Beatles

I've fed you another piece of misinformation fed to me by someone involved in this project but I can't remember whom: at first I was told RTI pressed these records. But that had to be walked back. Then I was told, no Rainbo pressed but RTI plated. Now I've been told by RTI's Don MacInnis that, no RTI didn't plate them either. Sorry about that.

Back in 1996 EMI contemplated a newly-remastered 30th anniversary CD edition of "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. While the company later issued a 30th anniversary edition of The Beatles (The "White" Album) complete with a transparent slip case, black inner sleeves and the poster and photos originally included in the vinyl version, the 30th anniversary Sgt. Peppers... was never released. I know about it because I was peripherally involved.

Yesterday was a waste case for listening. I powered up the stereo and what came out was so bad I couldn't review anything. I'm not kidding. I tried everything: various turntables, cartridges, digital and nothing sounded good......So I went upstairs and watched this fascinating BBC documentary on the life and times of George Martin. There's been an anti-George Martin backlash of late from people who think he takes too much credit for their success, but watching this makes obvious that these people are making stuff up. He certainly doesn't here.

As expected, Rubber Soul, sourced from George Martin's 1987 16 bit, 44.1k remix sounds like a CD. Why should it sound like anything else? That's from what it was essentially mastered.

The Beatles' early output was as confusingly presented as it was prolific. That was true on both sides of "the pond." In America, Capitol Records at first decided to pass on The Beatles. In the U.K. singles didn't make it onto albums.

Last night I spoke with an EMI executive about the upcoming Beatles Box Set. While he is setting up an interview with Abbey Road mastering engineer Sean Magee that will have to wait until Magee is "off shift," he did provide some useful information.

It shouldn't be surprising that The Beatle who sang on Meet The Beatles "Till There Was You" from the Broadway hit "The Music Man" would eventually dip into the old song basket and pull out nearly an album's worth. McCartney has written so many songs in the "old style," from "Honey Pie," to "When I'm Sixty-Four" to "Martha My Dear." His father led a jazz band.