Shea Stadium -- Could it have been better?

[JakeK]

I have a bootleg VHS of the '66 documentary "The Beatles at Shea Stadium". I reading over Mark Lewishon's notes, two months before the documentary aired, the Beatles added some major overdubs to the songs, re-recording two songs completely. The soundtrack to "Shea Stadium" reminds me of the Stones' "live" album "Got Live If You Want It!", in which that although it went out as a live recording, lots of stuff was overdubbed or recorded.

What really bothers me is how "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" was removed from the film (because George didn't get a song!), and why video footage doesn't exist of that track or "She's a Woman" as well as interviews over "Hard Day's Night" (so you don't hear George's solo). It would be nice if The Beatles' archive would release the entire concert, unedited (from the soundboard) and complete, without the overdubs, and the original live versions of "Twist and Shout", "Act Naturally", "I Feel Fine" and "Help!".

Would be nice, but we'll probably never see it.

[beatlefreak]

It would be nice if The Beatles' archive would release the entire concert, unedited (from the soundboard) and complete, without the overdubs, and the original live versions of "Twist and Shout", "Act Naturally", "I Feel Fine" and "Help!".

Soundboard? This was 1965 - There were no soundboards then. The Beatles used the public address system in the stadium, which most likely consisted of a small Bogen or Shure amplifier and cheap public address horns. Those systems were made for talking to the crowd, not reproduction of music.

[FretlessOnly]

It probably gave a faithful reproduction of that AM transistor radio sound though!

[wj350]

Nice if they released Shea Stadium? Heck, I'd be thrilled if they'd release "Let It Be."

[gregga41]

If you look on youtube you will find the unedited video and audio of the Shea concert. It's no wonder they overdubbed it, it's not that great. But, it was 1965! No-one had done anything like this before.
I'm still waiting for the production release of Let It Be, wasn't it supposed to be released a few years ago???

[peewee]

Nice if they released Shea Stadium? Heck, I'd be thrilled if they'd release "Let It Be."

Makes two of us.... no pun intended.

[FretlessOnly]

Indeed, Let it Be is sitting in a vault somewhere. But to me, that's such a train-wreck that I'd really rather pass on that. Don't get me wrong; I'm all about Beatles everything. I'm actually listening to You Know My Name from the mono box set as I type. But Let it Be is just so damned depressing; who really wants to see that? The rooftop show is good (not great), but the rest is just so ugly.

[Lennon&on]

There is a recently released full version of the show - the entire thing, unedited and unenhanced. It's a remarkable document, because you can really hear the PRESSURE they were playing under. The screaming is relentless, the equipment appallingly inadequate, they're a bit sharp on nearly everything trying to compensate. Ringo's voice shatters to smithereens when he first starts singing "Act Naturally" and his pitch is horrendous which I imagine is why they just overdubbed the album version in the film.

It just sounds as if it all is going to explode any moment. Yet, despite it all, they are having fun and rock pretty hard....

A great document.

[rick36]

There is a live concert which over-rides the usual **** sound quality. It's the 1965 "Sam Houston Colosseum" show, mistakenly listed as 1966 on the LP.
Both shows are in superb (for that time) audio quality, and for the most part the performances are solid. If you get the chance, check them out. They were originally released on bootleg vinyl on the "Ruthless Rhymes" label - as a double LP, with great color cover, (both afternoon & evening shows) and also as a single LP (afternoon show with opening acts and stage patter). These two shows are worth the time and expense to locate as it is really like being there!