I prefer Sessions to Chronicle. It focuses just on the Abbey Road sessions, whereas Chronicle (which came after) took out some of the details, interviews and colour photography, but added information on The Beatles' concerts, interviews, non-EMI recordings etc.
Both are really worth getting, and Chronicle corrects some errors from the earlier work, but generally anything with Mark Lewisohn's name on it is to be thoroughly recommended. I probably refer to those books more than any others. Sessions is still the reason that many Beatles books (and websites) exist – it was he who first revealed information on Carnival Of Light and many of the alternative recordings which eventally came out on Anthology. He's still one of the few non-Apple or -EMI staffers to have heard the original studio tapes.
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9.23pm
13 November 2009
7.56pm
13 November 2009
4.19pm
5 February 2010
I'm pleasantly surprised at how many 30-somethings have raised their hands in this thread. Always a bit fascinating to me, really, because a) I'm in that category myself (turning 31 next weekend, mates), and b) for some time I've labored under the assumption that I was an anomaly for being a BeatleHead despite the fact that I was born a solid decade after they'd ceased to be a band. I like hearing how other people my age managed to discover the lads from Liverpool, how we ended up getting sucked into Beatlemania years after it was popular.
I discovered The Beatles when I was 11, and The Disney Channel started playing “A Hard Days Night” as part of their regular movie line-up. Much like George Martin, I suppose, I was drawn to their personalities – especially their wit and humor – which, let's admit it, are very accurately portrayed in that movie. I found out a short time later that my dad had been a BeatleHead in the late 60s and early 70s, and he showed me his collection of US-release vinyls (Meet the Beatles, Beatles '65, The Beatles Second Album, Yesterday and Today, Hey Jude , etc)
That Christmas, I was given my first guitar, and I promptly set about borrowing The Beatles CDs from the library, putting them on cassette, and playing along in my room. Musically, as a guitarist, I cut my teeth on The Beatles – I would play along with those tapes for hours and hours on end.
I can still remember the tingly feeling I got when I heard “Blackbird ” for the first time, and how I searched frantically for any fellow guitar player who could teach me the proper fingerings. The gentleman who finally did teach it to me will always be a hero of mine (even if he did get a few of the voicings wrong, as I would discover years later).
From learning the music and watching the movies, I moved pretty quickly to reading books about them. I think it was a full-blown obsession at that point: I had to know everything there was to know about their recording sessions, their lives behind the scenes, the inspirations for their songs – it was all deathly important and fascinating.
Along with The Beatles, and through their influence, I came to love the music of that era: Simon and Garfunkel, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Monkees, The Byrds – you know the rest. I listened to the local oldies station almost exclusively until I was about 16.
Like Alissa, I've lived with the blessing and curse of being an “old soul”. I've gotten used to people being unaware of what I'm referencing when, for example, I step outside into a cold winter chill and – almost instinctively – say, “It's cold … it's a cold place.” The few people in my life that share, to whatever degree, my love of The Beatles have invariably become my closest and most enduring friends.
About me: obviously, I'm a musician. Guitar and piano mostly (I learned piano by figuring out how to chunk out guitar chords on the keys, starting with “Let it Be” and “Hey Jude “), although I can survive on most any fretted instrument (bass, mandolin, uke, whatever). And as a songwriter, I also have a long-standing love affair with words and word-play (Lennon's books were nearly a spiritual discovery). Thus, my two main hobbies: music and writing. By day, I work in technology (web site development, programming, project management, and other sorts of stuff that happens while I'm busy making other plans).
After reading Joe's mini-bio here, I think I'd like to meet him someday. I'm sure we'd get along fabulously. 🙂
Oh, and Alissa: I'm not Canadian, but I did live there for a few years. I like to think that I'm an honorary citizen, because I know about the Loonie and the Toonie, the superior candy selection, the wild range of potato chip flavors, and milk-in-a-bag. I credit Canada for my present-day habit of putting cream in my tea (something no decent US citizen would think of doing on his own).
Not a bit like Cagney.
PeterWeatherby said:
About me: obviously, I'm a musician. Guitar and piano mostly (I learned piano by figuring out how to chunk out guitar chords on the keys, starting with “Let it Be” and “Hey Jude “), although I can survive on most any fretted instrument (bass, mandolin, uke, whatever). And as a songwriter, I also have a long-standing love affair with words and word-play (Lennon's books were nearly a spiritual discovery). Thus, my two main hobbies: music and writing. By day, I work in technology (web site development, programming, project management, and other sorts of stuff that happens while I'm busy making other plans).
After reading Joe's mini-bio here, I think I'd like to meet him someday. I'm sure we'd get along fabulously. 🙂
And as I was reading that, just before I got to the last sentence I was thinking, gosh, he sounds just like me – music, writing, web stuff
A fellow ukulele player too. I got my first last year. I'm still learning the chords although I can play a few songs, mainly Something , While My Guitar Gently Weeps (though I'm not quite this good), and Honey Pie – the latter works especially well on the ukulele, I think.
I'm more of a guitarist nowadays, though I started out learning the piano and music theory (at separate times), and played the drums for years in local bands that went nowhere. My Ludwig Ringo-style kit is in cases and I'll probably have to sell it soon to make space
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BeatlebugCan buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
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6.19pm
5 February 2010
Joe said:
A fellow ukulele player too.
Well, let's not get crazy. I only said I could survive on the uke if I needed to, not that I'm an actual uke player. 🙂
I will admit, I cheat when it comes to the other instruments. I've had to play both mandolin and banjo in an orchestral setting, and I managed to pull it off by re-tuning both instruments to match standard guitar tuning. I say it's legit – it's the tone and timbre they were after, so no one would have cared how I tuned the little buggers.
Not a bit like Cagney.
7.15pm
5 February 2010
You know, Joe, I'm not sure how many guitarists there are on board here, but there might be a place (if not now, later) for a part of the forum dedicated to more “technical” discussions – where to capo up when playing “It's Only Love”, which chord positions work best for “Blackbird “, that sort of thing.
Not a bit like Cagney.
8.31pm
21 August 2009
PeterWeatherby said:You know, Joe, I'm not sure how many guitarists there are on board here, but there might be a place (if not now, later) for a part of the forum dedicated to more “technical” discussions – where to capo up when playing “It's Only Love”, which chord positions work best for “Blackbird “, that sort of thing.
Cellists too? Though I'd think it'd suffice to say I'm the sole string player, let alone cello player, on the forum.
But, correct me if I'm wrong!
I'm working on the Eleanor Rigby cello piece currently, tricky stuff.
Tongue, lose thy light. Moon, take thy flight… see ya, George!
That's a good idea. I've created a section here: https://www.beatlesbible.com/f…..usicology/
Feel free to start some discussions in there
Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
2.34pm
14 October 2009
PeterWeatherby said:You know, Joe, I'm not sure how many guitarists there are on board here, but there might be a place (if not now, later) for a part of the forum dedicated to more “technical” discussions – where to capo up when playing “It's Only Love”, which chord positions work best for “Blackbird “, that sort of thing.
Can I mention Everett and his books here or should I run for cover
"If we feel our heads starting to swell.....we just look at Ringo!"
2.52pm
5 February 2010
mjb said:
PeterWeatherby said:You know, Joe, I'm not sure how many guitarists there are on board here, but there might be a place (if not now, later) for a part of the forum dedicated to more “technical” discussions – where to capo up when playing “It's Only Love”, which chord positions work best for “Blackbird “, that sort of thing.
Can I mention Everett and his books here or should I run for cover
Aren't you tending to black-and-white the situation somewhat?
Not a bit like Cagney.
6.17am
13 February 2010
4.31pm
13 November 2009
Hello, I’m Matt Clayton. I found this site a while ago when it was new but didn’t really start reading it and appreciating it until the second half of 2009. I was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England on 21 September 1992 and moved to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia when I was almost 7. When I was young, although not that much younger than today since I’m only 17, I used to listen to my Dad’s tapes in the car (back when cars still had tape players). I didn’t realise that one of my favourite tapes was a Beatles compilation he had made. I had no idea that loads of my favourite songs were all by The Beatles. I’ve always been a music fan but didn’t realise it until I was about 11 when I discovered my Dad’s CD collection and listened to Revolver and The White Album (the only Beatles CDs he had). Over the years, my love of the Beatles grew. When I was 14, I recorded all my Dad’s Beatles vinyl onto the computer, hearing them for the first time. Since then, my love has grown into an obsession. At first I denied that was obsessed but now I’ve come to be proud of being a huge fan of the greatest band the world will ever see. I’m currently studying film, television and sound production at university. One of my many dream jobs is to become a sound engineer and work for Apple Corps on Beatles projects.
I like music (especially The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, The Who, The White Stripes, Queen), comedy (especially Monty Python, Rowan Atkinson), Manchester United and Italian food.
I dislike war, organised religion, fascism and American spelling (sorry to any religious people or Americans – no offence intended!).
The following people thank McLerristarr for this post:
Beatlebug5.34pm
13 November 2009
Does anyone like fascism?
They just kind of snuck up on me too. The first step is admitting you have a problem.
The following people thank skye for this post:
BeatlebugAd hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time! So much to know!
6.02pm
14 October 2009
McLerristarr said:
Hello, I’m Matt Clayton. I found this site a while ago when it was new but didn’t really start reading it and appreciating it until the second half of 2009. I was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England on 21 September 1992 and moved to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia when I was almost 7. When I was young, although not that much younger than today since I’m only 17, I used to listen to my Dad’s tapes in the car (back when cars still had tape players). I didn’t realise that one of my favourite tapes was a Beatles compilation he had made. I had no idea that loads of my favourite songs were all by The Beatles. I’ve always been a music fan but didn’t realise it until I was about 11 when I discovered my Dad’s CD collection and listened to Revolver and The White Album (the only Beatles CDs he had). Over the years, my love of the Beatles grew. When I was 14, I recorded all my Dad’s Beatles vinyl onto the computer, hearing them for the first time. Since then, my love has grown into an obsession. At first I denied that was obsessed but now I’ve come to be proud of being a huge fan of the greatest band the world will ever see. I’m currently studying film, television and sound production at university. One of my many dream jobs is to become a sound engineer and work for Apple Corps on Beatles projects.
I like music (especially The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, The Who, The White Stripes, Queen), comedy (especially Monty Python, Rowan Atkinson), Manchester United and Italian food.
I dislike war, organised religion, fascism and American spelling (sorry to any religious people or Americans – no offence intended!).
Hello Matt – The Beatles and Manchester United. We’re gonna get on just fine my friend
"If we feel our heads starting to swell.....we just look at Ringo!"
8.25pm
5 February 2010
2.43pm
13 November 2009
4.08pm
13 November 2009
It was a joke. A new member a while back said he was glad to find a Beatles forum that didn’t debate stupid things like whether Ringo or George had better socks. We needed an introduction thread and I thought it was funny. I’m afraid I may have scared him off.
Ad hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time! So much to know!
6.17pm
14 October 2009
skye said:
It was a joke. A new member a while back said he was glad to find a Beatles forum that didn’t debate stupid things like whether Ringo or George had better socks. We needed an introduction thread and I thought it was funny. I’m afraid I may have scared him off.
You wicked young lady!
"If we feel our heads starting to swell.....we just look at Ringo!"
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