seven discs, mashed together by Tom Teeley.
We’d been aware of course of Paul McCartney’s numerous foray’s into the world of classical music. Over the years there have been a number of his compositions released, including his first major work Liverpool Oratorio – which dates back to 1991.
This was issued on 2 CDs, double cassette (remember them?), and as a two LP box set.
There were also two CD singles released from the work, ‘The World You’re Coming Into’ and ‘Save The Child’:
What we weren’t aware of for quite some time was that a year after these initial releases there came a further CD called Selections From Liverpool Oratorio. This was issued in October, 1992. Despite the fact that the album is clearly represented on McCartney’s official discography we’d completely overlooked it’s existence.
Selections From Liverpool Oratorio gathers together on one CD all the most important songs for those people who don’t want to buy the full double CD version – which has a lot of connecting pieces and incidental music included.It comes in a single jewel case with a very thick booklet containing an introduction by Paul McCartney, a longer article about the background to the work, plus a libretto with all the words to the songs:The track listing:The CD’s rear cover, and its distinctive yellow spines:The EMI Classics logo is prominently displayed throughout, but so too is McCartney’s own mpl company logo.
Before The Paul McCartney Archive Collection series first began being released in 2010 there was another, less ambitious attempt to re-issue McCartney’s extensive back-catalogue.
This was back in 1993 with a series of discs simply called The Paul McCartney Collection.
It was CD-only and just one disc per issue, and there were sixteen titles included in all. The first eight were released on June 7th, 1993, and the remainder on August 9th the same year.
Each disc (except for the albums McCartney and Wings Greatest Hits) has at least two and sometimes up to four bonus tracks – usually singles that never made it onto albums, or the hard-to-find B-sides of singles as well. There’s a complete list here.
We never purchased these back in the day, and so in recent years have slowly (and I mean very slowly) been picking them off one-by-one. As of last week we now have the complete 16 CDs.
The most difficult to track down (and as a result the most expensive) have been Wings’ Wings Wild Life and Back To The Egg. It also took us ages to secure a reasonably priced copy of Red Rose Speedway:
The easiest to find (and cheapest) are Band on the Run and Wings Greatest Hits.
Medium difficulty would be London Town and Venus and Mars. Here’s a Canadian pressing of London Town: [click on images to see a larger version]
Seems the confusion over the availability of eight limited-edition, coloured vinyl versions of Paul McCartney’sArchive Series releases (so far) has been cleared up.
After a week of silence on just how and where these could be purchased, both the Universal Music UK and Universal Music US sites are now listing them again as being available for pre-order, with a shipping date of November 17th. However, there’s still a lot of confusion in the UK over the pricing of the coloured vinyl editions….
Who'd have thought actually buying a record could be so difficult. Third price in 12 days for the AWOL Macca coloured vinyl pressings and now apparently out of stock almost instantly https://t.co/h9RttqG641pic.twitter.com/pfOoKsc45O
Meanwhile, there’s even more news on the coloured vinyl front.
The official Record Store Day site has this week confirmed that two Paul McCartney vinyl singles (one red, one green) will be available in limited numbers as part of their Black Friday special event.
The red single will be PaulMcCartney and Jimmy Fallon (backed by The Roots) singing a version of ‘Wonderful Christmastime’. The B-side is Norah Jones singing ‘Peace’ (recorded live at the Sheen Centre).
The green single will have the same version of ‘Wonderful Christmastime’, but this time the B-side will be a song called ‘Jesus Christ’ performed by The Decemberists.
Only 3,500 of each are being pressed apparently, so it looks like these may join a 2012 McCartney RSD Black Friday coloured vinyl Christmas release, ‘The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)’. This was also issued on red and green vinyl in very limited numbers. Both have become a rare and collectable items.
If you miss out on the vinyl singles then you can always pick up the song ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ on the CD Holidays Rule – Volume 2 which was released on October 13th:
Five days on from the official announcement on the Paul McCartney website that there are to be eight titles in the McCartneyArchive Collection series re-issued as single discs on the Capitol label (on CD, black vinyl and limited coloured vinyl), confusion reigns about just how anyone can actually order the coloured vinyl.
Both McCartney’s own site, and the Universal Music store site included links to order these but by the weekend both had been quickly taken down. The Universal link is just dead (and again here), while the official McCartney links for each album have since been altered and only take you through to the US Amazon site where there is no mention of the coloured vinyl whatsoever. The links are clearly for the black vinyl editions only.
Many online stores over the weekend quickly put up their own images and prices – both for individual coloured LPs and bundles – but these too have since been either completely taken down (for example SoundStage Direct in the US), or now carry an apology (for example the Bull Moose store) stating that they’ve been asked by the artist and the label NOT to sell these titles online.
To quote collectors on the Steve Hoffman Music Forums thread, many of whom have preordered and paid their money before the links just disappeared:
“Seriously, what a mess. I was actually stoked about this. Now i can see it’s probably not going to be easy…..”.
and:
“Yes I’m worried about sites filling the orders. If the link was pulled from Paul’s site on the official announcement then I would worry about them being filled at any other site [too]. I have them pre ordered thru the link that was on his site and even thru that I’m worried I won’t get them. They seem very limited and none of the sites seem to be able to confirm they will honor the pre orders.”
It has to be said that this looks like a complete and utter stuff up my MPL and Capitol. They’ve gone into print and raised expectations, but they haven’t thought through what they were publicising, nor communicated how fans and collectors could get their hands on these eight coloured vinyl editions. Pretty bad form and does not auger well for the McCartney/Capitol/UMe relationship.
UPDATE: This just in from the Record Store Day site: Indie record stores are the ONLY physical retailers in the US to have the limited edition colored vinyl versions…..
“When I was going through it, I was just struck by the elegance of the composition and how much they fit the era that I grew up in music, and again made me think how much I wouldn’t have even had the life I had if George Martin hadn’t done what he did,” Leon said. “He bridged the gap between an interpretive producer and a creative producer, which was the thing that I wanted to do.”
The recording will be out on November 10 on CD and digital download on the Atlas Realisations label. Then, in January 2018 to celebrate George Martin’s birthday, a 2LP vinyl edition will also be released.
The track listing:
1-5 The Pepperland Suite (Original music written for the film Yellow Submarine)
6-9 Live and Let Die Suite (Original music written for the film Live And Let Die)
10-12 Three American Sketches for Violin & Chamber Orchestra
13 Judy’s Theme
14-16 Under Milk Wood Overture (Incidental music to Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas)
17 Belle Etoile (* First recording)
18 Waltz in D Minor for Flute & Chamber Orchestra
19 Prelude for Strings
20-29 The Mission Chorales (* First recording of the original sketches written for the film The Mission)
And here’s a short background video featuring Craig Leon talking about how the project evolved:
As the front cover says: “From the first take to final remix, discover the making of the greatest pop recordings of all time”. It is the first installment of what will be a four-book series.
Volume 1 takes us in great detail through the albums Please Please Me, With The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night, and Beatles For Sale.
Over eight years in the making, Jerry Hammack has collected and analysed hundreds of recordings (takes, outtakes, remixes and the officially released versions), read hundreds of books and magazine articles, scoured photos, film and videos, and interviewed key personnel who worked on Beatle sessions to compile a definitive statement about just how each of their classic recordings was made.
From his home in Toronto, Canada, Hammack explained, “I’d be working on a session and an artist would ask for McCartney’s bass sound on Sgt. Pepper, or Clapton’s solo guitar sound on ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. While I could eventually track down the details that brought those sounds to life for them, it required a lot of detective work sorting through outdated, or even worse, unsubstantiated misinformation on the topic. As The Beatles influence is as present now as its ever been, I thought it was important to put those questions to rest.”
And put them to rest he does. The Beatles Recording Reference Manual – Volume 1 – ‘My Bonnie’ through ‘Beatles For Sale’ (1961-1964) includes song-by-song descriptions of the entire recording process, complete with diagrams to visually describe what happened with each song. This allows the reader to follow the critical milestones of each work. Every entry has detailed session by session breakdowns of the people involved, instruments and studio tools used. Plus there are numerous appendices at the back of the book covering release versions, gear, and more.
You’ll find in this book minute detail – right down to the studio gear in the control room at the time – like this beautiful old Telefunken M10 Master Recorder (which was the model used to record masses of the band’s earliest songs):
The book also has what I very much like to see in reference works of this nature: a Glossary of Terms, a thorough Bibliography, and a comprehensive Index, making things easy to find and cross reference.
Future volumes in this definitive, four-volume series will be released approximately every 6 months. Jerry Hammack has created a great website to support the book series, and you can purchase his book direct from the site, or through Amazon (where you can also take a “Look Inside” peek at the contents). Here’s the rear cover of Volume 1 (click the image for a larger version):
Volume 2 will take us from Help! to Revolver (1965-1966); Volume 3 will look just at 1967 (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour); and the final in the series Volume 4 takes in the LPs The Beatles (aka The White Album, through to Abbey Road (1968-1970). Really well worth getting hold of if you love to delve into how Beatle magic was made in the recording studio.
[click on images to see a larger version]
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