Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I hate it when that happens. Not the double post David. I was speaking to the type of situation when an expert provides an opinion that is contrary to mine.

Still not convinced though...experts can be wrong too.

I know I'm going out on a heretical limb here, but I find Lewisohn to be...imprecise sometimes (still an amazing researcher and enjoyable writer).

David - does that SOUND like John to your ears? Don't you hear that awkward, 16 year old rock-a-billy kid trying to impress his friend and an older guy who probably was still scaring the hell out of him at the time (Lennon)....

Some other material from the session...One After 909, some improvs that John is pretty clear on....I don't know if posting it would really help too much...

It may very well be George. I admit that it does sound a lot like him. It would be interesting to know why Lewisohn attributes it to John.

As for Lewisohn being "imprecise" I too would be interested in some examples of him getting things wrong.

Sire? Hardly, sir. I said imprecise, not "mistaken" and it's all just a matter of opinion anyway, innit?

When he discusses "EIght Days a Week" he talks about it being the first song they ever brought to the studio as an unfinished idea? What about the recording of "Can't By Me Love" from France, certainly as "unfinished" as EDAW was.

There are hundreds of songs where he is vague - descriptions such as "brilliant" or "a fabulous night" - platitudes - when I want to know about THE SOUND, the color, if ou will.

I defer 100% to Lewisohn on anything HISTORICAL. BUT I don't think his EARS are any better than mine. Perhaps not as good then. 'Cause I STILL think that's wee Georgy on the mic.

Look, like I said, this is a matter of opinion. As Tim Riley put it, "it may be the curse of all things Beatles that ANY amount of information only leaves you wanting more"

Any one have a friend at the FBI or MI6 or even CSIS? Those agencies can analyse the voice characteristics and could tell us all for sure that it is George singing. LOL

Rats! The links have expired!

Here they are again, reupped.

I Will Always Be In Love With You:

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=FDF58DE0155098B8

Hello Little Girl

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=44B9148453BC60B6

So...anyone who's still interested....

I Will Always Be In Love With You -- AH, now that I hear it, it's DEFINITELY George. I mean John. I mean George. Uh John...No wait, George...

You guys got me...seriously, to me it started out sounding MOSTLY like George, but the more I listen to it, it sounds like John.... Shee-oot, I don't know....

Thanks for the links. I NEEDED something else to obsess on tonight.

Thanks for re-posting those! Very cool stuff.

Well it IS interesting how each Beatle had their own distinctive vocal characteristics, and yet their voices could dovetail for harmonies, creating something altogether different. I've been a Beatles fan for many many years, and I still have trouble figuring out who sings what parts on their really tight harmony parts. And forget harmony parts, I thought for YEARS that it was Paul singing 'She love you yeah yeah yeah' at the end of All You Need is Love until I saw John singing it with my own eyes.

0:07 - 'found' sounds like George
0:11 - 'somebody' sounds like Paul
0:12 - 'else' sounds like John
0:13 - 'but you' sounds like Paul
0:29 - 'stay-hay' sounds like John
etc

If I had to guess, I'd guess it was Paul. In the early days, Paul could be pitchy like George, and is voice was much more malleable than John's, meaning I think he could sing more like John than John could sing like Paul or George. Aside from pitch problems right at the start, it doesn't sound at all like George to me (sorry, George). But it could be John, before he found his 'voice.' Comparison with 'Hello Little Girl' indicates that that may be the case.

My verdict: Paul or John.

Aside from

I'll vote it is John. Even though it does sound like George in many places. What leans me to John is the confidence of the vocal. George's early vocals were always very tentative. This has a lot of experience in the vocal... the way you'd expect from John at this time.

That does seem to be the prevailing John arguement. Too much confidence in the vocal part.

Quite a good analysis Ethan. I listened back with your notes and it DOES indeed sound like Macca in places.

Although his "I'll Follow the Sun" from the same tape is unmistakably Paul. You're right though, he could vary his voice (throughout his career) much easier than John and certainly George.

Hmm...Paul....

It just gets deeper and deeper. LOL.

That it might be Paul never occurred to me but you know...some of the phrasing sounds like our Paulie, now you mention it. If it were John we would be listening to a lot more nasal inflection. I don't hear that in this recording. But Paul doing a John type of vocal but sounding more like George in the process. That could be it.

Hmmm.

That's Pete Best!

It IS Stu Sutcliffe banging out that mean thunking bass line...

Paul, hmm. Listening AGAIN...it can't be Paulie.

I'm pretty clear that it's John. If you listen to more of the early "pre-mania" body of work you'll hear John sounding very much like this in lots of places. Another point that may or may not strike a chord with some of you -- I think at this point in the "life" of the Beatles there's almost a requirement to prove that it's NOT John, rather than to demonstrate that it IS someone else. John was most definitely the clear leader, clear front-man, anbd default leader singer of the band at this point. Consider, for instance, the original Beatle recording of "Honey Don't." It ISN'T Ringo singing.