Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Act One Scene Two: Rolls 9-A and 10-A

Act One Scene Two: The Evening of January 2nd, 1969

In Act One Scene One, the Beatles arrived one by one onto Twickenham film studio sound stage, where their latest project was to unfold. John arrived first, followed in short order by George and Ringo. Both John and George debuted new candidate compositions, though one (Child of Nature) was clearly a leftover from the backlog of prior year's compositions. The most notable event of the early morning was the rehearsal of John’s Don’t Let Me Down in which George was given free rein to explore as he desired.
Once Paul arrives, rehearsals start with Paul’s I’ve Got a Feeling joined to John’s Everybody Had a Hard Year. The most striking facts that come out the day's rehearsal are:


1. Paul had a clear idea what he wanted from the project before they started to rehearse

2. John was already familiar with Paul's
song.

3.
Everybody Had a Hard Year had already been joined to Paul’s song

4. George was not familiar with the number, and even had to ask whether it was called, “
I’ve got a Feeling

5. John had the authority to speak for Paul on aspects of his 1
st candidate song

6. Both John and Paul told George what he should be playing to accompany them

7. Ringo never spoke during rehearsal, but was always spot on

8. John and George 
had already voiced negative thoughts about rehearsals at Twickenham, regarding poor sound, and strangers drifting into what had always been a private and secluded activity (recording music) 

9. George Martin arrived on the set 

10. Ringo vetoed traveling outside of Britain for any live show. He is set to start shooting 
The Magic Christian with Peter Sellers in a matter of week, and his window of availability to work on the current Beatle project is rapidly shrinking.

11. They agreed to learn a variety of new numbers and to perfect them simultaneously, rather than perfecting one number at a time, which has been their more common practice in the recording studio.

John’s
Don’t Let Me Down has been taken as far as he cares to take it for the day. So, the Beatles break for an on-set nosh and then determine whether or not it is George’s turn to have the group work on one of his songs).

  Click to listen to rolls 9-A + 10-A

Press to Play Roll 9-A + 10-A


Click to read the Listener's Guide - Roll 9-A + 10-A

1 Comment:

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