Category: Beatles

Mr. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely “Daughter”

The interracial Star Trek kiss between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura is a famous moment in 60’s TV. Petula Clark reversed the genders in her own famous 60’s interracial TV moment, and thereby raised an even bigger ruckus. The director of the show, Steve Binder, tells what happened in this Archive of American Television interview. Thanks to my twinster Jean for spotting this.

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And here is the scene itself, from Petula, April 9, 1968. Binder also directed the famous Elvis comeback special later in ’68, and ten years later he directed yet another legendary hour of TV, the Star Wars Holiday Special!

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On Friday, not far from here, in Boston, UK PM Gordon Brown will be giving the only speech of his visit to the United States. Mr. Brown, could you please request that Her Majesty The Queen grant British-born Pet the well-deserved title of Dame? Speaking of the PETition, there’s a new one worth noting. A request that the Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, be formally commemorated.

EMI REDD.51 “Stereosonic” Four-Track Mixer

EMI REDD.51

For the technically inclined, or anybody who enjoys superbly produced books, I once again recommend the RTB Book: Recording The Beatles, by Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew. In a way, the star of the book is the EMI REDD.51 mixing console. REDD is Recording Engineering Department Development at EMI. I previously posted pictures with the REDD.51 that was used (mostly) by engineers Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick to record the Beatles here and also here.

The original gatefold LP release of “Let It Be” has this photo of a REDD.51, which is missing from later LP pressings, and likewise the CD.

Let It Be LP

I remember being a wee lad, staring at this picture, having an idea of what the equipment did, and wondering if John was actually working the console. Today I know that Lennon was totally inept technically, and he never would have even touched the controls, let alone mastered their use, except perhaps for playback volume.

Clarification: Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, in his memoir Here, There and Everywhere, says that during the production of Revolution 9 for the White Album, Lennon took a hand at the console, “doing bits of panning and looking after the overall level so things didn’t get out of hand and distort. The whole thing was extremely haphazard; if he raised a fader and there was no sound, he’d say “Where’s it gone?”

The next picture was taken in early 1964, shortly after the REDD.51 was delivered, brand-new. That’s Norman “Hurricane” Smith sitting at the REDDy. 😉

Beatles in Studio 2 EMI with new REDD.51 mixer
Click to enlarge

One bit of trivia about the first pressing of “Let It Be.” Besides having a red Apple label, both sides are engraved with the names “Phil + Ronnie.”

Phil and Ronnie