Articles

What A Fab Day: Bibliography

2020/12/21

If you like the podcast and you want to dig a bit deeper in the history of the Beatles, you’re in the right place. Below, you’ll find a list of resources that I have used for the podcast.

Records

1 – compilation. Read more on wikipedia.
1962-1966 – compilation. Read more on wikipedia.
1967-1970 – compilation. Read more on wikipedia.
A Hard Day’s Night – 1964 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
Abbey Road – 1969 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
Anthology 1 – compilation. Read more on wikipedia.
Anthology 2 – compilation. Read more on wikipedia.
Anthology 3 – compilation. Read more on wikipedia.
Beatles For Sale – 1964 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
Help! – 1965 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
Let It Be – 1970 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
Let It Be… Naked – compilation. Read more on wikipedia.
Long Tall Sally – 1964 UK ep. Read more on wikipedia.
Magical Mystery Tour – 1967 UK ep and USA album. Read more on wikipedia.
Past Masters – compilation. Read more on wikipedia.
Please Please Me – 1963 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
Revolver – 1966 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
Rubber Soul – 1965 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – 1967 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
The Beatles – 1968 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
The Beatles’ Hits – 1963. UK ep. Read more on wikipedia.
With The Beatles – 1963 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.
Yellow Submarine – 1969 UK album. Read more on wikipedia.

Books & Magazines

And In The End: The Last Days Of The Beatles – 2019 book by Ken McNab.
Many Years From Now – 1998 book by Barry Miles.
Mojo: 1000 days that shook the world, volume 1 – 2002 magazine.
Mojo: 1000 days that shook the world, volume 2 – 2002 magazine.
Mojo: 1000 days that shook the world, volume 3 – 2003 magazine.
Revolution In The Head – 1994, 1997, 2005 book by Ian McDonald.
The Beatles Anthology – 2000 book by the Beatles.
The Complete Beatles Chronicle – 1992 book by Mark Lewisohn
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions – 1988 book by Mark Lewisohn

Films

A Hard Day’s Night – 1964 film.
Eight Days A Week – 2016 documentary.
Help! – 1965 film.
Let It Be – 1970 film.
Magical Mystery Tour – 1967 film.
The Beatles Anthology – 1995 documentary.
Yellow Submarine – 1969 film.

Things You Can’t Buy

While compiling the podcast, by chance, I found out a couple of great resources for buddying Beatles fans: the first is Beatlesbible.com, a website with a day by day history and all kinds of information about the band, including a forum. The other is The Beatles Ultimate Experience, a website that I have used to read lots of Beatles interviews. Check them out and spread the love.

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Songs From The Beatles’ Get Back Project

2020/12/16

For all the listeners of my What A Fab Day podcast, here’s a list of songs rehearsed by the Beatles during their January 1969 sessions for the Get Back project, what will later become Let It Be. The songs are listed alphabetically, and have been compiled from the A-B Road bootleg and the beatlesbible.com list. The list includes all the improvised songs and the pieces that were just played for a couple of bars and never touched again. In square parenthesis, I’ve listed the composer(s) of each piece.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

A top

Ach Du Lieber Augustin [traditional]
Across The Universe [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Act Naturally [J. Russell, V. Morrison]
Adagio for Strings [S. Barber]
Agent Double-O-Soul [B. Sharpley, C. Hatcher]
All Along The Watchtower [B. Dylan]
All I Want Is You [J. Lennon]
All Shook Up [O. Blackwell, E. Presley]
All Things Must Pass [G. Harrison]
All Together Now [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Almost Grown [C. Berry]
Also [P. McCartney]
Annie [J. Lennon]
Another Day [P. McCartney]
Around And Around [C. Berry]
As Clear As A Bell [P. McCartney]

B top

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep [traditional]
Baby, Come Back [E. Grant]
Baby, Let’s Play House [A. Gunter]
Baby I Don’t Care, (You’re So Square) [J. Leiber, M. Stoller]
Back In The USSR [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Back Seat Of My Car, The [P. McCartney]
Bad Boy [L. Williams]
Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde, The [M. Murray, P. Callander]
Ballad Of High Noon, The (a.k.a. Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darlin’) [D. Riomkin, N. Washington]
Balls To Your Partner [traditional]
Be-Bop-A-Lula [G. Vincent, D. Graves, B. Davis]
Bear Cat Mama [G. Autry]
Because I Know You Love Me So [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Bésame Mucho [C. Velázquez]
Black Dog [traditional]
Blossom Dearie They Call Me [J. Lennon]
Blowin’ In The Wind [B. Dylan]
Blue Suede Shoes [C. Perkins]
Blue Yodel No. 1 (T For Texas) [J. Rodgers]
Bo Diddley [E. McDaniel]
Boogie Woogie [J. Lennon]
Bring It On Home To Me [S. Cooke]
Bring Your Own Band [P. McCartney]
Brown-Eyed Handsome Man [C. Berry]
Build Me Up Buttercup [M. d’Abo, T. Macaulay]
Bye Bye Love [F. Bryant, B. Bryant]

C top

Cannonball [D. Eddy, L. Hazlewood]
Carol [C. Berry]
Carry That Weight [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Case Of The Blues, A [J. Lennon]
Catch A Falling Star [P. Vance, L. Pockriss]
Cathy’s Clown [D. Everly, P. Everly]
Catswalk [P. McCartney]
Child Of Nature [J. Lennon]
Chopsticks [E. Allen]
C’mon Everybody [E. Cochran, J. Capehart]
C’mon Marianne [L. R. Brown, R. Bloodworth]
Cocaine Blues [T. J. Arnall]
Commonwealth [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Crackin’ Up [E. McDaniel]
Crazy Feet [P. McCartney]
Crying, Waiting, Hoping [B. Holly]
Cuddle Up [P. McCartney]

D top

Danny Boy [F. Weatherly]
Day I Went Back To School, The [P. McCartney]
Daydream [J. Sebastian]
Dear Prudence [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
‘Deed I Do [F. Rose, W. Hirsch]
Devil In Her Heart [R. P. Drapkin]
Dig A Pony [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Dig It [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Diggin’ My Potatoes [traditional]
Dizzy Miss Lizzy [L. Williams]
Do The Bunny Hop [J. Lennon]
Domino [D. Raye, L. Ferrari]
Don’t Be Cruel [O. Blackwell]
Don’t Let Me Down [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Cryin’ [J. Greene]
Don’t Start Running [J. Lennon]

E top

Early In The Morning [B. Darin, W. Harris]
Enoch Powell [P. McCartney]
Every Little Thing [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Every Night [P. McCartney]
Everybody Got Song [J. Lennon]
Everything’s Alright [B. Preston, D. Troy]

F top

F.B.I. [H. Marvin, B. Welch, J. Harris]
Fancy My Chances With You [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Fast Train To San Francisco [the Beatles]
First Call [traditional]
Five Feet High And Rising [J. Cash]
Flushed From The Bathroom Of Your Heart [J. H. Clement]
Fool, The [N. Ford, L. Hazlewood]
Fools Like Me [J. L. Lewis]
For You Blue [G. Harrison]
Forty Days [C. Berry]
Frère Jacques [traditional]
Friendship [C. Porter]
From Me To You [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]

G top

Get Back [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Get Off [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Get On The Phone [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Get Your Rocks Off [G. Harrison]
Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea [A. Hoffman, D. Manning]
Gimme Some Truth [J. Lennon]
God Save The Queen [traditional]
Going Up The Country [A. Wilson]
Golden Slumbers [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Gone, Gone, Gone [C. Perkins]
Good Rockin’ Tonight [R. Brown]
Greasepaint On Your Face [P. McCartney]
Great Balls Of Fire [O. Blackwell, J. Hammer]
Green Onions [S. Cropper, B. T. Jones, L. Steinberg, A. Jackson Jr.]

H top

Hallelujah, I Love Her So [R. Charles]
Happiness Runs [D. Leitch]
Hare Krishna Mantra [traditional]
Hava Nagilah [traditional]
Hear Me Lord [G. Harrison]
Hello, Dolly! [J. Herman]
Hello, Goodbye [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter From Camp) [A. Ponchielli, A. Sherman, L. Busch]
Help! [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Her Majesty [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Hey Good Lookin’ [H. Williams]
Hey Hey Georgie [G. Harrison]
Hey Jude [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Hey Liley, Liley Lo [traditional]
Hey Little Girl (In The High School Sweater) [D. Clark]
Hi Heel Sneakers [T. Tucker]
High School Confidential [R. Hargrave, J. L. Lewis]
Hippy Hippy Shake, The [C. Romero]
Hitch Hike [M. Gaye, W. Stevenson, C. Paul]
Honey Hush [L. W. Turner]
Honky Tonk [B. Doggett, S. Shepherd, C. Scott, B. Butler]
Hot As Sun [P. McCartney]
House Of The Rising Sun [traditional]
How Do You Tell Someone? [G. Harrison]
How Do You Think I Feel [W. Pierce, W. Walker]

I top

I Got Stung [A. Schroeder, D. Hill]
I Got To Find My Baby [P. Clayton]
I Left My Home In The World [P. McCartney]
I Lost My Little Girl [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
I Me Mine [G. Harrison]
I Shall Be Released [B. Dylan]
I Threw It All Away [B. Dylan]
I Told You Before [the Beatles]
I Walk The Line [J. Cash]
I Want To Thank You [B. Preston]
I Want You [B. Dylan]
I Want You (She’s So Heavy) [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
I Will Always Look For You [P. McCartney]
If You Need Me [P. McCartney]
I’ll Get You [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
I’ll Wait Till Tomorrow [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
I’m A Man [E. McDaniel]
I’m A Tiger [R. Scott, M. Wilde]
I’m Beginning To See The Light [D. Ellington, D. George, J. Hodges, H. James]
I’m Going To Knock Him Down Dead [J. Lennon]
I’m Gonna Pay For His Ride [P. McCartney]
I’m Movin’ On [H. Snow]
I’m Ready [A. Lewis, A. Domino, S. Bradford]
I’m So Tired [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
I’m Talking About You [C. Berry]
In The Middle Of An Island [N. Acquaviva, T. Varnick]
Inner Light, The [G. Harrison]
Is It Discovered [G. Harrison]
Is That A Chicken Joke? [the Beatles]
Isn’t It A Pity [G. Harrison]
It Ain’t Me Babe [B. Dylan]
It Blew Again [J. Lennon]
It Was So Blue [P. McCartney]
It’s Good To See The Folks Back Home [P. McCartney]
It’s Only Make Believe [J. Nance, C. Twitty]
I’ve Been Good To You [S. Robinson]
I’ve Got A Feeling [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]

J top

Jazz Piano Song [P. McCartney, R. Starkey]
Jenny, Jenny [R. Penniman, E. Johnson]
Johnny B Goode [C. Berry]
Junk [P. McCartney]
Just Fun [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]

K top

Kansas City [J. Leiber, M. Stoller]
Knee Deep In The Blues [M. Endsley]

L top

Lady Jane [M. Jagger, K. Richard]
Lady Madonna [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Lawdy Miss Clawdy [L. Price]
Leaning On A Lamp-post [N. Gay]
Let It Be [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Let It Down [G. Harrison]
Let’s Dance [J. Lee]
Let’s Twist Again [K. Mann, D. Appell]
Life Is What You Make It [the Beatles]
Like A Rolling Stone [B. Dylan]
Little Demon [Nahan, J. J. Hawkins]
Little Piece Of Leather [C. Dallas, J. Dallas]
Little Queenie [C. Berry]
Little Yellow Pills [J. Lomax]
Lonely Sea [B. Wilson, G. Usher]
Long And Winding Road, The [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Long Tall Sally [R. Blackwell, E. Johnson, R. Penniman]
Loop De Loop [T. Vann, J. Dong]
Lost John [L. Donegan]
Lotta Lovin’ [B. Bedwell]
Love Is A Swingin’ Thing [L. Dixon, S. Owens, W. Denson]
Love Is The Thing To Me [B. Preston]
Love Me Do [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Love Story [R. Newman]
Lovely Rita [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Lowdown Blues Machine [P. McCartney]
Lucille [A. Collins, R. Penniman]

M top

MacArthur Park [J. Webb]
Mack The Knife [K. Weill, M. Blitzstein]
Madman [J. Lennon]
Maggie Mae [traditional]
Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues [R. Roberts, B. Katz, S. Clayton]
Malagueña [traditional]
Mama, You Been On My Mind [B. Dylan]
Martha My Dear [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Maureen [B. Dylan?, G. Harrison?]
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Maybe Baby [B. Holly, N. Petty]
Maybellene [C. Berry]
Mean Mr Mustard [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Michael, Row The Boat Ashore [traditional]
Midnight Special [traditional]
Mighty Quinn, The [B. Dylan]
Milk Cow Blues [K. Arnold]
Miss Ann [R. Penniman, E. Johnson]
Money (That’s What I Want) [J. Bradford, B. Gordy]
Move It [I. Samwell]
Mr. Bass Man [J. Cymbal]
Mr. Epstein Said It Was White Gold [P. McCartney]
My Baby Left Me [A. Crudup]
My Back Pages [B. Dylan]
My Imagination [P. McCartney]
My Rock And Roll Finger Is Bleeding [J. Lennon]
My Words Are In My Heart [P. McCartney]

N top

Nashville Cats [J. Sebastian]
Negro In Reserve [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
New Orleans [F. Guida, J. Royster]
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Not Fade Away [C. Hardin, N. Petty]

O top

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Octopus’s Garden [R. Starkey]
Oh Baby I Love You [P. McCartney]
Oh! Darling [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Oh How I Love The 12-Bar Blues [J. Lennon]
Oh Julie, Julia [P. McCartney]
Old Brown Shoe [G. Harrison]
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever [B. Lane, A. J. Lerner]
On A Sunny Island [the Beatles]
On The Road Again [F. Jones, A. Wilson]
One After 909 [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
One Way Out [M. Sehorn, E. James]
Otis Sleep On [A. Conley]
Over And Over Again [P. McCartney]

P top

Palace Of The King Of The Birds, The [P. McCartney]
Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag [J. Brown]
Party [J. M. Robinson]
Peanut Vendor, The [M. Simons]
Peggy Sue Got Married [B. Holly]
Penina [P. McCartney]
Picasso [R. Starkey]
Piece Of My Heart [J. Ragovoy, B. Berns]
Pillow For Your Head [P. McCartney]
Please Mrs Henry [B. Dylan]
Please Please Me [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Polythene Pam [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Positively 4th Street [B. Dylan]
Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, A [I. Berlin]

Q top

Queen Of The Hop [W. Harris]
Quick One (While He’s Away), A [P. Townshend]
Quit Your Messing Around [J. Lennon]

R top

Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35 [B. Dylan]
Ramblin’ Woman [G. Harrison]
Ramrod [A. Casey]
Revolution [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Right String, Wrong Yo-Yo [Perryman]
Rip It Up/ Shake, Rattle And Roll/ Blue Suede Shoes [R. Blackwell, J. Marascalco/ C. F. Calhoun/ C. Perkins]
River Rhine, The [P. McCartney]
Rock-A-Bye Baby [traditional]
Rock And Roll Music [C. Berry]
Rock Island Line [traditional]
Rocker [the Beatles]
Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu [J. Vincent, H. Smith]
Rule Britannia [traditional]
Run For Your Life [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]

S top

Sabre Dance [A. Khachaturian]
San Ferry Ann [P. McCartney]
San Francisco Bay Blues [J. Fuller]
Satisfaction, (I Can’t Get No) [M. Jagger, K. Richard]
Save The Last Dance For Me [D. Pomus, M. Shuman]
School Day [C. Berry]
Send Me Some Loving [J. S. Marascalso, L. Price]
Sexy Sadie [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Shakin’ In The Sixties [J. Lennon]
Shazam! [D. Eddy, L. Hazlewood]
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
She Gets Heavy [J. Lennon]
She Said She Said [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
She Said Yeah [L. Williams]
She’s A Woman [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Short Fat Fannie [L. Williams]
Shot Of Rhythm And Blues, A [T. Thompson]
Shout [O. Isley Jr., R. Isley, R. Isley]
Singing The Blues [M. Endsley]
Slippin’ And Slidin’ [R. Penniman, E. Bocage, A. Collins, J. Smith]
Soldier Of Love (Lay Down Your Arms) [B. Cason, T. Moon]
Some Other Guy [J. Leiber, M. Stoller, R. Barrett]
Somethin’ Else [S. Sheeley, B. Cochran]
Something [G. Harrison]
Song Of Love [P. McCartney]
Sorry I Left You Bleeding [J. Lennon]
Sorry Miss Molly [P. McCartney]
S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight) [C. Hatcher, D. Hamilton, R. Morris]
Speak To Me [J. Lomax]
St. Louis Blues [W. C. Handy]
Stand By Me [B. E. King, J. Leiber, M. Stoller]
Step Inside Love [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Sticks And Stones [T. Turner]
Strawberry Fields Forever [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again [B. Dylan]
Suicide [P. McCartney]
Sun King [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Sure To Fall (In Love With You) [C. Perkins, B. Cantrell, Q. Claunch]
Suzy’s Parlour [J. Lennon]
Sweet Little Sixteen [C. Berry]

T top

Tales Of Frankie Rabbit [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Take These Chains From My Heart [H. Williams]
Take This Hammer [traditional]
Taking A Trip To Carolina [R. Starkey]
Talking Blues [P. McCartney]
Taste Of Honey, A [B. Scott, R. Marlow]
Tea For Two [V. Youmans, I. Caesar]
Teacher Was A-Lookin’, The [the Beatles]
Teddy Boy [P. McCartney]
Tell All The Folks Back Home [P. McCartney]
Tennessee [C. Perkins]
That’ll Be The Day [B. Holly, J. Allison]
That’s All Right Mama [A. Crudup]
Theme from The Beatles Cartoons [unknown]
There You Are, Eddie [P. McCartney]
They Call Me Fuzz Face [P. McCartney]
Thinking Of Linking [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Third Man Theme [A. Karas]
Thirty Days [C. Berry]
Three Cool Cats [J. Leiber, M. Stoller]
Tiger Rag [E. Edwards, N. LaRocca, H. Ragas, T. Sbarbaro]
Through A London Window [unknown]
Till There Was You [M. Wilson]
To Kingdom Come [R. Robertson]
Together In Love [B. Preston]
Too Bad About Sorrows [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Torchy, The Battery Boy [B. Gray]
Tracks Of My Tears, The [S. Robinson, P. Moore, M. Tarplin]
True Love [C. Porter]
Turkey In The Straw [traditional]
Twelfth Street Rag [E. L. Bowman]
Twenty Flight Rock [N. Fairchild, E. Cochran]
Twist And Shout [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Two Of Us [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]

U top

Unless He Has A Song [B. Preston]
Use What You Got [B. Preston]

V top

Vacation Time [C. Berry]

W top

Walk, The [J. McCracklin, B. Garlic]
Watch Your Step [R. L. Parker]
Watching Rainbows [J. Lennon]
Water, Water [P. McCartney]
Weight, The [R. Robertson]
Well… Alright [N. Petty]
Well, If You’re Ready [P. McCartney]
Well It’s Eight O’Clock [J. Lennon]
Well, Well, Well [P. McCartney]
We’re Goin’ Home [the Beatles]
What Am I Living For [F. Jay, A. Harris]
What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For? [J. McCarthy, H. Johnson]
What The World Needs Now Is Love [H. David, B. Bucharach]
What’d I Say [R. Charles]
What’s The Use of Getting Sober (When You Gonna Get Drunk Again) [B. Meyers]
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling [C. Olcott, G. Graff Jr., E. Ball]
When The Saints Go Marching In [traditional]
When You’re Drunk You Think Of Me [traditional]
Where Have You Been [A. Alexander]
Whispering [J. Schonberger, M. Schonberger]
William Smith Boogie [the Beatles]
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On [D. Williams]
When I’m Sixty-Four [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Window, Window [G. Harrison]
Woman [P. McCartney]
Woman Where You Been So Long [the Beatles]
Won’t You Please Say Goodbye [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
Words Of Love [B. Holly]

Y top

You Are Definitely Inclined Towards It [J. Lennon]
You Are My Sunshine [J. Davis, C. Mitchell]
You Can’t Catch Me [C. Berry]
You Can’t Do That [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
You Got Me Going [P. McCartney]
You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) [J. Lennon, P. McCartney]
You Gotta Give Back [the Beatles]
You Really Got A Hold On Me [S. Robinson]
You Wear Your Women Out [P. McCartney]
You Win Again [H. Williams]
You Won’t Get Me That Way [P. McCartney]
Your Name Is Ted [the Beatles]
Your True Love [C. Perkins]
You’re So Good To Me [B. Wilson]
You’ve Been Acting Strange [R. L. Williams]
You’ve Got Me Thinking [J. Lomax]

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Simon Remembers… The “Da Nessuna Parte” Sessions

2014/10/24

Da Nessuna Parte was a strange beast. On one hand, it was a quick process, very straightforward in terms of album structure and how to allocate studio time. On the other, it was a brave thing to do.

It all started when Goffredo Plastino, Reader of ethnomusicology at Newcastle University, managed to get a recording project approved: Paolo Angeli, a wonderful free improvisation performer, and builder of a one of a kind instrument (what he calls “sardinian prepared guitar”) would have teamed up with a few students of the university to record an album.

I got in as the only undergraduate student who was allowed to participate to the actual recording. A great honour, indeed!

Preparation

Almost all the material was freely improvised in the studio: I think Yellow Ring was the only thing that had some preparation in advance.

For that particular piece, I thought it would have been interesting to challenge Paolo to get out of his usual routine, and set him up against a pre-recorded soundscape. I contacted Paolo and briefly discussed the matter; he liked the idea, so it got the green light from Goffredo.

I created an “unfinished” sound collage, over the course of February 2008, using old field recordings of sardinian folk music. Paolo listened to the collage before arriving to Newcastle and spent the afternoon before the recording session imagining how he could best respond to the tape, completing it.

Recording Sessions

Being Italian like Paolo, I acted as a kind of chaperone for him, bringing him about in Newcastle to eat during breaks or showing him around.

I recalled Paolo was a bit concerned after the first day in the studio: the sessions had started slow and a bit unproductive, and he didn’t feel everyone was feeling at ease. We discussed a bit how free improvisation was approached at Newcastle University and he seemed more relaxed.

Paolo was much happier after the second and third day of recordings, so I guess everyone got loose… or they simply managed to use the energy of the sessions to engage in a more constructive musical output.

Yellow Ring

Yellow Ring was actually the easiest piece to get to tape. If I recall correctly, it was recorded in a couple of passes during the afternoon of the second day of sessions.

Paolo came prepared and added his chemistry to the track, playing his prepared guitar and a host of other objects… including a plastic bag!

It was really engaging to see how he entered in a dialogue with my unfinished piece, filling the “holes” with his inputs and taking it to the next level.

I was really pleased with the result. I was a bit less please with the final mix, in which Paolo’s part came too much to the fore, undermining the “dialogue” that was the basis of the whole piece.

Thankfully, the mastering readjusted the levels so that Yellow Rings sounds true to what it had become during the sessions: a piece to be appreciated on different levels, but still managing to be entertaining and lively!

back to Da Nessuna Parte page; back to Simon Remembers Article Series page

Valentine: The Interview

2010/09/13

Giovanni Durst: Here we are, I’ve got some questions, but first… let me tell you, this is some great work. Great musicians and really nice music.

Simon Mas: Thank you. It was my first album as a leader and it wouldn’t have turned the success that it is without everyone’s help.

Giovanni: Tell me more about the process. I’m particularly interested about the direction of the sound and the arrangements. Did you work alone, or there was some kind of input from the band?

Simon: Unfortunately, when the project started, there was no band at all… so the band input was very limited and came in the latest stages, just before recording.

Precious as it was (and it was!), I think the chance to work on the arrangements under the supervision of professor John Mills of the University of Texas in Austin was much more important to shape the album.

Giovanni: Supervision?

Simon: Yes. What happened was that the project changed halfway.

Initially, I had gone to Austin to gather some old songs, revise them, write new material, and arrange the albums. I had the idea of a cool jazz album in mind, but I just wanted to write a pile of charts, to be recorded somewhere else, at a later date. Professor Mills, who I knew from my year at UT, agreed to give me some advice on the material. He corrected some mistakes and gave me food for thought that helped me put the album together, a new way to thinking about the musical ideas I had.

Then, in the midst of things… I think it was actually him saying: “Why don’t you record it here?” It turned out that it was possible to get together a good band and since the material was almost done, I thought it was worth to work extra hours and actually finish the album in Austin.

Giovanni: I see. How did the change of direction affect the work?

Simon: Well… it went from the initial “I’ll take a little vacation in Austin” to “Ok, I’ll work mornings” to spending working about 12 hours a day almost every day! I remember my housemates joking on it, saying I was going to take roots at my desk.

On a level, it was a mistake. If I had planned the work to be recorded from day one, I could’ve taken better notes on key issues that would have come up in the studio, and organize the work better. At the end of the process, I was really nervous and over-anxious and I didn’t enjoy the recording process as much as I should have.

But I did come home with an album that would have taken forever to record in Italy, so I was definitely worth it.

Giovanni: Why do you think it would have been harder to record in Italy?

Simon: Perhaps it’s just me, but I have the impression that European jazz musicians can be a bit more… I would say conservative. In U.S. jazz is part of their musical heritage, and I found easier to find people who “play with the idiom” so to speak. The are more willing to try something new, even if it’s not “proper jazz”… whatever that is.

My experience in Europe, and particularly in Italy, is that jazz musicians at my level are less willing to “break the rules”. I think they fear to be judged insincere or unprofessional if they don’t stick to the tenets of classic jazz idiom.

Pieces like Jamaica Junction, There It Is, or Outside are not classic jazz. People might have put on a fuss or tried to offer wise advice on how to “make them better”, and the whole process would have been a real drag.

Instead, it’s been much easier: everyone knew it wasn’t “pure” jazz (it can’t be!) , everyone tried to learn the music and contribute with their own personality. We had two or three of takes for each tune, listened to them, and chose what seemed best. A real breeze.

Giovanni: Why do you say your music can’t be “pure” jazz?

Simon: If “pure” jazz is Duke Ellington’s or Count Basie’s or even Charlie Parker’s… it’s not the 1940s anymore. You turn on the radio and there’s hip hop, rock, metal… it all goes into the music you compose, whether you like it or not. The newer genres also change the expectations of the listeners, the way music communicates an emotion… so you can’t just ignore what is going on around you in other genres. Jazz itself has gone a long way, moving on from that kind of approach and sound: think of fusion, think of non-American jazz.

Some people think we should stick to what the greats have given us, but it’s pointless: music has to stay fresh and relevant, in order to be exciting.

Giovanni: What about your musical references, then?

Simon: I love Miles Davis, especially the 1950s… but also his early fusion period. On the other hand, I come from rock and pop, and I am not ashamed of it. In Valentine, you get What Is It? which (to me) is a tune that might not have sounded out of place in one of those 1950s jazz albums; Outside which is a sophisticated ballad; Jamaica Juction with its Fellini-like sonorities… but it also somewhat reminds me of 1970s Alberto Sordi flicks; Scene 71, instead, would be ok as a soundtrack for a pastice of studio Hollywood melodrama; the King Crimisonesque There You Have It, all angular and acidic; and finally Valentine, which is a straight pop tune.

Giovanni: So, it’s all about your personal experiences. Was it fundamental to spend time oversea to get where you are now?

Simon: No single experience makes or breaks a person. I think that the basic shape of a person (and so, that of a musician) is not dictated by where you studied and who you met. Musically speaking, I think one has a good idea of where his music is heading, even at the start of his career. Some characteristics are too ingrained to be changed. In my case… I’ve always loved a strong melody. In most music I write, you will find a strong melody, regardless of the rest. So, I guess it really depends on how someone perceives the evolution of a composer.

Giovanni: One last question: did the lyrics take cue from real experiences? Are they just fantasies?

Simon: There’s a healthy mix of reality and fantasy. Outside deals with a night out with my girlfriend at the time, but there are some references to a couple of Montale’s Ossi di Seppia poems. Jamaica Junction deals with a real fight on a subway train in New York: I guess it’s the most real life song in the album. Valentine, instead, is the least realistic. It started as a song for a girl I liked a long time ago… but I never managed to properly finish it until I reviewed the song for the album, a good decade later.

Giovanni: Well, that’s it for now. Thank you.

Simon: Thank you.