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12.34pm
28 April 2020
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Given how fantastic ‘Get Back ‘ is, if possible to go back in time and film any other Beatles album or recordings being made, without them knowing it was being filmed, which would you prefer to see?
I think it is very difficult to decide …
I’d love to see John, coming in and sitting down and singing his part in A Day In The Life to the others for the first time, or Paul doing likewise with Yesterday , or George playing them Here Comes The Sun etc
Maybe watching them work on early singles like She Loves You ?
Personally, I’m torn between Help !, Rubber Soul and Revolver , but think the Revolver sessions would be really interesting to watch … how they came up with the sound effects, backwards guitars, why Paul did the lead guitar on Taxman and watching George & Paul do the twin lead on And Your Bird Can Sing . We could see how much of Eleanor Rigby John did write etc.
Of course, as well, it would be great to see why and how Paul walked out in a huff while they were working on She Said She Said !
Not to mention watching them record all the brilliant songs in those sessions!
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1 May 2011
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It’s easy to argue for any album/period, and all would be justified, but my immediate choice would be sessions for ‘The White Album ‘; so much was going on within the group ranging from Ringo quitting to the warmth and great memories of recording ‘Yer Blues ‘ in an annex. A lot has been written about the tensions during the sessions, and snippets have been heard suggesting it’s true, yet the outtakes on the 2018 box set reveal humour and a bond still existing. And then you have Yoko turning up and sitting in so to see how the others reacted would be fascinating. To get a real insight into it all would be incredible.
But then I have a great desire to see them play live at the Star Club in ’62 when Ringo was behind the drums and they let loose one last time before they settled into the more professional shows of 1963 where they were playing the same songs for 20 minutes once or twice a night. The recordings from that time shown a band playing real hot rock and roll at a frenzied tempo in front of thrilled audience loving every second.
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meaigs, vonbontee, Richard, Ahhh Girl"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
8.12pm
1 December 2009
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Agree with basically everything mmm says – there’s a case to be made for wishing to witness the recording of every album (not least “Star-Club”), for differing reasons. Although I imagine there’d be many long stretches of tedium (alternating with the obvious doses of excitement and fascination) involved in the months-long “Pepper” and white LP sessions; not to mention some excruciatingly tense and awkward moments during the latter.
(Thread is kinda similar to another one where we fantasize about using a time-machine to spend one single 24 hour period with the band; I believe I chose either the PPM album completion or the “Yellow Submarine ” sound effects/singalong session.)
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3.36am
18 September 2016
Offline I would want to see pretty much all of it really, if it could have been done unobtrusively.
Best opportunity – I’m sure they were relieved to see them gone – but I wish the cameras had kept going for Abbey Rd, a lot is a continuation of the Get Back project and to see the reactions to the double bed coming in for Yoko (wouldn’t a single bed have sufficed John?) and the squabble between John and George when Yoko got up, walked over and took George’s digestive biscuit that was sitting on a speaker…or so it goes.
I think there was for the first time a camera hook up between the studios during Abbey Rd sessions, but perhaps no recording capability? that’s a shame.
“I know, Jerry, that you are as human as the rest of us, if not more so."
7.17pm
14 June 2016
Offline meanmistermustard said
It’s easy to argue for any album/period, and all would be justified, but my immediate choice would be sessions for ‘The White Album ‘; so much was going on within the group ranging from Ringo quitting to the warmth and great memories of recording ‘Yer Blues ‘ in an annex. A lot has been written about the tensions during the sessions, and snippets have been heard suggesting it’s true, yet the outtakes on the 2018 box set reveal humour and a bond still existing. And then you have Yoko turning up and sitting in so to see how the others reacted would be fascinating. To get a real insight into it all would be incredible.
Yes, yes, yes. When I watch the Get Back documentary I’m always thinking how amazing a White Album documentary in the same spirit would be. But alas, such footage doesn’t seem to exist. I’m fascinated by the era not just because I love the songs and how the members looked stylistically then, but the dynamic. Things had changed. They’re a band releasing a sprawling album but more and more operating like individuals.
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Von Bontee, meaigs1.The Beatles 2.Sgt. Pepper 3.Abbey Road 4.Magical Mystery Tour 5.Rubber Soul 6.Revolver 7.Help! 8.Let It Be
9.A Hard Day’s Night 10.Please Please Me 11.Beatles For Sale 12.With The Beatles 13.Yellow Submarine
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7.53am
14 December 2009
Offline Timothy said
Yes, yes, yes. When I watch the Get Back documentary I’m always thinking how amazing a White Album documentary in the same spirit would be. But alas, such footage doesn’t seem to exist.
Just a few scraps, like from the “Hey Jude ” session and of Paul rehearsing “Blackbird “. I wonder who filmed those and what the purpose was…
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4.56pm
9 March 2022
Offline Great query, @alittlebitolder !
I would like to peer in on an early album to see the boys at their most light-hearted and energetic…as John himself says: “The early stuff – the Hard Day’s Night period, I call it – was the sexual equivalent of the beginning hysteria of a relationship.” I think I would be grinning all the way through it.
On another hand, I would say Rubber Soul / Revolver to see them maturing as people and musicians. They’re a little bit wiser and more in control but still operating as a “band”.
Then again, I think the White Album would offer a glimpse into their dynamics at a time when we hear a lot of conflicting accounts and opinions and subsequently get their most varied and personal album. Now that the Let It Be “winter of our discontent” (-George) myth has been dispelled a bit by the Get Back footage of them working well together, maybe the White Album recording sessions would turn out rosier than expected? It might also just prove the point that this is “where the rot had already set in” (-George again ofc) and I imagine that I, like John, would be a little bit heartbroken to see Paul sneak off to a studio to record songs all on his own. “We were different. We were older. We knew each other on all kinds of levels that we didn’t when we were teenagers. The Sgt Pepper – Abbey Road period was the mature part of the relationship.” (-John)
To be fair, I’d take any footage I could get at this point, but if I had to pick one point out of it all to be a fly on the wall I would say Rishikesh 
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11 June 2015
Offline I like your answer @Savoy Truffle , especially if the premise of the question is truly “fly on the wall” and not time travel. For myself, the Rishikesh experience affected my entire life (including the last hour)
.
I’ve been reading about a new documentary called The Beatles and India. Supposed to be lot’s of unseen footage and such. Right now it is only available on a streaming service called BritBox (which i don’t have). Amazon Prime is offering a 7 day free trial so I might check it out. Here’s the trailer…
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2.05am
3 July 2020
Offline sigh butterfly said
I like your answer @Savoy Truffle , especially if the premise of the question is truly “fly on the wall” and not time travel. For myself, the Rishikesh experience affected my entire life (including the last hour).
I’ve been reading about a new documentary called The Beatles and India. Supposed to be lot’s of unseen footage and such. Right now it is only available on a streaming service called BritBox (which i don’t have). Amazon Prime is offering a 7 day free trial so I might check it out. Here’s the trailer…
This really looks interesting. The Beatles stay in India is the one phase in their career I didnt get into as much as the other stuff. Iam sure from anthology and such though that the impact of their time there is far greater then I’ve learned yet. Would love to watch this doc!
As for the topic: thats a tough question. Honestly @Savoy Truffle has a point with watching them recording early LPs because of their positivity and energy. There is known footage of them from music videos like Real Love where you can see them in the recording studio having great fun! Iam sure it would be a blast watching them just beeing The Fab Four riding the wave of Beatlemania.
I’d LOVE to watch them doing Pepper, Revolver or Soul too. And of Course the White Album and Abbey Road . We really need a glimpse into all of their album recordings to experience their evolution and development withhin the group and with their music.
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