The White Album

OPBASSMAN1994 · #1 02-09-2011, 04:42 PM

So I was playing Beatles Rock band with my brother the other day, and obviously, it shows them playing different instruments according to the song, album, and era. For instance, Paul is playing his Ric (still fireglo) in "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help from My Friends". That is accurate for sure. However, with so much experimentation on the White Album, I don't know if even Rock Band's Beatles researchers got it all right. in the bass dept. especially.

Here's what I know:

John played bass with a Fender baritone guitar on "Helter Skelter" for sure.

He is also seen on Rock Band with the same bass (if you call it that) on "Back In the U.S.S.R." this song however, sounds much more smoothly played.

Paul is seen with a lefty Jazz on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". but he's Chording it according to the playable bass track, and with further listening it seems to be so.

The Baritone guitar sounds like a throaty, gritty, dirty, crunchy and clanky bass (distorted jazz with mids way up would be a good comparison).

This is heard on "Glass Onion" but again, smooth, melodic, Macca-esque playing.

and much more odd instances of strange bass sounds.

What the heck was going on!?

Which tracks are Paul, which are John, which songs does Paul drum on (Ringo "quit" for a couple of days) and what basses is he using when he's playing bass like he usually does?

OPBASSMAN1994 · #2 02-09-2011, 06:22 PM

hello?

Sartori · #3 02-09-2011, 09:04 PM

Are you sure it was Paul playing bass on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps?"

electracoyote · #4 02-09-2011, 09:06 PM

Where you are using the term "baritone guitar," let's instead use "Fender Bass VI."

Because that's what it was, and it's a different animal than a baritone guitar.

honeyiscool · #5 02-09-2011, 09:08 PM

I am pretty sure they show that Ringo was drumming on Dear Prudence and Back in the USSR, but he drummed on neither, all the others took turns at it but Paul is most prominent on the final mix.

On certain live versions, John plays bass (Hey Jude, Let It Be, etc.) on a Bass VI. As far as studio recordings go, he played on Helter Skelter. Paul plays guitar in several songs, including Helter Skelter, Taxman (solo), and The End (solo), as far as the game songs go.

Sometimes it's hard to show exactly who played what, especially in a group of such talented musicians (plus Ringo).

p.s. OK, I love Ringo. Sorry about that joke.

SactoBass · #6 02-09-2011, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OPBASSMAN1994

What the heck was going on!?

Drugs.

OPBASSMAN1994 · #7 02-09-2011, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sartori

Are you sure it was Paul playing bass on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps?"

The style of playing sounded like him, lots of movement and melodic fills.

OPBASSMAN1994 · #8 02-09-2011, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SactoBass

Drugs.

Somehow I knew I had that coming

.

I think we all know that, I meant instrumentally.

honeyiscool · #9 02-09-2011, 09:14 PM

Yeah that's definitely Paul.

When John's playing, he either keeps it very simple, or he grinds the crap out of it, kind of like he does on the guitar and piano.

narwhale · #10 02-09-2011, 09:14 PM

I may be outing myself as a bit of a nerd here, but I remember reading that the Rock Band developers changed some details to keep things simple. Stuff like leaving Billy Preston out of the rooftop concert songs and not changing instruments around even on songs where this was confirmed. It should be taken more as a tribute than a literal history, even though many of the details (instruments, clothing, etc) show a lot of research and love.

OPBASSMAN1994 · #11 02-10-2011, 08:52 PM

So does anyone have a list of the instruments used and who played?

Deluge Of Sound · #12 02-10-2011, 08:54 PM

I was going down the list of the instruments, but I got stuck on number nine... number nine... number nine...

jerry · #13 02-10-2011, 08:56 PM

I'm old and don't know squat about Rock Band, but to me it seems a odd choice to go to for music history.

Muddslide · #14 02-10-2011, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeyiscool

Sometimes it's hard to show exactly who played what, especially in a group of such talented musicians (plus Ringo).

p.s. OK, I love Ringo. Sorry about that joke.

I read once long ago that when Paul was asked if he thought Ringo was the greatest drummer in pop music, he replied: "Ringo's not even the best drummer in The Beatles."

Not sure that's a true quote. Cant remember where I heard that one.

Truth is, I love Ringo's drumming. It's perfectly suited to that band.

One of my favorite little bits is in the song "Cry, Baby, Cry" off The White Album. Right when the drums come in, he does this little roll on the tom. Sends me chills for some reason.

As great as The WhiteAlbum is, it's got a bit of filler, doesn't it? Could have been oe of the greatest single albums in rock and roll history. Still excellent.

But as far as double albums go, I'll take The Stones' Exile On Main Street over it every time.

Muddslide · #15 02-10-2011, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

I was going down the list of the instruments, but I got stuck on number nine... number nine... number nine...

*spews beverage*

sikamikanico · #16 02-10-2011, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

I was going down the list of the instruments, but I got stuck on number nine... number nine... number nine...

lol

No-one knows for sure what they played, not even them or George Martin... they also don't seem to care, so that's what I try to do

Chrisk-K · #17 02-10-2011, 09:04 PM

Quote:

So does anyone have a list of the instruments used and who played?

There's a book titled "Beatles Recording Session" or something like that. It was written by a studio engineer who worked during those sessions and considered very ACCURATE.

As for the bass on "While My Guitar", it's Paul playing a lefty J. George played the Fender 6 string on "USSR".

mtshark · #18 02-10-2011, 09:08 PM

Who cares? It's a game that I enjoy to play, I'm bot going to get all uppity if they got the wrong people playing the wrong instruments.

**ShoeManiac** · #19 02-10-2011, 09:19 PM

There are some decent references out there about The Beatles equipment. There's Beatles Gear by Andy Babiuk that details a lot of the equipment that was used by the band. But even Andy Babiuk conveyed that much of the information is difficult to confirm since one of the best possilbe sources of information, Beatles roadie Mal Evans, was murdered in the 1970's. I've got this book and it provides general info about the instruments but doesn't go into a track by track analysis of which instruments were used for particular songs.

You could also try referencing recording engineer Geoff Emerick's book Here, There and Everywhere - My life recording the music of The Beatles. I have the book but have yet to really get into it. Emerick was involved in a great deal of The Beatles recordings.

As for the bass playing on the White Album? There are definitely a number of tracks where either John Lennon or George Harrison may have played. There was a Fender Bass VI and also a Fender Jazz that both of them may have used on various tracks. "Back in the U.S.S.R." may actually feature George on bass, but it's not clear if it's the Bass VI or the Fender Jazz. And as has been discussed earlier in the thread it seems to be John playing on "Helter Skelter".

As for Paul McCartney? "While my guitar gently weeps", "Glass Onion", "Yer Blues" and at least a couple of other tracks are reported to be him playing a lefty Fender Jazz. The Rickenbacker seems to be on most of the other tracks, with the exception of Paul singing the bass part on "I will".

**colcifer** · #20 02-10-2011, 09:21 PM

Truth is, there is none. 40% of the official Beatles story is made up (to protect the innocent and not-so-innocent involved) and things were so sour at the end that post-breakup interviews are as slanted as a negative campaign ad (which they kind of were). On top of that you have to weed out faulty analysis, stuff gotten from promo material with (at best) misleading content (so far as the particulars are concerned), and people talking out their ***es. Not a gear specific post but something that must be considered when doing Beatles related research.