• Re: Emerick and the "Underwater Vocals" on "Yellow Submarine"

    From Blueshirt@21:1/5 to Norbert on Wed Aug 7 17:51:03 2024
    Norbert wrote:

    According to Geoff Emerick, there was much dope-smoking during
    the recording of "Yellow Submarine."

    <shocked face> Really? Who'd have thought something like that
    could happen... and... <gasp> whilst recording a song about
    living in a yellow submarine!!!

    I really am taken aback at these wild claims...

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  • From Norbert@21:1/5 to All on Wed Aug 7 17:32:31 2024
    According to Geoff Emerick, there was much dope-smoking during the
    recording of "Yellow Submarine." To simulate the sound of a submarine submerging, Lennon blew bubbles into a glass with a straw, which were
    duly recorded by Emerick. Lennon wanted to take things further; he
    wanted a tank of water brought into the studio so that he could add
    vocals while underwater.

    George Martin attempted to dissuade John from this. Emerick intervened
    with the proposal that Lennon might sing into a *microphone* that had
    been submerged in water. Martin again disapproved, and warned Emerick
    that is a mic was ruined by such a process, he (Emerick) would have to
    pay for it. This warning had a "sobering" effect on Emerick, but he
    believed it was too late to back out.

    A milk bottle filled with water was fetched. The next problem was waterproofing the mic. John called out to Mal Evans, asking him what he
    had that would help. Evans, Emerick recalled, "carried around a
    doctor's bag inside which he'd stashed all kinds of things -- picks,
    guitar strings, flashlights, crisps, biscuits, even household items like tissues." And on this occasion, Mal did not disappoint. He reached for
    his bag, felt around, and produced a condom.

    [End of summary.]

    I love this anecdote, which illustrates the way the Beatles' entourage
    would think on their feet to indulge Lennon's far-out whims. I'm
    pleasantly surprised that they had Evans provide condoms -- presumably
    usually for their regular purpose.

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  • From super70s@21:1/5 to Norbert on Wed Aug 7 13:27:21 2024
    On 2024-08-07 17:32:31 +0000, Norbert said:

    According to Geoff Emerick, there was much dope-smoking during the
    recording of "Yellow Submarine." To simulate the sound of a submarine submerging, Lennon blew bubbles into a glass with a straw, which were
    duly recorded by Emerick. Lennon wanted to take things further; he
    wanted a tank of water brought into the studio so that he could add
    vocals while underwater.

    George Martin attempted to dissuade John from this. Emerick intervened
    with the proposal that Lennon might sing into a *microphone* that had
    been submerged in water.

    I don't get it. Were they all on acid as well (except Martin).

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  • From Norbert@21:1/5 to All on Wed Aug 7 18:44:34 2024
    I mean, we know John was taking acid by then. Lennon had yet, by the
    time of "Yellow Submarine" to have showed up in the studio blatantly
    fried and unable to function -- although I know that's coming soon.

    There is a passage in Emerick's book where Lennon shows up in such an acid-ravaged state. George Martin thought John seemed in need of a
    breath of fresh air, and took him up to the roof -- only to leave him up
    there. When the other guys realized Lennon had gone missing and asked
    George Martin about it, they raced up to the roof to retrieve Lennon --
    who fortunately hadn't persuaded himself that he was Jesus. Yet.

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  • From Norbert@21:1/5 to All on Wed Aug 7 18:37:49 2024
    Acid hasn't come up yet at this stage in the book, and the Beatles were
    still making an effort to keep Martin in the dark about their marijuana
    use, having Mal Evans burn incense and sneaking off into corners to
    light up.

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