IT WAS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME opportunity to hear The Beatles as
they were intended in the hallowed space where they created their
extraordinary music. To mark the launch of The Beatles In Mono
vinyl remasters, Apple Records and Mojo hosted a special evening
gathering at Abbey Road’s legendary Studio 2 to listen to tracks from
the new versions and hear a panel of distinguished guests discuss how
the group recorded and mixed their songs.
The doors of Studio 2, where The Beatles recorded the majority of
their material, swung open at 5.30pm to welcome a specially invited
audience of 100 or so Fabs fans, including several dozen Mojo readers
selected from our recent online competition.
The event started with the master of ceremonies – storied music
writer and broadcaster Mark Ellen – introducing the panel, comprising
Beatles engineer Ken Scott; BBC radio producer and Beatle boffin Kevin
Howlett; Sean Magee, the remastering and cutting engineer who worked on
the new vinyls; and Toerag Studios producer and mono enthusiast Liam
Watson.
After hearing the first selection from the new platters, You Can’t Do
That – sounding punchy and powerful on £300,000 sound system (with NAIM
amp, Focal speakers, KJ West One turntable, Ortofon cartridge) –
discussion began about the merits of experiencing The Beatles in mono,
Kevin Howlett pointing out that it was the primary format on which
records were sold until 1968 and that The Beatles showed little interest
in the stereo mixes of their albums until that time.
Ken Scott revealed that the radically different stereo mix of White
Album track Helter Skelter (it’s around a minute longer than the mono
mix and ends with Ringo Starr’s cry of “I’ve got blisters on my
figures!”) was inspired by Paul McCartney’s realisation that fans were
becoming increasingly interested in comparing the two versions. “He told
me, ‘If we make them different than we’ll sell twice as many records,’”
laughed Scott.
He also explained that the jet engine sound effect on Back In The
USSR is different on the two mixes because the tape used on the mono
version became so worn out it began to wow and flutter.
After hearing Helter Skelter and the single version of Revolution at
gloriously loud volume, Liam Watson selected the Ringo-sung Boys from
The Beatles’ debut album Please Please Me to be cued up next.
Howlett explained that the group didn’t bother to change the gender of
the song’s title when they covered the (all-girls) Shirelles B-side.
Then came the highlight of the evening: “It would be insane to be in
this Sistine Chapel of a building and not hear A Day In The Life,”
announced Mark Ellen, before the stirring piano chords and Lennon’s
opening line, “I heard the news today, oh boy…” of the Sgt Pepper pocket symphony brought a hymnal, emotional ambience to the hushed room.
More fascinating talk followed, including Scott’s recollection of his
first time in charge of a Beatles session, on a shelved version of Your
Mother Should Know, when in the control room he “had to tell the
biggest band in the world to shut the f**k up” because they were
discussing something noisily while he was trying to concentrate.
The mono versions of I Am The Walrus and While My Guitar Gently Weeps
spread more good cheer, as did Scott’s story that no one, including
him, actually remembers Eric Clapton turning up to play the guitar part
on the latter. After Love Me Do, a truly memorable evening drew to a
close – the organisers graciously allowing the audience to photograph at
their leisure the legendary room where The Beatles created their magic.
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