Paul Mccartney tone on Abbey Road

[LeeNunn]

What you are hearing is the Kick hitting simultaneously with the C# (A string 4th fret) on the Bass.

The low tuning of the Kick happens to coincidentally reinforce that particular note creating the illusion of the note an octave below, but the Bass is not playing a Low C# below the range of a a normal 4 string bass.

So the three notes are (ascending) A C# D in the normal range of a 4 string.

Here is a clip from the Remastered version with the bass emphasized and the kick de-emphasized, and the track slowed down a bit.

I'm convinced. Thanks, ddnidd1. I guess Jesse Gresse, who did the BP transcription, was fooled too.

 

[jazz Bass 74]

I'm convinced. Thanks, ddnidd1. I guess Jesse Gresse, who did the BP transcription, was fooled too.

I'm not vouching for the accuracy of this one, but here is the transcription from the Beatles Complete Scores book showing the notes before the D chord as F# A E.

 

[ddnidd1]

I'm not vouching for the accuracy of this one, but here is the transcription from the Beatles Complete Scores book showing the notes before the D chord as F# A E.

I never looked at the score before, but not only are the notes wrong, but the fingerings they suggest are really weird.

For instance, instead of fingering an A on the 2nd fret of the G string, they specify the 12th fret of the A string.

It doesn't appear the person doing the transcription played much bass.

I'll post an image if I can figure out how to copy that section.

EDIT: Here's a quick copy of the intro-

 

[jazz Bass 74]

I never looked at the score before, but not only are the notes wrong, but the fingerings they suggest are really weird.

For instance, instead of fingering an A on the 2nd fret of the G string, they specify the 12th fret of the A string.

It doesn't appear the person doing the transcription played much bass.

I'll post an image if I can figure out how to copy that section.

I agree, some of the bass transcriptions in that book are questionable, which is why I posted it primarily for amusement value.

 

[bassexplorer]

Negative.

"Law of the Excluded Middle." The ultimate truth or falsity of the statement is independent of your opinion or knowledge. The statement cannot be "true for some people and false for others."

There can only be a single answer for "what bass did Paul play on a particular track". All we need now is a reliable, authoritative, verifiable source.

Riis

Let's ask Paul ...

 

[danosix]

Negative.

"Law of the Excluded Middle." The ultimate truth or falsity of the statement is independent of your opinion or knowledge. The statement cannot be "true for some people and false for others."

There can only be a single answer for "what bass did Paul play on a particular track". All we need now is a reliable, authoritative, verifiable source.

Riis

But a definitive answer MAY be elusive since no one wrote it down at the time. So he's actually right - though to equate it to those other things which you are correct to say are matters of preference is wrong (as you suggest).

 

[danosix]

You are 100% correct on this...but I am developing a new theory....

It's hard to believe that not only Paul couldn't remember, but Ringo,the engeneers, tape ops, George Martin...even Yoko(!!!) don't remember either. It's possible that ALL of this information is written down in detail for future release at the most advantagous time. That information will make the Anthologies look like pennies by comparison.

I don't think that any of them cared NEARLY as much as their fans do, and it is unlikely that another member of the band would remember which of Paul's three regular basses (ie not something to notice) he played on a specific track unless they had a specific reason to remember the recording of that track and it somehow related to which bass he was playing at the time.
Those guys were very practical about their equipment (if it worked, it worked) and experimented expensively so even if they remembered one thing there's a good chance that there was another take with one of the other instruments.

 

[Pet Sounds]

I've read lots of interviews with Paul over the years and I don't remember anyone asking him what would go into his thought process when deciding which bass to play on a given track.

 

[ggvicviper]

I'd been listening to some of the isolated bass tracks on YouTube, and I think Dear Prudence might have also been the Jazz Bass. It kinda sounds like the bass tone on Glass Onion and WMGGW:

 

[Basslinger05]

I've always had a hard time believing that Paul used the Rickenbacker extensively on Abbey Road. White album is mostly Jazz bass, then he went back to the Hofner (with the black nylon strings) for Let It Be and was fairly enthusiastic about getting back to that bass (according to interviews form the period where he was reminded of how light it is) and we know he used the jazz on Abbey Road quite a bit. I think the other bass in the mix is the Hofner.

I,ve owned 4 hofners over the years, back in the day, the only strings I used that didn't, make the neck bow were the nylon wound Labella jobs. Maybe I just wasn't aware of the existence of lite ga strings, in the late 60s/early 70s I don't remember ever even hearing about em, were they around back then?

 

[Basslinger05]

But a definitive answer MAY be elusive since no one wrote it down at the time. So he's actually right - though to equate it to those other things which you are correct to say are matters of preference is wrong (as you suggest).

W

But a definitive answer MAY be elusive since no one wrote it down at the time. So he's actually right - though to equate it to those other things which you are correct to say are matters of preference is wrong (as you suggest).

What??? Maybe try to find hidden meaning behind some of the lyrics & achieve cosmic bliss! Peace

 

[Son of Wobble]

Not all of the bass parts were McCartney. Sometimes Lennon or Harrison would play a jazz or a Fender VI short scale. McCartney had the Ric, the Hofner and a Fender Jazz available to him.

Can you name any Lennon bass tracks of the top of your head? Something about Lennon relegated to bass strikes me as humorous, particularly considering how much he loathed some of those Macca songs.

 

[Ric5]

Can you name any Lennon bass tracks of the top of your head? Something about Lennon relegated to bass strikes me as humorous, particularly considering how much he loathed some of those Macca songs.

HELTER SKELTER

John Lennon played a BassVI

 

[Ric5]

Can you name any Lennon bass tracks of the top of your head? Something about Lennon relegated to bass strikes me as humorous, particularly considering how much he loathed some of those Macca songs.

isolated bass track on Helter Skelter

 

[ScottTunes]

"Let It Be"

 

[thunderstation]

I have no idea - but I remember a scene from the anthology, where Paul & George were talking about what instrument was used on some of the tracks and even they weren't sure - they knew there was a fender 6 that both John & George played but George's memory was very hazy on it - It sounded like even Paul (who can have a bit of ego) wasn't sure of who played what on the tracks.

 

[Son of Wobble]

isolated bass track on Helter Skelter

Thanks for posting this!
Pretty cool to know that's Lennon riffing.

This isolated tracks always seem to offer the same surprise, they invariably sound tonally rough, with little micro-flubs. This one had some dodgy intonation, too.

Do you know how this track was made, ie, tracked or cut live?

I have no idea - but I remember a scene from the anthology, where Paul & George were talking about what instrument was used on some of the tracks and even they weren't sure

Lennon said circa 1970 that he had taken "literally thousands" of LSD trips by that point, and there is the well-documented day at the London Apple Offices when John had to gently be talked out of calling a press conference to announce that he was Jesus Christ incarnate... So even the player's memory should be scrutinized by a true rock archeologist.

I used to repeat claims The Doors producer Paul Rothchild had made about their being "literally thousands" of edits on The Doors' "Absolutely Live." He gave a very compelling interview in Bam Magazine in the 80s or 90s, and I took it as lore until a wiseguy here at TB corrected me. Turns out Paul had been discredited by Tape Heads who found there to be only half a dozen substantive edits on the record. Rothchild had fibbed to leverage producing gigs (Bam was an L.A. magazine, and the record business had not yet left here for Nashville!).

 

[boristhespider7]

Can you name any Lennon bass tracks of the top of your head? Something about Lennon relegated to bass strikes me as humorous, particularly considering how much he loathed some of those Macca songs.

Also "The long and winding Rd" where it sounds as if Lennon is attempting to sabotage the song with a v v poor bassline (have a listen to the isoalted bass track on youtube)...don't know why Macca didn't re-dub it

I actually really like the Helter Skelter bass line...warts n all. Its so aggressive sounding, i thought for yrs it was a Ric until i found out it was Lennon on the VI

 

[Son of Wobble]

Also "The long and winding Rd" where it sounds as if Lennon is attempting to sabotage the song with a v v poor bassline (have a listen to the isoalted bass track on youtube)...don't know why Macca didn't re-dub it

I actually really like the Helter Skelter bass line...warts n all. Its so aggressive sounding, i thought for yrs it was a Ric until i found out it was Lennon on the VI

Fascinating!
And I betcha Macca DID think about redubbing the bass, but likely demurred because he was already walking on egg shells (e.g., George's tantrum at being told what part to play).

 

[NoiseNinja]

The butler did it!