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11.36pm
10 August 2011
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CranberrySauce, you're absolutely right: ALL Beatle albums show up on T-shirts, sweatshirts, and the like. I live directly across the street from where A Hard Day's Night opened up in the U.S (my grandmother took me to see it), and in my living room I have an enormous poster promoting the movie. I happen to like the entire (British) album from beginning to end. So you might definitely say that I have a soft spot for that album.
BUT:
generally speaking, is it iconic?
In my book, it's iconic if the man on the street (today) would instantly recognize it and if it were widely imitated.
In the U.S. (I don't know where you're writing from), those criteria wouldn't be met (anyway, are we talking British or American cover? Do you think they're both iconic?).
But, I agree with you: in MY heart it's iconic.
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
12.10am
19 September 2010
Offline “Into the Sky with Diamonds” said:
All of the above + the Beatles didn't need singles to drive their album sales.
Conversely, many album songs could have been released as singles and been hits in their own right. Hmmm, I think I see a new thread here (unless it's in here somewhere).
(Mr Sun King I give up on the “New York sinking.” A play on Macca's “the pound is sinking”? (so's the dollar…)
I like what I see. Nice thread as well.
(Nope, but it would work. I actually meant the great Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip, and their song New Orleans is Sinking)
And Mith, here are some apples.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
4.40am
1 May 2010
Offline *takes apples* Mhh I love them. Thanks SunKing *smiles*
Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……
Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…
Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.
Beware of Darkness…
7.42pm
1 December 2009
Offline
Critical consensus of SPLHCB has swung back-and-forth-and-back so many times over the years that distinctions are pretty much meaningless by now – it’s either the most overrated of the underrated Beatles albums, or the most underrated of their overrated ones! With the possible exception of Robert and the lately-absent Celebrated Mr. K, and the recently-arrived Into The Sky With Diamonds (whose age I'm unsure of, sorry!), I don’t think any of us (not even Zig or myself!) are old enough to have experienced firsthand how zeitgeist-defining and all-encompassing and ETERNAL that album must’ve seemed when it was released to the world, like it was the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Holy Bible and the sun itself, in carboard-enshrouded vinyl form. (!)
Me, I’ve loved the LP so much for so long that I can’t be objective and can’t think of ANY of the songs as “bad songs”, whether they’re “bad” because they’re “gimmicky” (“Mr Kite”, “Good Morning”) or “twee” (“When I’m 64”, “Lovely Rita “) or just undistinguished (“Fixing A Hole “). Rather than getting sick of the second-tier songs, I just grew to appreciate their details more after fully absorbing the major songs. Minor songs they may be, sure, but they’re still exquisitely realized minor songs.
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
1.13am
10 August 2011
Offline Good point.
Yours truly waited on line for what seemed an eternity when “Sgt Pepper ” came out.
And yes, there were many magical aspects to it, irrespective the quality of this or that song.
One point that I haven't seen mentioned (apologies to the person who posted it in case I missed it), is the fact that the first three songs segued into each other, making them sound like one long varied song.
You lose that aspect completely if you're in the Shuffle mode on your iPod.
If nothing else, it was novel and represented a completely different way to listen to a song.
Also, the last two songs on the album segue into each other. It's more meaningful there because the next to last song is “Sgt Pepper (reprise)”, and it sounds like it's closing out the performance. But as it drifts off into silence, a new song quietly comes on; a little encore from the Sgt Pepper band.
And of course it's nothing but arguably the Beatles' greatest song.
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
2.21pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Ive just discovered some of the isolated multitracks for 4 of the Pepper tracks (Pepper, With A Little Help , She's Leaving Home and ADITL) and i am absolutely blown away just by the little samples ive heard. Probably the best thing i have heard in ages. You can hear Paul's count in to his vocal segment on ADITL, the percussion track of WALH. And the bass and drums on ADITL!! The drums have always been incredible but isolated right in your face with just Pauls bass and a very faint John vocal!! OMG!!!!
Sitting with a huge grin and a state of absolute bliss, feeling very light headed.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
2.51am
10 August 2011
Offline Sounds great – where'd you find these?
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
11.59am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Looking for the rock band remixes. I know some beatles bootleg blogs and every once in a while i go thru their past uploads. Far safer than torrents as its done by fans for fans so less chance of virus's being passed on, tho i always scan before opening. Peace of mind and all that.
I'm happy to post the link but as its bootleg material i would want the ok from the powers that be here. The last time i posted a link to the unreleased christmas session the site was mostly interviews, this time its sites (one leads to the other) that openly share the music.
If you do search look for either Purple Chicks Sgt. Pepper Deluxe Disc 6 The multi tracks or Sgt Pepper Multi-tracks (fake capitol – a copy of the purple chick disc). Avoid Mister Claude's release as its missing the remix of when im 64 and the sound quality is supposedly not as good.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
7.02pm
14 December 2009
Offline “Into the Sky with Diamonds” said:
One point that I haven’t seen mentioned (apologies to the person who posted it in case I missed it), is the fact that the first three songs segued into each other, making them sound like one long varied song.
You lose that aspect completely if you’re in the Shuffle mode on your iPod.
If nothing else, it was novel and represented a completely different way to listen to a song.
For a long time, I thought it was the FIRST EVER record to employ segues, but there are a few that got there first, notably Zappa's Absolutely Free, which predated Pepper by two months and used 'em on every song instead of just at the beginning and end. And for that matter, I'd constantly read claims that Pepper had NO spaces between the songs at all, and I'd wonder how they could perpetuate an obvious mistake like that. But it's only recently I learned I'd been misunderstanding all along: They were referring to the actual vinyl itself, which indeed had none of the “rills” usually found on the record! I presume that's why so many DJs allegedly played the album in its entirety, since there was virtually no way to tell visually where one song ended and the next began.
I believe SPLHCB was also the first single album to be packaged in a gatefold sleeve.
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
8.50pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Beatles For Sale was a gatefold, in the UK at least.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
9.19pm
14 December 2009
Offline Really? OK, thanks for the correction!
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
4.20am
10 August 2011
Offline Meanmistermustard, thanks for the tip.
Von Bontee, I'll have to pull out my Pepper album, but there had to be some kind of separation between songs, because
a) DJs did play isolated cuts and
b) I myself remember plopping the needle down on When I'm 64 to bypass Within You Without You !
Maybe there was something different about the space between songs, but it must have been subtle!
On a related note, with the iPod on Shuffle mode, you lose that long silence at the end of “A Day in TL”. The next song comes on too quickly.
Same with “I Want You” on Abbey Road .
Those songs, IMHO, were meant to be listened to in a dark room, and when those songs were over, you were left with awed silence for minutes on end (until you gathered the energy to get up and turn the record to the other side).
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
12.15pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline “Into the Sky with Diamonds” said:
Those songs, IMHO, were meant to be listened to in a dark room, and when those songs were over, you were left with awed silence for minutes on end.
Amen, brother.
vonbontee said:
With the possible exception of Robert and the lately-absent Celebrated Mr. K, I don't think any of us (not even Zig or myself!) are old enough to have experienced firsthand how zeitgeist-defining and all-encompassing and ETERNAL that album must've seemed when it was released to the world, like it was the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Holy Bible and the sun itself, in carboard-enshrouded vinyl form. (!)
Very true. My first memory of the Fabs was seeing and hearing the MMT album (had to be late spring/early summer 1968) when I was little more than 4 years old. To me, at that age, the Beatles were cartoon characters who sang songs and dressed up in animal costumes. I did not think of them as a rock band until years later when I started to really listen to and appreciate rock & roll. Back then, there was no internet or cable TV. At home, my dad had albums from artisits like The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, Neil Diamond and an eclectic host of others. In the car, my mom would listen to pop music on (ready for this?) AM radio. It's funny when I think of my youngest sister-in-law singing songs she heard on TV by The Smurfs at age 4 or 5. When I was that age I was singing “I Am The Walrus ” (goo goo be goo – hey, I was 4).
Getting back to Pepper… Elton John came out with “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds ” in November of 1974. I had just turned 11 when it hit the charts. I never in my wildest dreams knew it was originally a Beatles song. As a matter of fact, the first time I heard the original version, I hated it. “Why do they sing it so fast?” compared to E.J.'s version. I laughed out loud a few weeks ago when I heard Elton's version on the radio for the first time in ages. I thought, “Why did he sing it so slow?”
Anyway, after years of listening to pop music on the radio and hearing Beatles songs like “She Loves You “, “I Want To Hold Your Hand “, etc… (you'd never hear ADiTL on AM radio!) I started hearing snippets of Pepper and other lesser played stuff and getting very interested. Today, I could never dream of not having Pepper in my collection. It's not my favorite album, but it is definitely one that I rely on and listen to very often, late at night, in the dark. So, allow me to repeat to Into the Sky with Diamonds…
Amen, brother.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
12.39pm
10 August 2011
Offline 5.34pm
31 March 2008
Offline
Beatles For Sale was sort of a gatefold, but not the way we now know them. It had an extra flap which opened up, but the front bit was single-ply (ie you couldn’t get a record in there). Sgt Pepper was a proper double cover. I probably haven’t explained that very well.
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5.37pm
1 December 2009
Offline Perfectly understood, Joe.
Into The Sky, apparently the no-rills idea was ignored by Capitol Records in the U.S., along with the locked groove and the dog whistle.
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
11.53pm
10 August 2011
Offline I think the dog whistle might have been included. Didn't have a dog back then.
Will have to try with Ringo, one of my current dogs!
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
3.55pm
8 November 2011
Offline There's some really great songs on Sgt.Pepper,for example She's Leaving Home,Lovely Rita ,When I'm Sixty-Four and Within You Without You .I don't really like any John song on this album though 
"Why in the world are we here?Surely not to live in pain and fear" – John
8.27pm
1 May 2010
Offline Wow really? Not even Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds ? 
Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……
Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…
Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.
Beware of Darkness…
10.51pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Out of curiosity BeatlesLover4Ever is there a reason why you dont like Johns Pepper songs?
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
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