Beatles Bible Band | Page 15 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Another mix because I can’t stop fiddling about. Didn’t like where the bass and lead guitar sat in the mix and the vox was getting lost:

https://drive.google.com/file/…..sp=sharing

The thing about production is that your ears can get tired after a couple of hours and it takes a good while for them to settle sometimes, and lots of things are going on in this one, they’re all demanding their spot!

Thanks everyone involved, I really enjoy listening to this Special thanks to @ewe2 for being the forums very own .

Well ok, maybe people don’t want to do cmons.  I am assuming you’re all happy with that mix, I just got new headphones which have improved bass response and I could probably cut the bass back a bit more. Added to that, I’ve got some nice new flatwound strings on the bass and it sounds much more beatley!

I’m a huge fan of Easy Star All-Stars who are a reggae group who have done some amazing album tributes to the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead and even Michael Jackson. Look them up if you’ve ever wondered what a reggae version of Thriller would sound like, and I especially recommend the Pink Floyd tributes, two albums of them (it’s the same album but the second one is all dub mixes).

Sooo my current zany idea is a reggae version of Helter Skelter . But I’m open to suggestions! My rationale is that if we are eventually to do something original we might have a go at a different kind of cover. But I would welcome a discussion, please suggest something, there are no stupid questions or suggestions!

Same way (put down a click track, throw a basic backing down and go from there), but we might want to talk style first. What I hear in my head is that it starts in the same way but when it gets to “…again” we break into a reggae beat. It would be tempting to use an open style like the QI theme but I think that’s better suited to a dub version which can be made from this one! So the style is more roots-reggae with 4 beats to the bar-kick and rimshot. This is what I mean:

There’s plenty of scope for big air fills at the appropriate moments. I’m less certain of how to do the breakdown in a reggae-ish way, will have to try some different approaches. I’m also thinking of having the lyrics sung in octave with a lower voice (probably mine!) following the high one. I hope someone can sing in that register, but if not, we can transpose it to G maybe which is ok for the guitar riff (you didn’t think we were ditching that!?). According to songbpm the speed is 168bpm which sounds a bit fast but we don’t want to slow it too far down because it can sound dirgey with the different swing of reggae. 

Otherwise, I want to throw the kitchen sink at it with any good ideas for melody lines as riffs apart from the required stabs, and a solo. Then it can be broken down. If that’s not making much sense, let me know.

The Hole Got Fixed said

There also should be ample room for everyone to improvise with their parts, that’s one of the most important parts of reggae, I feel.

We also mustn’t have too many instruments doing too much at any one time, this isn’t a genre for Phil Spector.  

Exactly, we want there to be variety but the rhythm is most important. When I said ‘throw the kitchen sink’ I didn’t mean in a mixing sense but to have the option of lots of ideas.

sir walter raleigh said
I could give it my best shot, but no guarantees it would sound good.   

Not guarantees but participation! I think we’re good enough musicians that if you feel you would do better in a different key we can handle it. This song took full advantage of its members talents and I intend to do the same  Chromatic tuners are cheap, capos are too, I have a 5-string bass and at the worst I can pitch-change tracks. There’s no such thing as cannot!