Something About The Beatles

142: Truth and Beauty…and Keyboards (with Jeff Martin)

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Television writer Jeff Martin makes his third appearance on the show, this time focusing the conversation on one of his vocations – playing keyboards in a band – and how The Beatles (Paul mainly) utilized an array of instruments in the studio: piano – electric piano – organ – harmonium – Mellotron – synthesizer, and so forth; and how their use evolved from doubling instrumental parts to adding color to forming the basis of some of their finest compositions.

Comments

15 responses to “142: Truth and Beauty…and Keyboards (with Jeff Martin)”

  1. Lee Downes

    Loved this episode! It was so interesting- made me hear sounds I had taken for granted. Going back to my LPs!!

    Reply
  2. Andy

    This was fascinating. Great show. More Jeff Martin please!

    Reply
  3. Cajun Queen

    EXCELLENT episode. So good.

    Reply
  4. Marlon

    Great episode! I appreciate the detail when Jeff described the McCartney style of playing piano.

    Reply
  5. Paul T

    Fascinating and enjoyable – get that man back again one day – thx Robert

    Reply
  6. Joe Mersch

    Fantastic! Wonderful to hear appreciation of Beatle music that gets into the musical details. You draw fascinating connections to other music as well – hope there’s more to come.

    (Maybe a helpful term for what Jeff cites as Paul’s timing tricks and jumping the beat: syncopation – super important in the black music, especially Blues and Ragtime, the Beatles loved. It took root so strongly in McCartney. Do you think he would have absorbed it through contact with Little Richard and Billy Preston in Hamburg?

    Reply
  7. Kevin

    This is super fun. I’ve always been curious about the development of Macca’s piano playing. Those standards that he was weaned on are really rich and harmonically complex. I guess his dad taught him a bunch of stuff? I know that he had a bunch of stage time when his Rosetti Lucky 7 fell apart. From a recording standpoint, his playing kind of comes out of nowhere as the band became more of a studio entity and their songs became more complex. Very fun listen- thanks!

    Reply
  8. Pilcher of the Yard

    The ‘shend her back to me’ lines in Misery were done in tribute to Sean Connery who just emerged onto the scene ( or should that be sheen?) as James Bond.

    Reply
    1. Robin

      Some evidence for the Sean Connery reference? I’d like to hear more about this.

      Reply
      1. Us

        http://www.vitamin-ha.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/VH672941.jpg

        Reply
    2. Steve

      The “shend” and “shay that something” is 100% mentioned in The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions.

      I *thought* it was also mentioned in the Motown Singles 1962 boxed set for a Marvin Gaye entry.

      In other words it was a vocal affectation that Marvin Gaye tried on a flop single from 1962 and The Beatles ran with it for a couple of songs.

      Reply
  9. Dave McCallum

    Great show thoroughly enjoyed Jeff Martin’s insights into
    Keyboards on Beatle records. Never realized there were so many .
    I thought you might get to the “Mrs Mills tack piano” on
    Rocky Racoon. Maybe next visit. Keep up the great work.

    Reply
  10. DavyR

    Great episode! Great episode!

    Reply
  11. Danny Joseph

    Thank you! I thoroughly enjoyed your conversation. This – and your Chris Thomas interview was my introduction to SATB, and I’m hooked. You are just so engaging and knowledgeable. I didn’t want it to end.
    Brilliant!
    At times I was yelling in my head–Yes! Exactly! I never thought of the John-Paul partnership outside of the Rocker/Genius v. Cute Balladeer dichtomy much before. Mind and Eye-opening stuff!
    Thanks for ending with If I Fell–Just Brilliant!
    Danny

    Reply
  12. Lee Mills

    We say SCedule over here. One of the many vagaries of the English language (certainly plenty here in Britain). Something I’ve noticed since listening to the podcast is the silent L in Always and Almost,they become AWways and AWmost. Just a minor irritation though great show again though.

    Reply

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