Doctor Robert - Longer Version

[Hello Goodbye]

You did a good job enhancing the fade-out, Daniel.  John's "OK, Herb" is quite clear.

[peterbell1]

I think I had an idea to do something with this loud volume.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QMRHBR2S

Here it is. I used Audacity to make John's Herb speech louder. Do you guys like it or love it?

Do you think he really says "OK, Herb"?
I'm not so sure. Would John really announce over the mic that he's off to smoke a joint, when George Martin is on film stating that the Beatles didn't use drugs in front of him and they used to try to hide it from him.

[danielcelano]

I think John says either "Okay Herb" or "Hey there".

[Hello Goodbye]

Someone in the studio was named Herb.

[peterbell1]

Someone in the studio was named Herb.

I thought of that, but who at EMI was called "Herb" or "Herbert"?

I've also read that 43 seconds was edited out of the middle of Dr Robert somewhere.
The original recording was 2:56 but was edited down to 2:13.
Anyone know where in the song the edit was made, what was edited out, and why it was removed?

I also wonder why they decided to fade this song on the record when it seems to come to a proper stop if you listen to the Y&T version.

[Bobber]

I also wonder why they decided to fade this song on the record when it seems to come to a proper stop if you listen to the Y&T version.

We had a discussion on that topic some time ago: http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=4418.0

[peterbell1]

We had a discussion on that topic some time ago: http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=4418.0

Thanks.

I wonder if it was because of John's "OK Herb" (or whatever it is) comment that they decided to do the fade.
If it really is John saying "OK - time for a joint" then you can see why they wouldn't want it on the record, and the comment comes very close to the end of the instruments so it was maybe too close for it to just be chopped off the end.

I need to have a proper listen to the track and listen for the edits where the 43 seconds was removed.

[Hello Goodbye]

Someone in the studio was named Herb.

I thought of that, but who at EMI was called "Herb" or "Herbert"?

I don't think the slang term "herb" was in common usage in 1966.  This is from Slang-Dictionary.com:

herb

Definition
noun

1. marihuana, herbal cannabis. This is probably the most common name for the drug in Caribbean use (usually pronounced 'erb). The word has been given special prominence since the early 1970s by reference to it (in popular songs and elsewhere) by Jamaican Rastafarians, for whom it is sacramental. White British cannabis smokers adopted the term as an alternative to the more commonplace grass, bush, etc. in the mid-1970s.

2. British  a street urchin. A rare shortening of Herbert, typically pronounced 'erb.

3. American  a dupe. This term, heard in the 1990s in street argot, is probably taken from the proper name supposedly denoting a quintessential 'sucker'. (H)erbert is the British equivalent.

[Gary910]

I thought of that, but who at EMI was called "Herb" or "Herbert"?

I would guess that it was a nickname for someone. John would do that.

[nyfan(41)]

3. American  a dupe. This term, heard in the 1990s in street argot, is probably taken from the proper name supposedly denoting a quintessential 'sucker'. (H)erbert is the British equivalent.

i know that's not your quote HG - but i'm pretty sure kids in new york started to say that because of the burger king commercials
they had these ads called 'where's herb' and you used to get a discount if you went in to burger king and said 'im not herb'
1986 Burger King "I'm Not Herb" commercial
1985 Burger King Herb ad
Burger King - Herb Is Coming! (1986)
i think they were trying to copy the success of the 'where's the beef' wendy's commercials . . but they weren't good ads
pretty soon 'herb' became the new slang for 'sucker' . . . but the slang meaning of a 'herb' is slightly different....like a nerd who cant dress who gets robbed and doesn't know the latest trends . . .kinda
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as far as the song, i think in the 60s people said 'grass' and 'dope'.
gary910's explanation sounds likely 
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thanks HG - i forgot all about those commercials till i read your post !  ha2ha

[Hello Goodbye]

Pot, weed, Mary Jane, smoke and reefer were other 60s terms nyfan.

[danielcelano]

I think it's because the 43 seconds were removed and replaced by a fade-out. However, a longer fade-out is heard on the Y&T version since we thought the length is 2:56, but apparently it's 2:16. Right, Peter?

I thought of that, but who at EMI was called "Herb" or "Herbert"?

I've also read that 43 seconds was edited out of the middle of Dr Robert somewhere.
The original recording was 2:56 but was edited down to 2:13.
Anyone know where in the song the edit was made, what was edited out, and why it was removed?

I also wonder why they decided to fade this song on the record when it seems to come to a proper stop if you listen to the Y&T version.

[danielcelano]

Since the 43 seconds of Doctor Robert that used to be 2:56 were removed from all versions and replaced by a fade-out, I think the edit is somewhere in this song.