Meet people from all over the World
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Song Of The Week - Rain  (Read 14459 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Hello Goodbye

  • Global Moderator
  • At The Top Of The Stairs
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20089
Song Of The Week - Rain
« on: March 22, 2015, 04:59:45 AM »

Rain





It was the first time that we had used a backward voice on a track.  This is a song I wrote about people who are always moaning about the weather all the time, you know, whatever it is, it’s OK, it’s meant to be.

      John Lennon   The Beatles: Off the Record  by Keith Badman



I don't think Rain was just John's.  We sat down and wrote it together.  It was John's vocal and John's feel on the song, but what gave it its character was collaboration.

      Paul McCartney   Anthology



Rain was written in March 1966 at John Lennon's Kenwood home.  On 14 April 1966, the sixth day of the Revolver Sessions, The Beatles entered EMI Studio Three at 2:30 PM to work on two songs that would not be on the album but werer to be released on their next single.  By 7:30 PM they had completed Paperback Writer which was to be the A-side.  After an hour break, they returned to recording Rain.

Before work on the rhythm track began, an important recording technique was implemented.  "One of the things we discovered when playing around with loops on Tomorrow Never Knows was that the texture and depth of certain instruments sounded really good when slowed down," remembers engineer Geoff Emerick in Mark Lewisohn's book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions.  "With Rain, The Beatles played the rhythm track really fast so that when the tape was played back at normal speed everything would be so much slower, changing the texture.  If we'd recorded it at normal speed and then had to slow the tape down whenever we wanted to hear a playback it would have been much more work…It all seems very simple now – and, of course, tricks like this are easily accomplished in today's computers – but in 1966 it was a pretty revolutionary technique, one that we would repeatedly use to great effect on Beatles recordings."

Five takes of the rhythm track were recorded during the five hour evening session which featured John and George on electric guitars, Paul on bass and a Ringo on drums.  Take 5 was deemed the best and then John's lead vocals were overdubbed.  A decision was made to alter the speed of his lead vocals as well, but in the opposite direction.  John recorded his vocal track with the tape slowed down to 42 cycles per second instead of the normal 50 cycles per second.  This made his voice sound somewhat faster when played back at the regular speed...


The Beatles - Rain (take 5 lead vocal overdub)



The Beatles left the studio at 1:30 AM and John asked for a tape of the rough mix to take home.

I took the tracks home to see what gimmicks I could add, because the song wasn’t quite right…I got home from the studio stoned out of my mind on marijuana and, as I usually do, I listened to what I’d recorded that day.  Somehow I got it on backwards and I sat there, transfixed, with the earphones on, with a big hash joint.  I ran in the next day and said, "I know what to do with it, I know…Listen to this!"  So I made them all play it backwards.

      John Lennon   Anthology


In fact, it was on 16 April that John had Geoff Emerick instruct EMI engineer Phil McDonald to turn the tape copy over so it would play backwards.  John's backward vocal was placed into the multitrack at the proper spot at the end of the song.  The 45 RPM single was released on 30 May 1966 in the United States...


The Beatles - Rain - 45 RPM - Original Mono Mix



It was released on 10 June 1966 in The United Kingdom.



John Lennon - Lead and Harmony Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (1962 Gretsch 6120)
Paul McCartney -  Bass Guitar (1964 Rickenbacker 4001S), backing vocals
George Harrison - Lead Guitar (1964 Gibson SG Standard), backing vocals
Ringo Starr –  Drums (1964 Ludwig Super Classic Black Oyster Pearl), tambourine






« Last Edit: March 23, 2015, 05:32:30 AM by Hello Goodbye »
Logged
I can stay till it's time to go

Hello Goodbye

  • Global Moderator
  • At The Top Of The Stairs
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20089
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2015, 05:33:17 AM »

Promo Take 1...


The Beatles - Rain #1





Promo Take 2...


The Beatles - Rain #2





And the promo we saw on The Ed Sullivan Show...


The Beatles - Rain - Uncut Promo












Hi Ed!


« Last Edit: March 23, 2015, 01:43:34 AM by Hello Goodbye »
Logged
I can stay till it's time to go

tkitna

  • That Means a Lot
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 8617
  • I'm a Moondog,,,,,are you?
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2015, 05:45:37 AM »

Eh, its a good song, but its never been one of my favorites.  In fact, I think its a bit overrated in the whole Beatles lore.

oldbrownshoe

  • Getting Better
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 800
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2015, 07:25:35 AM »

Another fantastic flip (it's difficult to think of a poor b-side in the 60s by The Beatles, The Kinks, The Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Small Faces etc.) and it would almost certainly have got to no. 1 if switched around.

What exactly constituted a 'b' or double 'a' side  in the 60s?
Who decided it?
I mean, was 'Rain' considered a weaker song than, say, 'Come Together' and 'Day Tripper'?
Is 'Eleanor Rigby'/'Yellow Submarine' a stronger pairing than 'I Feel Fine'/'She's A Woman'?

In the Beatles Monthly Poll it came a respectable 62, though I think its stature has probably grown since 1983. 
Logged

Moogmodule

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Online Online
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 4265
  • “Moog was the truth” TheseLyricsDoNotExist 2023
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2015, 08:20:00 AM »

This was probably the last of the "major" songs of the Beatles I heard. As my older brothers didn't have the paperback writer single I didn't hear it til I was around 15 or 16.  So given I was so familiar with the rest of their catalogue by that stage, hearing this for the first time was pretty cool. I've always thought it sounded similar to She Said She Said. Overall I prefer She Said, but this is a good tune too. The main clanger for me is the first two lines which seem a bit forced for John lyrics in that Beatle time period. Rhyming "head" with "dead" was like the anti "moon and June". But it always sounds not right to me.
Logged

Kevin

  • That Means a Lot
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 5543
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2015, 09:54:00 AM »

Same experience- I didn't hear it until Rareties came out.
Makes my top 10 list easily - simple but evocative lyrics, a big dense sound, timeless but of it's time, the perfect counterpoint to Paul's pristine pop.
Regarding who made he a side b side decisions - I think the most telling story is that regarding Penny Lane/SFF. Epstein wants  a single so he goes to George 
Martin who  gives him these. Not a Beatle mentioned. I expect that to be fairly typical scenario.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2015, 10:21:49 PM by Kevin »
Logged
don't follow leaders

blmeanie

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1062
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2015, 12:06:22 PM »

Nice song, fits the period for sure.  Like others, didn't get exposure to it at same time as the rest of the catalogue, first exposure was probably in complete Beatles video in mid 80's I think.

Logged

Klang

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 2064
  • Go to the window...
    • Klangville
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2015, 01:40:18 PM »


Groovy choon.

 8)

Logged
'...In the name of Preverti, daughter of the mountains, whose embrace with Rani made the whole world tremble...'

Normandie

  • That Means a Lot
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5290
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2015, 03:05:07 PM »


I love this song; seems like it would have fit well on Revolver. I came across it very late, too -- probably 15 years after I first started seriously listening to them.


What exactly constituted a 'b' or double 'a' side  in the 60s?
Who decided it?

I always wondered this, too; some of the decisions seem kind of questionable. But maybe that's just 20/20 hindsight on my part.
Logged

KelMar

  • Guest
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2015, 06:16:33 PM »

I am another one who came to this song late. I knew of it but never heard it until about 10 years ago when I had XM Radio. I thought it was so cool and now I know how they made it sound that way. I also puzzled over what the heck John was saying at the end. When I found out it made the song even better for me. I've often wondered if it had anything to do with my brother's penchant for flipping words around. When I went into 8th grade he said, Oh...you've got Nivlac Raguh for science." I was like "Huh??" LOL All in all I would give this song a lot of credit for making me delve further into the band that I always loved but never pursued, if that makes sense!
Logged

oldbrownshoe

  • Getting Better
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 800
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2015, 06:41:48 PM »

Moogmodule, Kevin.....for your 'Rain' I'll raise you a 'Baby You're A Rich Man'.

I'd got 'Rarities', most of the 45s but not 'All You Need Is Love', and wasn't going to get the 'Magical Mystery Tour' L.P. because I already had the double E.P. and the other 1967 singles, and so I spent an age (probably only about a month) before I heard my final Beatles' song.

I guess it explains my over-the-top and irrational regard for 'Baby You're A Rich Man'.
Logged

Moogmodule

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Online Online
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 4265
  • “Moog was the truth” TheseLyricsDoNotExist 2023
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2015, 08:06:45 PM »

Seems this was almost a "lost" Beatle song for many of us. It helps explain Nick Hornby writing in his book, 31 songs,  that Rain is valuable as it's a quality Beatle tune that most people haven't heard ad nauseum, so allows you to listen to the Beatles with something like fresh ears.
Logged

Klang

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 2064
  • Go to the window...
    • Klangville
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2015, 08:35:15 PM »


From the point of view of someone who heard - and bought - the record the day it was released, it was a definite A/A side among me and my friends. These guys were just getting better, and 'Revolver' sealed the deal a few months later.

 :)

Logged
'...In the name of Preverti, daughter of the mountains, whose embrace with Rani made the whole world tremble...'

Hombre_de_ningun_lugar

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 2105
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2015, 01:20:10 AM »

When I started listening to the Beatles, I began buying the original albums plus the Red and Blue Albums, where "Rain" is not included. So as many of you, "Rain" was one of the last Beatles' songs I've listened to. But I remember reading about "Rain" before actually listening to it, and I had big expectations about the song. I can say that I wasn't disappointed when I finally listened to it. I love the sound of the guitars and the extreme separation of the vocals in the stereo version: John on the left channel and Paul and George on the right channel.

I believe the general sound of the song was inspired by the Yardbirds' "Shapes Of Things", released few months earlier, in February 1966.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn2JFlteeJ0" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn2JFlteeJ0</a>
« Last Edit: March 23, 2015, 01:22:50 AM by Hombre_de_ningun_lugar »
Logged
"Love is old, love is new; love is all, love is you."

Fab4Fan

  • Getting Better
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 292
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2015, 02:32:00 AM »

Rain is one of my all-time favorite Beatles tracks. John's vocals, lyrics, and philosophical perspective coupled with Paul's bass, Ringo's drumming, and those awesome guitars - rich and full - create a musical tapestry that is unlike anything the Beatles had released to date. Paperback Writer is a nice, catchy, pop-rock song but Rain is from an entirely different astral plane!

As a 2nd-generation Beatles fan (born in '62) I didn't really dig into the Beatles LPs until '77 (age 15). In '77 or '78 I bought the Hey Jude 8-track and Rain blew me away - despite it being the one song to be split between programs on the tape (which led me to promptly buy the Hey Jude LP on vinyl!).

My first car was a '73 Mercury Comet GT with a set of small home-stereo speakers mounted above and behind the back seat - and they produced a lot of sound! My friends and I had many, many great experiences cruising around town with the windows down listening to my collection of Beatles 8-track tapes - and Rain was one of our favorite tracks on which to crank up the volume! As I reflect back on it, I'm sure plenty of folks thought we were just a bunch of obnoxious teenagers playing loud rock-n-roll music.

For the sake of nostalgia, I've posted a photo of that exact Hey Jude 8-track that brings back so many great memories:   
« Last Edit: March 23, 2015, 03:01:06 AM by Fab4Fan »
Logged
I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.

Hello Goodbye

  • Global Moderator
  • At The Top Of The Stairs
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20089
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2015, 03:06:12 AM »

I believe the general sound of the song was inspired by the Yardbirds' "Shapes Of Things", released few months earlier, in February 1966.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn2JFlteeJ0


Maybe John was watching Singin' in the Rain when he wrote the song...


HD 1080p "Singin' in the Rain" (Title Song) 1952 ~ Gene Kelly


Don:  Good night, Kathy.  See you tomorrow.
Kathy:  Good night, Don.  Take care of that throat.  You're a big singing star now, remember?  This California dew is just a little heavier than usual tonight.
Don:  Really?  From where I stand the sun is shining all over the place.
Logged
I can stay till it's time to go

Hello Goodbye

  • Global Moderator
  • At The Top Of The Stairs
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20089
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #16 on: March 23, 2015, 03:21:02 AM »




It's just a state of mind.   ;)
Logged
I can stay till it's time to go

Dcazz

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 2262
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #17 on: March 23, 2015, 05:32:27 PM »

One of the best IMO. Great singing and musicianship. The thing I like the best is it's psychedelic but R&R as well!
Logged
Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or imbeciles who really mean it!
Mark Twain

stevie

  • Getting Better
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 666
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #18 on: March 23, 2015, 09:19:02 PM »

Interesting that in the top photo, George is playing bass. Is it from the Revolver sessions? We know he played bass on She Said, She Said but the story goes that Paul wasn't present when they recorded it?

Hmm....
Logged

Hello Goodbye

  • Global Moderator
  • At The Top Of The Stairs
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20089
Re: Song Of The Week - Rain
« Reply #19 on: March 23, 2015, 10:14:31 PM »

And Paul is playing the Country Gentleman. 

I'm pretty sure that's Studio Three and it appears to be taken during the Revolver Sessions.
Logged
I can stay till it's time to go
Pages: [1] 2
 

Page created in 0.507 seconds with 91 queries.