Counting down!!!

[Mr Bump]

I'm watching the BBC tv show that MeanMrMustard100 linked to in another thread... and there's an interesting part in which Giles talks about working with Paul on this...."This stems from Paul being at home and realizing he has this opportunity to work with John again. His best friend. They were best friends. And then when we worked on the track, he would say, like, listen George's guitar part and the string parts. Listen to what George is doing. We have to respect what George is doing here. And they're a band. They say my dad was the Fifth Beatle. He wasn't. They were four Beatles."

I always notice that when People talk about the fifth Beatle. Actually there were six Beatles and even if one discounts Stu, Pete Best is never acknowledged. He was a Beatle too, and is now an ex-Beatle - there are three ex-Beatles still alive. He signed with Eppy, rocked Hamburg, recorded at Abbey Road etc. Shouldn't be forgotten.

[fabwill]

You guys that work with audio, and audio extraction, does that new extracted full-bodied fidelity Lennon vocal seem truly real and possible from the original demo cassette? I'm suspicious there isn't something more than that going on here -- it sounds a bit too good to be true from how they are claiming it was done. But I'm no expert in these matters.

Yes, I would say so. While Jackson's result is extremely good, if you listen very closely and focused with good headphones, you still notice rests of artifacts from the separation. Take for instance the last "of you" at 7:23 - the "of" gets the slight timbre of a bowed violoncello, which is a not too uncommon side-effect of such processing. This is a bit masked by the reverb obviously added mainly to the decay of John's vocal phrases - that's certainly not from the cassette.

Still it's an extremely good result and a remarkable achievement. Ten to fifteen years ago, I was convinced such a clear separation would never be possible, even when Peter Neubäcker came up with Melodyne DNA Direct Note Access in 2008 / 2009.

Do we think that restoration of John’s voice here is a specifically remarkable achievement or one that might equally be possible to apply other material? In listening to it last night I started imagining what else might now be possible to restore to release quality- I was thinking Stowe, Star Club etc. Am I dreaming or do we think those might actually now be feasible?

[RaelBass]

You guys that work with audio, and audio extraction, does that new extracted full-bodied fidelity Lennon vocal seem truly real and possible from the original demo cassette? I'm suspicious there isn't something more than that going on here -- it sounds a bit too good to be true from how they are claiming it was done. But I'm no expert in these matters.

Yes, I would say so. While Jackson's result is extremely good, if you listen very closely and focused with good headphones, you still notice rests of artifacts from the separation. Take for instance the last "of you" at 7:23 - the "of" gets the slight timbre of a bowed violoncello, which is a not too uncommon side-effect of such processing. This is a bit masked by the reverb obviously added mainly to the decay of John's vocal phrases - that's certainly not from the cassette.

Still it's an extremely good result and a remarkable achievement. Ten to fifteen years ago, I was convinced such a clear separation would never be possible, even when Peter Neubäcker came up with Melodyne DNA Direct Note Access in 2008 / 2009.

That's what Paul really mislead speaking about the song: he used the word AI, and that OF YOU makes me think of AI reconstruction. But it could be autotune as well, I saw a clip of Sean with Mark Ronson putting autotune in a song by his dad ("Hold on John"). Doesn't sound natural anyway.

[General Pepper]

I'm in Liverpool for a conference, and staying in a hotel across the road from Albert Docks. Went for a walk before breakfast this morning. The boys look great and are ready for the release.

GP

[JosRem]

I remember vividly that Sundaynight in June 1967 waiting for The Beatles on TV to perform live (on worldwide television) their new single ! Don’t we need love more than ever now and then?

[glassonion]

This is so exciting. I haven't slept a wink and won't until I hear it with my own ears.

[Captain_Kidd]

I'm psyched. This will be epic. Can't wait to hear the last Beatles single. Most exciting week in years.

Who feels the same?

Thanks for the link LR. Yes, sure I'm psyched, and much, much more so than I thought I'd be. Ah, y'see, not so jaded and cynical after all!

I'm at work and can think of little else.. Roll on 3pm (here) !!

[Lord Reith]

I didn't watch the film but I was heartened to read all the positive reactions to it on SHF. People are coming to their senses at last.

[Lord Reith]

Do we think that restoration of John’s voice here is a specifically remarkable achievement or one that might equally be possible to apply other material? In listening to it last night I started imagining what else might now be possible to restore to release quality- I was thinking Stowe, Star Club etc. Am I dreaming or do we think those might actually now be feasible?

I've been doing those recently with good results so I don't see why not.

[Phil_Lip]

BBC Radio 2 will be broadcasting the song in full at 2pm tomorrow. Get your blank tapes ready...

So is that *ahead* of when it drops on youtube, itunes etc?

The other day, Peter Jackson said this mini doc will contain a few seconds of film from the Pete Best archives. Where is that in the doc? I've watched it twice now and can't figure out where it is.

I thinks it's the colour film of them in early 1962 at a Valentine's Day dance. It was found by someone who bought a second hand camera in a pawn shop and that was inside... FIND!!! Not sure how it ended up in the "Pete Best Archives"

From https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67285117

It will contain previously-unseen footage, including "a few precious seconds" of the earliest known film of The Beatles, provided by original drummer Pete Best and his brother Roag.

Roag said he bought the silent footage from a man who used a cine camera to film the band performing St Paul's Presbyterian Church Hall in Birkenhead in February 1962, eight months before their debut single came out.

Jackson's team have improved the quality and "it looks absolutely fantastic", Roag told BBC News.

It is also the only known footage of the band performing in the leather suits they sported before they became famous.

"The lads are rocking backwards and forwards with guitars, mouths to the microphones, singing," Roag said.

The band played in front of a tinsel backdrop at a Valentine's dance in February 1962
It is also the only video from before Pete Best was sacked and replaced by Ringo Starr in August 1962 - but he is obscured in the footage, his brother said.