Song List
All arrangements by Nortune in Standard, Dropped D and Open G, Gm, D, & Dm.
Recorded and produced at Nortunes Studio, Nov/Dec, 2006.
All songs written by Lennon-McCartney except "Here Comes The Sun" - Harrison
and "Imagine" - Lennon
All
songs were recorded direct to my mastering software Wavelab. The
signal path began with the Taylor 812ce with its own internal
pickup system going into a Line6 POD XT Live with
stereo output direct to Yamaha AX-44 / DSP Factory combination computer
sound card (whew). At the same time a Shure SM-85 condenser mic into
a RANE FMI 14 to the AX-44 provided the acoustical ambience.
Most of the tweaking was done up front. The Line6 with its floor pedal
allowed me to emulate the Leslie Tone Cabinet sound that the Beatles used.
1. All You Need/She Loves You
This one is in open G (A pattern) tuning which matches the original
recording key. This song pretty much sets up the concept of the
entire CD. At the end of the Beatles version of "All You Need Is
Love", Paul and John start singing "She Loves You, yeah, yeah,
yeah..". I interpreted that as a poignant moment of reflection
for them. Forty years later it sets up a reflection of the entire CD.
2. Please Please Me
This one is played in Open D (E Pattern) tuning capo 2 which matches the
original recording key. This was their first number one hit. I saw on the
Anthology DVD that as soon as George Martin heard it he said, "You've
got your Number One." There are so many cool things about this
song. You can play it fast or slow and it is beautiful. The vocal harmony
is what intrigued me enough to add it to my collection. A high
tonic is held while the melody starts at the high tonic and moves down the
diatonic scale. Paul and John sang the first two parts and then George
added a third. I did it with strings.
3.
All My Loving
This song is in standard tuning capo 2 which matches the original
recording key. It is also the first arrangement that I did. It is very
musically intriguing including secondary dominants as well as a very nice
minor walk down. Except for the clear rockabilly guitar break, this song
can also be played slower as a very beautiful pop standard. In my
more mature arrangements the last verse has been changed to include the
harmony similar to the way the Beatles added their harmony on their last
verse. When I get a round tuit, I'l rerecord this one.
4.
This Boy
This one is in open G (A pattern) tuning. This is another very
beautiful song using one of the greatest chord progression of early rock.
In fact this "four chord" chord progression is the second most popular basic
chord progression of pop music since the folk days. I also many excellent
memories of my good friend Charles Broome singing this one on many of our
"Wade and Company" gigs. God bless Charles in heaven now.
5.
You Can't Do That
This one is in open G (A pattern) tuning.
I'm sure this is probably the least fan favorite of all the songs I included.
I like it for several reasons including that fact that this is just a
basic rock "12 bar three chord progression". It was the
foundation of all of rock and what the Beatles thrived on in their early
days as they learned their craft.
6.
And I Love Her
This one is in open G (A pattern) tuning.
Okay. I took a little poetic license with this one. I can actually do it
more like the original in standard tuning which includes the "half
step" modulation. In open "G", I changed the key of the
break but am able to play it with enough ease to want to play it
regularly. This is one of the few songs I do in an open tuning that is not
really in the key of the tuning. I wasn't actually going to include
this one but I saw a street performer do this one in the catacombs of
Grand Central Station one late night during my New York Beatles
pilgrimage. It was so strange of an experience that it will impact me for
a lifetime and definitely called for a tribute to go back and figure out a
way to put it on the CD. I was actually on the way back from
Greenwich Village which Lennon had said was his "psychological birth
place" even though he wasn't. Its been a fixture in the history
of folk/pop/rock music since the fifties. So anyway, I'm getting off the
subway train and all of a sudden I hear what sounded like a lush recording
of a guitar instrumentalist. I weave my away around the tunnels until I
find the source of the sound coming from a man playing a guitar through a
battery operated speaker. He was quite good in fact. I'm
thinking, "man this guy is blowing it out in a subway". What
must the "real" guitar players in New York must be like. I
listened while he played a couple of songs including "When You Get
Lost Between The Moon and New York City". His playing style was
similar to mine except he looked far more classically trained (classical
guitar that is). So I go up to him and say, "Do you know any
more Christopher Cross songs?" I was actually wondering what he could
do with "Sailing" which is one of my favorites. Well to my
surprise, he could barely speak English. He hadn't really heard of
Christopher Cross, he was just in New York doing songs about the
city. After trying to apologize for not only his English but also
not knowing who Christopher Cross was, out of the blue he then asked me in
broken English would I like to hear the "Beatles". He then
tore into "And I love Her". He played it in standard tuning in
the key of "Em" but without the modulation. It was
incredible. Beatles song fact: This one was on "Hard Day's
Night". Several of the cool phrases that seem incredibly creative
were actually word twists created by Ringo in his natural speech.
"Hard Day's Night" was one of them.
7.
Ticket To Ride
This one is in open G (A pattern) tuning capo 2.
This was one of my personal all time favorites. Years ago I had even
messed around with this one on the piano. The ending goes into a country
gallop because that's what it does on the original recording. This has one
of the greatest Beatles motifs (hooks). Its simple but unusual. To play all
the parts on this one requires me to move quite a bit all over the fret
board. Beatles song fact: This was originally released on the
"Help" album. There's many strange speculations on origin for this one
that you can find on the internet but to me its just a great song.
8.
Yesterday
This song is in standard tuning.
To say this is a "standard" is an understatement. Most
tabs show this song in the key of "F" which is what the
recording implies. All you have to do is see a video of McCartney doing it
and you'll see it was done in standard tuning in the guitar key of
"G" but tuned down a whole step. This one could be
arranged hundred ways and it would be good. I mixed a few of my favorite
concepts and found something that carries the flavor of the original but
spices it up to what it can be, Beatles song fact: This was pure and
simple McCartney. No other Beatle contributed in any way. I think
this is one of the examples of what McCartney would later write in
"Let It Be" as, "I wake up to the sound of music...".
He claims to have woke up one morning with this song in his head
already. It was so strange to him that he went looking to see if it
could have been something he had previously heard. I'm sure if it
was the original composer would have immediately come out of the woodwork.
As a song writer all you need is one like this to retire to a life of luxury.
9.
Norwegian Wood
This one is played in Open D (E Pattern) tuning capo 2.
This song in fact introduced George Harrison's love of the sitar. I
had fun with this one and early on found a trick to emulate the "out
of tune" sound of the sitar. Actually the music of eastern
civilization has more microtonal pitches which attributes to what we
perceive as desofinado (slightly out of tune); I use a little
chromatic trill for my effect and use the "sitar" effect on the
Line 6 unit. Beatles song fact: The words to this one are really
interesting and brings out the subtle humor that Lennon had. In the
end of the song he burns up the "Norwegian Wood" which was the
furniture at the girl's apartment who wouldn't let him sleep with
her. You also can't emphasize enough the beginning of Harrison's
fixation with the east with its philosophies and sounds.
10.
In My Life
This one is in open G (A pattern) tuning.
This is a song I had to rerecord. For whatever crazy reason, I
played the motif without the syncopation. I'm sure I had practiced it
correctly but it startled me when I went back and was listening to one of
my first "rendors". I usually make a basic CD and then
listen to it for a while to see if I hear things that I just can't
absolutely live with. Unfortunately, I don't have the resources to get
everything perfect to my standards but I look for a point when I can
control my flinches. The rework turned out pretty good. The
intensity of the harmony vocal is one of the many things that attracted me
to this song. Another is the very complex chord progression using what I
call the "IVm (four minor)". This one ain't that easy to
play but isn't too stressful. Beatle song fact: This is one of the most
loved Lennon attributed songs and was on "Rubber Soul".
11.
Eleanor Rigby
This one is in open Gm (Am pattern) tuning.
One of my favorite quotes is from Dash Crofts when he was performing with
Seals Crofts at Carolina coliseum way back in the late sixties and I was
there. Shortly before they play "Summer Breeze" which was the
song that made them famous he said, "Here's the reason for this
madness." For me "Eleanor Rigby" was the reason for
the madness of me making the Beatles tribute CD. I always loved the
song but really hadn't been very successful playing it. After all
the recording is just vocal and string quartet. I liked it though
and explored the possibility of standard tuning and then got the thought
that since it was in a minor key why not try one of my minor tunings. At
first I thought "Dm" would work best so I messed with it some in
that tuning. It didn't really help so I decided to try
"Gm". Boom! It was perfect. The more I messed with it, it
became evident that I had something special. It inspired me to not only
want to do the CD but to include one of each of my favorite tunings.
Beatle song fact: This is a McCartney song from the
"Revolver" album but written at the time he and Lennon were
still collaborating on everything. George Martin can totally be attributed
for the string arrangement. This song could be considered one of the
greatest "classical" pieces of all time.
12.
Because
This song is in standard tuning capo 4.
Pop music doesn't contain this type of chord progressions anymore.
Its rare that something like this could have been on a pop album at all.
But with the Beatles all was possible. The three part harmony was dubbed
several times. There is basically no lead vocal as all three parts exist
on equal basis. This version is one of my oldest. I have a new
arrangement in the works. Beatles song fact: This "Abbey
Road" entry is the one that Lennon was inspired by Yoko playing a
classical piece and then asking her to "play it
backwards". Although they may have been the way it started, it
moved into something of its own.
13.
Here Comes The Sun
This song is in standard tuning capo 4.
Very nicely written and sung by George Harrison, this songs has a lot of
nice motifs and parts. I used capo four with standard tuning to make
it sort of flow with "Because". The middle break is
something nice for guitar players to use in practice the various
"CAGED" chord patterns. It is quite a workout for each. Beatles
song fact: This was one of two entries on "Abbey Road" for
Harrison who actually was a great song writer but unfortunately living in
the shadow of two geniuses.
14.
Come Together
This one is played in Open Dm (Em Pattern) tuning
This song completes my desire to have at least one song in each of my main
tunings. It also ended up being one of my favorites. I had to
work harder on this song to get the natural timing of the melody and the
bass going at the same time, complete with slide and other
simulations. Once I got it though, it works quite well. I'm
not sure if all the parts could be done in a standard tuning. I like the
Dm so much, I not gonna mess with trying. Beatles songfact:
This was a Lennon song off "Abbey Road".
15.
Let It Be
This song is in standard tuning.
This was always one of my favorites. I play it in the key of "C"
using standard tuning but it also works well in the key of
"G". It's another one of McCartney's great
"standards" which really means you could play it with a kazoo
and it would be good. My original demo version was recorded prior to
my New York trip and I used distortion on the guitar break. When I heard
it I knew it wasn't what I wanted. On the reworked I used the Leslie
Rotary sound with a stronger plain acoustic mix. This allowed me to
vary the parts of guitar, voice and organ without any domination by one.
Of course it sounds good with just the guitar and I plan to do one of
those versions soon. This was a McCartney song off "Let It
Be".
16.
Imagine
This song is in Dropped D tuning
As I mentioned on the CD liner notes as well as above: Although it can be debated whether I should have put "Imagine" on the CD, my musical view of the Beatles includes everything (individual or not) from the "four lads from Liverpool".
This ended up being one of my favorites. The tuning gives the song a lush
sound. It is very easy to play this song with extra
"feeling". I worked up this arrangement when I was on a
golf trip to Myrtle Beach in October of 2006. I always liked the
song for the very nice but simple chromatic motif between the
phrases. The chord progressions are also nice with the verse using
major sevenths and the chorus using secondary dominants. Lennon
wrote this one using a piano but it adapted well to the guitar. Beatles
songfact: Although not given a writer's credit, Yoko Ono came up with the
Imagine concept that inspired the song's lyric.
