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Timbre

this is where George Martin truly becomes the "fifth Beatle"

 

Listen to the Beatles' innovative use of timbre

Voice

Yesterday

soft, lyrical voice (w/ string quartet)

Why Don't We Do It in the Road

"shouting" style of the old R&B tradition

Oh! Darling

also, shouting style vocal

Golden Slumbers

starts as crooning style, moves to more harsh (0:43)

Honey Pie

voice filtered (i.e., electronically modified) on "Now she's hit the big time ..."

Guitar

I'm Only Sleeping

Listen carefully to the guitar solo (1:32) ... electronically filtered & backward

Unusual Instruments

Eleanor Rigby

string ensemble (similar instrumentation was also used on "Yesterday" & "She's Leaving Home")

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

flutes (1:47)

Because

harpsichord (intro)

Penny Lane

flute (during verse) & brass (during chorus)
piccolo trumpet - playing a countermelody between phrases of the vocal melody (2:33)

Got to Get You Into My Live

brass & saxes

Norwegian Wood

sitar - G. Harrison heard the name "Ravi Shankar" then went out and bought an album ... wanted to learn to play the instrument

Yellow Submarine

brass band (1:00)

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite

organ & bass harmonica

Honey Pie

clarinets (0:49 to end)

A Day in the Life

full orchestra (1:39)

Within You Without You

tabla (drum) & dilruba (long-necked Indian lute)

In My Life

tape effects (1:28) - speeded up piano solo (sounds like harpsichord)

Tape effects & Signal Processing

Strawberry Fields Forever

"Strawberry Fields" - recorded two takes, because John didn't like the first; asked Martin to come up with string arr. for the 2nd; liked the 1st half of the first recording & 2nd half of the second; asked Martin to edit them together even though they were in different keys; succeeded by speeding up the 2nd recording by 5%

Strawberry Fields: Take 1, then Take 7

  • Take 7 at beginning
    • intro is played on the Mellotron (flute setting) [more about this in the Art Rock chapter; see Moody Blues]
  • 0:59 edit: "Let me take you down, 'cause I'm" /edit/ "going to Strawberry Fields"
  • Take 1 from that point

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite

spliced-together & overdubbed fragments at conclusion (1:51)

 

Tomorrow Never Knows

tape-generated & manipulated sounds (explain)

text based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead

 

A Day in the Life

fading reverb vocal gradually buried by strings & brass (1:39)

 

Revolution 9

tape montage (similar to much "electronic music" recorded 50s & 60s)

Timbral Characteristics of Later Beatles style

Select almost any song from Revolver on and you will undoubtedly hear:

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