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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | GaryPig@aol.com |
| Subject | Re: The Capitol Albums |
| Date | Wed, 13 Oct 2004 13:37:17 EDT |
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There was a fascinating book published in the late Seventies
written by the (in)famous Dave Dexter Jr.,
who worked in some sort of Foreign A&R capacity for Capitol
from the mid-Fifties thru mid-Sixties.
It's a fun book to read,
if only to hear how a jazz-bo like Dave just didn't (couldn't?) "get" The
Beatles
whenever EMI London dispatched him the band's 1963 singles hoping for a U.S.
release
(if memory serves, it was primarily John's harmonica on those early A-sides
that turned Dave off the most).
anyways, come "I Want To Hold Your Hand," even Dexter couldn't deny its
appeal,
and the U.S. Capitol deal was finally done.
HOWEVER,
Dexter first contacted George Martin,
complaining that "...Hand" sounded just too "thin" for American AM ears,
and Martin not only agreed,
but allowed -- in the case of "...Hand" actually URGED -- Capitol to do
whatever they felt they had to do to help tweak the Beatle masters prior to
Stateside release.
Thus, the reverb etc. often added
(and I'm not talking Duophonic here either:
it's evident on the original mono 45 mix Dexter supervised for "...Hand," for
example).
Heresy, you say?
Well, put in proper perspective, remember that in December 1963 any Beatles
45, especially their all-important Capitol debut, had to compete on the radio
dial against Motown, Capitol's biggest band at the time (yes, Brian's B.Boys)
and especially Spector's Walls of Sound. So it's quite easy to hear how,
compared to those mammoth little American masterpieces, the cool dry Abbey Road
sound would appear somewhat anemic (as G. Martin himself has said he worried
about at the time, especially after first attending a Sinatra session at the
Capitol Tower studio and realizing how antiquated his British gear was in
comparison).
Of course, this tweaking got a bit out of hand at times (eg: the American
delay-drenched "She's A Woman," which sounds like some sorta bizarre Cramps / Sun
mix ;-)
anywho,
The Dexter book is a wonder to read, overall.
The man had an illustrious career: He was an early Downbeat Magazine
contributor, was right in on the ground floor as Capitol Records began, and worked
with the Beatles closely ...that is, right up until J. Lennon was first handed
the American "Help!" album, freaked over its cheesy packaging and instrumental
soundtrack inclusions, and ordered Dexter immediately fired from any further
Fab assignments.
So we certainly can't blame Dave for "Yesterday ...and Today,"
Gary "still wondering when Capitol's "Beatles Story" is due on CD too" Pig
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