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In this episode, Richard and Robert talk with the host of the Multitrack Meltdown podcast, author/musician Anthony Robustelli (I Want To Tell You: Volume 1 1962/1963; Steely Dan FAQ). His specialty is revealing what lies beneath the surface of the masters of Beatles and Beatles-related recordings. Here, you’ll get to hear the inner workings of John’s recordings with Elton John and David Bowie (“Whatever Gets you Through The Night” and “Fame” respectively); Paul with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson (“What’s That You’re Doing” and “Say Say Say” respectively) and George with Tom Petty (“I Won’t Back Down”).
Check out Anthony’s work here:
http://www.thebeatlesiwanttotellyou.com/multi-track-meltdown
https://soundcloud.com/user-493432193/tracks
Songs include “Act Naturally.”
Find Robert’s books here.
Find Richard’s books here.
I wish you all could have mentioned Elton & Ringo playing on the “Cloud 9” album but still this was great to hear.
I wish you all could have mentioned Elton & Ringo playing on the “Cloud 9” album but still this was great to hear.
An ocarina is actually a traditional wind instrument – primitive and similar in sound to a recorder. The solo in the Troggs’ “Wild Thing” is played on an Ocarina. The wind instrument with a keyboard is called a “melodica.”
An ocarina is actually a traditional wind instrument – primitive and similar in sound to a recorder. The solo in the Troggs’ “Wild Thing” is played on an Ocarina. The wind instrument with a keyboard is called a “melodica.”
Robustelli has been a guest at past “Fest for Beatles Fans” and I enjoy his presentations. Yeah Elton and Ringo and others on Cloud Nine would have been perfect for “deconstruction”. Loved the opening of “Ebony and Ivory” in spite of Buskin’s objections.
Robustelli has been a guest at past “Fest for Beatles Fans” and I enjoy his presentations. Yeah Elton and Ringo and others on Cloud Nine would have been perfect for “deconstruction”. Loved the opening of “Ebony and Ivory” in spite of Buskin’s objections.
How about Elton John s composing and playing on Ringos “snookeroo”? With Bernie Taupin of course
How about Elton John s composing and playing on Ringos “snookeroo”? With Bernie Taupin of course
Loved all the vocal separations, Mcartney-Jackson,Lennon-Bowie,Lennon-Elton,Mcartney-wonder, really cool!
Loved all the vocal separations, Mcartney-Jackson,Lennon-Bowie,Lennon-Elton,Mcartney-wonder, really cool!
I don’t know whether to feel bad or envious of you guys (though the story of getting to spend time on a McCartney promo video set balances the scales in one direction).
I was born in 1974. My earliest recollections of Solo Paul was not Wings, but Top of the Pops.
As a child I was a massive Michael Jackson fan and it was the collaborations with him that I really enjoyed. I loved the Say Say Say video, but always hated the spoken word section of the Girl is Mine (as is only right and proper). However, it was this collaboration that turned me onto the album ‘London Town’ because of the ‘Girlfriend’ connection.
But being between six and 12 in those days also means that I grew up (not only with a father who loved The Beatles who were always around) but that I viewed the likes of Pipes of Peace, Mull of Kintyre, and yes even Rupert, but most pertinently Ebony and Ivory with a certain degree of affection, largely I admit through osmosis, but still with a nostalgic pleasure. Of course that doesn’t make them great songs, but to me they are priceless.
I would go on to examine the hits and misses (usually measured very differently in terms of critical and commercial success) of Paul, and get into the bits of Wings that took my fancy, and found a different sort of pleasure, though nothing of course that matches his Beatles work. I don’t know whether this makes me tone deaf, rosy-eyed or have had my synapses corrupted, but I get a modicum of satisfaction that although I never got to meet (any of) the Beatles, even well past their pomp as you guys have, I can squeeze just a tiny little more pleasure out of their back catalogue. Thanks for another excellent episode (and also for the political one I have just finished). I was a excellent student of the Beatitudes back in my twenties, but it seems that the music press has not kept me as up to date with research as I might have expected. I look back on comments I made just a couple of days ago with such certainty and have found myself questioning my ‘faith’ in matters I could quote verbatim. It really is true that the more that I learn the less that I know for sure. Keep up the good work. Peace.
I don’t know whether to feel bad or envious of you guys (though the story of getting to spend time on a McCartney promo video set balances the scales in one direction).
I was born in 1974. My earliest recollections of Solo Paul was not Wings, but Top of the Pops.
As a child I was a massive Michael Jackson fan and it was the collaborations with him that I really enjoyed. I loved the Say Say Say video, but always hated the spoken word section of the Girl is Mine (as is only right and proper). However, it was this collaboration that turned me onto the album ‘London Town’ because of the ‘Girlfriend’ connection.
But being between six and 12 in those days also means that I grew up (not only with a father who loved The Beatles who were always around) but that I viewed the likes of Pipes of Peace, Mull of Kintyre, and yes even Rupert, but most pertinently Ebony and Ivory with a certain degree of affection, largely I admit through osmosis, but still with a nostalgic pleasure. Of course that doesn’t make them great songs, but to me they are priceless.
I would go on to examine the hits and misses (usually measured very differently in terms of critical and commercial success) of Paul, and get into the bits of Wings that took my fancy, and found a different sort of pleasure, though nothing of course that matches his Beatles work. I don’t know whether this makes me tone deaf, rosy-eyed or have had my synapses corrupted, but I get a modicum of satisfaction that although I never got to meet (any of) the Beatles, even well past their pomp as you guys have, I can squeeze just a tiny little more pleasure out of their back catalogue. Thanks for another excellent episode (and also for the political one I have just finished). I was a excellent student of the Beatitudes back in my twenties, but it seems that the music press has not kept me as up to date with research as I might have expected. I look back on comments I made just a couple of days ago with such certainty and have found myself questioning my ‘faith’ in matters I could quote verbatim. It really is true that the more that I learn the less that I know for sure. Keep up the good work. Peace.
Now 2/3 of the way through… Going back to my earlier point, and perhaps for the same reasons of nostalgia, I think there is some pretty decent material on McCartney 2 (at least on the first side, side 2 is utter excrement).
Temporary Secretary I always loved. I think the intro is up there with Frankie Knuckles’ ‘Your Love’ as a piece of hypnosis and extended remixes have shown I am not the only one who thinks this. Waterfalls is no ‘For No One’ but it is a pretty decent ballad, if over-produced. Coming Up and the video (which I would perhaps generously damn with the faint praise of being ‘fun’) is also pretty decent pop fare for the era.
Like I have already intimated, the pleasure I get from these tracks maybe associative rather than cerebral and it would be interesting to learn from a more critical perspective why my joy might be misplaced. I haven’t got through all your episodes yet, so maybe I will get a better critique (as slagging solo Paul seems a recurrent theme in the 10 or so podcasts thus far). Perhaps when you are done slating the equally ‘harmless’ ‘Wonderful Christmastime) which may get a mention in the next episode.
I notice that all the suggestions I have made have been very successful singles on mediocre albums. Ballroom Dancing I thought was the stand out track on Tug of War (and I bet you hate it), but a fresh perspective of the stripped back ‘What’s that you’re doing’ was a real treat. It may be telling that I thought it was a half-decent Wonder funk rather than a throwaway Macca as I felt the album version was. Less, as was mentioned by your contributor, was definitely more. Peace again.
Now 2/3 of the way through… Going back to my earlier point, and perhaps for the same reasons of nostalgia, I think there is some pretty decent material on McCartney 2 (at least on the first side, side 2 is utter excrement).
Temporary Secretary I always loved. I think the intro is up there with Frankie Knuckles’ ‘Your Love’ as a piece of hypnosis and extended remixes have shown I am not the only one who thinks this. Waterfalls is no ‘For No One’ but it is a pretty decent ballad, if over-produced. Coming Up and the video (which I would perhaps generously damn with the faint praise of being ‘fun’) is also pretty decent pop fare for the era.
Like I have already intimated, the pleasure I get from these tracks maybe associative rather than cerebral and it would be interesting to learn from a more critical perspective why my joy might be misplaced. I haven’t got through all your episodes yet, so maybe I will get a better critique (as slagging solo Paul seems a recurrent theme in the 10 or so podcasts thus far). Perhaps when you are done slating the equally ‘harmless’ ‘Wonderful Christmastime) which may get a mention in the next episode.
I notice that all the suggestions I have made have been very successful singles on mediocre albums. Ballroom Dancing I thought was the stand out track on Tug of War (and I bet you hate it), but a fresh perspective of the stripped back ‘What’s that you’re doing’ was a real treat. It may be telling that I thought it was a half-decent Wonder funk rather than a throwaway Macca as I felt the album version was. Less, as was mentioned by your contributor, was definitely more. Peace again.