Beatles Live at the BBC

[Folkie]

This thread is specifically directed at one of our resident Beatles experts: Jake Kety. I just got the two CD set "The Beatles, Live at the BBC," and have listened to it once, with some disappointment. Part of this stems from the very poor sound quality, another from the fact that the preponderance of songs are covers. I guess this gives us a rare glimpse of the Beatles' roots, but I would have liked to hear more of their originals. Also, on the Jimi Hendrix BBC sessions the material is live, but there are overdubs to flesh out the sound. I knew this Beatles set would be rough around the edges, but I was kind of hoping there would be vocal and instrumental overdubs, which there are not. Do you own this collection and what do you think of it? Also, would you recommend the Beatles Anthology?

Robert

[JakeK]

Oh, goodie, something directed at me!

Yes, I do have Live At The BBC, and I quite enjoy it. I think it gives us a rare look into what The Beatles were playing before they were famous and all the songs are done well. I think there are some songs that blow the studio recorded originals out the water (Till There Was You, All My Loving, Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby, Love Me Do), and believe it or not, the Lennon-McCartney "original" for this collection, "I'll Be On My Way" is one of my favorite Beatles songs. I also enjoy "Soldier of Love", "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues", "Some Other Guy", "Gotta Find My Baby" and the Lennon sung version of "Honey Don't".

Yes, I recommend all three Anthology sets. The best being volume 2, with early versions of "And Your Bird Can Sing" (if you can remove the pot-induced laughter, like I can), "Tomorrow Never Knows", "Strawberry Fields", "Penny Lane" and "Only a Northern Song" that out do the originals. Some great live cuts are on there, too. Volume 3 has a version of "Glass Onion" I prefer to the original as well as a Harrison-McCartney-Starr stab at Harrison's almost-on-the-White-Album-but-did-not-make-it-because-of-McCartney track "Not Guilty". Fun fact: he recorded the same song with additional lyrics in 1978 for his solo album George Harrison, but I think The Beatles' version is superior to that. George's solo version was mellow, while The Beatles' version was rough edged, with George giving his new '58 "Lucy" Les Paul a good test drive.

So, yes, I think BBC and Anthology are great collections. That being said, when I find an alternate or BBC version of a classic song that Martin/Apple didn't include on either set, I think it silly that they weren't included on the finished products.

The BBC versions for The Who and The Kinks were done in similar fashion to The Beatles' BBC set, but outdoes it. Why? Because The Kinks and Who were better live in their heyday.

[Folkie]

Thanks, Jake, for your feedback. It sounds like the Anthology volumes are closer to what I was looking for than the BBC sessions. I'll have to start with Volume 2, as your recommended, but I'll probably want all three.

By the way, I just ordered my first CD copy of the White Album, after selling my vinyl copy many years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the album is uneven and is something of a scrapbook, but there are some real gems I'd forgotten about over the years. And all the bonus packaging with the remastered version is really nice.

Rubber Soul and Revolver will forever be my favorite Beatles albums, even though they could be considered transitional. When I was growing up we had only the American versions of the albums, but now the original imports are readily available. Am I correct that you stated in a previous thread that you prefer the mono versions?

Robert

[nukebass]

The BBC album is awesome because it shows the Beatles's ability to play live. They pretty much showed up and played the tracks because they knew them well from their early days. I think all of it is great and gives good incite into what one of their early club shows may have sounded like. It also shows that the Beatles could play a variety of material-usually better than the original artist (though they had trouble with Berry's stuff, in my opinion).

[Folkie]

Well, you and Jake have convinced me to take another listen to the BBC Sessions. Maybe once I get past the poor recording quality, I'll be able to appreciate the material a little more.

[kennyhowes]

Beatles at the BBC is AWESOME.

[JakeK]

Thanks, Jake, for your feedback. It sounds like the Anthology volumes are closer to what I was looking for than the BBC sessions. I'll have to start with Volume 2, as your recommended, but I'll probably want all three.

Good luck. I bought them 2, 1, 3.

By the way, I just ordered my first CD copy of the White Album, after selling my vinyl copy many years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the album is uneven and is something of a scrapbook, but there are some real gems I'd forgotten about over the years. And all the bonus packaging with the remastered version is really nice.

White Album for me, has some REALLY great stuff on it, and some really bad stuff on it. I think The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (released the same day) is a better album for me, but that's just me. In fact, when I did an iTunes playlist in August 2010 for a long car trip that had 90% of The Beatles in Mono box set (With the Beatles-Mono Masters), "Revolution #9" wasn't even on it.

Rubber Soul and Revolver will forever be my favorite Beatles albums, even though they could be considered transitional. When I was growing up we had only the American versions of the albums, but now the original imports are readily available. Am I correct that you stated in a previous thread that you prefer the mono versions?

Robert

Those are mine, too. There was something in the air in 1966 because A LOT of really good music came out of it, started by Rubber Soul and ending with Younger Than Yesterday (Byrds). Yes, the mono versions are the definitive versions of the two albums. When they say that Martin remixed Rubber Soul in stereo for CD in 1986, I think he may have just perfected the original mixes, because I heard very little, if any difference between the two available mixes. The '86 version was an exact carbon copy of the original diabolical stereo mix. Revolver was atrocious, too. The new ADT double-tracking method was spread over the two stereo channels not creating the phasing feel that it's supposed to give. It does this in mono. I do think everything the Beatles did from "Love Me Do" through the "Hey Jude"/"Revolution" single in mono is the definitive way of listening to The Beatles, but maybe I'm biased. In fact, my iTunes has only what is in the mono box set as a representation of each album that had unique stereo and mono mixes. I don't know why EMI hasn't posted the mono box set on iTunes, probably because people who go on iTunes wouldn't care anyway. It's ironic they haven't because people today share ear buds and my cousins griped about the atrocious Beatles stereo mixes. I gave Marcus the mono set on a flash drive.

Robert, if you don't have the mono set, you should certainly try to get it. The White Album in mono is the most interesting listening experience you'll ever have!

[michael.m]

I think Live at the BBC is very good CD set that has something special

I thought this next number was called "Sha La La La La La," but, in fact, "Baby It's You."

[opticnerve]

Beatles at the BBC is AWESOME.

+10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Some of the most fabulous R&R ever recorded!

[admin]

Baby It's You is one of my favourite Beatles' recordings. Then again I have 213 favorites.

[chucksimms]

Love the BBC set. It's not perfect but there's no way everyone could be satisfied. I also have the 9 disc set that is the er, 'unofficial' release. Phenomenal, though more versions of 'A Taste of Honey' than most would ever want to hear!

[nukebass]

Baby It's You is one of my favourite Beatles' recordings. Then again I have 213 favorites.

I thought this song was called "Sha la la la la," but, in fact, baby it's you.


I have the BBC album playing in my truck on my way to work. Next up is Anthology 1

I never thought the recording quality was too bad, considering the technology of the day and who knows the what the condition of the actual original recordings is.

My favorite song on there is To Know Her is to Love Her. I wish they had done Bad to Me at the BBC (I know there's a demo bootleg out there, but would have been nice to hear a real recording of it).

[nukebass]

Love the BBC set. It's not perfect but there's no way everyone could be satisfied. I also have the 9 disc set that is the er, 'unofficial' release. Phenomenal, though more versions of 'A Taste of Honey' than most would ever want to hear!

Nine disks? Why isn't more of this stuff being released? It drives me crazy to think of all the stuff that we could hear if "the man" ( ) would let us!!!!!!

I do like A Taste of Honey. It is one of my favorites off of Please Please Me.

[kiramdear]

Beatles at the BBC is AWESOME.

+!!!!! It shows how together they were when they were still poor and mere mortals running on hope. They were hot hot hot!

[Folkie]

I guess I'm just more of a fan of the albums "Help!" and after than I am of the really early stuff. That said, it's nice to catch a glimpse of their early influences. So I'll try to give the BBC sessions another chance.