1967
(thought I'd create my own new cover)
Not only has so much been written about this amazing album, but the words "so much has been written. . " have been written hundreds of times. Where do you start?
Notes on the bass playing on Sgt. Pepper
Most of his bass playing on this album was not ensemble playing. In
fact, most of the music on this album was not ensemble playing. The
days of the four lads standing and playing music together had passed under the
bridge and, with certain exceptions such as Yer Blues, would stay under that
bridge.
The image I have of Paul McCartney during the Sgt. Pepper recording sessions is one of him sitting the studio on a stool, his left-handed Rickenbacker across his lap, his mustache curled around his lip. I see a man looking for something new and far away.
He found it, again, on this album. While his playing on Revolver/Paperback Writer was aggressive and very rock oriented, Sgt. Peppers was different. The expression is cool, laid back a bit, but creative and completely different than anything yet done. With some exceptions (most notably the reprise of the theme) the playing is, really, a bit disconnected from the rest of the band. There's a reason for that. Since he lived nearby, he was usually first and generally last at the studio and had time to play with his bass parts. Perhaps never before had a bass player been given such leverage and time to come up with exactly the right thing to play on each song.
As the group dynamics allowed for more and more experimentation, Paul's bass playing became more innovative.
Paul McCartney and George Martin discussing the bass playing on Sgt. Pepper, listening to Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds:
8
The sound of the instruments on this song all have a floating feel to them and the bass is no exception. This is another example of a Beatles song that has a bass line completely different than one might expect, and yet fits perfectly. It doesn't anchor the song to the ground; that is a role that the bass seldom plays on this album. But somehow it does hold it to some floating anchor and is probably THE representation of Sgt. Pepper style bass playing. If the song comes from a different place, as Lucy does, then why not anchor it in that place in a tricky, bizarre and different way.
More inspired bass playing here. On the verses, the bass starts out as an almost typical one/five bass line, but by the end of the verse has transformed into a melody that counters Lennon's lead line. The bass, in fact, seems to counter the rest of the recording. The keyboards and drums stand on one side, plodding along beneath the vocals, with the bass on the other.
On this song, Paul and Ringo began using a one beat technique that they kept in their repertoire through Abbey Road. At the end of the verses, they add an exclamation point by slamming the beat home together, the bass starting at one note and sliding downward. In fact, the whole song showcases the rhythm section to great effect. The song opens with a galloping rhythm and there are sections in the song where Ringo's bass drumming rolls at a super-fast rate.
Another perfect example of "not playing" to perfection. The bass line continues to seem to go somewhere and then suddenly stops. Very untypical of a bass line, and very reflective of the mood of the song.
Put that reprise on with the bass turned up all the way. There's Paul counting off. . .there's the four bars of drumming, and then on the final eight note of the fourth measure, Paul gives the intro note and slams it into gear. From there, it's full speed ahead and rock solid, and John must have been proud. His playing on this song is actually a portent of styles to come. When the beat needed to be laid down, he did it. Unfortunately, the song comes and goes so fast. Thanks to the advent of the CD, however, it's very easy to start the song over right up to the point where the instruments come in, time after time until the police are summoned. According to George Martin in his book 'With A Little Help From My Friends', the idea for a reprise was Neil Aspinall's idea. They worked hard on making it sound live and it is incredibly live sounding, and very powerful.
Yes, the bass style on the album is a very cool Paul McCartney, poised and confident. The judgment on whether it was his top stuff is completely up to the listener. It certainly was revolutionary. It certainly fit the music and that's really the main thing. In the author's opinion, it's his most creative and melodic, but not his best. That was yet to come.
On May 11, '67, The Beatles started recording the song that brought the sonic boom to bass playing Baby You're A Rich Man. This was recorded at Olympic Sound Studios and engineered by Keith Grant. It may be one of the many that qualify for "the most unique Beatles' record".
Its sound is almost communal, not so much a rock song but a rock congregation.
To hear the bass on this song in its full glory requires a fairly good speaker system, one that can handle extreme low end. Of all the Beatles' records, Grant got the deepest bass end. Pure sound, pure low end feel. It was as if he were wielding a powerful weapon, and wielding it pretty nicely, too.
Notes on 1967. Like the '64/'65 period, Paul remained fairly constant throughout the remainder of 1967. Nothing bad, nothing earthshaking or historic. You almost got to expect something incredibly new with every record put out, a stigma that Paul lives with to this day. It wasn't until Hey Bulldog and then the incredible white album that new innovations were to come.