George Harrison

[Escondido Bound]

Originally Posted by Del Pickup

Oh well, at least there's some chance of getting a copy of the movie sometime - just don't hold your breath waiting for it!

As an aside, while I really liked the original version of the Let It Be album, I never liked the orchestral arrangements on the ballads so I really enjoyed the Naked version of the album that came out a few years ago. It seems even more 'live' than the original version - almost like you're in the studio at the sessions.

Del Pickup, thanks for convincing me to listen to the "Naked" version again. You are absolutely right: a much better-sounding record. I still miss the chatter, and how could Paul drop "Dig It," which is the perfect lead-in to "Let It Be"? I suppose he recognized that "Dig It" tries to undermine the heaviness of "Let It Be," but I think the two together actually make for a very interesting juxtaposition.

All the same, the songs on "Naked" are truly what I wanted the original album to sound like as well. I regret leaving the CD on the shelf for the last three years. Thanks again!

EB

[Gary in Boston]

The Beatles weren't copying the Airplane rooftop thing. The Airplane were copying the Beatles session on Sailsbury Plains and on that beach in the Bahamas.

Gary

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by RichardM

The show was staged for the movie.
They played the same song three times to get the different camera angles.

If the cops hadn't stopped them, they would have continued to play the same song until the director was happy he had enough film "in the can'".

It was not a "rooftop concert"

Very true.
On the traded CD, one can hear the different versions of the song.

I think people just use the phrase "rooftop concert" because it is easier to say than "footage shot of repeated takes of various songs while the band played outside in the cold."
That's all.
I don't think anyone is under the impression that this was a "concert" of any kind.

[Escondido Bound]

Originally Posted by FirstBassman

Very true.
On the traded CD, one can hear the different versions of the song.

I think people just use the phrase "rooftop concert" because it is easier to say than "footage shot of repeated takes of various songs while the band played outside in the cold."
That's all.
I don't think anyone is under the impression that this was a "concert" of any kind.

And regardless of whether it is a concert, the fact that it is live and so good across multiple takes is part of what wows me. These guys hadn't played live together anywhere (to the best of my knowledge) since 1966. And there they are on a ROOF and sound great! Talk about bad acoustics, yet they sound fresh and still click.

Again, it is the reason that I think this more bare-bones direction could have really opened them up again. I like Abbey Road, don't get me wrong, but it is too big: the next step, as Jeff Lynne (sp?) rightly recognized, after Abbey Road is ELO. I like ELO, but ELO is not the Beatles. I feel like the White Album and Let It Be sessions reflect a better direction for the Beatles, but that's just me.

It's probably why I also think the Traveling Wilburys are one of the best post-Beatle projects of any of them. It has the same spontaneity and looseness of the best of both early and late Beatles, even with Jeff Lynne producing.

EB

[RichardM]

Originally Posted by FirstBassman

.....I think people just use the phrase "rooftop concert" because it is easier to say than "footage shot of repeated takes of various songs while the band played outside in the cold."
That's all.
I don't think anyone is under the impression that this was a "concert" of any kind.

At least one person did.

Does anyone else think about the cop and the person who called the cops to break up that spontaneous concert? .............

See Ya.

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by Escondido Bound

It's probably why I also think the Traveling Wilburys are one of the best post-Beatle projects of any of them. It has the same spontaneity and looseness of the best of both early and late Beatles, even with Jeff Lynne producing.

This is a bit of a hijack but not really since the name of the thread is George Harrison.
For some reason, someone video taped a lot of the Wilburys rehearsals and a lot of that footage made it to the Heartbreakers documentary DVD.
My favorite quote from the film:
George Harrison explaining what he enjoys about the TW:

"I really like the process of writing with other people. I didn't get to write with other people in my previous band."

"Previous band!?"
Really, George.
What band would that have been?

I think that little quote says a lot about how George felt.

[Gary in Boston]

I have done this for a long time. I will read ~ re read stories about let's say the Beatles in this case to try and research what the deal was on a given episode.

Weather it's the Beatles Gear book or the latest bio or even Cynthia Lennon's book I find it fascinating to read about an event from all the views.

There in lies the truth about the event. The latest bio and the Here There And Everywhere book paint an interesting picture on George in particular.
I get the vibe that Jeff Emeric (sp) didn't thing George was all that good. And Mona Best ( Pete's Mum) thought he was, "A cheeky wanker" and "Dower"

I personally thought George was an inventive guitarist that while not that profficiant in the now excepted way came up up with some very cool stuff. I am not sure that writing was his forte.


The rooftop concert as it was called to my memory only went on for a short time so I am not too sure there were that many multi takes on any given song.

My sister went to England in 73 and brought back a pant load of Beatle Bootlegs. One was called....... The Rooftop Concert. If memory serves Get back is done twice with everything else only really once through.

Again if memeory serves me. The Beatles, by that time in their lives were bored and sick of the scene. I have read where it was torture ( for John) just to show up for the sessions @ Twickenham Studios. Paul on the other hand was there early planning the days' work.

It's now common knowledge that Paul did a lot of the "famous" lead parts. I actually knew this in the late 60's because I had gone out of my way to buy British Beatle albums and there on the back of Rubber Souls in small text was, "Lead guitar unless otherwise specifide George Harrison" Hmm I thought in my youth. Is John playing lead guitar? That didn't make sense to me all though I knew he did on a few songs.

One last snapshot. One little quote I read about the 64 ~65 period of the Beatles went like this. The Beatles showed up at the studio @ 3:00PM and they were under pressure to writ between tours. Paul was there first followed by Ringo George then John. John and Paul went off to one corner of the studio and started to work feverishly on a song at the piano while Ringo played cards and George went to an oppossit corner and tried to desperately learn to play guitar

And I liked George but John was my favorite Beatle

Gary

[jimmybusk]

I kinda' wonder if we are scraping the bottom of the barrel for negativity, If we gotta' get it from "Pete Best's Mother" ..'But whats a Cheeky Wanger Anyway? You can not deny that "Something" is not a well written song. And The Mature solo in "till there was you" ,And The diminished and augmented chords,he was doing ,when the other guys were doin' "Louie Louie",Wasn't good. Besides,in the very begining,when it was pure,He had one of the best backround vocals in the bussiness........'But I respect your opinion,..It's just that I Idolized him since I was 8 years old.

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by Gary in Boston

I get the vibe that Jeff Emeric (sp) didn't thing George was all that good.

I would agree that it comes off quite clearly that Geoff Emerick did not think much of George.

The rooftop concert as it was called to my memory only went on for a short time so I am not too sure there were that many multi takes on any given song.

There were three repeated.
Here is the rooftop performance list (from the "Complete Rooftop Concert" traded CD):

Get Back (take 1)
Get Back (take 2)
Don't Let Me Down (take 1)
I've Got A Feeling (take 1)
One After 909
Dig A Pony
I've Got a Feeling (take 2)
Don't Let Me Down (take 2)
Get Back (take 3)
The Walk
Oh Darling
Maxwell's Silver Hammer
Across The Universe
Gone Gone Gone
Wake Up in the Morning
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
Sausages and French Fries
Stand by Me
Harry Pinkster
Two of Us

[Gary in Boston]

Hmm were these different takes complete takes of the songs? If I remember the old vinyl I had there was a couple of short takes of Get Back & Don't Let Me Down. They seemed shortened but I could be wrong. Where do you get that CD?

Gary

[garytelecastor]

Originally Posted by tcadam

But I wonder if the concert would be "legendary" if the cops hadn't broken it up.

The last time the Beatles got together to perform???
Yeah, it probably would have made an impact.

[garytelecastor]

Originally Posted by Escondido Bound

The last time they played together in public, yes, but not the last time the Beatles played together. The recording of Abbey Road comes after that rooftop concert. The Let It Be material precedes the Abbey Road material, and in fact, if I remember correctly, George is helping Ringo with the writing of "Octopus's Garden" in the movie.

I often find it interesting when people note how fragmented the Beatles seem in the movie and on that record, as though they didn't care anymore and could not function as a group any longer, and then Abbey Road pops out of them and suggests we are reading a bit more into the movie than is actually there.

EB

Who knows, I am sure someone does, but maybe this is how they accomplished the creative process.

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by Gary in Boston

Hmm were these different takes complete takes of the songs? If I remember the old vinyl I had there was a couple of short takes of Get Back & Don't Let Me Down. They seemed shortened but I could be wrong. Where do you get that CD?

Don't Let Me Down - Take 1 is 3:19. Take 2 is 3:17.

I've Got a Feeling - Take 1 is 5:28. Take 2 is 3:56.


"Traded CD" is a catch-all expression I often use for non commercially available CDs.
"Liberated boot" is probably more accurate.
It is availalbe sometimes on BitTorrent sites such as Dime A Dozen.

[David Barnett]

Originally Posted by FirstBassman

I would agree that it comes off quite clearly that Geoff Emerick did not think much of George.





There were three repeated.
Here is the rooftop performance list (from the "Complete Rooftop Concert" traded CD):

Get Back (take 1)
Get Back (take 2)
Don't Let Me Down (take 1)
I've Got A Feeling (take 1)
One After 909
Dig A Pony
I've Got a Feeling (take 2)
Don't Let Me Down (take 2)
Get Back (take 3)
The Walk
Oh Darling
Maxwell's Silver Hammer
Across The Universe
Gone Gone Gone
Wake Up in the Morning
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
Sausages and French Fries
Stand by Me
Harry Pinkster
Two of Us

That may be the track list of the CD, but they didn't play all those songs on the roof that day. I'm pretty sure none of the "Abbey Road" songs on that list were part of the "live" performance.

[FirstBassman]

I haven't listend to the whole CD in a long time.

However the question was about the issue of the multiple-take songs, nothing to do with Abby Road songs.

But I did listen to these songs last night:

Don't Let Me Down (take 1)
I've Got A Feeling (take 1)
One After 909
I've Got a Feeling (take 2)
Don't Let Me Down (take 2)

And though I am not an audio forensics expert, I can assure you that all of those were recorded "live" with a film crew yelling out instructions such as "take two!"

[metropolis74]

Originally Posted by Gary in Boston

George went to an oppossit corner and tried to desperately learn to play guitar

Gary

Incorrect in so many ways. George learned how to play guitar long before then. Playing an innumerable amount of gigs in Hamburg and the Cavern probably helped too

[ajgus]

Originally Posted by giginthesky

i heard it was elvis who called the cops.

I thought Elvis was a cop...

elvis_presley_and_richard_nixon.jpg

[David Barnett]

Originally Posted by FirstBassman

However the question was about the issue of the multiple-take songs, nothing to do with Abby Road songs.

You presented that CD's track list as though it were the list of songs performed on the roof in January 1969.

[hekawi]

the complete rooftop performance was as follows:

1. Setting-up. Michael Lindsay-Hogg shouts, "All cameras, take one!". The first song is a rehearsal of Get Back, the end of which is greeted with fairly polite applause which clearly reminds Paul of a cricket match, so he steps back to the microphone and mutters something about Ted Dexter (Sussex and England player of the time). John says, "We've had a request from Martin Luther."

2. Another version of Get Back. (The Let It Be film has a well-matched edit of these first two Get Back versions.) At the end of the song John says "Had a request for Daisy, Morris and Tommy."

3. Don't Let Me Down (Let It Be film), straight into...

4. I've Got A Feeling (Let It Be film and LP), with John saying at the end, "Oh, my soul... [applause]... so hard". (George sings a little on I've Got A Feeling; he is otherwise vocally silent during the rooftop performance.)

5. The One After 909, ending with John sarcastically reciting a line of the 1913 standard Danny Boy. (Let It Be film and LP, and Get Back LP.)

6. Dig A Pony, with a false start ("one, two, three, hold it [John blows nose] one, two, three"). Ends with John saying "Thank you brothers... hands too cold to play the chords." (Let It Be film and LP, although for the latter producer Phil Spector edited out the song's opening and closing "All I want is" vocal lines.) The eight-track tape also has a brief rehearsal of the song before it began, and John asking for the words. In the film an assistant can be seen kneeling before him with the lyrics attached to a clipboard.

7. Second engineer Alan Parsons has changed tapes, the first one being full. While waiting, the Beatles and Billy Preston have strummed through a quick version of the national anthem, God Save The Queen. The new tape catches a few seconds of this, but it is neither released on record nor seen in the film.

8. I've Got A Feeling, second rooftop version. (Not released on record or seen in the film.)

9. Don't Let Me Down, second rooftop version. (Not released on record or seen in the film), straight into...

10. Get Back, the third rooftop version, somewhat distracted owing to police presence, seeking to bring the show to a close. The song almost breaks down but lurches to a finish, with Paul ad-libbing "You've been playing on the roofs again, and you know your Momma doesn't like it, she's gonna have you arrested!" At the end Paul acknowledges the fervent applause and cheering from Ringo's wife Maureen with "Thanks, Mo" and then John, having stepped away from the microphone, returns to add, somewhat hammily, "I'd like to say 'thank you' on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition!" (Paul and John's comments, but not this Get Back song, were included on the unreleased Get Back LP. The Let It Be LP employs a skilful crossfade from the 28 January "single" version of Get Back to these rooftop ad-libs, implying that the song itself was from the roof performance. The Let It Be film is the only publicly available true recording, with the lurching version of Get Back and the closing ad-libs.)

[soul-o]

I don't have much to add regarding the Rosewood tele, but I would like to note that I spent 12 hours recording in studio 2 at Abbey Road last Wednesday and it was pretty amazing. I used all the Telefunken U-47s they still have from the Beatles' heyday, through an early 70's EMI console with a little Fairchild limiting and recorded to a 2" Studer machine with a custom 8 track head stack. It sounded alright I guess, almost as good as my Mbox.

[Gary in Boston]

Yes George learned to play guitar long before then but I think that quote refers to him needing to learn to PLAY guitar.

As in catch up with both what was going on with the Beatles and the explosion of music in general.

George may or may not have been ready for that. He was very young and he was in the most cutting edge / popular group ever known.

It worked out well but he had a tiger by the tail and the stress of it all showed up later.

Gary