Vatican Records
hXXps://drive.google.com/file/d/1MYNW0xWix4OpTDyaPTMzDtF5Fv4-Zkrk/view?usp=sharing
Original Notes About This CD:
This tape was originally thrown in as a bonus with the Decca tape when the late Joe Pope and two friends bought a copy
in the mid 70s. Presumably Joe made copies for someone else too, as years later it turned up on a vinyl lp called ABBEY ROAD NW8.
Joe and his friends didn't have anything to do with the lp.
Some years later, the master reel to reel tape was borrowed and transferred to DAT. Someone recently sent me a copy and that
has been used for this project. When I listened to the tape I found that the azimuth (head to tape alignment) changed constantly.
Fortunately there is now software which can automatically track and correct the timing errors caused by poor azimuth, allowing
one to fold down the two channels to mono (note that it was a mono tape to begin with!) and achieve a greatly improved result.
There was (and always was) a damaged section during Golden Slumbers which also needed fixing. Some minor dropout during a few
tracks I fixed too. The speed I left alone, since it seems to match the commercial mixes of the songs. The guitar on the Donovan
tape isn't at standard tuning. I tried speeding it up accordingly, but while this placed the guitar at standard pitch Paul's
speaking voice sounded very squeaky and unnatural. So I've left it as it is. I figure that since the Abbey Road material is at
the correct speed there is no reason to suppose the Donovan material isn't, particularly since it is a high quality reel to reel source.
My own stance on speed correction is that unless there is a fixed-tuning instrument present it is impossible to know with any certainty
what the exact speed should be, therefore I adopt a 'leave well enough alone' attitude unless it is extreme.
Many of The Beatles EMI recordings are 'in the cracks' (off pitch) so there's plenty of precedent for this.
The Donovan tape is supposed to be from Mary Hopkins' 'Postcard' sessions, at least according to Mary herself.
There seems to be a female voice present and at one point there's a discussion with the engineer about the guitar sound, so that would make sense.
Traditionally the first song is billed as 'How Do You Do?' but it sounds to me like there's an 'it' on the end of it.
The bonus version of you Never Give Me Your Money is a hybrid created by me, adding Paul's bass from the commercial mix to Track 12.
The instrumental versions are rockband mixes. Unlike most Beatles backing tracks which are fairly unremarkable, these are unique and fascinating
in themselves and make great background music for Sunday housework! I've restored the original endings to Mean Mr Mustard and Golden Slumbers.
Let It Be is a combination of the single and album mixes with lead vocal and drums/bass removed by oopsing. As a result you can clearly hear
George Martin's brass overdubs and some extraordinarily beautiful harmony vocals from Paul and George (John wasn't present),
which reach a sublime climax in the last 15 seconds or so.
