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Author Topic: Looking Through You: Paul solo?  (Read 13676 times)

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somedude210

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #20 on: October 01, 2005, 12:23:38 AM »

thats deep dude....whoa, its like I'm traveling through my strawberry fields forever and yet, tomorrow never knows  ;D
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Ahme

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #21 on: March 30, 2010, 02:36:43 PM »

I read this one the Beatles Anomalies list and thought it's interesting. A poster suggests that I'm Looking Through You might have been a solo recording by Paul.

David L Fairey has a wild theory on why this track is like this. See if you agree ...

My main argument surrounds the recording of the Rubber Soul track I'm Looking Through You, possibly one of the messiest recordings the Beatles made. It is rushed, terribly recorded and not particularly played well. Thus, I have a theory...

I believe, contrary to all other reports (including Lewisohn and Macdonald) that this could be a solo Paul recording. After all it was his song and quite a personal subject for him. The drumming is awful, with a noticeable rimshot being missed, no bass drum [MB: untrue, it's there, flumping away!] or hats and cymbals. Sounds like the old patting-the-knees percussion to me, recorded on top of a snare to keep time.

The guitars sound out of tune and sound like Paul's style of play, especially at the end. George was always a more organised guitarist and I can't see him committing this to tape when the Beatles where at their height! The guitar sound is also Paul, maybe his Epiphone Casino? The tambourine work is poor also and the organ stabs should have been heavily compressed.

In fact, the best input is the acoustic - capo'd? - guitar most audible at the start of the song.

Whatever, it's a messy recording, especially when compared to other Rubber Soul tracks which are well played and nicely produced. I don't have the date at hand when it was recorded but I'd guess it was one of the last songs recorded for the album. I do know however that Paul had had the main part of the song for some time. Was it dusted down, quickly recorded to complete the album?

Anyway, my main point is that it sounds like a song in which neither Ringo or George (and probably John) contributed.

Well, according to Lewisohn's Recording Sessions, "I'm Looking Through You" was almost the last track recorded. This version was recorded on the 10th and 11th November, 1965. 11th November is described as a marathon recording session. Final remixing was done on the 15th November. So yes, there was a deadline looming very hard.

Also, Lewisohn's Recording Sessions states that there was an initial attempt to record a backing for this song on 24th October. No list of who was present, or who-played-what is given. Interesting.

On the 6th November, a re-make was performed of this track, described as "too fast and frenetic". Again, no details of performance credits. "Verrrry interesting" as they say.

10th November, it was "finally made in a way that pleased everyone". Were the others even present? Could it be that this recording pleased Paul as it was completed to his satisfaction, and the others were pleased, because the thing was finished without them having to do it again with deadlines looming!

The album sleeve credits Ringo as playing a Hammond organ on the song, "but it cannot be heard on the recording, nor is the instrument detailed on the tape box" (Lewisohn again). In which case, what are those loud stabs on the organ? Evidently the tape box is not accurate either, as there is an organ there.

As a "conspiracy theory" it's an interesting idea, and I wonder how many other tracks might fall into this category.

Interesting. Could be true I think.
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Kevin

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #22 on: March 30, 2010, 03:01:23 PM »

I don't know about it sounding like Paul (I'm not good enough to spot the difference) but i find the whole thing so unlikely. It simply doesn't equate with the way we know the band operated at the time. The album was rushed, and TheEnd, who knows of such things, clinches it for me when he says a solo effort would be impossible on a four track.
And as someone else said Beatle albums are littered with mistakes and uncorrected sloppiness.
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AngeloMysterioso

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #23 on: March 30, 2010, 08:43:35 PM »

Interesting. Could be true I think.
Perhaps, but I doubt it; mainly because that song – in view of the numerous distinctly different takes – must have been made and remade so many times that Paul could possibly not be the only one involved.
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maywitch

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #24 on: March 30, 2010, 08:57:51 PM »

I don't think it's a solo recording and it's actually one my favorite tracks, so I don't know what his problem is with it. :)  I think it sounds just how they wanted it to sound, within the time frame they had to work.
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SemolinaPilchard

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #25 on: March 31, 2010, 05:09:08 AM »

I don't think it's a solo recording and it's actually one my favorite tracks, so I don't know what his problem is with it. :)  I think it sounds just how they wanted it to sound, within the time frame they had to work.
I agree, it's one of my favorite songs from Rubber Soul. It sounds perfectly fine to me. I never noticed any difference in quality between ILTY and any other RS tracks. Granted, I have absolutely no knowledge about music, but I knows what I likes.  ;D
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Ahme

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #26 on: March 31, 2010, 07:24:31 AM »

It's not about liking the song or not, but about whether it could be a solo recording.
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Jane

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #27 on: March 31, 2010, 08:52:12 PM »

I love the song.
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maywitch

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #28 on: April 01, 2010, 07:40:56 PM »

Quote
It's not about liking the song or not, but about whether it could be a solo recording.

Yeah but among the reasons the guy gave for it's being a solo recording is because he thought it sounded crappy, which I don't agree with, ergo, I can't use that as evidence for it's being a solo recording. :) 

Otherwise I don't know, at this point in time I really don't think Paul would have done a "solo" recording(where he played all the instruments) to use on an album - I think that was still a bit off down the road for him to take that step.
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Bobber

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #29 on: April 06, 2010, 07:07:55 AM »

Yeah but among the reasons the guy gave for it's being a solo recording is because he thought it sounded crappy, which I don't agree with, ergo, I can't use that as evidence for it's being a solo recording. :) 

Well, if you listen closely there are actually a lot of mistakes.

Otherwise I don't know, at this point in time I really don't think Paul would have done a "solo" recording(where he played all the instruments) to use on an album - I think that was still a bit off down the road for him to take that step.

Time was tight...

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maywitch

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #30 on: April 06, 2010, 05:21:09 PM »

Time was "tight" a lot in those days, they were very busy people.  But I really don't see any Paul "solo" works(it's one thing for him to sing over some violins, another to play all the instruments) happening at that point in time.  I don't see the other guys allowing it OR Paul doing it himself.  But heck if he was - great job, because I love that song. :)

As for "mistakes", one man's mistake is another man's first born son, guess it all depends on how you look at it. :)
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Bobber

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #31 on: April 08, 2010, 07:16:50 AM »

As for "mistakes", one man's mistake is another man's first born son, guess it all depends on how you look at it. :)

Well, if that's how you look at things I guess you're a very optimistic person. Good luck with that.
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Bobber

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #32 on: April 04, 2012, 08:41:42 AM »

Songwriting wise- Probably yes
Playing Wise- No, that guitar riff is defintely George's. And John could have been playing a dubbed in rythym guitar. Plus Ringo on the drums

Compare the guitar riff with the riff of Another Girl. Don't you think it could very well be the same guitarist?
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peterbell1

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #33 on: April 04, 2012, 08:45:35 PM »

Definitely Macca's style of guitar playing - far too busy to be George.

And those Hammond organ parts - unmistakeable Ringo  ;)
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TomMo

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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #34 on: June 04, 2012, 03:11:37 PM »

This was definitely a time when Lewisohn blew it. When his book came out, I even wrote a letter to him, via his publisher, asking him how he could NOT hear the organ on the track. Never heard back from him. Granted, it does blend in with the guitar riff so well that it might be hidden to some ears. But when separating the stereo, it is much more audible. Nothing that Ringo couldn't handle.

Prior to Rubber Soul, Paul did very little guitar work that has been documented: "Yesterday", "Ticket To Ride", and "Another Girl". Am I missing anything? On Rubber Soul, much of the album has an unplugged feeling to it. I suspect that Paul had been champing at the bit for a long time to do more guitar playing, and for whatever reason he played lead twice on the songs from Help, he did prove himself to be a competent guitarist. On Rubber Soul, there could have been plenty of opportunities for him to strap on an acoustic guitar and go at it.

To me, the acoustic guitar on ILTY does sound like Paul's style, not John's. On other tracks where John played tambourine, I always thought his playing was, um, unique to say the least, and it sounds like him on this track. I have to agree that the lead guitar bits on the middle eight sound like Paul. As for the riffs between verses, George could play them, but it does sound so un-George, you may be right.

Drums? I think Ringo, in spite of the missing rim shot. Maybe that rim shot eloped with John's missing chord from "She's A Woman".

What else did they record at that session? Was George there for any other tracks that day?

Personal observation: We'll probably never know the truth, but I've long suspected that Paul became dissatisfied with both George's and Ringo's playing long before the White Album/Get Back sessions. One of the things that made G&R valuable to J&P, in my opinion, was that they were content to be role players in the early years. J&P could arrange their songs and direct Ringo (for sure) and George (to a lesser extent). No doubt they could never get Pete Best to play what they wanted (mostly do to his lack of range on the drums - a real reason to dump him). And can you imagine Paul trying to dominate Clapton had he replaced George? I think not.

Even John used to complain about Paul wanting to experiment with some of his (John's) songs.

Don't misunderstand, I'm not bashing Paul. Just saying.
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Re: Looking Through You: Paul solo?
« Reply #35 on: December 16, 2012, 01:03:15 AM »


Time was tight...



So were their trousers.  ;)

But I seriously think this was a solo effort by Paul.  He was talking to Jane.  Not the Jane a few posts above, but his muse.  He proved he could do this very well just a few years later.
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