Beatles Guitar Tech ???

The history and music of the Fab Four
qmoder
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Post by qmoder »

It would be nice if all the band members even sang backup.
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wayang
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Post by wayang »

Err...well, the best example of all would be playing in the Arizona State drum section in the fall of 1974...we used to march at the front of the band playing cadences, from the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Music Building over to 'Sun Devil Stadium' for football games. This put us directly behind the cheerleader line...for about twenty minutes...Jus' pitchah it! And say you're eighteen years old...and you're playin' insane Santana grooves, and the girls are 'dancing' to what you're doing on the bass drum...and the whole campus is on a testosterone high which is guaranteed to last for at least the next several hours, even if the team loses... and, add into the mix that a couple of the girls on the squad had just been featured in Playboy's "The Girls of The W.A.C." pictorial. Well, you tell me...

Although, Stevie would have had a tougher time negotiating the curbs...
I didn't get where I am today by being on time...
petevent
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Post by petevent »

Dane:

I'd say Thank GOD I had a snare drum to "hide" behind! I had the same experience in HS Marching Band back in the 70's. If I knew THEN what I know NOW!
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wayang
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Post by wayang »

Ah, yes...'then' and 'now'...don't know if I could still 'get it up for the game' these days...

The bass drum, that is...
I didn't get where I am today by being on time...
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winston
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Post by winston »

Ha Ha Dane you have the funniest stories. You should write a book my friend. Seriously!!!
“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein

"You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother" - Albert Einstein
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wayang
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Post by wayang »

As the other Elvis said, "Everyday I write the book..."
I didn't get where I am today by being on time...
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brammy
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Post by brammy »

Image
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yfoiler
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Post by yfoiler »

Hey guys... Sorry to jump in to this Beatle Guitar Tech thread late, but I have some personal experience with George Harrison that I think you all might get a kick out of.

I was at the recording session for the single "Bangladesh" in 1971. I worked for Modern Musical Services at the time, and we supplied a bunch of rental gear for that session. We suppled George with a Gibson J-200 (I think, maybe a 180/160?...I can't remember). Anyway, he flew in from the UK to record in Hollywood at Wally Heiders. (The secret "unmarked" studio #4 on Cahuenga Blvd.)

In a nutshell; George popped in, took the rental J-200 out of the case, went to the piano and Leon Russell played the notes to tune it up (no guitar tuner), came back, sat in the middle of the room and started playing and singing the song so everyone could get the feel of what he was going for. That Gibson was used on the final track---a rental. Strings? Who knows, Pick? who knows, The next morning that Gibson was back on the shelf waiting to be rented.

So... my point is that I think the guys that are hinting that the Beatles didn't overly care much about there instruments are pretty right on. George sure didn't that night---it was just a tool.

BTW, for fun, here's a list of all the guys that played on that session (and the B-side "Deep Blue") The concert gets all the press, but I've never seen the first session even mentioned...

George Harrison - Guitar/Vocals
Leon Russell - Steinway Grand Piano
Gary Wright (Dream Weaver) - Harmonium/Wurlitzer 140
Carl Radle - (Pacific Gas & Electric) Telecaster Bass (extra knobs and all sorts of stuff on that thing---it looked like a mess)
Jim Keltner - drums - and constant cigarettes
The entire Bad Finger Band - Percussion/Vocals
Phil Specter - Producer
In attendance; Patty Harrison, Alan Klien (Rolling Stones Mgr) ..and me, Marty Tryon - Rental tech.
And my friend; Al Dadisman (electronic engineer).
I'm sorry but for the life of me I can't remember the recording engineers name.

Hope you all enjoyed this little tidbit.

Marty
It is pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness; poverty and wealth have both failed.
And trying to achieve happiness, I have realized there is a fine line between genius and insanity---I have erased this line.
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stuart
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Post by stuart »

Certainly! Thank you very much for sharing! Image
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