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3.59pm
18 November 2011
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Our friends across the pond may be unaware of this, but when “I Feel Fine ” and “She’s A Woman ” were released in the United States, George Martin added a layer of reverb that was absent from the original UK release. Before the 1987 CDs, these versions were how the majority of Americans heard those songs. I always wondered why they sounded so drastically different on my vinyl copy of Beatles ’65 in comparison to my Past Masters CD.
Which versions of these songs do you prefer?
I place my vote for the American reverb versions. I realize that they aren’t how The Beatles intended them to be heard, but they’re the versions I grew up with. The original UK versions sound a bit too “naked” to my ears without the reverb, especially “She’s A Woman “. However, I will say that I do enjoy the British “dry” versions for letting you clearly hear what the band is playing.
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NOTE: To those unfamiliar with the term, “reverb” (short for “reverberation”) is a type of echo in which a sound is immediately “bounced back” to the listener (Whereas a regular echo is more delayed).
9.30pm
18 January 2011
Offline In the first place, I wonder why George Martin did this? Was it really him, or was that done by Capitol or whoever in America?
I always found She’s A Woman a very empty song, “naked” as you said, just boring. The reverb certainly adds something to it and improves it somewhat. I Feel Fine doesn’t really need it at all, it’s interesting to hear it like this, but I definitely stick with the original version. In general I would say that such strong reverb makes a song less listenable.
Just like George’s voice on Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby .. don’t like it very much (Well, okay, that wasn’t reverb, but some echo delay stuff, but… anyway.)
9.47pm
18 November 2011
Offline Upon further research, it appears that Capitol demanded that Martin add more reverb to American Beatles releases. In response, he added an extreme amount to that single, figuring that they would reject it in favor of the British mix. However, they put the reverb-soaked versions out, and for 23 years, that’s how they sounded over here.
1.44pm
26 March 2012
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I’m probably just too used to the British versions, but I find the extreme reverb pretty hideous. The sparse, empty groove of She’s A Woman is what’s great about the song. Rather than filling all the space with a wash of rhythm guitar chords like in many earlier rockers, you get those stabbing, angry chords which gives the song so much more character and originality, and the reverb detracts from that. I Feel Fine just sounds really muddy.
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5.32pm
31 March 2008
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It was Dave Dexter from Capitol who was responsible for plastering everything in reverb. He’s quite an interesting guy – here’s a comment by the respected audio engineer Steve Hoffman (who himself has worked on a number of Beatles-related releases): http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/…..ost-252290 (the whole thread is worth a read too).
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7.52pm
12 December 2019
Offline I think Capitol’s inclusion of these single-sides onto their assemblage of BEATLES ’65 is what, to me, “rescues” the Beatles For Sale -era material into seeming like a fully coherent album was made from it; by contrast. It doesn’t make (me) lose interest in side two the way the British counterpart gets disjointed.
Though, never having heard what the October 12, 1964 U.K. mono mix of S.A.W. sounds like (the one sent to Capitol was the mono mix from October 21st)…I presume(?): the U.K. one is a lot like the stereo on Past Masters 1, with just the length at 3:03 instead of being faded-out at 2:57? However, the echo and delay added to the Capitol makes the opening riff, among other things, sound like a wailing anvil being struck and: (accidentally) winds-up turning the song into a embryonic example of a Heavy Metal euphoric gauntlet one soon doesn’t notice the weak lyrics of.
I, personally, love blasting the Duophonic version over big speakers.
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10.01pm
14 June 2016
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A good amount of the Beatles 65 album is mixed different than the UK versions. Some of the stereo versions sound like they were recoded in a bathroom due to the stereophonic effect capitol applied to them. I always feel like the sound has its charm despite it being criticized.
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